Victoria Anthony and Tony Ramos storm into finals at World Team Trials

MADISON, Wis. – Victoria Anthony came within an eyelash of making the finals of the 2013 World Championships. 

She’s determined to make another trip back there this year.

Anthony came out strong, building a big lead before eventually pinning World champion Clarissa Chun in the Challenge Tournament finals on Saturday afternoon. 

Anthony now advances to face two-time World medalist Alyssa Lampe in the best-of-3 finals of the U.S. World Team Trials on Saturday night at the Alliant Energy Center.

“I knew what I had to do to get the job done,” Anthony said. “I knew I had to pressure her. No matter how tired I got, I had to keep pressuring her until she got more tired than I was.” 

The finals are set for 6 p.m. Central Time in Madison and will be webcast live on Flo Wrestling.

Anthony reached the women’s freestyle semis of the 2013 Worlds before finishing fifth. She’s a past Junior World champion. Lampe beat Anthony in the U.S. Open finals at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. to earn a spot in the final-round series in Madison.

Champions at the World Team Trials advance to September’s World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. 

2014 NCAA champion Tony Ramos was another big story in the first session. The three-time All-American for Iowa held off Penn State All-American Nico Megaludis 1-0 in the Challenge Tournament finals.

Ramos will battle Olympian and U.S. Open champion Sam Hazewinkel in the freestyle finals at 57 kg/125.5 lbs. Ramos is a past Junior World Team member.

“I wrestled hard and wrestled tough, and did what I do best,” Ramos said. “Everyone is questioning, can he wrestle freestyle? He hasn’t done it in forever. It’s wrestling and to be honest I think freestyle is my best style.”

2013 World Team member Alli Ragan will meet 2012 Olympian Kelsey Campbell in the finals at 58 kg/127.5 lbs. Ragan won the U.S. Open to earn a berth in the final-round series. Campbell won the Challenge Tournament on Saturday.

2013 World Team member Veronica Carlson will meet top young wrestler Julia Salata in the women’s finals at 69 kg/152 lbs.

Dustin Kilgore overpowered Deron Winn 5-1 in the Challenge Tournament freestyle finals at 97 kg/213 lbs. Kilgore advances to meet Olympic gold medalist and U.S. Open champion Jake Varner for the World Team spot.

Past NCAA champion Zach Rey rolled through the Challenge Tournament to earn a shot at Olympian and World medalist Tervel Dlagnev in the freestyle finals at 125 kg/275.5 lbs. Dlagnev won the U.S. Open to earn a spot in the finals.

The second and final day of the Trials is set for Sunday in Madison. Olympic gold medalist and two-time World champion Jordan Burroughs is among the wrestlers scheduled to compete on Sunday.

U.S. World Team Trials

May 31, Madison, Wis. 

Freestyle

Finals matchups 

57 kg/125.5 lbs.

Sam Hazewinkel (Norman, Okla./Sunkist Kids) vs. Tony Ramos (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC)

97 kg/213 lbs.

Jake Varner (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC) vs. Dustin Kilgore (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids/OTC) 

125 kg/275.5 lbs.

Tervel Dlagnev (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) vs. Zach Rey (Bethlehem, Pa./Lehigh Valley AC)

Women’s freestyle 

Finals matchups

48 kg/105.5 lbs.

Alyssa Lampe (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) vs. Victoria Anthony (Huntington Beach, Calif. (Sunkist Kids) 

58 kg/127.5 lbs.

Alli Ragan (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) vs. Kelsey Campbell (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids)

69 kg/152 lbs.

Veronica Carlson (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) vs. Julia Salata, Canton, Mich. (New York AC/King Univ.)