Women’s World Team Wrestle-Off winners (from left) Victoria Anthony, Veronica Carlson and Alli Ragan. Gary Abbott photo.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Victoria Anthony was shorter, lighter and seeded lower than the girls she wrestled.

But that didn’t stop the hard-charging Anthony from winning a championship at the Women’s World Team Wrestle-Offs on Saturday afternoon at Palmer High School.

Anthony, a two-time Junior World champion, swept past World Team member Jessica Medina in two straight matches to earn a trip to next month’s World Championships.

The fifth-seeded Anthony moved up a weight class to 51 kg/112.25 lbs. on Saturday. She placed second at June’s U.S. World Team Trials at 48 kg/105.5 lbs.

Anthony won the Challenge Tournament earlier in the day with wins over the No. 4, No. 1 and No. 2 seeds before downing Medina, who had earned a spot in the finals by virtue of winning April’s U.S. Open.

Anthony, who wrestles for Simon Fraser University, made her first Senior World Team. She was one of three champions crowned on Saturday.

“I’m extremely excited,” Anthony said. “It was really nice to pull this out against some super tough competitors. I just allowed myself to open up and wrestle. I got my mind right and didn’t put unnecessary pressure on myself.”

U.S. Open champion Alli Ragan relied on an aggressive offensive attack in taking two straight matches over Erin Clodgo in the finals at 59 kg/130 lbs. Clodgo dropped down a weight class after finishing second at the World Team Trials.

Ragan, who wrestles for King University, made her first Senior World Team. She won a silver medal at the World University Games this year.

“Erin’s a really tough wrestler,” Ragan said. “It’s been back and forth when we’ve wrestled. I definitely was ready for those matches. I needed to get my offense going and keep moving.”

U.S. Open champion Veronica Carlson swept Jackie Cataline in the finals at 67 kg/147.5 lbs. Carlson, fifth at the World University Games this year, used a succession of leg laces to finish both wins by technical fall.

Carlson also made her first Senior World Team.

“I just focused on keeping my composure and doing what I do best,” Carlson said. “I just tried to exploit what I saw was there. My lace is always something I am looking for as soon as I get that takedown. It was really important that I secured it to put both matches away.”

The champions on Saturday qualified to represent the United States at the World Championship on Sept. 16-22 in Budapest, Hungary.

The other four World Team members in women’s freestyle were decided at June’s U.S. World Team Trials. Alyssa Lampe, Helen Maroulis, Elena Pirozhkova and Adeline Gray landed World Team spots in the four Olympic weight classes in that event.

WOMEN’S WORLD TEAM WRESTLE-OFFS
Saturday, Aug. 3
Palmer High School, Colorado Springs, Colo.

FINALS RESULTS

51 kg/112.25 lbs.
Victoria Anthony (Huntington Beach, Calif./Sunkist Kids) def. Jessica Medina (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), 2 matches to 0 
Anthony dec. Medina, 5-3
Anthony dec. Medina, 6-1

59 kg/130 lbs.
Alli Ragan (Carbondale, Ill./New York AC) def. Erin Clodgo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), 2 matches to 0
Ragan dec. Clodgo, 6-5
Ragan dec. Clodgo, 8-0

67 kg/147.5 lbs.
Veronica Carlson (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) def. Jackie Cataline (Alhambra, Calif./Titan Mercury WC), 2 matches to 0
Carlson dec. Cataline, 8-0
Carlson dec. Cataline, 7-0