NEWARK, N.J. | Prudential Center - Former McKendree University women's wrestling standout
Emma Bruntil added another feat to her outstanding career on June 10 as she claimed the 68kg spot on the 2023 United States Senior World Team during FINAL X - Beat the Streets, defeating 2021 World bronze medalist Forrest Molinari, 2-1. The determination of a victor took the entirety of the best-of-three series between Bruntil and Molinari, seeing the Bearcat take the first bout, 6-2, and the final match, 3-2, for the 68kg title and her
first senior world team spot. The United States World Team will travel to Belgrade, Serbia to compete at the 2023 Senior World Championships on September 16-24. With the 2-1 series finish, the all-time head-to-head battle between Bruntil and Molinari has moved to 4-3, still in favor of Molinari.
2023 United States Senior World Team
68KG MATCHUP
Emma Bruntil (Titan Mercury WC/USOPTC) vs. Forrest Molinari (Sunkist Kids WC)
Bout One: Bruntil dec. Molinari, 6-3
| Molinari |
|
Bruntil |
|
|
PERIOD 1 |
|
|
| 2:23 |
Verbal |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Verbal |
1:39 |
|
|
|
|
Passivity |
1:15 |
| 0:42 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
PERIOD 2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Passivity |
2:01 |
| 1:29 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
1:01 |
|
|
|
2 |
|
0:54 |
|
|
|
2 |
|
0:47 |
| 0:22 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
Total |
|
|
Total |
|
|
3 |
6 |
|
Bout Two: Molinari dec. Bruntil, 3-2
| Bruntil |
|
Molinari |
|
|
PERIOD 1 |
|
|
| 2:12 |
Verbal |
|
|
|
|
| 1:33 |
Passivity |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
1:00 |
|
|
|
|
Verbal |
0:42 |
| 0:22 |
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
PERIOD 2 |
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
2:00 |
|
Total |
|
|
Total |
|
|
|
2 |
3 |
|
|
Bout Three: Bruntil dec. Molinari, 3-2
| Molinari |
|
Bruntil |
|
|
PERIOD 1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Passivity |
2:06 |
|
|
|
|
Passivity |
1:19 |
| 0:47 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
| 0:25 |
Passivity |
|
|
|
|
|
|
PERIOD 2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Passivity |
2:22 |
| 1:50 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
1:25 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
1:17 |
|
Total |
|
|
Total |
|
|
|
2 |
3 |
|
|
FINAL RESULT | Bruntil wins series, 2 matches to 1, and makes World Team
Prior to the FINAL X weekend, Bruntil has racked-up a myriad of career highlights, including:
— 2023 World Team Trials champion (68 kg)
— 2023 US Open runner-up (65 kg)
— 2023 Ibrahim Mustafa silver medalist (65 kg)
— 2022 U23 World teamer (65 kg)
— 2022 US Open champion
— 2022 Zouhaier Sghaier silver medalist (65 kg)
— 2022 Matteo Pellicone silver medalist (65 kg)
— 2022 Yasar Dogu bronze medalist (65 kg)
— 2022 Dan Kolov-Nikola Petrov champion (65 kg)
— 2022 Ivan Yarigan champion (65 kg)
— 2021 U23 World teamer (62 kg)
— 2019 US National champion (62 kg)
— NCWWC champion for McKendree in 2020 (136 lbs) and 2021 (143 lbs)
WITH THE BEARCATS
Bruntil wrestled for the Bearcats in 2019-20 and 2020-21, winning two NCWWC individual and team national championships in two seasons. During the first year, Bruntil claimed the title in the 136 class behind three techs and one decision victory, going 4-0 for the championship. At the 2021 NCWWC, she moved up a weight class to 143, grabbed two techs and two pin falls to go 4-0 and claim back-to-back national titles. The 2020 title bout featured a tech fall win (3:32) by Bruntil over Daila Garibay of Colorado Mesa via while she defeated Ashlynn Ortega of King University in 2021 by technical superiority at the 2:43 mark.
Bruntil and the Bearcats took home the team national championship during both the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The 2020 NCWWC title was the first team championship in program history while the Bearcats now total three national titles with a three-peat from 2020-2021-2022.
About BEAT THE STREETS
For the second straight year, FINAL X served as the
Beat the Streets New York Annual Benefit. This year's event will be the 13th BTSNY Annual Benefit. These unique and electrifying annual events help BTSNY raise more than $1 million each year to support local youth wrestling programs which empower young people in New York City. BTSNY aims to make a Lifelong Impact through the lessons learned on the wrestling mat — discipline, perseverance, self-reliance, humility and a strong work ethic. Since being founded in 2005, Beat the Streets has pioneered a movement that now includes 150 individual wrestling
programs, a youth league and the first-ever girls high school league.
