Kristie Marano (Albany, N.Y./ATWA) won a gold medal at 149.75 pounds, leading the United States to a fifth-place team finish at the Women's World Wrestling Championships, in Sofia, Bulgaria, September 3. The competition was held in the hall "Universiada" in Sofia.     Marano becomes only the third U.S. wrestler to win a gold-medal at the Women's World Championships, joining four-time World Champion Tricia Saunders and one-time World Champion Sandra Bacher as U.S. Women World Champions.     She finished with a 4-0 record in the tournament. On Sunday, Marano pinned Xiomara Guevara of Venezuela in 2:28 in the semifinals. In the gold medal finals, Marano edged Anna Schamova of Russia, in an exciting 6-5, overtime decision.     It was the fifth straight year that Marano had qualified for the gold-medal finals. Marano has finished second in the past four World Championships, competing at 165.25 pounds. She dropped to 149.75 pounds for the first time this year.     It was also the second straight year that the United States has won this weight class, as Bacher was the champion in 1999. Marano and Bacher have not yet wrestled-off for the No. 1 position at this weight class, as Bacher was unable to compete at the World Championships in order to attend the Olympic Games in judo.     Patricia Miranda (Saratoga, Calif./Dave Schultz WC) claimed a silver medal at 123.25 pounds, competing in her first World Championships.     Miranda finished with a 3-1 record in the tournament. On Sunday, in the semifinals, she defeated Ida Hellstrom of Sweden, 4-2. In the gold medal finals, Miranda lost by technical fall to Hitomi Sakamoto of Japan, 10-0.     She was second in both the 2000 U.S. Nationals and 2000 World Team Trials. She also finished third in the 1999 World Team Trials. Miranda wrestles for Stanford University. Miranda was named to the U.S. team when No. 1 ranked athlete Stephanie Murata was unable to wrestle due to injury.     Two other U.S. wrestlers placed in the top 10 of their weight classes, scoring team points for the United States. Iris Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) placed seventh at 165.25 pounds and Sara McMann (Lock Haven, Pa./Sunkist Kids) was ninth at 136.5 pounds.     Japan won the team title with 48 points, ahead of runner-up Russia with 34 points. Canada placed third with 31 points, followed by Ukraine with 27 points and the United States with 25 points. The United States was the 1999 World Team champions, but entered the 2000 event with only two of six team members with previous World Championships experience.     The U.S. team was led by co-head coach Rob Eiter of Chicago, Ill., and USA Wrestling National Women's Coach Mike Duroe of Colorado Springs, Colo. Co-head coach Jack Griffin of Evanston, Ill. could not attend but participated in the training camp.