It is now a post-Olympic year, and international women wrestlers have seven weight classes to choose from, not just the four that were in the 2004 Olympic Games. Last year, many of the top women wrestlers who compete normally at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. changed weights, either dropping down to 48 kg or moving up to 55 kg.    USA Wrestling held a Special Wrestle-off for the National Team at the three "non-Olympic weights" last summer, in order to determine the World Cup roster and the national team funding for the weight classes. This event set the rankings at the non-Olympic division for the year.    Winning that Special Wrestle-off was a veteran star named Stephanie Murata of the Sunkist Kids, a past World silver medalist who has been one of the dominant women wrestlers in the nation for over a decade. Murata once won seven straight U.S. Nationals titles, one of the longest streaks in history, men or women. She is in the later years of her career, but still has the strength, skill and experience to beat top opponents around the world.    Murata won her spot on the team by default in the Championship Series of the Special Wrestle-off because 2004 U.S. Nationals champion Malinda Ripley of the Sunkist Kids was injured and could not compete. Ripley is healed and ready to wrestle again, looking for a third career U.S. Nationals title. However, Ripley is also considering dropping down to 48 kg, a tough cut for sure, but a weight class that no longer has the dominant Patricia Miranda around. If Ripley goes down in weight, it will be an easier chance for Murata and the others there to take the title this year. If she stays, Ripley has the ability to claim the top spot in the division and a World Team berth for the first time.    2003 World bronze medalist Jenny Wong of the Sunkist Kids is back down from 55 kg, and will try to recapture the division that she owned prior to the Olympic year. Wong was competitive up a weight, but not dominant. When she is wrestling well at 51 kg, she can be dominant. She has been wrestling down in weight lately, including her recent win at the University Nationals, and is aiming to return to past glory.    This past weekend's Body Bar Nationals will be important to the seeding of this division, as many of the athletes on the Senior level were young enough to compete either at the University Nationals or the FILA Junior Nationals. That included 2004 U.S. Nationals runner-up Debbi Sakai, who has joined the USOEC program in Northern Michigan after starting her career at Missouri Valley.    All of the athletes who were ranked No. 3-10 in the Senior rankings in April 2005 were competing in San Diego during the Body Bar Nationals. The big star to come out of the weekend was Kapua Torres of Pacific Univ., who won the FILA Junior Nationals and placed second behind Wong at the University Nationals. Torres upset Sakai during the FILA Junior Nationals, and showed some great skill and pinning ability during the weekend.    Other nationally ranked wrestlers who are competing at this division at this time are Cheryl Wong of the Dave Schultz WC, Maika Watanabe of Missouri Valley and Tabithia Ramsey of Missouri Valley. Watanabe beat Wong in the bronze medal match at the University Nationals, while Tanya Miyasaki of Missouri Valley beat Ramsey in the fifth-place match.    High school sensation Nicole Darrow of TNT, as well as Desiree Cazeras of Cumberland College round out the top 10, and were in competition at the Body Bar Nationals this year. Darrow had a tough weekend in San Diego, losing in the finals of the FILA Cadet Nationals to Tatiana Padilla of the Peninsula Grapplers, and placing fourth at the FILA Junior Nationals.     There are some other wrestlers worth watching at this division, if they choose to compete here. Veteran Danielle Hobieka of the Dave Schultz WC was third at the U.S. Nationals last year, and has placed as high as second at the U.S. Nationals in the past. Claire duPont of Two Mile High was fifth at the U.S. Nationals a year ago, but has dropped to 48 kg this year and may move down for the U.S. Nationals.     As with other of the lighter weight classes, often young athletes slip into the field and make an impact quickly, and this could be the case again this season. However, as the depth of the U.S. program continues to develop, it will be increasingly difficult for high school stars to earn a national placement at the Senior level.    With stars such as Murata, Ripley and Wong in the field, there will be experience and talent among the highly seeded athletes in this weight class. The true battles for position here may be in the lower placements, when a number of talented young athletes start jockeying for position. This division could have some very close and exciting battles in Las Vegas.    2004 U.S. NATIONALS RESULTS  1st - Malinda Ripley, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) tech. fall over Debbi Sakai, Miliani, Hawaii (Missouri Valley), 11-0, 2:24  3rd - Danielle Hobeika, Forest Grove, Ore. (Dave Schultz WC) dec. Cheryl Wong , Croton, N.Y. (Dave Schultz WC), 5-0  5th - Claire DuPont, Leadville, Colo. (Two Mile High) pin Tabithia Ramsey, Morris, Minn. (UM-Morris), 2:55  7th -Sadie Kaneda, Honolulu, Hawaii dec. Jessica Medina, Pomona, Calif. (Diamond Ranch), 3-1    THEMAT.COM SENIOR WOMEN'S RANKINGS FOR APRIL 1  1. Stephanie Murata, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)  2. Malinda Ripley, Colorado Springs, Colo.(Sunkist Kids)  3. Jenny Wong, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)  4. Debbi Sakai, Miliani, Hawaii (New York AC)  5. Cheryl Wong, Croton, N.Y. (Dave Schultz WC)  6. Kapua Torres, Kahuku, Hawaii (Pacific)  7. Maika Watanabe, Napa, Calif. (Missouri Valley)  8. Tabithia Ramsey, Austin, Texas (unattached)  9. Nicole Darrow, Pittsfield, Mass. (TNT)  10. Desiree Cazeras, South Grand Prairie, Texas (Cumberland College)