Final X Preview: Alli Ragan vs. Jenna Burkert, 59 kg women
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Competition portrait of Alli Ragan by Tony Rotundo, Wrestlers Are Warriors. Competition portrait of Jenna Burkert by John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com.
Who: Alli Ragan vs. Jenna Burkert
What: Final X
Where: Lincoln, Neb.
When: June 9
Why: Women’s freestyle World Team spot at 59 kg
Tickets: FinalX.tv
Alli Ragan
How she got to Final X:
Alli Ragan won a silver medal at the 2017 World Championships in Paris, France, which earned her an automatic spot in Final X. It was the second straight year Ragan won a World silver medal.
Background:
A native of Illinois, Ragan was successful in USA Wrestling’s age-group programs, placing in four Junior Nationals, with one second-place finish and three third-place finishes. Her career really flourished in college, when she went to King University and helped build a WCWA national championship team, along with a group of talented recruits. In college, Ragan won two WCWA national titles and placed second twice, reaching the finals every year of her eligibility.
Where she really started shining while in college was on the international level. Ragan made two straight Junior World Teams in 2011 and 2012, and won Junior World bronze medals both years. She showed good technical skills, but really broke through because of her toughness and ability to wrestle well under pressure. That led to her making her first Senior World Team in 2013, and although did not place in the top 10, she got her feet wet at the highest level, while still a college student.
Ragan reeled off five straight World Championship team berths, and claimed silver medals at the Worlds in Budapest in 2016 and in Paris in 2017. Her fifth place finish at the 2014 Worlds was about as close as you can get to a medal, as she lost 4-4 by criteria in the bronze-medal match. The only blemish in the streak came at the 2016 Olympic Trials, where she was defeated in the finals by 2012 Olympian Kelsey Campbell. Ragan has accumulated numerous international medals, but takes some international losses at times. As shown the last two World meets, she seems to wrestle at her best at the biggest event at the conclusion of the year. To get another shot at another medal, she needs to win Final X, which would make 2018 her sixth straight World Team.
Ragan’s World Championship experience:
2011 Junior World Championships in Bucharest, Romania – BRONZE
2012 Junior World Championships in Pattaya, Thailand – BRONZE
2013 World University Games in Kazan, Russia – SILVER
2013 Senior World Championships in Budapest, Hungary – NINTH
2014 Senior World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan – FIFTH
2015 Senior World Championships in Las Vegas, Nev., USA – 17th
2016 Senior World Championships in Budapest, Hungary - SILVER
2017 Senior World Championships in Paris, France – SILVER
Jenna Burkert
How she got to Final X:
Jenna Burkert won a gold medal at the Freestyle World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in Rochester, Minn. in May, which punched her ticket to Final X in Lincoln.
Background:
Jenna Burkert was one of the best high school wrestlers in the nation, winning the ASICS Girls High School Wrestler of the Year award in both 2010 and 2011. A native of Long Island, she attended high school in Marquette, Mich., as part of the U.S. Olympic Education Center women’s wrestling program. While most of the athletes there attended Northern Michigan University, she went to the local high school and trained at the USOEC. Burkert won age-group national titles and earned a spot on the 2010 Youth Olympic Games team, a major honor, placing fifth in her first big-time international event.
Burkert did some time at Northern Michigan before moving to Colorado Springs to be a resident athlete at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. She made three straight Junior World Teams, a tremendous achievement. She started competing on the Senior level while still pursuing Junior-level teams. She was fourth in the U.S. Open during her senior season in high school. Once her eligibility at the Junior level was done, she quickly moved to the top on the Senior level, making the 2014 Senior World Team that competed in Uzbekistan.
When healthy, Burkert has been a top challenger every year at the Senior level. One of the big moves in her career was joining the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, where she has continued her progress. As a soldier, she won her first U.S. Open title in 2017 and has now qualified for Final X. Burkert is strong and has excellent technique. She is looking to have her best performance at Final X, and get another shot at a Senior World medal.
Burkert’s World Championship experience
2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore – FIFTH
2011 Junior World Championships in Bucharest, Romania - EIGHTH
2012 Junior World Championships in Pattaya, Thailand – 18th
2013 Junior World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria - EIGHTH
2014 Senior World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan – 15th
2017 Military World Championships in Klaipeda, Lithuania - FOURTH
Notes
• Both of these athletes have the ability to train in more than one location. Ragan splits her time at the U.S. Olympic Training Center and with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club in Iowa City. Burkert is able to train with the rest of the Army WCAP program in their wrestling room at Fort Carson, but also can work out at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.
• When Burkert competed at the 2010 Youth Olympics, in addition to her fifth-place in women’s wrestling, she also won a bronze medal in women’s Beach Wrestling, which was also contested there that year.
• Burkert was third at the 2018 U.S. Open up at 62 kg, and dropped down to 59 kg for the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament.
• Ragan and Burkert have spent most of their wrestling lives in different weight classes. They were teammates on the 2014 Senior World Team, as well as both the 2010 and 2011 Junior World Teams.
• Follow Alli Ragan on Twitter and Instagram @AlliRayg
• Follow Jenna Burkert on Twitter @TheJokerJB and on Instagram at @TheJokerJB_
59 kg/130 lbs. WOMEN
Alli Ragan, Colorado Springs, Colo./Iowa City, Iowa (Sunkist Kids/Hawkeye WC/OTC)
College: King University High School: Carbondale (Ill.) Born: June 16, 1992
• Second in 2016 and 2017 World Championships
• Fifth in 2014 World Championships
• 2013 and 2015 U.S. World Team Member
• 2011 and 2012 Junior World bronze medalist
• 2013 and 2014 U.S. Open champion
• Second in 2013 University World Games
• 2017 Pan American Championships champion
• Second in 2014 and 2015 UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals (Azerbaijan)
• 2013 University Nationals champion
• 2013 and 2014 WCWA national champion for King University
• Second in 2011 and 2012 Women’s College Nationals
Jenna Burkert, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
College: Northern Michigan High School: Marquette (Mich.) Born: May 9, 1993
• 2018 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament champion
• 2014 U.S. World Team member
• 2017 U.S. Open champion
• Second in 2014 and 2015 U.S. Open
• Third in 2018 U.S. Open
• Fourth in 2017 CISM Military World Championships
• Three-time UWW Junior World Team member (2011-2013)
• Third in 2012 and 2013 World Team Wrestle-off
• Fifth in 2010 Youth Olympic Games
• 2009 Junior Nationals champion
• 2010 and 2011 ASICS Girls High School Wrestler of the Year
Who: Alli Ragan vs. Jenna Burkert
What: Final X
Where: Lincoln, Neb.
When: June 9
Why: Women’s freestyle World Team spot at 59 kg
Tickets: FinalX.tv
Alli Ragan
How she got to Final X:
Alli Ragan won a silver medal at the 2017 World Championships in Paris, France, which earned her an automatic spot in Final X. It was the second straight year Ragan won a World silver medal.
Background:
A native of Illinois, Ragan was successful in USA Wrestling’s age-group programs, placing in four Junior Nationals, with one second-place finish and three third-place finishes. Her career really flourished in college, when she went to King University and helped build a WCWA national championship team, along with a group of talented recruits. In college, Ragan won two WCWA national titles and placed second twice, reaching the finals every year of her eligibility.
Where she really started shining while in college was on the international level. Ragan made two straight Junior World Teams in 2011 and 2012, and won Junior World bronze medals both years. She showed good technical skills, but really broke through because of her toughness and ability to wrestle well under pressure. That led to her making her first Senior World Team in 2013, and although did not place in the top 10, she got her feet wet at the highest level, while still a college student.
Ragan reeled off five straight World Championship team berths, and claimed silver medals at the Worlds in Budapest in 2016 and in Paris in 2017. Her fifth place finish at the 2014 Worlds was about as close as you can get to a medal, as she lost 4-4 by criteria in the bronze-medal match. The only blemish in the streak came at the 2016 Olympic Trials, where she was defeated in the finals by 2012 Olympian Kelsey Campbell. Ragan has accumulated numerous international medals, but takes some international losses at times. As shown the last two World meets, she seems to wrestle at her best at the biggest event at the conclusion of the year. To get another shot at another medal, she needs to win Final X, which would make 2018 her sixth straight World Team.
Ragan’s World Championship experience:
2011 Junior World Championships in Bucharest, Romania – BRONZE
2012 Junior World Championships in Pattaya, Thailand – BRONZE
2013 World University Games in Kazan, Russia – SILVER
2013 Senior World Championships in Budapest, Hungary – NINTH
2014 Senior World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan – FIFTH
2015 Senior World Championships in Las Vegas, Nev., USA – 17th
2016 Senior World Championships in Budapest, Hungary - SILVER
2017 Senior World Championships in Paris, France – SILVER
Jenna Burkert
How she got to Final X:
Jenna Burkert won a gold medal at the Freestyle World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in Rochester, Minn. in May, which punched her ticket to Final X in Lincoln.
Background:
Jenna Burkert was one of the best high school wrestlers in the nation, winning the ASICS Girls High School Wrestler of the Year award in both 2010 and 2011. A native of Long Island, she attended high school in Marquette, Mich., as part of the U.S. Olympic Education Center women’s wrestling program. While most of the athletes there attended Northern Michigan University, she went to the local high school and trained at the USOEC. Burkert won age-group national titles and earned a spot on the 2010 Youth Olympic Games team, a major honor, placing fifth in her first big-time international event.
Burkert did some time at Northern Michigan before moving to Colorado Springs to be a resident athlete at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. She made three straight Junior World Teams, a tremendous achievement. She started competing on the Senior level while still pursuing Junior-level teams. She was fourth in the U.S. Open during her senior season in high school. Once her eligibility at the Junior level was done, she quickly moved to the top on the Senior level, making the 2014 Senior World Team that competed in Uzbekistan.
When healthy, Burkert has been a top challenger every year at the Senior level. One of the big moves in her career was joining the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, where she has continued her progress. As a soldier, she won her first U.S. Open title in 2017 and has now qualified for Final X. Burkert is strong and has excellent technique. She is looking to have her best performance at Final X, and get another shot at a Senior World medal.
Burkert’s World Championship experience
2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore – FIFTH
2011 Junior World Championships in Bucharest, Romania - EIGHTH
2012 Junior World Championships in Pattaya, Thailand – 18th
2013 Junior World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria - EIGHTH
2014 Senior World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan – 15th
2017 Military World Championships in Klaipeda, Lithuania - FOURTH
Notes
• Both of these athletes have the ability to train in more than one location. Ragan splits her time at the U.S. Olympic Training Center and with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club in Iowa City. Burkert is able to train with the rest of the Army WCAP program in their wrestling room at Fort Carson, but also can work out at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.
• When Burkert competed at the 2010 Youth Olympics, in addition to her fifth-place in women’s wrestling, she also won a bronze medal in women’s Beach Wrestling, which was also contested there that year.
• Burkert was third at the 2018 U.S. Open up at 62 kg, and dropped down to 59 kg for the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament.
• Ragan and Burkert have spent most of their wrestling lives in different weight classes. They were teammates on the 2014 Senior World Team, as well as both the 2010 and 2011 Junior World Teams.
• Follow Alli Ragan on Twitter and Instagram @AlliRayg
• Follow Jenna Burkert on Twitter @TheJokerJB and on Instagram at @TheJokerJB_
59 kg/130 lbs. WOMEN
Alli Ragan, Colorado Springs, Colo./Iowa City, Iowa (Sunkist Kids/Hawkeye WC/OTC)
College: King University High School: Carbondale (Ill.) Born: June 16, 1992
• Second in 2016 and 2017 World Championships
• Fifth in 2014 World Championships
• 2013 and 2015 U.S. World Team Member
• 2011 and 2012 Junior World bronze medalist
• 2013 and 2014 U.S. Open champion
• Second in 2013 University World Games
• 2017 Pan American Championships champion
• Second in 2014 and 2015 UWW Golden Grand Prix Finals (Azerbaijan)
• 2013 University Nationals champion
• 2013 and 2014 WCWA national champion for King University
• Second in 2011 and 2012 Women’s College Nationals
Jenna Burkert, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
College: Northern Michigan High School: Marquette (Mich.) Born: May 9, 1993
• 2018 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament champion
• 2014 U.S. World Team member
• 2017 U.S. Open champion
• Second in 2014 and 2015 U.S. Open
• Third in 2018 U.S. Open
• Fourth in 2017 CISM Military World Championships
• Three-time UWW Junior World Team member (2011-2013)
• Third in 2012 and 2013 World Team Wrestle-off
• Fifth in 2010 Youth Olympic Games
• 2009 Junior Nationals champion
• 2010 and 2011 ASICS Girls High School Wrestler of the Year
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