Kristie Marano (Albany, N.Y./ATWA) has been named the 2000 Women's Wrestler of the Year by USA Wrestling. It is the second time that Marano has received this prestigious award (1998, 2000).    Marano was the 2000 World Champion at 149.75 pounds, the top performance of the U.S athletes. She became only the third U.S. woman to win a World Wrestling title, joining four-time champion Tricia Saunders and last year's champion Sandra Bacher.    Marano had a 4-0 record at the World Championships. She pinned her first three opponents, Sakizligi Gamze of Turkey, Ewelina Pruszko of Poland and Xiomara Guevara of Venezuela. She defeated Anna Shamova of Russia in the gold-medal finals, 6-5 in overtime.    Marano won her fifth career World medal, to go with four World silver medals (1996-1999). She has made the gold-medal finals in every Women's World Championships that she has entered.    After the World Championships, Marano was the 2000 Women's Special Wrestle-off winner, defeating 1999 World Champion Sandra Bacher in two straight matches by pin. The match was held after the World Championships, because Bacher was unable to compete due to attending the Olympic Games in judo. Marano was the 2000 Women's World Team Trials champion in June, earning the right to face Bacher in the Wrestle-off.    She was a 2000 U.S. Nationals runner-up, losing in the gold medal finals to Bacher. 2000 Women's University Nationals champion. Marano was also second in 2000 Klippan Ladies Open in Sweden, and finished the year with a 18-3 record. She attends Hudson Valley CC, and previously attended Colonie Central High School in Albany, N.Y.    USA Wrestling will be announcing major award winners each day this week on TheMat.com, the official web page of the Amateur Wrestling Alliance.    PAST WOMEN'S WRESTLER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS  2000 - Kristie Marano, Albany, N.Y., ATWA  1999 - Tricia Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids  1998 - Kristie Stenglein, Albany, N.Y., ATWA  1997 - Sandra Bacher, San Jose, Calif., Dave Schultz WC  1996 - Tricia Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids  1995 - Vickie Zummo, Hamburg, N.J., New York AC  1994 - Shannon Williams, Ontario, Calif., Sunkist Kids  1993 - Tricia Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids