Jenna Burkert, the 59 kg champion, receives her Outstanding Wrestler Award from 2008 Olympian Marcie Van Dusen at the FILA Junior Nationals in Florida

KISSIMMEE, Florida –  Three past FILA Junior World medalists won titles and qualified for the 2011 U.S. FILA Junior World Team with victories at the Body Bar FILA Junior Women’s Nationals on Sunday.

Winners in the eight international weight classes qualified for the U.S. team that will compete in the FILA Junior World Championships in Bucharest, Romania, July 26-31.

Capturing the title at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. was two-time Junior World champion Victoria Anthony (Huntington Beach, Calif./New York AC), who defeated Kristi Garr (Goodrich, Mich. (OCU/Gator WC) in two straight bouts in the finals series.

Anthony stopped Garr by technical fall in the first bout, 6-0, 7-0, then won the second bout, 10-2, 5-0.

“It is a great opportunity to go overseas and get international experience. The Junior Worlds is exciting overall. I feel I prepped well last year. I have to go above and beyond what I did last year to become a World champion again,” said Anthony.

Two-time FILA Junior World bronze medalist Helen Maroulis (Rockville, Md./New York AC) defeated Shauna Isbell (Flagstaff, Ariz. (Lindenwood) in two straight bouts at 55 kg/121 lbs. Maroulis won the first bout, 5-0, 6-0 and pinned Isbell in the second bout in 1:52. 

Maroulis looks forward to the chance to try for a Junior World title again.

“It has been a goal for the last three years, and I haven’t captured it. It is important because I won’t get this chance again,” said Maroulis.

Anthony and Maroulis are teammates and WCWA college national champions at Simon Fraser University. Under USA Wrestling qualifying rules, as returning Junior World medalists, both advanced directly to the best-of-three series at the FILA Junior Nationals. Maroulis was a 2011 U.S. Open champion on the Senior level.

2008 Junior World champion Adeline Gray (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) qualified for her third FILA Junior World Team with a victory at 67 kg/147.5 lbs. Gray stopped Demi Strub (Guilford, Ind./Team Indiana), 6-0, 5-1 in bout one and by technical fall in bout two, 6-0, 6-0.

Gray, who was fifth in the 2009 World Championships on the Senior level, is a two-time U.S. Open champion. She did not medal in the 2009 Junior World Championships, and could not try out last year because of injury.

“I’m a little nervous. I’ll be honest with you. It is a little nerve-wracking going back to avenge that loss. I am excited to go there and prove I deserve that World title and it’s mine,” said Gray.

Qualifying for her second straight U.S FILA Junior World Team was Erin Golston (Lake in the Hills, Ill./USOEC/New York AC) who defeated Emily Webster (Sedalia, Mo./Mules WC) in two straight bouts at 44 kg/97 lbs. Golston won the first match by a 
5-1, 6-3 margin and claimed bout two by a 5-0, 6-0 score.

All eight of the best-of-three finals series went only two bouts. 

Capturing the title at 59 kg / 130 lbs. was Jenna Burkert (Middle Island, N.Y. (USOEC/New York AC), who was named Outstanding Wrestler in the tournament. Burkert stopped Gabrielle Klein (Stevens Point, Wis./Waldorf College) in the finals, with a 1:15 pin in the first match and a 8-0, 5-0 shutout in bout two. Burkert was fifth in the 2010 Youth Olympic Games.

“I’m very happy. I took it a match at a time. I didn’t focus on the end result. I focused on one match and that helped me. I had a game plan for every match,” said Burkert.

The USOEC program had four individual champions. Joining Golston and Burkert as champions were Carlene Sluberski (Marquette, Mich./USOEC/New York AC) at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. and Anneliese DeAragon (Sandpoint, Idaho/USOEC) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.

The other member of the 2011 U.S. FILA Junior World Team will be Alli Ragan, (Carbondale, Ill./King College) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. Ragan was third in the 2011 U.S. Open.

Special credit goes to the New York Athletic Club, which supports and trains seven of the eight individual champions. 

USA Wrestling’s Assistant National Women’s Coach Izzy Izboinikov, who works with the Junior World Team, is excited about the U.S. team this year.

“Every team we have has a chance to do well at the Junior Worlds. This group is no exception. I have my opinion based upon their experience level. We have athletes who have placed at the Worlds multiple times. We also have athletes who are new on the scene who can feed off their teammates experience and gain the confidence they need at the World level,” said Izboinikov.

Winning the 79.5 kg/175 lbs. division, which is not a FILA weight class, was Mei Ling Keiki (Waianae, Hawaii/Collum Trained) who captured a three-athlete roundrobin.

BODY BAR FILA JUNIOR WOMEN’S NATIONALS
At Kissimmee, Fla., May 15, 2011

44 kg/97 lbs.
1st – Erin Golston, Lake in the Hills, Ill. (USOEC/New York AC) dec. Emily Webster, Sedalia, Mo. (Mules WC), 2 matches to 0
Bout 1 – Golston dec. Webster, 5-1, 6-3
Bout 2 – Golston dec. Webster, 5-0, 6-0
3rd - Brianna Rahall, Oklahoma City, Okla. (OCU/Gator WC)

48 kg / 105.5 lbs.
1st – Victoria Anthony, Huntington Beach, Calif. (New York AC) dec. Kristi Garr, Goodrich, Mich. (OCU/Gator WC), 2 matches to 0
Bout 1 – Anthony tech. fall Garr, 6-0, 7-0
Bout 2 – Anthony dec. Garr, 10-2, 5-0
2nd - Kristi Garr, Goodrich, Mich. (OCU/Gator WC) pin Tatiana Perez, Woodbridge, Va., (King College), 1:17
4th - Shannon Constantine, Haverhill, Mass. (King College) pin Lilian Salinas, Baldwin Park, Calif (Cali Girls), 1:13
6th - Karley Speer, Milton, Ga. (Team Georgia) pin Mary Catherine Correia, Marshall, Mo. (Missouri Valley College), Fall 1:47

51 kg/112.25 lbs.
1st - Carlene Sluberski, Marquette, Mich. (USOEC/New York AC) dec. Jasmine Yanez, Gilroy, Calif., 2 matches to 0
Bout 1 – Sluberski pin Yanez, 1:14
Bout 2 – Sluberski pin Yanez, 6-0, 0:45
3rd - Kalin Knight Alvarez, Oceanside, Calif. (No Mercy School of Wrestling) dec. Chloe Ivanoff, Kodiak, Alaska, Alaska (SFU/KKWC), Dec 8-3,3-3
5th - Samantha Klingel, Kresgeville, Pa. (Advantage WC) dec. Lauren Richardson, Bremerton, Wash. (Northwest Washington (NWWC), 4-1, 5-1

55 kg / 121.25 lbs.
1st – Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md. (New York AC) dec. Shauna Isbell, Flagstaff, Ariz. (Lindenwood), 2 matches to 0
Bout 1 – Maroulis dec. Isbell, 5-0, 6-0
Bout 2 – Maroulis pin Isbell, 1:52
2nd - Shauna Isbell, Flagstaff, Ariz. (Lindenwood) pin Natalie Rutt, New Prague, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), Fall 1:51
4th - Jacarra Winchester, Marshall, Mo. (Missouri Valley College) dec. Monica Hovermale, Smithsburg, Md. (Lady Eagles WC/Lock Haven Univ), 0-2, 1-0, 6-4
6th - Sophie Hertz, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Coronado/Rough House) pin Victoria Nguyen, Johnson City, Tenn. (King College), 1:20

59 kg / 130 lbs.
1st - Jenna Burkert, Middle Island, N.Y. (USOEC/New York AC) dec. Gabrielle Klein, Stevens Point, Wis. (Waldorf College), 2 matches to 0
Bout 1 - Burkert pin Klein, 1:15
Bout 2 – Burkert dec. Klein, 8-0, 5-0
3rd - Alexia Moreno, Turlock, Calif. (Turlock Wrestling) dec. Haylee Childs, Lakeland, Fla., (King College), 3-0, 5-1
5th - Kerstin Harmon, Williamsburg, Ky. (UC Women`s Wrestling) inj. dft. Amanda Hendey, Beaumont, Calif. (SD Hot Beaches)

63 kg/138.75 lbs.
1st - Alli Ragan, Carbondale, Ill. (King College) dec. Rachael Shannon, Big Lake, Alaska (Lindenwood), 5-2, 6-0
Bout 1 – Ragan dec. Shannon, 5-2, 6-0
Bout 2 – Ragan dec. Shannon, 4-3, 7-0
3rd - Tanya Kusse, Webster, N.Y. (Lindenwood) dec. Brieana Delgado, Fountain Inn, S.C. (Carolina Khaos), 1-0,6 -0
5th - Morgan Yamaguchi, Wahiawa, Hawaii (Team Hawaii) dec. Stephany-Sarara Mix, Arlington, S.D. (Team Hawaii), 5-5, 3-1

67 kg/147.5 lbs.
1st – Adeline Gray, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) dec. Demi Strub, Guilford, Ind. (Team Indiana), 2 matches to 0
Bout 1 – Gray dec. Strub, 6-0, 5-1
Bout 2 – Gray tech. fall Strub, 6-0, 6-0
3rd - Kasey Kruczek, Easton, Pa. (WOW)

72 kg/158.5 lbs.
1st - Anneliese DeAragon, Sandpoint, Idaho (USOEC) dec. Kimberly Spiegel, Selinsgrove, Pa. (USOEC), 2 matches to 0
Bout 1 – DeAragon dec. Spiegel, 5-0, 4-0
Bout 2 – DeAragon pin Spiegel, 4-0, 0:47
3rd - Brittany David, St. Charles, Mo. pin Mary Westman, Cattaraugus, N.Y. (Nieves Wrestling), 1:19
5th - Julia Salata, Canton, Mich. (Advantage WC) dec. Brittany Jones, Marshall, MO (Missouri Valley College), 3-0, 3-0

79.5 kg/175 lbs. (not a FILA weight class)
1st - Mei Ling Keiki, Waianae, Hawaii, (Collum Trained)
2nd - Morgan Pittsford, Daleville, Ind. (Yorktown WC) 
3rd - Jasmine Grant, Orlando, Fla. (Evolution)
Round robin
Pittsford pin Grant, 0:52
Keiki dec. Pittsford, 5-0, 1-1, 1-0
Keiki pin Grant, 0:22