The dominant athlete in recent seasons at this weight division has been Patricia Miranda of the Dave Schultz WC. Once Miranda, a past World medalist up at 51 kg, made the move down to this weight class a few seasons ago, she has controlled this division. Miranda won a silver medal at the 2003 World Championships and a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic Games competing at 48 kg, beating almost every top woman wrestler in the world in her weight.    Miranda is now at Yale Law School, and is not expected to compete this season. She leaves open the possibility of returning in the future, as she is still young enough and certainly talented enough to step back in after some time away. Miranda was so far ahead of her other U.S. rivals at this division, winning most of her bouts by fall or technical fall, that the U.S. will have to make some progress with the remaining athletes in order to replace this special athlete.    The top ranked athlete returning is Clarissa Chun of the Gator WC, who was second behind Miranda at both the U.S. Nationals and the World Team Trials. Chun has considerable international experience, including competing at the 2000 World Championships when No. 1 Tricia Saunders could not attend. Chun has continued to improve as a USOTC resident athlete, and wants to prove this year that she can win medals at the World level. She has the ability to hit big throws and score points in some matches, but was totally unable to crack Miranda's defense.    There are two young wrestlers who want to knock off Chun and take over the spot this year, Sara Fulp-Allen of Menlo College and Mary Kelly of the New York AC. Right now, Fulp-Allen is ranked No. 3 on the National Team and Kelly is No. 4, after Fulp-Allen beat Kelly in last year's Olympic Team Trials. Both are college students and have extensive age-group national success.  They have different styles, which makes any match between them interesting.    Fulp-Allen is tall for the division and uses her length to an advantage in many matches. Her losses this year have been to talented Canadian athletes, but she has done well against her American opponents. There has not been a battle with either Chun or Kelly since the Olympic Trials.    Kelly was a World champion and multiple World medalist on the age-group levels, and comes from a famous wrestling family. She has been nationally ranked on the Senior level since high school, but has yet to win the top spot at this division. She is currently at the USOEC program at Northern Michigan, one of the stars of the program. Kelly has a variety of wrestling skills in all positions, but like all the others in the division, have to make a step up to be the top athlete in this field.    A contender from the USOTC resident program in Colorado Springs is Katie Kunimoto of the Gator WC, who made the move down from 51 kg to this division last year for the Olympic Trials, and seems to be staying down. She was a national team member at the higher weight as few seasons ago. She won the New York AC Christmas International this year, and won a medal at the Medved International in Belarus. She has had some consistency problems down at 48 kg, but has the potential to place in the medal rounds at the U.S. Nationals.    A top athlete on the college scene is Laura Felix of the Dave Schultz WC, who wrestles for Cal-State Bakersfield. She was sixth in last year's Olympic Team Trials, and she is placing ahead of all the other collegians this winter except for Fulp-Allen. Felix has shown an ability to compete well with all competitors, but still is learning the freestyle skills needed to move up the in the rankings.    High school star Caitlyn Chase of the Gator WC earned a spot in the Olympic Team Trials last year after her sophomore year. She qualified for the Illinois state boys high school meet this year, a first for her state. Chase has been competing overseas this winter, testing herself against top foreign wrestlers. This could be the year that she emerges as an emerging star on the Senior level, and Las Vegas could be her big breakthrough.    A veteran who will be expected to challenge for a medal if she enters is Julie Gonzalez of the Dave Schultz WC. Gonzalez has been a past member of Women's Team USA, and was fifth at the Olympic Trials last spring. She has not yet competed this year, and may be concentrating more on coaching that competing. However, Gonzalez has a chance to do damage at any event she enters, especially when she is facing younger, less experienced opponents.    College wrestlers Sadie Kaneda of Missouri Valley and Jessica Medina of Cumberland College have established themselves as serious contenders this year. Both need considerable freestyle seasoning, but are doing what it takes to improve.     Liz Short of the USOEC program in Northern Michigan has considerable experience, and has competed for the U.S. in international competition in the past. She lost to Kunimoto at the New York AC tournament, and lost to Fulp-Allen at both the Sunkist Kids and the Dave Schultz Internationals.     Among the placewinners at the U.S. Nationals last year were Hana Askren of Santa Monica Bay WC  and Kristen Fujioka of Team Hawaii. Askren competes in college at McGill Univ. in Canada, and has continued to wrestle a busy schedule. Fujioka is on the women's team at Pacific Univ., and is also wrestling often. Both have shown an ability to have good showings in the past.    Other wrestlers to watch include high school star Nicole Woody, and college wrestlers Amantha Hordagoda, Aquila Hills, Claire duPont, as well as U.S. Marines wrestler Miriam Jenkins. Don't be surprised if a high school athlete makes a nice run in this division, something that happens at the lightest division some seasons.    With Patricia Miranda busy reading law textbooks, this weight class becomes wide open for a new champion. Experience favors Clarissa Chun, and talent is a plus for Sara Fulp-Allen and Mary Kelly. However, this is a time of change, and there could be an unexpected finalist in Las Vegas, especially with new rules in the sport.    2004 U.S. NATIONALS RESULTS  1st - Patricia Miranda, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC) tech. fall over  Clarissa Chun, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC), 11-0, 4:49  3rd -Mary Kelly, Mahomet, Ill. (New York AC) tech. fall over Sara Fulp-Allen, El Granada, Calif. (Menlo College), 12-2, 2:58  5th -Laura Felix, Bakersfield, Calif. (Dave Schultz WC) dec. Katie Kunimoto, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC), 4-1  7th - Hana Askren, Los Angeles, Calif. (Santa Monica Bay) dec.. Kristen Fujioka,  Kaneohe, Hawaii (Team Hawaii), 6-1    THEMAT.COM RANKINGS FOR APRIL 1, 2005  1. Clarissa Chun, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)  2. Sara Fulp-Allen, El Granada, Calif. (Menlo College)  3. Mary Kelly, Mahomet, Ill. (Dave Schultz WC)  4. Laura Felix, Bakersfield, Calif. (Dave Schultz WC)  5. Katie Kunimoto, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)  6. Caitlyn Chase, Hanover Park, Ill. (Gator WC)  7. Sadie Kaneda, Honolulu, Hawaii (Missouri Valley)  8. Jessica Medina, Pomona, Calif. (Cumberland)  9. Liz Short, Lombard, Ill. (USOEC)  10. Hana Askren, Los Angeles, Calif. (Santa Monica WC)