Helen Maroulis in action at the 2011 World Team Trials. Maroulis has already clinched a third career Junior World medal as she goes for gold tonight at 55 kg. Larry Slater photo BUCHAREST, Romania – Three U.S. women’s freestyle wrestlers will be competing for medals at the 2011 FILA Junior World Championships on Friday night. Competing in the gold-medal match at 55 kg/121 lbs. is two-time Junior World bronze medalist Helen Maroulis (Rockville, Md./New York AC). She will face Kanako Murata of Japan in the gold-medal bout. By reaching the finals, Maroulis guarantees herself a third career Junior World medal. She has made four U.S. Junior World Teams. Maroulis was dominant in all four of her victories, with two pins and a technical fall. She defeated Gui Liu of China in her semifinal match. Two-time Junior World Champion Victoria Anthony (Huntington Beach, Calif./New York AC) will be competing for a bronze medal at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. Anthony will face Nina Hemmer of Germany in the bronze-medal round. Anthony won her first match, then was pinned in the second round by Japan’s Nika Naganuma in the first period. When Naganuma reached the finals, Anthony was drawn back into the repechage. She defeated Sumeyya Sezer of Turkey, 3-2, 6-0, then pinned Jade Papke of Canada in the second period to qualify for the bronze bout. Anthony is on her fourth Junior World team, winning World titles in 2009 and 2010 and also placing fifth at the 2008 Junior World Championships. At 63 kg/138.75 lbs., Alli Ragan (Carbondale, Ill./New York AC/King College) is also in a bronze-medal match, where she will face Klaudia Pilipczuk of Poland. Ragan defeated opponents from India and China to reach the semifinals, where she lost to Aline Focken of Germany in two periods. At 72 kg/158.5 lbs., Anneliese DeAragon (Sandpoint, Idaho/New York AC/USOEC) was eliminated from medal contention in the repechage rounds. She opened with a win over Davaatseren Buyanjargal of Mongolia, then lost her next match to Cinthya Vescan of France. When Vescan made the finals, DeAragon was drawn into the repechage, where she was defeated by Elmira Syzdykova of Kazakhstan. The USA entered the day in a tie for third place in the team standings. Team USA is looking to improve on its sixth-place finish in women’s freestyle at the 2010 Junior World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS At Bucharest, Romania, July 26-31 U.S. women’s results so far on Friday 48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Victoria Anthony, Huntington Beach, Calif. (New York AC) WIN Victoria Jeppson (Sweden), 2-0, pin 1:05 LOSS Nika Naganuma (Japan), pin 1:43 WIN Sumeyya Sezer (Turkey), 3-2, 6-0 WIN Jade Papke (Canada), 3-0, 1:26 Bronze bout - vs. Nina Hemmer (Germany) 55 kg/121 lbs. – Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md. (New York AC) WIN Tetyana Kit (Ukraine), 7-0, 4-0 WIN Lisette Antes Castillo (Ecuador), 2-0, pin 1:56 WIN Bettina Jager (Hungary), 6-0, 6-0 WIN Gui Liu (China), 2-0, pin Gold bout - vs. Kanako Murata (Japan) 63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Alli Ragan, Carbondale, Ill. (New York AC/King College) WIN Sakshi Malik (India), 2-1, 1-1 WIN Mengyang Ji (China), 1-0, 1-4, 1-0 LOSS Aline Focken (Germany), 0-1, 0-5 Bronze bout – Klaudia Pilipczuk (Poland) 72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Anneliese DeAragon, Sandpoint, Idaho (New York AC/USOEC) WIN Davaatseren Buyanjargal (Mongolia), 3-0, pin 1:59 LOSS Cinthya Vescan (France), 0-2, pin 1:11 LOSS Elmira Syzdykova (Kazakhstan), pin