It should be a very competitive battle at the World Team Trials at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. in women’s freestyle, as there are many experienced and talented athletes fighting for just one spot on the U.S. World team.

The dominant competitor at this class the last few seasons has been 2008 World champion Clarissa Chun of the Sunkist Kids. She was also fifth at the 2008 Olympic Games and competed in the 2009 World Championships. Chun had surgery after last year’s Worlds and missed the regular season, but made a return to the mats with a gold medal at the 2010 Pan American Championships earlier this month. She qualifies for the World Team Trials as a past U.S. Olympic and World Team member.

With Chun on the sidelines, Alyssa Lampe of the Sunkist Kids stepped up and won the gold medal at the 2010 U.S. Open in Cleveland. She has been second behind Chun at the last two U.S. World Team Trials, making her the top challenger for this position. Lampe had a great winter season, winning the University Nationals and the New York AC International, and capturing international medals in Russia and Ukraine.

2006 World Team member Mary Kelly of the New York AC has put together a strong year so far. She is completing her college degree and training with the USOEC program at Northern Michigan. Kelly was second in the U.S. Open behind Lampe, but was injured in the finals bout. It remains to be seen if that injury will affect her status for World Team Trials. Kelly has the experience and confidence to emerge as the World Team member if she competes well in Council Bluffs.

Sara Fulp Allen of the New York AC was third at the U.S. Open. She was a 2005 U.S. Open champion and has won a pair of medals at the World University Championships representing the United States. Placing fourth at the U.S. Open was 2009 Junior World champion Victoria Anthony of the New York AC. Anthony was the WCWA college national champion this year, and qualified to return to the Junior World Championships again this summer.

The top seven athletes from the U.S. Open qualify for the World Team Trials. Rounding out the qualifiers from Cleveland were Carlene Sluberski of the USOEC who placed fifth, Amantha Hordagoda from the Gator WC who was sixth and Nicole Woody of the Gator WC/OCU who was seventh. Woody is a past Junior World champion. 

Earning a spot in the field by winning a silver medal at the Klippan Lady Open is young talent C.C. Weber of the Sunkist Kids, who was a 2009 Junior World Team member and was third in the 2009 U.S. Open. Rachel Bernardes of the U.S. Air Force gets into the tournament through the Northern Plains Regionals. Also qualified to compete are the WCWA finalists at 44 kg/97 lbs., champion Stephany Waters of Oklahoma City Univ. and runner-up Lisa Martinez of the Univ. of the Cumberlands.

This weight class belongs to Clarissa Chun until somebody takes it away from her. If she is at her best, she is one of the top wrestlers in the world. U.S. Open finalists Alyssa Lampe and Mary Kelly have the ability and experience to move to the top spot with a great performance in Council Bluffs. This division is loaded with young talent, and will offer very competitive matches at the World Team Trials.

2010 U.S. Open results at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. in women’s freestyle
1st - Alyssa Lampe, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) inj. dft. over Mary Kelly, Marquette, Mich. (New York AC), 3-6, 1:12
3rd - Sara Fulp-Allen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) pin Victoria Anthony, Huntington Beach, Calif. (New York AC), 1-0, 1:55
5th - Carlene Sluberski, Fredonia, N.Y. (USOEC) pin Amantha Hordagoda, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC), 1:45
7th - Nicole Woody, Odenton, Md. (Gator WC/OCU) pin Rachel Bernardes, Manitou Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force), 1:18

World Team Trials qualifiers at 48 kg/105.5 pounds in women’s freestyle
U.S. Open Champion – Alyssa Lampe, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) 
U.S. Open, second place – Mary Kelly, Marquette, Mich. (New York AC)
U.S. Open, third place – Sara Fulp-Allen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC
U.S. Open, fourth place – Victoria Anthony, Huntington Beach, Calif. (New York AC)
U.S. Open, fifth place – Carlene Sluberski, Fredonia, N.Y. (USOEC
U.S. Open, sixth place - Amantha Hordagoda, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
U.S. Open, seventh place – Nicole Woody, Odenton, Md. (Gator WC/OCU)
Northern Plains Trials Champion – Rachel Bernardes, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force)
Past U.S. Olympic Team member – Clarissa Chun, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
WCWA Nationals champion 44 kg – Stephany Waters, Joliet, Ill. (OCU Stars)
WCWA Nationals runner-up 44 kg – Lisa Martinez, Amarillo, Texas (Univ. of the Cumberlands)
10 Klippan Lady Open (SWE) silver medalist - C.C. Weber, Goodrich, Mich. (Sunkist Kids)