This Sunday the best 17-20 year old girls will square off for a berth on this year’s Junior World Team,
which will be traveling to France later this summer. The US Women’s Junior program has a strong
history of success.

2016 Olympians and reigning World Champions Adeline Gray and Helen Maroulis
have both been on past Junior world teams, with Gray striking Gold (surprise!) back in 2008, and
Maroulis earning a silver medal in 2011. National Team stalwart Victoria Anthony is a two-time Junior
World champion in 2009 and 2010. 3x US World Team member Alli Ragan was a two-time Junior World
bronze medalist. 2016 Olympian Haley Augello was a two-time Junior world team member as well.

You get the idea. Our best female Junior wrestlers have gone on to do incredible things at the Senior level,
so it’s inevitable that we’ll see some future stars competing this weekend.

A few Cadet stars competing on Saturday will also bump on to the Junior division and compete again the next day. Some of these
weight classes are downright insane, and others feature incredible potential individual match-ups that deserve your undivided attention on Sunday night.

44kg - Last Year's Final: Marina Doi (CA/King) def. Regina Doi (CA/King) by forfeit

The Contenders:
Marina Doi (CA/King University)
Regina Doi (CA/King University)
Katlyn Pizzo (MI)
Maia Phanthadara (HI/ Cumberlands)
Naomi Chavez (TX)

Commentary:
The lightest weight class is Doi territory, and the script doesn’t appear to be changing at all this year.
2014 Junior World Bronze medalist Marina Doi will look to make her 3 rd straight Junior World Team (and
6th straight world team, after making 3 cadet teams) and return to the podium in Georgia. Marina broke
through this year and captured the 101lb. WCWA National Championship back in February and will look
to continue her success this weekend.
The biggest obstacle in her path? Her twin sister, two-time WCWA All-American Regina, who has been the other
finalist the past two years. That being said, thetwo typically elect not to compete against each other and the spot is awarded to Marina.
Should these two decide to wrestle, however, expect a low-scoring and tactical affair. The type of match that
happens when you’ve been training partners with your opponent your entire life. The Dois also have
four Cadet World medals between them. One of each color for Marina (she was a Cadet World Champ
in 2012), and a silver for Regina in 2013, so they are clearly the class of this weight. They’re both
extremely quick wrestlers with slick low level attacks, and Marina has developed a nasty double, so
they’ll be two athletes to watch out for throughout the tournament on Sunday.
A group of younger wrestlers will try to put a stop to the potential Doi-on- Doi crime. Junior National
Folkstyle Champ Katlyn Pizzo will wrestle in the Cadet division on Saturday, and then try her hand in the
Junior division on Sunday.
Only a junior in high school, Pizzo lacks the experience of the older athletes
but is very talented. Oklahoma City University recruit and last year’s Cadet runner-up Naomi Chavez will
get her first look at her college competition and see how she measures up to some of her opponents for
the next few years. Finishing 3rd behind the Dois at least year’s tournament was Maia Phanthadara.
Phanthadara has the potential to be a solid wrestler, and she will try to improve upon her performance
from last year.
Can anyone stop the Dois? It’s a tall task. This weekend we will see if anyone is up for the challenge.

48kg - Last Year's Final: Cody Pfau (CO/OCU) def. Sariyah Jones (CA), 2 matches to 0

The Contenders:
Aleeah Gould (CA/TMWC)
McKayla Campbell (OH)

Commentary:
With the departure of three-time Junior World Team Member Cody Pfau, and OCU recruit Sariyah Jones
not competing, this weight is primed for new blood to emerge. Leading the way is a duo of high schoolers
who will look to make a splash in their first Junior-level competition. The slight favorite is King
University recruit Aleeah Gould, who was the Cadet Trials runner-up last year. If you read the Cadet
preview, you may have noticed that I hyped up Cadet World Champion Ronna Heaton. Well, Gould has
beaten her. She stole a match from her in the best-of- three finals last year, but was unable to win a
second match in the series. That being said, Gould is dang good. She won Junior Folkstyle Nationals in
March, defeating McKayla Campbell in the finals.
Campbell, a returning Cadet World Team member, is competing this weekend in both Cadets and Juniors,
and will be trying to get a rematch with Gould on Sunday. While Gould may have won in folkstyle, freestyle can
be a different playing field. Campbell is the defending Cadet and Junior Freestyle double champ will look to
avenge the loss from earlier this year. As mentioned in the Cadet preview, Campbell has a nasty fireman
carry/dump and an awesome par terre skill set. While not as flashy as Campbell, Gould is very smart and tactical
and maintains great position, making her hard to score on. She is constantly pressuring forward and persistent
in looking for her front headlock. Both athletes have tons of national-level freestyle experience and will provide an
entertaining match should they meet up.
As they are both young, one of them could become the next Cody Pfau and be a stalwart on the Junior team for
the next few years. After these two talented high school athletes there is a significant drop-off in the talent pool,
making their rematch almost inevitable.
Should something happen, though, it wouldn’t be the first time that someone has crashed the party at Body Bar.

51kg - Last Year's Final: Marizza Birrueta (WA) def. Amy Hou (GA/Olympic Training Center), 2 matches to 0

The Contenders:
Ricki Liang (CA/King University)
Brenda Reyna (WA)
Daishea Jaime (CA/OCU)

Commentary:
When I first saw the registration for this weight, I literally shrugged. For once in my life, I have no idea
what’s going to happen in a women’s weight class. 51kg is the Merriam-Webster definition of wide
open. Last year’s Junior World Team member and Junior Freestyle national champion Marizza Birrueta
will not be competing at Body Bar after a season of mixed results at the college level. Runner-up Amy
Hou is no longer eligible for the Junior division. 3rd and 4th place finishers Cassidy Jasperson and Theresa
Rankin will be up at 55kg.
Additionally, based on the pre-registration, the field is going to be high schooler-heavy, with only a handful
of college athletes slated to compete. So… Who’s left? There’s no bias here when I say that I think Ricki
Liang is most likely the slight favorite here. Liang was the runner-up in Fargo last summer at Junior
Freestyle Nationals, losing in the finals in a somewhat controversial match. Liang has made a lot of improvements
since then and has had success at the college level this year. While she still makes some mental mistakes,
they don’t call her Slick Rick for nothing, as she has many little tricks and ways to score.
After Liang, I believe the next best competitor is high school star Brenda Reyna, who will also be competing
in the Cadet division this weekend, and will move up to Juniors on Sunday to see where she stands. Reyna’s
biggest accomplishment came in March, where she finished runner-up to Ronna Heaton at Junior Folkstyle
Nationals. While Reyna is a great wrestler, age and experience should play a huge factor in a potential match
up with Ricki Liang.
The only other wrestler with a notable accomplishment is Oklahoma City freshman Daishea Jaime. While her
WCWA season wasn't quite spectacular, she was a runner-up at the 2015 Junior Folkstyle National tournament,
so she has proven herself on a national level in the past. Interestingly enough, Liang defeated Jaime in the finals of
the California state tournament in 2015.
This weight is a complete toss-up and it’s impossible to tell where the chips will fall at the end of the
weekend. I’ll give the nod to Liang, but it’s really anyone’s tournament for the taking.

55kg - Last Year's Final: Becka Leathers (OK) def. Areana Villaescusa (AZ), 2 matches to 0

The Contenders:
Becka Leathers (OK/OCU)
Ronna Heaton (SD/Sunkist)
Dominique Parrish (CA/SimonFraser)
Cassidy Jasperson (TX/OCU)
Theresa Rankin (MI)

Commentary:
REIGNING CADET WORLD CHAMPION. RETURNING JUNIOR WORLD BRONZE MEDALIST.
Ronna Heaton. Becka Leathers. In the same bracket. Sunday, May 22nd 2016, around 4pm central time zone.
SIGN. ME. UP.
Really, does anything else need to be said? While this is far from the deepest weight class of the
tournament, it is certainly the most interesting. Two of the USA’s biggest young stars will likely be
squaring off for a spot on the Junior World Team.
Ronna Heaton is coming off a Cadet World Championship last summer where she won 4-0 in the finals over
Japan’s Saki Igarishi, and has been on a tear ever since.
Leathers won a bronze medal at last year’s Junior World Championships, pinning Italy’s
Patrizia Liuzzi to get her hand raised. Leather’s has also medaled in the Senior division at the prestigious
Klippan Open in Sweden, and won a WCWA National Championship this year as a freshman. So much
hype around both of these ladies. SO MUCH. And they deserve it.
Ronna has an awesome single leg, solid (and funky) defense, and really impressive shot recovery for
someone her age. She also seems unfazed by just about everything.
 Becka is extremely mat savvy. For lack of a more articulate way of putting it, she’s just flat out solid.
She’s proficient in every position. She has a wide array of attacks, from a footsweep, to a low single,
to a blast double. Leathers wrestled in college this year at 123, but since then has been competing up
at the Olympic weight of 58kg. The drop back down should give her a pretty significant size and strength advantage
over Heaton, who will be moving up from 52kg where she will compete the day prior in the Cadet division.
This is an extremely interesting dichotomy and points could fly due to their style match-ups. It could also be
extremely one-sided if one of them is really ‘on’ come Sunday. I’ll give a slight edge to Leathers based on size, senior
level experience, and the fact that she’ll be coming in fresh, as Heaton is also wrestling the day before.
That’s not to say Heaton can’t get the win. Far from it. This could very well be a 3-match series should
they meet up in the finals.
Looking to play spoiler will be Dominique Parrish and Cassidy Jasperson. Parrish and Jasperson finished
3rd and 4th , respectively, at the WCWA National Championships in March, with Parrish emerging the 10-0
victor. Parris attend Simon Fraser University in Canada but is California native who won Junior Freestyle Nationals
back in 2014, and finished 3rd at Body Bar last year at this same weight.
Also competing at 55kg is 2014 Cadet World Team member and McKendree recruit Theresa Rankin who has been
relatively quiet for the last year or so and has not attended many national tournaments. She did place 3rd at
Junior Folkstyle Nationals this year, though, and has shown she can compete with the best.
The potential Leathers vs. Heaton match is equivalent to Gwiaz vs. Snyder, but on the women’s side.
Dominique Parrish is Adam Coon. Game of Thrones, Clash of Titans, whatever cheesy cliché you want to
throw on it, this is exciting stuff for women’s wrestling, and you won’t want to miss what happens on Sunday.

59kg - Last Year's Final: Kayla Miracle (KY) def. Maya Nelson (CO), 2 matches to 0

The Contenders:
Teshya Alo (HI/TMWC)
Kayla Miracle (KY/Campbellsville)
Areana Villaescusa (AZ/WCAP)
Arian Carpio (WA/Sunkist)
Cierra Foster (ID)

Commentary:
Ok, I know I just hyped up the last weight for seemingly 15 paragraphs, but I’m going to do it again. Bear with me
for a minute.
TESHYA ALO AND KAYLA MIRACLE. To give you a rundown…
Alo – Cadet World Champion, US Open Champion, made the US National Team at two different weight
classes as a high school junior, and more elite wins than you can count. 5 Cadet and Junior Freestyle
titles in 3 trips to the Fargodome. Wins over Kelsey Campbell, Randi Beltz, Maya Nelson, and Jenna
Burkert, and Kayla Miracle. She is an above-average wrestler.
Miracle – Cadet World Silver medalist. Junior World Bronze medalist. Two Cadet world teams and two
Junior world teams. Two-time WCWA National Champion and Two-time University National Champion
in two years of eligibility. Won the Dave Schultz International this year. Wins over Jennifer Page, Jenna
Burkert, Maya Nelson, and Teshya Alo. She’s done alright so far.
Now, let me slow this down just a bit. You may have noticed two little tidbits in those bios. They have
both beaten each other. However, you would have to go back 2012 to find Miracle’s last win over Alo, a
3-period affair in the preliminary rounds of the Cadet World Team Trials. Since then, Alo has seemed to
widen the gap every time they have wrestled. The two haven’t wrestled since July of 2014 the Junior
Freestyle Finals, where Alo worked to a 10-0 technical fall. Alo is extremely dynamic and has an
unlimited ceiling. Miracle is also extremely well -rounded and is on a quick upward trajectory. It’s just a
question of if that trajectory has surpassed Alo’s yet.
What it comes down to is this: Kayla Miracle is very good. Teshya Alo is just a little bit better right now.
Does that mean I’m counting out Kayla this weekend? Heck no! Kayla has proven herself many times in
every age group she has competed in and should never be counted out of anything. If she’s on, she can get the win.
But she’s going to have to earn it.
The top two at this weight are pretty much solidified, but a couple of other wrestlers are in contention
as well and belong in the conversation. Olympic Training Center resident athlete Areana Villaescusa was
a runner-up last year down at 55kg and could make some noise up at 59kg. Former Cadet World Team
member and Olympic Trials qualifier Arian Carpio will also most likely be in attendance. Oklahoma City
recruit Cierra Foster is a past Cadet National Champ in both folkstyle and freestyle and could make some
waves here. But at the end of the day, they’re realistically fighting for 3 rd and a spot on the Junior
National Team. Expect Alo and Miracle to clash in the finals.

63kg - Last Year's Final: Mallory Velte (CA) defeated Alexis Porter (NY), 2 matches to 1

The Contenders:
Maya Nelson (CO/Cumberlands)
Francesca Giorgio (PA/Simon Fraser)
Hannah Jewell (MI/King University)
Alexis Porter (NY/McKendree)
Katerina Lobsinger (CA)
Koral Sugiyama (ID/Campbellsville)

Commentary:
This weight is awesome. At first glance it might not seem that impressive, but there is a ton of talent
here. Let me give you another little breakdown real quick.
Nelson – 2014 Cadet Body Bar runner-up. 2015 Junior Body Bar runner-up. 2013 Cadet and Junior
Freestyle National Champ. 2016 University National Champ. Has wins over the likes of Teshya Alo,
Jenna Burkert, Becka Leathers, and Randi Beltz.
Giorgio – 2012 Cadet World Team Member. 2x WCWA All-American.
Jewell – 2015 Junior Folkstyle National Champ and 2015 Junior Freestyle runner-up. 4th at WCWA
Nationals this year. Placed at the US Open in December. Beat World Bronze Medalist Leigh Jaynes-
Provisor at Olympic Trials. Unlimited potential.
Lobsinger – 2013 and 2014 Cadet Body Bar runner-up. 2015 Junior Body Bar runner-up. 6th at the 2015
US Open. Olympic Trials qualifier.
Sugiyama – 2014 Cadet Body Bar runner-up, and WCWA All-American.
Convinced now? Good. Let’s continue.
This is a weight class full of girls who have always been the bridesmaid but never the bride. With the
exception of Giorgio’s lone Cadet World Team appearance 4 years ago, this bracket is chock full of girls who
have been stuck being runner-ups. However, all of those runner-up finishes have been to the likes of Teshya
Alo, Kayla Miracle, and a host of other well-accomplished wrestlers. These girls are all pretty familiar with
one another, as they have all been competing around this weight over the years. This year, one of them will
finally break through and earn a trip to France for the World Championships.
Leading the way is Maya Nelson, who can be scary good. She certainly passes the eye test and has a wide
array of attacks. She can attack your legs, she can arm spin you, and she can shut you down defensively.
Nelson was on a tear throughout the college season and was the heavy favorite to win the WCWA tournament
as a freshman; however, in January she suffered an injury that sidelined her from the competition in Oklahoma
City. She came back at University Nationals which she won in dominating fashion, cruising to an 11-1 tech fall
over Giorgio in the finals.
Giorgio has had a solid year which saw her finishing 3rd at the WCWA tournament in February. She seems to have
hit her stride in the last few months and can close the gap against Maya. She is a very solid all-around wrestler and
can hang with anyone. In her 3rd place match at WCWA Nationals, Giorgio defeated King University freshman
phenom Hannah Jewell, who has improved leaps and bounds since coming on the college scene.
Jewell earned a solid win over World Bronze medalist Leigh Jaynes in her opening match and Olympic Trials.
Jewell is very tall and lanky for this weight, giving many of the girls she wrestles many problems. She also has incredible
throws and upper body attacks, which allow her to score a lot of points quickly, and also keep her in matches should she
find herself in a hole. She could certainly come out on top of this weight.
A dark horse at 63kg, Katerina Lobsinger will look to improve on her performance from last year, where she finished as
the runner-up at 72kg. Lobsinger has competed as high as 75kg this year before dropping down, and is relatively
unproven at this lower weight. Unproven doesn’t mean it’s not a good move for her though, as she was extremely
undersized at the higher weights. Now down at 63kg, she could certainly be a factor.
The last contender here is Koral Sugiyama. While not as credentialed as the other athletes in this bracket, Sugiyama has
quietly put together a respectable resume. She has a sick front headlock and a nice little dump which provides
her with a way to hang with most opponents she faces. She could surprise a few people come Sunday.
As deep as this weight is, Maya Nelson is still a small step ahead of the rest. That step may be in past credentials only,
though, as this field is full of outstanding wrestlers who know how to find ways to win.
All of the ladies at this weight have extremely contrasting styles and will provide some awesome match-
ups. Someone will finally break through this weekend, and whoever it is will be a solid addition to Team USA this summer.

67kg - Last Year's Final: Forrest Molinari (CA) def. Skylar Grote (NJ), 2 matches to 0

The Contenders:
Jessi Kee (NC/King)
Alexis Porter (NY/McKendree)
Skylar Grote (NJ)
Kayla Marano (GA)
Maggie Douma (CA/OCU)
Desiree Zavala (WA)

Commentary:
While last year’s champion Forrest Molinari is now too old for the Junior division, there will still be quite
a few familiar faces at 67kgs. While the ladies in this bracket might not be as highly lauded as other
athletes in the tournament, this weight is full of very solid competitors.
As such, last year’s runner-up Skylar Grote is not a clear cut favorite due to the talent in this field. Just a
high school senior, she’ll be facing some older and more experienced girls who could stop her from making
the last step up to the top of the Junior ladder. Although she might not have the experience as others in this
weight, the defending Junior Freestyle National Champ is still very much in contention for the spot.
The most accomplished of the field is Alexis Porter, who is moving up to this weight from 63kg. A 3x
Junior Freestyle National Champ in high school, Porter was a Cadet World Team member in 2013 and a
Junior World Team member in 2014. Last year she lost to Mallory Velte in the finals, so she will look to
bounce back and return to the Junior World Championships. While undeniably talented, it’s also hard to
ignore that Porter is a bit of an enigma. On one hand, she won a University National title as a freshman.
On the other hand, she finished 5 th at the WCWA National Championships this year. Sometimes she’ll
beat World Bronze Medalist Leigh Jaynes-Provisor, others she’ll lose to girls who don’t have nearly the
credentials she does. Some days she’s incredibly technical and sharp as a tack, and others she gets
sloppy and has poor match management. She’s the women’s wrestling equivalent of Iowa’s Alex Meyer.
Bottom line, she can be unpredictable, but has undeniable talent. Which version of Alexis Porter shows
up in Texas could very well decide her fate. Should she show up less than 100%, a door will be left wide
open for someone else to make their first Junior World Team.
Also looking to earn a trip to France will be King University’s Jessi Kee, who is also moving up from 63kg.
In the true second place match at Body Bar last year, Kee defeated Alexis Porter by fall, although true
second matches aren’t always the best gauge of talent. A rematch could be exciting, as both of these athletes
are very offensive and constantly looking to score. Like Porter, Jessi Kee can be very enigmatic. A WCWA
runner-up in 2015, Kee came in this season on a tear before having a disappointing WCWA tournament in
February where she finished 5th. When she’s on and healthy, though, Kee is as good as anyone in the
country at 63kg and is certainly in the hunt for the world team spot, and is potentially even the best athlete
in the field.
Another high school talent on the 67kg chart will be 2015 Cadet World Bronze medalist Kayla Marano.
Marano is the daughter of 9x World Team member and 2x World Champion Kristie Marano (now Davis),
so success at the World level runs in her blood. In addition to making the Cadet Team, Marano finished
in 4th place at this weight last year, and was the runner-up to Skylar Grote last summer at Junior
Freestyle Nationals. She suffered a weird loss at Folkstyle Nationals back in March, but if she’s back in
top form she could be a formidable opponent for the top 3 ladies at this weight.
While she doesn’t have nearly the same credentials as others in this field, Maggie Douma could also play
a role in how 67kg shakes out. After not earning All-American status in her first trip to the WCWA
National tournament, Douma came out of nowhere this year to earn a runner-up finish at 143lbs. She
beat Alexis Porter along the way in the semifinals. While that’s her only solid showing of note, that’s
nothing to shake your head at, and if she’s further improved since then she could very well shake things
up at this weight. Also of note is 2014 Junior Freestyle National Champ Desiree Zavala. She hasn’t made
much noise since then, but she is still one to keep an eye on this weekend.
It’s nearly impossible to predict who will end up getting their hand raised at the end of the tournament.
Grote, Porter, and Kee all present a challenge to one another and possess drastically contrasting styles.
What may very well determine the outcome of this bracket is which version of Alexis Porter and Jessi
Kee shows up come tournament time.

72kg - Last Year's Final: Rachel Watters (IA) defeated Katerina Lobsinger (CA), 2 matches to 1

The Contenders:
Rachel Watters (IA)
Jessika Rottier (WI/Cumberlands)
 Clarc Walker (TX/Cumberlands)
Hannah Gladden (AL/Cumberlands)
Morgan Becker (IL)

Commentary:
At first glance nothing about this weight indicates any sort of “WOW!” factor, but as a strong defender
(and former champ) of the heaviest weight class, I tend to think otherwise. While there isn’t any
extreme star power at this weight, there are a handful of solid girls who are respectable wrestlers in
their own right. This weight has a few girls who have often come close to accomplishing something
great, but just haven’t had their opportunity to really shine.
As mentioned earlier, returning runner-up Katerina Lobsinger will be dropping down to 63kg, but returning
champion Rachel Watters is back to defend her title and get another opportunity to compete on the world stage.
As a high school senior this year, she placed 4th at the US Open and was a qualifier for the Olympic Team Trials.
Watters has also won the Junior division of both Folkstyle and Freestyle Nationals. She has two wins over this year’s
WCWA National Champ Forrest Molinari, as well as WCWA runner-up Jessika Rottier, so she has already
proven she can compete with the older athletes.
Speaking of Rottier, she will also be in attendance. Rottier had a solid freshman campaign at Cumberlands,
finishing runner-up at both the WCWA National tournament and University Nationals. She is a former Cadet World Team
member. When she made that team in 2014, she beat Katerina Lobsinger, Skylar Grote, and Kayla Marano all in the same
day. I think the biggest thing holding back Rottier right now is that she doesn’t have the frame or strength of most of the
other girls at the highest weight class.
With that being said, Watters isn’t the strongest 72kg either, so that could not factor in at all should the two face off.
Rottier has a nasty front headlock and can slow just about anyone down. Her focus just needs to be on getting to her offense.
On the opposite end of the spectrum of Rottier is her college teammate Clarc Walker. Walker competes mostly at 170
during the college season and 75kg for international competition. She is extremely tall and athletic and
will be every bit of 72 kilograms. She is a 2x WCWA All-American and a past Junior Freestyle National
runner-up. While not the most technical wrestler of the bunch, she is a natural athlete and given her size and strength advantage,
she could definitely make things interesting.
Also competing in this weight will be Hannah Gladden and Morgan Becker. Gladden, who will be transferring from Campbellsville
to Cumberlands in the Fall, was a WCWA All-American in 2014 and is a former runner-up in the Cadet division of Body Bar.
Becker best finish of note is a 3 rd place showing at Junior Folkstyle Nationals back in March. Not to be ignored, though,
is the fact that she pinned Rachel Watters back in October at the Night of Conflict event.
Watters seems to be the favorite to repeat as champion, but she will have a few formidable opponents
to get through in order to solidify her return trip to the Junior World Championships. Rottier, Walker, &
Co. will attempt to knock her off the top spot and earn a world team berth of their own.