Wrestlers · Career complete
Tamyra Mensah-Stock
2020 Tokyo Olympic champion at 68 kg; 2x world champion; 2x Texas UIL and 2x WCWA champion
Katy, TX · Morton Ranch HS · Wayland Baptist
By Joe Spisak, Pennsylvania state champion and 4x NCAA qualifier at Virginia · Published October 6, 2026
Tamyra Mensah-Stock is a retired U.S. freestyle wrestler who won Olympic gold at 68 kg, about 150 pounds, in Tokyo in 2021. She became the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal in wrestling.
Mensah-Stock, then Tamyra Mensah, grew up in Katy, Texas, and took up wrestling as a sophomore at Morton Ranch High School. She lost the 148-pound UIL girls' state final in 2009, then won 138-pound state titles in 2010 and 2011.
At Wayland Baptist she placed fourth at 143 pounds at the WCWA championships as a freshman and third as a sophomore. As a junior in 2014 she won the 143-pound WCWA title with an 8-0 final. In 2016 she won the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at 69 kg in Iowa City, but the United States did not qualify the weight for Rio. She married Jacob Stock that year and came back to win a second WCWA title, at 155 pounds, in 2017.
She placed ninth at the 2017 World Championships in Paris and took World bronze in Budapest in 2018. In 2019 she won the Pan American Championships, the Pan American Games and the world title in Nur-Sultan, beating Jenny Fransson of Sweden 8-2 in the final.
At the 2021 Olympic Trials in Fort Worth she beat Kennedy Blades of Sunkist Kids 12-4 and 8-1. In the Tokyo final she beat Blessing Oborududu of Nigeria 4-1. Rin Miyaji of Japan pinned her in 21 seconds in the 2021 World semifinals in Oslo, and she took bronze. In Belgrade in 2022 she regained the world title, pinning Ami Ishii of Japan in 2:11.
In May 2023 she left amateur wrestling for WWE. She wrestled as Tyra Mae Steele, made her television debut on NXT Level Up in July 2024 and won the first season of WWE LFG in 2025. WWE released her on April 24, 2026.
She is a three-time USA Wrestling Women's Wrestler of the Year, for 2017, 2019 and 2021, and a member of Wayland Baptist's Athletics Hall of Honor, class of 2022. A singlet of hers is part of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's permanent Women in Wrestling exhibit.
Results
| Season | Level | Event | Weight | Place | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | High school | UIL Girls State Championships | 148 lb | 2nd | lost final 5-1 to Daffney Barbosa, Amarillo Caprock |
| 2010 | High school | UIL Girls State Championships | 138 lb | 1st | pinned China Saucedo, Hereford, 1:58 in final |
| 2011 | High school | UIL Girls State Championships | 138 lb | 1st | pinned Anna McAleavey, Cypress Creek, 3:24 in final; twin sister Tarkyia won 128 |
| 2011-12 | College | WCWA National Championships | 143 lb | 4th | freshman season at Wayland Baptist |
| 2013-14 | College | WCWA National Championships | 143 lb | 1st | won final 8-0; the first national champion in the three-year history of Wayland Baptist's women's wrestling program |
| 2016 | Senior | U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Iowa City | 69 kg | 1st | top seed; def. Brittney Roberts, Sunkist Kids, 8-1, 8-1 in the best-of-three final |
| 2016-17 | College | WCWA National Championships | 155 lb | 1st | undefeated season; Most Outstanding Wrestler |
| 2017 | Senior | World Championships, Paris | 69 kg | 9th | |
| 2018 | Senior | World Championships, Budapest | 68 kg | 3rd | |
| 2019 | Senior | World Championships, Nur-Sultan | 68 kg | 1st | def. Jenny Fransson (SWE) 8-2 in final; qualified USA for Tokyo |
| 2021 | Senior | U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Fort Worth | 68 kg | 1st | def. Kennedy Blades 12-4, 8-1 |
| 2021 | Senior | Olympic Games, Tokyo | 68 kg | 1st | def. Blessing Oborududu (NGR) 4-1 in final; tech falls over Dosho and Zhou, 10-4 over Cherkasova |
| 2021 | Senior | World Championships, Oslo | 68 kg | 3rd | pinned by Rin Miyaji (JPN) in 0:21 in semifinal; def. Adela Hanzlickova (CZE) 10-1 for bronze |
| 2022 | Senior | World Championships, Belgrade | 68 kg | 1st | def. Ami Ishii (JPN) by fall 2:11; outscored opponents 36-0 |
What we could not confirm
Anything not on this page, a high school record, a final score, a season, was left out because no primary source stated it when this was written. If you have a bracket, a program, or a clipping, send it to the operator, Joe Spisak, at joe@womenswrestlingclub.com and the page gets the number.
Sources
- https://www.uiltexas.org/wrestling/state-results/2008-2009-girls-wrestling-state-results · 2009 UIL state runner-up at 148, lost 5-1 to Daffney Barbosa
- https://www.uiltexas.org/wrestling/state-results/2009-2010-girls-wrestling-state-results · 2010 UIL state champion at 138, pin 1:58 over China Saucedo
- https://www.uiltexas.org/wrestling/state-results/2010-2011-girls-wrestling-state-results · 2011 UIL state champion at 138, pin 3:24 over Anna McAleavey; Tarkyia Mensah won 128
- https://wbuathletics.com/sports/womens-wrestling/roster/tamyra-mensah/4081 · Katy, Texas; Morton Ranch High School; lettered three years in wrestling; state runner-up in 2009 and champion in 2010 and 2011; 2014 WCWA champion; 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials winner
- https://www.katymagazineonline.com/post/morton-ranch-grad-tamyra-mensah-stock-celebrates-olympic-gold-medal-plans-to-buy-mom-a-food-truck · Started wrestling as a sophomore at Morton Ranch at the suggestion of her twin sister, Tarkyia, after track and field; coach Mark Balser; married Jacob Stock, a Morton Ranch and Wayland Baptist wrestler, in 2016; first Black American woman to win Olympic gold in wrestling
- https://wrestlingtexas.com/texas-mat-talk-tamyra-mensah-stock/ · Two UIL state titles 2010 and 2011; did not wrestle until sophomore year
- https://www.vype.com/Texas/a-heart-of-gold · Morton Ranch class of 2011
- https://wbuathletics.com/news/2022/10/24/womens-wrestling-mensah-stock-captured-hearts-at-wayland-then-the-world.aspx · Arrived at Wayland in 2011 with her twin sister; WCWA fourth at 143 pounds as a freshman and third as a sophomore; first WCWA title as a junior in 2014, undefeated; second in 2017 at 155 pounds, undefeated, Most Outstanding Wrestler; exercise and sport science degree in 2017; won the 2016 Olympic Trials, but the U.S. did not qualify the weight; inducted into the WBU Athletics Hall of Honor in October 2022
- https://nwhof.org/national-wrestling-hall-of-fame/bio/14366 · 2020 Olympic champion; 2019 World champion; 2018 and 2021 World bronze; 2018 and 2019 Final X champion; Pan American champion 2019, 2020 and 2021; Yarygin champion 2017-19; 2015 University Nationals champion; WCWA champion 2014 and 2017; two-time Texas state champion
- https://uww.org/athletes/stock-mensah-tamyra-mariama · United World Wrestling results: 2017 Worlds 9th at 69 kg; 2018 Worlds 3rd; 2019 Pan American Championships 1st; 2019 Pan American Games 1st; 2019 Worlds 1st; 2020 and 2021 Pan American Championships 1st; 2021 Olympics 1st; 2021 Worlds 3rd; 2022 Worlds 1st, all at 68 kg after 2017
- https://www.themat.com/news/2019/september/03/womens-68-kg-world-preview · 2017 Worlds 9th at 69 kg; 2019 Pan American Championships and Pan American Games gold; No. 2 seed at 2019 Worlds
- https://wbuathletics.com/news/2019/9/20/womens-wrestling-mensah-stock-claims-gold-at-world-championships.aspx · 2019 World final def. Jenny Fransson (SWE) 8-2 at 68 kg on Sept. 20, 2019 in Nur-Sultan; qualified USA for Tokyo; 2018 World bronze
- https://nwhof.org/news/gray-maroulis-return-to-olympics-hildebrandt-mensah-stock-miracle-and-winchester-qualify-for-first-games · 2021 Olympic Trials, Fort Worth: def. Kennedy Blades 12-4 and 8-1 at 68 kg; Titan Mercury WC
- https://nwhof.org/news/mensah-stock-becomes-second-ever-u-s-women-s-gold-medalist · Tokyo 68 kg gold: 10-0 over Dosho, 10-0 over Zhou, 10-4 over Cherkasova, 4-1 over Oborududu
- https://www.teamusa.com/news/2021/august/03/tamyra-mensah-stock-wins-second-us-womens-wrestling-gold-medal-in-history · Tokyo final 4-1 over Blessing Oborududu; path to final; 2016 Trials win with unqualified weight; Katy, Texas
- https://uww.org/article/wrestleoslo-miyaji-stuns-olympic-champ-mensah-stock-japan-rolls · 2021 Oslo semifinal: pinned by Rin Miyaji in 21 seconds at 68 kg
- https://uww.org/article/wrestleoslo-maroulis-regains-world-title-japan-goes-1-3-ww-finals · 2021 Oslo bronze: def. Adela Hanzlickova (CZE) 10-1 at 68 kg
- https://uww.org/article/sakurai-stuns-maroulis-57kg-title-us-wins-2-golds · 2022 Belgrade final: def. Ami Ishii (JPN) by fall 2:11, 6-0; outscored opponents 36-0
- https://www.teamusa.com/news/2022/september/15/tamyra-mensah-stock-amit-elor-capture-gold-medals-at-wrestling-world-championships · 2022 Belgrade gold Sept. 15, 2022; fourth world medal; second world title
- https://abcnews.com/Sports/olympic-wrestling-champion-tamyra-mensah-stock-signs-wwe/story?id=99047374 · ABC News, May 3, 2023: WWE signed her and she left amateur wrestling; she reported to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando; the first Black woman to win gold in freestyle wrestling
- https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/12697184-tamyra-mensah-stock-makes-wwe-debut-on-nxts-level-up · WWE ring name Tyra Mae Steele; NXT Level Up debut vs. Wren Sinclair (July 2024); WCWA champion 2014 and 2017
- https://www.wwe.com/superstars/tyra-mae-steele · WWE's page for Tyra Mae Steele: the Tokyo Olympic champion at 68 kg, hometown Katy, Texas; won the inaugural season of LFG under The Undertaker, which led to an NXT contract
- https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/wwe-clarifies-tamyra-mensah-stock-162819255.html · March 12, 2026: reporters citing WWE sources said she was still under contract, and her post about being released described a dream
- https://www.postwrestling.com/2026/04/24/olympic-gold-medalist-tamyra-mensah-stock-andre-chase-malik-blade-among-nxt-cuts/ · Released by WWE (NXT) on April 24, 2026
- https://www.wrestlinginc.com/2156784/wwe-releases-tyra-mae-steele-developmental-departures/ · April 24, 2026: Tyra Mae Steele among eight developmental departures from WWE, not stated as releases or contract expirations; signed 2023; won WWE LFG season one in 2025
- https://wbuathletics.com/story.aspx?filename=WWREST_0125144012&file_date=1-25-2014 · 2014 WCWA National Championships, St. Louis: Mensah, a junior, won the 143-pound title, semifinal 12-2 and final 8-0; the first national champion in the program's three-year history
- https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/wwe-clarifies-tamyra-mensah-stock-162819255.html · First Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal in wrestling (Tokyo 2020)
- https://nwhof.org/news/mensah-stock-becomes-second-ever-u-s-women-s-gold-medalist · Won the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials but did not compete in Rio because the U.S. had not qualified her weight class
- https://wbuathletics.com/news/2016/4/9/-8-womens-wrestling-tamyra-mensah-wins-us-olympic-trials.aspx?path=wwrestling · 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials, Iowa City: won 69 kg as the top seed, 9-0 over Veronica Carlson, 11-1 over Julia Salata, then 8-1 and 8-1 over Brittney Roberts in the best-of-three final; she still had to qualify the weight for Rio
- https://nwhof.org/news/helen-maroulis-named-2025-usa-wrestling-women-s-wrestler-of-the-year · USA Wrestling Women's Wrestler of the Year for 2017, 2019 and 2021
- https://nwhof.org/news/national-wrestling-hall-of-fame-unveils-new-exhibit-women-in-wrestling-a-legacy-inspiring-generations · A singlet of hers is in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's permanent Women in Wrestling exhibit; the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal in wrestling and a two-time World champion
- https://wbuathletics.com/sports/2012/10/4/gen_1004125433.aspx · Wayland Baptist University Athletics Hall of Honor, class of 2022
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