Carlene Sluberski (top) in action. She was one of four USOEC women wrestlers to qualify for the FILA Junior World Team. Larry Slater photo

At the 2011 Body Bar Women’s National Championships in Kissimmee, Fla., the USOEC women’s freestyle team bought six wrestlers to the competition. Out of that six, five of the girls were in the finals, and four brought home championships and the other won a silver medal.

As champions at this tournament, Erin Golston, Carlene Sluberski, Jenna Burkert, and Anneliese DeAragon will take spots on the 2011 Junior World Team and compete for the US at the Junior World Championships in Romania in July.
  
Taking silver against her teammate from the USOEC, DeAragon, was Kim Spiegel who will be eligible to compete for the USA in the Pan American FILA Junior tournament.

Competing at the lightest weight class, 44 kg, was a senior at Marquette Senior High School, Erin Golston. Previously this year, Golston placed fourth in U.S. Senior national open as well at the Guelph Open in Canada. Also in Canada, she took a championship at the Concordia Tournament in Montreal. 

In her first finals match against Emily Weber of Mules Wrestling Club, Golston took the first match in two periods 5-1 and 6-3.  In the second match she shut Webster down completely winning in the first two periods again 5-0 and 6-0. 

Golston won her championship with a few quick takedowns, some strong gut wrenches, and her lethal almost unstoppable lace.  

The next USOEC athlete in the finals at Body Bar was Carlene Sluberski from Fredonia, NY., at 51 kg. Earlier this season, Sluberski placed second at WCWA Nationals and first at both the Can-Am Open in Jamestown, N.D., and at the Concordia Tournament in Montreal, Canada.

In her championship series was against Jasmine Yanez of the Gilroy Hawks.  Sluberski ended the series in the first two matches by pinning Yanez in both matches: the first in 1:14 and the second in :45 in period two. 

Sluberski lost her chance at the Junior World Team spot last year at 48 kg with a loss against this year’s champion Victoria Anthony. At this new weight class, she feels just as confident in her wrestling and is thrilled to make her first Junior World Team.

“I stayed focused on one match at a time, I don’t wrestle any different at this new weight class,” Sluberski said. “I’m so excited to go to Romania and represent the U.S.”  

Plowing through the 59 kg bracket was Jenna Burkert, a Senior at Marquette Senior High School. Burkert has placed fourth at senior level tournaments like U.S. Senior nationals, Guelph Open (Canada), and the Sunkist Kids International Open.  She was also chosen to be the only female wrestling representative at the Youth Olympic Games of 2010 in Singapore. 

Burkert had to wrestle former USOEC teammate Gabby Klein, now of Waldorf College, in a best of three series for the championship. Even though they spent a whole semester practicing with each other, Burkert seemed to have no problem getting Klein to her back during their finals match.

In the first match, she beat Klein with a 1:15 pin; in the second match she was close a few times to getting the fall again but ended up winning in two periods, 8-0 and 5-0. She was named Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament.

The last final of the day was at 72 kg that had two USOEC athletes battling for the championship: Anneliese DeAragon and Kim Speigel. Both athletes were coming off injuries that kept them out of competition almost all season. 

“Compared to my competitors [who were not injured all season] I was weak, but after a few close wins, I started feeling good again,” Spiegel said. 

DeAragon was able to win gold medals at both the 2009 and 2010 Junior National Championships as well as at the 2010 Folkstyle Nationals. Spiegel was also a champion at the 2010 Junior Freestyle Nationals and took the gold last year at the 2010 FILA Cadet Nationals at Body Bar.  It seemed fitting that these two, with their outstanding records, be in the finals against each other. 

With the USOEC coaches stepping aside since it was a match between two of their athletes, the girls went into the match with teammates coaching in their corner.  DeAragon took both matches in two periods; the first by dec. 5-0, 4-0, and the second by a pin in the second period 4-0, 0:47.  

After her win DeAragon was thrilled to be on a Junior World Team but admits she felt the effects of coming off her injuries.

“It felt good [winning] but I was out of shape from injuries so I had to conserve energy all tournament,” DeAragon said.

In addition to the current USOEC athletes placing well, past USOEC athletes Helen Maroulis and Adeline Gray also took championships at 55 and 67 kg respectively.

Assistant USOEC coach Tony Deanda was very proud of all his athletes for stepping their game up so close to World Team Trials in June.

“We traditionally have done well at Body Bar but like any coach you look at what you did well and what you can improve on,” Deanda said. “It was a good showing and we’ll keep this momentum going into the World Team Trials.”