LAS VEGAS — Two-time Junior World bronze medalist
Kayla Miracle can add a little more hardware to her already packed trophy room, as the junior Lady Tiger won the 2016-17 U.S. Senior Women's Freestyle National Championship at 58kg/128 lbs.
Miracle, who entered as the No. 1 seed at 58kg and was competing for Sunkist Kids, absolutely dominated her competition this weekend by out-scoring opponents 44-0 on the mat.
It all started by posting three technical falls and a 4-0 victory over rival Becka Leathers in the finals.
"Kayla wrestled a very strategic, disciplined match," said coach and father
Lee Miracle. "Anytime you have two national champions going at it in the match often comes down to the person who makes the least amount of mistakes and stays in position during the scrambles. Kayla reacted very well in the scramble situations and stayed in position the entire match."
Miracle started the day with a 11-0 tech fall victory over Jennifer Anderson and then tech'd Lauren Louive 10-0 to move into the semifinal. Facing Areana Villaescusa, Miracle picked up another 10-0 victory setting up the bout with Leathers in the finals.
In the finals, Miracle scored an early two-points in the first 15 seconds but did not score again until a two-point takedown midway through the second period. Miracle displayed great body awareness and picked up two takedowns on the offensive-minded Leathers to get the win, 4-0.
Miracle and Leathers, who are best friends off the mat, both have multiple accolades to be proud of. Miracle is a two-time WCWA National Champion, while Leathers is also a Junior World bronze medalist, U.S. Senior Nationals runner-up and WCWA national champion.
Leathers wrestled her way to the finals with three victories as well and picked up some revenge in the semifinal bout by edging U.S. National Team member Randi Beltz, 4-2.
