World Team Trials preview at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. in women’s freestyle
Share:
by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Jennifer Page hits a double leg on Maya Nelson, in the 63 kg finals of the 2017 Dave Schultz Memorial International. Photo by John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com.
Just one year ago, the 63 kg finals series at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials featured four-time World medalist and past World champion Elena Pirozhkova and 2015 World Team member Erin Clodgo. Pirozkhova won the battle, and competed in her second Olympic Games, finishing a strong fifth at the 2016 Rio Games. Just 12 months later, neither is expected at 63 kg for the World Team Trials. Pirozhkova won the U.S. Open up at 67 kg, and Clodgo was the U.S. Open champion at 75 kg, the weights where they are expected to compete in Las Vegas this year.
That opens this weight class wide open, and there are a host of talented young stars who are seeking to claim their first U.S. Senior World Team berth after successful age-group careers. The favorites from this group of rising talents are the top three place winners from the U.S. Open in December, champion Jennifer Page, runner-up Maya Nelson and third-place finisher Mallory Velte.
Page has the biggest list of achievements on the Senior level of the top contenders here. She has made the Senior Women’s National Team five times in her career. A two-time U.S. Open champion, Page has placed in the top three at the U.S. Open five straight years. She boasts a Dave Schultz Memorial International title this year and won the Pan American Championships in 2015. Going back to her age-group days, she was a 2013 Junior World bronze medalist, and won a WCWA College National title in her one season at Oklahoma City University.
Velte was third at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials at this weight class. She is a two-time WCWA College national champion for Simon Fraser University. At the University Nationals in March, Velte defeated Nelson in the championship finals. She was fifth at the 2015 Junior World Championships, as well. In November, Velte dropped to 60 kg and placed second in the World Team Trials behind eventual World silver medalist Alli Ragan. Velte is expected to stay at 63 kg for the 2017 World Team Trials this year.
Nelson’s silver medal at the U.S. Open is her best Senior-level achievement to date. Nelson won a bronze medal at last summer’s Junior World Championships. Nelson was a University Nationals champion last year. This year, she had a big semifinal win at the University Nationals over 2016 U.S. Open champion Teshya Alo, before falling to Velte in the finals. She added a silver medal at the 2017 Dave Schultz Memorial to her record this winter, losing to Page in the finals. Nelson attended the University of the Cumberlands initially after high school, and is now a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete. She won Junior and Cadet National titles as a Colorado high school star.
Expected to be right in that mix is another talented young star, Alexis Porter, who was fourth at the U.S. Open at 63 kg. Last summer, competing up at 67 kg, Porter won a Junior World bronze medal for the United States. She was third in this year’s University Nationals and fourth at the 2017 Dave Schultz International. A two-time WCWA All-American for McKendree Univ., she was on a redshirt season this year. She was a University Nationals champion in 2015. Like many of the young stars breaking through on the Senior level, New York native Porter won Cadet and Junior Nationals titles on her way up the ladder.
Rounding out the college wrestlers who earned the trip to Las Vegas by placing at the U.S. Open were fifth place Jessi Kee of King Univ., sixth place Maggie Douma of Oklahoma City Univ. and seventh place Mariana Briceno of Wayland Baptist.
Kee is a three-time WCWA All-American, including two runner-up finishes (2015 and 2017). She was also fourth in the 2015 U.S. Senior Open. Kee was second behind Porter at the UWW Junior Nationals in 2016 at 67 kg.
Douma, a two-time WCWA All-American including a runner-up finish in 2016, has been third and fourth in the last two University Nationals. Briceno was seventh at the 2015 and 2017 U.S. Open, and was a WCWA All-American back in 2016.
Earning a spot in Las Vegas after taking third at the 2017 WCWA Nationals for Southern Oregon is young star Desiree Zavala. She added a fourth place finish at the 2017 University Nationals. A four-time Washington state high school champion, Zavala was a 2014 Junior Nationals champion, and has placed at the UWW Junior Nationals the last two years.
Earning a spot in the Trials by making the 2016 Junior National team were Francesca Giorgio and Katerina Lobsinger. Giorgio is a three-time WCWA All-American for Simon Fraser, and was second in the 2016 University Nationals. She has a healthy record of age-group achievements within USA Wrestling, including a fifth-place finish at the 2012 Cadet World Championships. Lobsinger was also fifth in the Cadet World Championships, in her case in 2015, and was third in the UWW Junior Nationals in 2016.
There’s a good chance this weight class will have a brand-new first time World Team member. But who will it be?
2017 World Team Trials Qualifiers at 63 kg/138.5 lbs
’16 Olympian – Elena Pirozhkova, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC)
’15 World Team member – Erin Clodgo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
’16 Junior National team – Francesca Giorgio, West Lawn, Pa. (Simon Fraser)
’16 Junior National team – Katerina Lobsinger, Martinez, Calif. (Smach Gym)
’17 Senior Nationals champion – Jennifer Page, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC)
’17 Senior Nationals runner-up – Maya Nelson, Denver, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
’17 Senior Nationals third place – Mallory Velte, Sacramento, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)
’17 Senior Nationals fourth place – Alexis Porter, Ballston Lake, N.Y. (New York AC/Bearcat WC)
’17 Senior Nationals fifth place – Jessi Kee, Laurinburg, N.C. (King University)
’17 Senior Nationals sixth place – Maggie Douma, Napa, Calif. (Aries WC)
’17 Senior Nationals seventh place – Mariana Briceno, Simi Valley, Calif. (Wayland Baptist)
’17 WCWA Nationals third place – Desiree Zavala, Grandview, Wash. (Southern Oregon)
2017 U.S. Open results at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.
1st – Jennifer Page (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Maya Nelson (Sunkist Kids), 3-1
3rd – Mallory Velte (Titan Mercury WC) tech. fall Alexis Porter (New York AC), 10-0
5th – Jessica Kee (New York AC) tech. fall Margaret Douma (Aries WC), 11-0
7th – Marina Briceno (Wayland Baptist) tech. fall Brianna Holcomb (Aries WC), 10-0
2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials results at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.
1st - Elena Pirozkhova (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury WC) dec Erin Clodgo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), two matches to none
Pirozkhova dec Clodgo, 3-1
Pirozkhova pin Clodgo, 4:00
3rd – Mallory Velte (Sacramento, Calif./Titan Mercury WC) tech. fall Amanda Hendey (Bristol, Tenn./Titan Mercury WC), 13-2
Just one year ago, the 63 kg finals series at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials featured four-time World medalist and past World champion Elena Pirozhkova and 2015 World Team member Erin Clodgo. Pirozkhova won the battle, and competed in her second Olympic Games, finishing a strong fifth at the 2016 Rio Games. Just 12 months later, neither is expected at 63 kg for the World Team Trials. Pirozhkova won the U.S. Open up at 67 kg, and Clodgo was the U.S. Open champion at 75 kg, the weights where they are expected to compete in Las Vegas this year.
That opens this weight class wide open, and there are a host of talented young stars who are seeking to claim their first U.S. Senior World Team berth after successful age-group careers. The favorites from this group of rising talents are the top three place winners from the U.S. Open in December, champion Jennifer Page, runner-up Maya Nelson and third-place finisher Mallory Velte.
Page has the biggest list of achievements on the Senior level of the top contenders here. She has made the Senior Women’s National Team five times in her career. A two-time U.S. Open champion, Page has placed in the top three at the U.S. Open five straight years. She boasts a Dave Schultz Memorial International title this year and won the Pan American Championships in 2015. Going back to her age-group days, she was a 2013 Junior World bronze medalist, and won a WCWA College National title in her one season at Oklahoma City University.
Velte was third at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials at this weight class. She is a two-time WCWA College national champion for Simon Fraser University. At the University Nationals in March, Velte defeated Nelson in the championship finals. She was fifth at the 2015 Junior World Championships, as well. In November, Velte dropped to 60 kg and placed second in the World Team Trials behind eventual World silver medalist Alli Ragan. Velte is expected to stay at 63 kg for the 2017 World Team Trials this year.
Nelson’s silver medal at the U.S. Open is her best Senior-level achievement to date. Nelson won a bronze medal at last summer’s Junior World Championships. Nelson was a University Nationals champion last year. This year, she had a big semifinal win at the University Nationals over 2016 U.S. Open champion Teshya Alo, before falling to Velte in the finals. She added a silver medal at the 2017 Dave Schultz Memorial to her record this winter, losing to Page in the finals. Nelson attended the University of the Cumberlands initially after high school, and is now a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete. She won Junior and Cadet National titles as a Colorado high school star.
Expected to be right in that mix is another talented young star, Alexis Porter, who was fourth at the U.S. Open at 63 kg. Last summer, competing up at 67 kg, Porter won a Junior World bronze medal for the United States. She was third in this year’s University Nationals and fourth at the 2017 Dave Schultz International. A two-time WCWA All-American for McKendree Univ., she was on a redshirt season this year. She was a University Nationals champion in 2015. Like many of the young stars breaking through on the Senior level, New York native Porter won Cadet and Junior Nationals titles on her way up the ladder.
Rounding out the college wrestlers who earned the trip to Las Vegas by placing at the U.S. Open were fifth place Jessi Kee of King Univ., sixth place Maggie Douma of Oklahoma City Univ. and seventh place Mariana Briceno of Wayland Baptist.
Kee is a three-time WCWA All-American, including two runner-up finishes (2015 and 2017). She was also fourth in the 2015 U.S. Senior Open. Kee was second behind Porter at the UWW Junior Nationals in 2016 at 67 kg.
Douma, a two-time WCWA All-American including a runner-up finish in 2016, has been third and fourth in the last two University Nationals. Briceno was seventh at the 2015 and 2017 U.S. Open, and was a WCWA All-American back in 2016.
Earning a spot in Las Vegas after taking third at the 2017 WCWA Nationals for Southern Oregon is young star Desiree Zavala. She added a fourth place finish at the 2017 University Nationals. A four-time Washington state high school champion, Zavala was a 2014 Junior Nationals champion, and has placed at the UWW Junior Nationals the last two years.
Earning a spot in the Trials by making the 2016 Junior National team were Francesca Giorgio and Katerina Lobsinger. Giorgio is a three-time WCWA All-American for Simon Fraser, and was second in the 2016 University Nationals. She has a healthy record of age-group achievements within USA Wrestling, including a fifth-place finish at the 2012 Cadet World Championships. Lobsinger was also fifth in the Cadet World Championships, in her case in 2015, and was third in the UWW Junior Nationals in 2016.
There’s a good chance this weight class will have a brand-new first time World Team member. But who will it be?
2017 World Team Trials Qualifiers at 63 kg/138.5 lbs
’16 Olympian – Elena Pirozhkova, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC)
’15 World Team member – Erin Clodgo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
’16 Junior National team – Francesca Giorgio, West Lawn, Pa. (Simon Fraser)
’16 Junior National team – Katerina Lobsinger, Martinez, Calif. (Smach Gym)
’17 Senior Nationals champion – Jennifer Page, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC)
’17 Senior Nationals runner-up – Maya Nelson, Denver, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
’17 Senior Nationals third place – Mallory Velte, Sacramento, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)
’17 Senior Nationals fourth place – Alexis Porter, Ballston Lake, N.Y. (New York AC/Bearcat WC)
’17 Senior Nationals fifth place – Jessi Kee, Laurinburg, N.C. (King University)
’17 Senior Nationals sixth place – Maggie Douma, Napa, Calif. (Aries WC)
’17 Senior Nationals seventh place – Mariana Briceno, Simi Valley, Calif. (Wayland Baptist)
’17 WCWA Nationals third place – Desiree Zavala, Grandview, Wash. (Southern Oregon)
2017 U.S. Open results at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.
1st – Jennifer Page (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Maya Nelson (Sunkist Kids), 3-1
3rd – Mallory Velte (Titan Mercury WC) tech. fall Alexis Porter (New York AC), 10-0
5th – Jessica Kee (New York AC) tech. fall Margaret Douma (Aries WC), 11-0
7th – Marina Briceno (Wayland Baptist) tech. fall Brianna Holcomb (Aries WC), 10-0
2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials results at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.
1st - Elena Pirozkhova (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury WC) dec Erin Clodgo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), two matches to none
Pirozkhova dec Clodgo, 3-1
Pirozkhova pin Clodgo, 4:00
3rd – Mallory Velte (Sacramento, Calif./Titan Mercury WC) tech. fall Amanda Hendey (Bristol, Tenn./Titan Mercury WC), 13-2
Read More#
U.S. women place second in U17 World Championships; Bouzakis, Jaffe and Robinson add bronzes on last day
Draws announced for U20 Pan-American Championships in Santiago, Chile
U.S. draws in all three disciplines released for U17 Pan American Championships in Mexico City, Mexico
Elections to be held for USA Wrestling Standing Committees Positions; Nomination deadline is July 20
