Women's Wrestling 12/20/2019 8:10:00 PM CU Athletics

Abby Nette secures Olympic Trials spot, will wrestle for U.S. Senior National title on Saturday

FORT WORTH — Campbellsville's Abby Nette won four matches on Friday and has secured a spot in the finals of the 2019 U.S. Senior Championships at the Fort Worth Convention Center. In addition, Nette has clinched a spot to compete at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

Nette, a senior transfer, earned the No. 3-seed overall at 57kg and earned four wins on Friday. She defeated Allison Petix and Vayle Baker both with 10-0 scores. In the quarterfinal round, Nette took down Alexandra Hedrick, 8-1, and then in the semifinal pulled out an 11-9 victory over Cameron Guerin.

Nette will now wrestle nine-seed Tiana Jackson of Menlo Wrestling Club after multiple upsets in the top half of the bracket. No. 1-seed, 2012 Olympian, and favorite to win another title, Kelsey Campbell was pinned in the Round of 32 by unseeded Gracie Figueroa.

Figueroa, a 2019 WCWA National Champion for Menlo College, lost in the Round of 16 to Marissa Gallegos, then Gallegos lost to Jackson in the quarterfinals. Nine-seeded Jackson pulled another upset as she beat former Senior National Team member and No. 5-seed Shauna Kemp in the semifinal round.

By reaching the finals, Nette and Jackson have guaranteed themselves a top two finish and a berth in the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials at Penn State in April. The top five placewinners from this tournament qualify to compete at the Trials.

In addition to Nette, Charlotte Fowler and Katlyn Pizzo competed at 53kg. Pizzo earned an upset win over No. 7 Stefana Jelacic, 10-5, but lost in the Round of 16.

Fowler lost in her first round before falling to the consolation bracket and beating Alyssa Garzo. With that win, Fowler and Pizzo both squared off and Pizzo got the best of her teammate, 8-0. That win setup a bout with Ronna Heaton, but she was knocked out of competition with a 10-0 loss.

In addition to those three Lady Tigers, Kenya Sloan is representing Campbellsville University as well and will start her tournament on Saturday morning.

The gold-medal finals for Nette and Jackson will be held on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET All of the action at the Senior Nationals is broadcast live on Flowrestling.

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