USA Wrestling announces 2001 Winter Tours lineups for Women

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Heather Van Peursem (USA Wrestling)
01/18/2001


USA Wrestling announces 2001 Winter Tours lineups for Women     USA Wrestling has announced tentative lineups for the 2001 Winter Tours for women. U.S. teams will compete in three top international tournaments, in both Europe and North America.       The women's tours start in Manitoba, Canada with the Manitoba Open, Feb. 3. Many of the Team USA members will be competing under their own club names, but the U.S. will be sending two wrestlers as part of the winter tour program. Patricia Miranda (Saratoga, Calif./Dave Schultz WC) will compete at 112.25 pounds and Sandra Bacher (San Jose, Calif./Dave Schultz WC) will compete at 149.75 pounds.     Miranda competed in her first World Championships in 2000 and came home with a silver medal. Bacher is a three-time World medalist: a 1999 World Champion, a bronze medalist in 1998 and silver medalist in 1997.     Two members of the 1999 Women's World Team which won the World team title will compete at the Yasar Dogu Tournament in Ankara, Turkey, March 2-3.      Tricia Saunders (Phoenix, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) will compete at 101.25 pounds and Tina Wilson (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) will wrestle at 136.5 lbs.     Saunders is a four-time World Champion (1992, 1996, 1998, 1999) and a ten-time U.S. Nationals champion (1990-96, 1998-00).      Wilson placed sixth in the 1999 World Championships and was a 1998 and 2000 World Team member.      Other making the Turkey trip are: Jenny Wong (Minneapolis, Minn./Sunkist Kids), Tonya Evinger (Bates City, Mo./Missouri Valley),  Toccara Montgomery (Cleveland, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) and  Iris Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids).     Wong is ranked No. 3 at 112.25 pounds on the U.S. National Team,  Evinger is ranked No. 2 at 136.5 pounds and Montgomery, who is the 2000 junior world silver medalist, is ranked No. 2 at 149.75 pounds. Smith was a 2000 World Team member and will wrestle at 165.25 pounds.     The U.S. tour schedule will finish at the Klippan Lady Open in Klippan, Sweden, March 9-11. The U.S. contingent will be strong for this competition as well.       This is the first year women's competition will be added in Turkey. The U.S. is also sending a men's freestyle team to compete.     Julie Gonzales (Vallejo, Calif./Peninsula Grapplers) and 2000 World Team member Clarissa Chun (Kapolei, Hawaii/Missouri  Valley) will compete at 101.25 pounds. Malissa Sherwood (Rocklin, Calif./Missouri Valley) and Erin Tomeo (Volant, Pa./TAPS) will compete at 123.25 pounds. 2000 World Team member Sara McMann (Lock Haven, Pa./Sunkist Kids) will compete at 136.5 pounds, while Melanie Macari (Fremont, Calif./Unattached) will wrestle at 149.75 pounds and Dominique Smalley (Iowa City, Iowa/Missouri Valley) will represent the U.S. at 165.25 pounds.       The U.S. coach for the Manitoba Open is Tom Bailey of Cour d'Alene, Idaho. Two-time World medalist Afsoon Johnston of San Diego, Calif. is the U.S. coach for the Klippan Lady Open.    U.S. Women Winter Tour lineups  Manitoba Open, Manitoba, Canada, Feb.  3  112.25 lbs./51 kg - Patricia Miranda, Saratoga, Calif., (Dave Schultz WC)  149.75 lbs./68 kg - Sandra Bacher, San Jose, Calif., (Dave Schultz WC)  Coach - Tom Bailey, Cordelaine, Idaho    Yasar Dogu Tournament, Ankara, Turkey,  March 2-3  101.25 lbs./46 kg - Tricia Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz., (Sunkist Kids)  112.25 lbs./51 kg - Jenny Wong, Minneapolis, Minn., (Sunkist Kids)  123.25 lbs./56 kg - Tina Wilson, Colorado Springs, Colo., (Sunkist Kids)  136.5 lbs./62 kg - Tonya Evinger, Bates City, Mo., (Missouri Valley)  149.75 lbs./68 kg - Toccara Montgomery, Cleveland, Ohio, (Sunkist Kids)  165.25 lbs./75 kg - Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo., (Sunkist Kids)    Klippan Lady Open, Klippan, Sweden, March 9-11  101.25 lbs./46 kg - Julie Gonzales, Vallejo, Calif., (Peninsula Grapplers), Clarissa Chun, Kapolei, Hawaii, (Missouri Valley)  123.25 lbs./56 kg - Malissa Sherwood, Rocklin, Calif., (Missouri Valley), Erin Tomeo, Volant, Pa., (TAPS)  136.5 lbs./62 kg - Sara McMann, Lock Haven, Pa., (Sunkist Kids)  149.75 lbs./68 kg - Melanie Macari, Fremont, Calif., (Unattached)  165.25 lbs./75 kg - Dominique Smalley, Iowa City, Iowa, (Missouri Valley)  Coach - Afsoon Johnston , San Diego, Calif.