Sarah Hildebrandt, a 29-year-old veteran of world competition, won two matches Saturday against Sunnyside senior Audrey Jimenez in the Final X event at Newark, N.J., to earn a spot at 50 kg on the 2023 U.S. World Team in women’s freestyle wrestling.
Hildebrandt defeated Jimenez 8-0 in the first match and 11-0 by technical fall in the second match to win 2-0 in the best-of-three series of matches at the Prudential Center.
Jimenez, 17, reached the 50 kg Final X match by placing first in the U.S. Senior Women’s Open at Las Vegas on April 29.
She defeated top-seeded veteran Alyssa Lampe, who is 18 years older than her at 35, by a 10-10 decision (making a last-second takedown after trailing 8-0) in the championship match of that event. In the semifinals, she won by technical fall over No. 2 Erin Golston (13-2, 4:56). Golston is 30 and has been wrestling in national and world wrestling events the last 15 years.
Hildebrandt is the 2022 World bronze medalist at 50 kg, 2021 World silver medalist at 50 kg, 2020 Olympic bronze medalist at 50 kg, 2019 U.S. World team member at 53 kg, 2018 World silver medalist at 53 kg, and 2016 U.S. World team member at 55 kg.
She is also a two-time Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association (WCWA) champion (2014-15) at King University at Bristol, Tenn.
Among Jimenez’s many accomplishments:
— Ranked No. 1 in girls’ high school pound-for-pound rankings
— 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)
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