Sunnyside senior Audrey Jimenez, an 18-year-old who made history this winter becoming the first female to win a boys wrestling state championship, is close to yet another monumental feat.
Jimenez won three matches Friday to qualify for the best-of-three finals Saturday of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials at State College, Pa.
She will face 2020 Olympic bronze medalist Sarah Hildebrandt for the 50-kilogram (110-pound) women’s freestyle spot.
18-year-old Audrey Jimenez with a POWERFUL women's 50kg Challenge Tournament final win! #WrestlingTrials24 pic.twitter.com/mHixfMNa0m
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) April 20, 2024
“Being where I’m at in such a short amount of time is really amazing,” Jimenez told FloWrestling. “I’m just so happy to be here. I’ve worked hard to get to where I am. Obviously, I have such a long journey ahead. I’m going to keep working hard.”
Jimenez picked up 10-0 technical fall victories over Nyla Valencia and Erin Golston before securing a 10-6 win over Sage Mortimer in the challenge tournament finals on Friday. Mortimer scored the first four points before Jimenez reeled off 10 straight.
When asked why she was dominant in Friday’s matches, Jimenez said, “Just my work ethic. With my work ethic and the support I have, there’s really no way for me to take any steps back. Just always forward progress.
“Just my discipline and constant (support from) people, teammates, coaches telling me to keep on going and pushing through when things get hard.”
Hildebrandt, who is 12 years older than Jimenez at 30 years old, defeated Jimenez in the 2023 World Team Trials finals last June 8-0 and 11-0, winning a bronze medal at the World Championships.
“To have a rematch with Sarah is really awesome,” Jimenez said. “I’m able to make adjustments (after the two losses to Hildebrandt last year). I am a little bit smaller for the weight class. That’s why I’ve been paying attention to it.
“Maybe I’m lifting a little bit more, just so I can have that size on me to level it out (against Hildebrandt and others). She’s one wrestler I look up to as well because she’s had such a successful career.”
The first match of the best of three between the wrestlers is at approximately 8 a.m., Tucson time.
AUDREY JIMENEZ ACCOMPLISHMENTS
— 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials finalist
— 2024 Committed to attend Lehigh University
— 2021-24 Ranked No. 1 in girls’ high school pound-for-pound rankings by USA Wrestling, Flowrestling and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
— 2024 Pan American Games bronze medalist (110 pounds)
— 2024 AIA state champion boys competition (106 pounds/first female in Arizona to win a boys state title)
— 2023 U20 World silver medalist (50 kg)
— 2022-23 USA Today HSSA Girls Wrestler of the Year
— 2023 Gran Prix of Spain bronze medalist (50kg) representing Team USA
— 2023 US Open champion (50 kg)
— 2023 U20 World Team Trials champion (50 kg)
— 2023 AIA state champion (114 pounds)
— 2022 U20 World silver medalist (50 kg)
— 2022 U17 World teamer (49 kg)
— 2022 AIA state champion (106 pounds)
— 2021 U17 World bronze medalist (49 kg)
— 2021 AIA state champion (113 pounds/first female from Tucson to win a state championship)
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