World Team Trials preview at 60 kg/132 lbs. in women’s freestyle
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Alli Ragan takes down Mallory Velte in the 60 kg World Team Trials in New York City in November. Photo by Larry Slater.
By winning a silver medal at 60 kg at the 2016 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, four-time World Team member Ali Ragan advances directly to the final Championship Series at the World Team Trials in Las Vegas. Her three previous World Teams were at 58 kg, including a fifth-place finish at the 2014 World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. She also boasts two Junior World bronze medals in her career.
In 2016, Ragan was beaten in the finals series of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials by Kelsey Campbell. In the fall, she tried out for the World Team at 60 kg, and won the Championship Series over college star Mallory Velte, who dropped down in weight from 63 kg to try out for the Senior World Team. Velte is expected to stay at her normal 63 kg for the World Team Trials this year. Ragan will need to win two bouts in the finals series to go back to the World Championships and aim to bring back another World medal at this weight class.
The reigning U.S. Open champion at 60 kg is Jenna Burkert, who was a member of the 2014 U.S. Senior World Team. Burkert is now a member of the U.S. Army WCAP program, after being a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete. Burkert has twice been a U.S. Open runner-up. A member of three Junior World Teams, Burkert also competed at the Youth Olympic Games when she was a UWW Cadet. In high school, Burkett was with the U.S. Olympic Education Center program at Northern Michigan, where she attended nearby Marquette High School. She was 2010 ASICS High School Wrestler of the Year.
Jennifer Page was third at the 2016 World Team Trials at 60 kg, but won the U.S. Open in December at 63 kg and is expected to stay up at 63 kg for the World Team Trials. Kayla Miracle was fourth at the 2016 World Team Trials at 60 kg, but won the U.S. Open at 58 kg and is expected to stay down at 58 kg for the World Team Trials. If either chose to go 60 kg, they would be expected to do very well here.
Most of those who qualified for Las Vegas at this weight class have come out of the college ranks. Winning the silver medal at the U.S. Open was Carla Ponce, who competes for Oklahoma City Univ. Ponce is a two-time WCWA All-American, placing eighth at this year’s college nationals. This season, she has won bronze medals at both the Bill Farrell International in November and the Dave Schultz Memorial International in January. She also boasts a bronze medal from the 2015 University Nationals.
The rest of the U.S. Open place winners who have advanced to Las Vegas are also college wrestlers. Nicole Joseph of King Univ. was third, Abigail Nette of Emmanuel College was fourth, Cheyenne Bates of Wayland Baptist was fifth, Arian Carpio of Arizona State was sixth and Darla Allen of McKendree University was seventh. You can also add in Chloe Spencer of Grays Harbor CC, who won a silver medal at the 2017 Dave Schultz Memorial to punch her ticket to Las Vegas, as well as Koral Sugiyama of Campbellsville, who was third at the 2017 WCWA College Nationals.
Three of these college-age wrestlers won medals at March’s University Nationals, with Sugiyama winning the silver medal, Spencer winning the bronze medal and Carpio claiming fourth place, all at 60 kg. Based upon that, all three are looking for a strong performance at the World Team Trials, with an eye on earning a spot on the Women’s National Team.
Because of the close spread between weight classes in women’s wrestling, there is a possibility that other wrestlers who qualified either at 58 kg or at 63 kg might emerge in the field at 60 kg this year. Although this is a non-Olympic weight class, there is a spot on the Senior World Team up for grabs here. In addition, with 10 weight classes coming for 2018, nobody knows what the Olympic weights for 2020 will be. That will encourage athletes to compete at their best weight classes, which for some wrestlers will be right here at 60 kg.
2017 World Team Trials Qualifiers at 60 kg/132 lbs.
’16 World medalist advances to the Trials Finals series – Alli Ragan, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
World Team Trials Tournament qualifiers
’15 World Team member – Leigh Jaynes, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
’14 World Team member – Jenna Burkert, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
’17 Senior Nationals runner-up – Carla Ponce, El Paso, Texas (Aires WC)
’17 Senior Nationals third place – Nicole Joseph, Camarillo, Calif. (King University)
’17 Senior Nationals fourth place – Abigail Nette, St. Rose, La. (Lions WC)
’17 Senior Nationals fifth place – Cheyenne Bates, Doyline, La. (Wayland Baptist)
’17 Senior Nationals sixth place – Arian Carpio, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
’17 Senior Nationals seventh place – Darla Allen, San Antonio, Texas, (Bearcat WC)
’17 Dave Schultz highest U.S. medalist – Chloe Spencer, Ephrata, Wash. (Choker WC)
’17 WCWA Nationals third place – Koral Sugiyama, Pocatello, Idaho (Campbellsville)
2017 U.S. Open results at 60 kg/132 lbs.
1st – Jenna Burkert (U.S. Army WCAP) tech. fall Carla Ponce (Aries WC), 10-0
3rd – Nicole Joseph (King University) dec. Abigail Nette (Lions WC), 7-0
5th – Cheyenne Bates (Wayland Baptist) dec. Arian Carpio (Sunkist Kids), 9-0
7th – Darla Allen (Bearcat WC) tech. fall Daniela Flores (Aries WC), 10-0
2016 World Team Trials results at 60 kg/132 lbs.
1st- Alli Ragan, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Mallory Velte, Sacramento, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC), two matches to zero
Bout One – Ragan dec. Velte, 8-2
Bout Two – Ragan dec. Velte, 4-1
3rd place – Jennifer Page, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Kayla Miracle, Campbellsville, Ky. (Sunkist Kids), 2-2
By winning a silver medal at 60 kg at the 2016 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, four-time World Team member Ali Ragan advances directly to the final Championship Series at the World Team Trials in Las Vegas. Her three previous World Teams were at 58 kg, including a fifth-place finish at the 2014 World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. She also boasts two Junior World bronze medals in her career.
In 2016, Ragan was beaten in the finals series of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials by Kelsey Campbell. In the fall, she tried out for the World Team at 60 kg, and won the Championship Series over college star Mallory Velte, who dropped down in weight from 63 kg to try out for the Senior World Team. Velte is expected to stay at her normal 63 kg for the World Team Trials this year. Ragan will need to win two bouts in the finals series to go back to the World Championships and aim to bring back another World medal at this weight class.
The reigning U.S. Open champion at 60 kg is Jenna Burkert, who was a member of the 2014 U.S. Senior World Team. Burkert is now a member of the U.S. Army WCAP program, after being a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete. Burkert has twice been a U.S. Open runner-up. A member of three Junior World Teams, Burkert also competed at the Youth Olympic Games when she was a UWW Cadet. In high school, Burkett was with the U.S. Olympic Education Center program at Northern Michigan, where she attended nearby Marquette High School. She was 2010 ASICS High School Wrestler of the Year.
Jennifer Page was third at the 2016 World Team Trials at 60 kg, but won the U.S. Open in December at 63 kg and is expected to stay up at 63 kg for the World Team Trials. Kayla Miracle was fourth at the 2016 World Team Trials at 60 kg, but won the U.S. Open at 58 kg and is expected to stay down at 58 kg for the World Team Trials. If either chose to go 60 kg, they would be expected to do very well here.
Most of those who qualified for Las Vegas at this weight class have come out of the college ranks. Winning the silver medal at the U.S. Open was Carla Ponce, who competes for Oklahoma City Univ. Ponce is a two-time WCWA All-American, placing eighth at this year’s college nationals. This season, she has won bronze medals at both the Bill Farrell International in November and the Dave Schultz Memorial International in January. She also boasts a bronze medal from the 2015 University Nationals.
The rest of the U.S. Open place winners who have advanced to Las Vegas are also college wrestlers. Nicole Joseph of King Univ. was third, Abigail Nette of Emmanuel College was fourth, Cheyenne Bates of Wayland Baptist was fifth, Arian Carpio of Arizona State was sixth and Darla Allen of McKendree University was seventh. You can also add in Chloe Spencer of Grays Harbor CC, who won a silver medal at the 2017 Dave Schultz Memorial to punch her ticket to Las Vegas, as well as Koral Sugiyama of Campbellsville, who was third at the 2017 WCWA College Nationals.
Three of these college-age wrestlers won medals at March’s University Nationals, with Sugiyama winning the silver medal, Spencer winning the bronze medal and Carpio claiming fourth place, all at 60 kg. Based upon that, all three are looking for a strong performance at the World Team Trials, with an eye on earning a spot on the Women’s National Team.
Because of the close spread between weight classes in women’s wrestling, there is a possibility that other wrestlers who qualified either at 58 kg or at 63 kg might emerge in the field at 60 kg this year. Although this is a non-Olympic weight class, there is a spot on the Senior World Team up for grabs here. In addition, with 10 weight classes coming for 2018, nobody knows what the Olympic weights for 2020 will be. That will encourage athletes to compete at their best weight classes, which for some wrestlers will be right here at 60 kg.
2017 World Team Trials Qualifiers at 60 kg/132 lbs.
’16 World medalist advances to the Trials Finals series – Alli Ragan, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
World Team Trials Tournament qualifiers
’15 World Team member – Leigh Jaynes, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
’14 World Team member – Jenna Burkert, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
’17 Senior Nationals runner-up – Carla Ponce, El Paso, Texas (Aires WC)
’17 Senior Nationals third place – Nicole Joseph, Camarillo, Calif. (King University)
’17 Senior Nationals fourth place – Abigail Nette, St. Rose, La. (Lions WC)
’17 Senior Nationals fifth place – Cheyenne Bates, Doyline, La. (Wayland Baptist)
’17 Senior Nationals sixth place – Arian Carpio, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
’17 Senior Nationals seventh place – Darla Allen, San Antonio, Texas, (Bearcat WC)
’17 Dave Schultz highest U.S. medalist – Chloe Spencer, Ephrata, Wash. (Choker WC)
’17 WCWA Nationals third place – Koral Sugiyama, Pocatello, Idaho (Campbellsville)
2017 U.S. Open results at 60 kg/132 lbs.
1st – Jenna Burkert (U.S. Army WCAP) tech. fall Carla Ponce (Aries WC), 10-0
3rd – Nicole Joseph (King University) dec. Abigail Nette (Lions WC), 7-0
5th – Cheyenne Bates (Wayland Baptist) dec. Arian Carpio (Sunkist Kids), 9-0
7th – Darla Allen (Bearcat WC) tech. fall Daniela Flores (Aries WC), 10-0
2016 World Team Trials results at 60 kg/132 lbs.
1st- Alli Ragan, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Mallory Velte, Sacramento, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC), two matches to zero
Bout One – Ragan dec. Velte, 8-2
Bout Two – Ragan dec. Velte, 4-1
3rd place – Jennifer Page, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Kayla Miracle, Campbellsville, Ky. (Sunkist Kids), 2-2
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