PONTEVEDRA, Spain – University of Iowa senior Felicity Taylor finished fifth at 53 kg at the U22 World Championships.
Taylor defeated Aikaterini Vekri of Greece with a quick fall (0:36) before defeating Ellada Makhyaddinova from Kazakhstan via tech. fall, 12-2.
The Spillville, Iowa, native, was defeated by eventual U23 World Champion Haruna Okuno of Japan, 11-1. In the third-place match Taylor lost on criteria to Anastasia Blayvas of Germany, 3-3, to finish fifth in the world.
Taylor will compete unattached in 2022-23. Iowa announced in September 2021 it would become the first Division I Power Five school to add women’s wrestling. The Hawkeyes begin competing in 2023-24.
59 kg – Felicity Taylor (Spillville, Iowa) – 5th Place
WIN Aikaterini Vekri (Greece), pin 0:36
WIN Ellada Makhyaddinova (Kazakhstan), tech. fall 12-2
LOSS Haruna Okuno (Japan), tech. fall 11-1
LOSS Anastasia Blayvas (Germany), 3-3