Cataline named Outstanding Wrestler at the Body Bar Women’s FILA Junior Nationals
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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
04/10/2005
Jackie Cataline (Corona, Calif./Cataline's Wildcats), the champion at 63 kg/138.75 lbs., was named Outstanding Wrestler at the Body Bar Women's FILA Junior Nationals in El Cajon, Calif., April 10. This competition serves as a World Team Trials at the FILA Junior level. The winners will compete at the Junior World Championships in Vilnius, Lithuania this summer. An upset occurred when Cataline defeated 2004 U.S. Nationals champion Na'Tasha Umemoto (Portland, Ore./USA Cobra), 3-1, 2-0. It was the second gold medal of the weekend for Cataline, as she was also a champion at the Body Bar FILA Cadet Nationals on Saturday. Four returning FILA Junior champions were able to defend their titles this year. Sara Fulp-Allen (El Granada, Calif./Menlo College) won for the second straight year at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. She defeated Joey Miller (Woodward, Okla./Oklahoma Bad Girls) in a finals match that went the full three periods. Miller won the first period, 4-4, but Fulp-Allen came beck with 7-0 and 4-0 period victories to take the match. Dany Hedin (Marquette, Mich./USOEC) captured her second straight title at 55 kg/121 lbs., when she pinned Chelynne Pringle (Hugo, Minn./Minn. Storm), in 2:36. In a battle of returning champions Heather Martin (Wellington, Ohio/Cumberland College) defeatd Stefenie Shaw (Waterford, Conn./KT Kidz) at 67 kg/147.5 lbs., 2-0, 4-0. Last year, Martin was the champion at this division, while Shaw was the champion at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. Samantha Lang (Tualatin, Ore./Team Oregon) won for the second year in a row at 79.5 kg/175 lbs. Lang captured a three-athlete round-robin, winning both bouts by fall. The 79.5 kg weight division is not contested in the Junior World Championships, and was added by USA Wrestling. Lang will not be competing on the World Team. 2003 Junior World champion Ali Bernard will get the opportunity to go for a second career Junior World medal, after winning the 72 kg/158.5 lbs. division. She pinned Tabetha Golt (Williamsburg, Ky./Cumberland College) in 1:30. Bernard won her Junior World title at 67 kg/147.5 lbs. two years ago. Other individual champions were Melissa Gerard (Williamsburg, Ky./Cumberland College at 44 kg/88 lbs., Kapua Torres (Forest Grove, Ore./Pacific Univ.) at 51 kg/112.25 lbs., and Suekoilya Shelly (Bedford, Texas/Cumberland College) at 59 kg/130 lbs Gerard won a three-athlete round-robin, including a 4-4, 1-6, 3-2 win over runner-up Nicole Woody (Odenton, Md./M Tairy Maniacs). Torres pinned Caitlyn Chase (Hanover Park, Ill./Gator WC). 0:56 in the finals. Torres had three pins during the tournament. Shelly defeated Deanna Rix (South Berwick, Maine/SMT) in a close finals match, 1-1, 1-0. It was a good day for athletes from Cumberland College, which had three champions from their college team: Gerard, Shelly and Martin. For more information on The Body Bar go to: www.bodybars.com