COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. - A pair of 2006 Body Bar FILA Cadet National champions were able to repeat as titlists at the Body Bar FILA Cadet National Championships at the U.S. Olympic Training Center on Sunday, April 22.

The returning champions who were able to repeat this year were Carlene Sluberski of New York at 40 kg/88 lbs. and Samantha Lopez of California at 49 kg/108 lbs.

Sluberski defeated Nesmarie Rodriguez Tirado of Puerto Rico in a best-of-three series in two straight matches, both by pin. She scored a second period 7-0, 0:42 pin in the first match, and a 1:27 first period fall in the second match.

Lopez had a 2-1 record for the day, winning both of her matches by pin. She lost a match to Michelle Jimenez of California in the second round, but was able to win the title because Jimenez also lost a match to Priscilla Caldera of California. Lopez pinned Caldera in her final match. Lopez had the most points in the roundrobin, which was the tiebreaking procedure.

"I lost a match today. I felt I wrestled well in my first match. In my second match, I wasn't there. I got scored on twice on the stepout. But then I pinned the girl who beat her, so I won. It was weird," she said. 

It was the third year in a row that Lopez has won a gold medal at the Body Bar Nationals. She has won two straight FILA Cadet National titles, and in 2005 was a champion in the Girls Nationals in the Grade 7-8 division. Lopez, a high school sophomore, was a placewinner last year at the ASICS Junior Nationals, and seeks to return this summer to win a Junior National title.

"I came here to do what I had to do. I didn't win them all, but I wrestled well, and I competed very well in my last match," she said.

The Outstanding Wrestler was Veronica Carlson of Illinois, who was the champion at 65 kg/143.25 lbs. She defeated Adeline Gray of Colorado in the championship finals, 0-1, 1-0, 1-0. 

Carlson was second in yesterday's Body Bar FILA Junior Nationals, and was third in last year's FILA Cadet Nationals. At the 2006 ASICS Vaughan Junior Nationals, Carlson was second and Gray was third at the 138 pound division.

"I got a lot of matches this weekend. I feel I did very well. A few matches I got caught off guard, but I came back and won those. In the one match I lost here, I was choked out. I really pushed it hard today," said Carlson. 


Winning two national titles this weekend by capturing the FILA Cadet Nationals today as well as the FILA Junior Nationals yesterday was Erin Clodgo of Michigan at 70 kg/154.25 lbs. Clodgo won a four-athlete roundrobin, winning all three matches, two by pin. Laura Gourley of Oregon, the defending FILA Cadet National champion at this division, placed third in the tournament.

Clodgo is a student at Marquette High School who is a member of the USOEC program at Northern Michigan Univ. She is originally from Vermont.

Victoria Anthony of California, who was second at the FILA Cadet Nationals and Junior Nationals in 2006, was the champion at 46 kg/101.25 lbs. Anthony won a five-athlete roundrobin, winning all four of her matches, including a 1-4, 1-0, 2-3 win over runner-up Sarah Anderson of New York.

Winning by pin in the championship finals was Helen Maroulis of Maryland, who pinned Allison Ragan of Illinois in the 52 kg/114.5 lbs. finals in 1:14. Maroulis had two pins and two technical falls during the tournament. She was third in the 2007 FILA Cadet Nationals.

Other individual champions included Hanna Martin of Oklahoma at 94.7 pounds, Jessica Peasley of California at 56 kg/123.25 lbs., Shelby Shirley of Ohio at 60 kg/132.25 lbs. and Paloma Basulto of California at 100 kg/220 lbs.

Peasley was third at the 2006 FILA Cadet Nationals and Shirley was fourth at the 2007 FILA Cadet Nationals.

Claiming titles uncontested were Dayanara Rivera Suirez of Puerto Rico at 78 kg/170 lbs. and Heather Miracle of Wisconsin at 84 kg/185 lbs.