USA Wrestling will be sending a large contingent of women wrestlers, including top athletes on the Senior and age-group levels, to compete at the Canada Cup, set for Guelph, Canada, July 3-4.

The U.S. Senior Women’s World Team, the U.S. FILA Junior Women’s World Team and the U.S. Cadet Team will all participate in this major international competition. A majority of the athletes from all three teams will remain for a training camp with Canada and other nations after the competition.

This is an important event for the preparation of the U.S. Women’s World Team, as they continue their training for the World Wrestling Championships in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 8-10.

All seven 2010 U.S. Women’s World Team members will compete at Canada Cup. Included is two-time World champion and nine-time World medalist Kristie Davis (Oklahoma City, Okla./New York AC) at 67 kg/158.5 lbs. Davis returned to competition this spring, after last competing in June 2008. 

Three members of the 2009 U.S. World Team qualified to return this year: Jessica Medina (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 51 kg/112.25 lbs., Tatiana Padilla (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Elena Pirozhkova (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. Padilla was a World bronze medalist in 2008.

For the FILA Junior World Team, this is their tune-up event prior to competing at the FILA Junior World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, July 22-23.

Among the team members is 2009 FILA Junior World champion Victoria Anthony (Huntington Beach, Calif/New York AC) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. Anthony is up one weight class from last year, when she won her World title at 44 kg/97 lbs.

Other past FILA Junior World medalists on the team are Padilla (who qualified for both the Senior and FILA Junior World Teams) as well as Helen Maroulis (Rockville, Md./New York AC) at 55 kg/121 lbs. The FILA Junior World Team is very experienced and talented, as five who are competing in Canada are also ranked nationally on the Senior level.

All of the FILA Junior World Team members will be competing in the Senior division at Canada Cup, except for Erin Golston at 44 kg/97 lbs., who will be competing in the pre-Junior division.

The FILA Cadet Team includes athletes who were medalists at the 2010 Body Bar FILA Cadet Nationals in Florida in May. Included on the team are six Body Bar FILA Cadet National champions. All of the athletes on this team will compete in the pre-Junior division at the Canada Cup.

The Senior division at Canada Cup will be held on Saturday, July 3, and the Pre-Junior division is set for Sunday, July 4.

“We have our top wrestlers at all three age levels, Senior, FILA Junior and Cadet, competing in Canada,” said National Women’s Coach Terry Steiner. “Canada is right there with us internationally. We have always talked about building each other up and making each other better. Competing in events such as the Canada Cup allows us to do that.”

Steiner believes that competing at the Canada Cup will help both the U.S. Senior Women’s World Team and the U.S. FILA Junior World Team as they ready for their World Championships.

“This is great for training. This is a good tuneup for the Junior World Team. For the Senior World Team, it is a good starting point for us to find focus areas as we prepare for the Senior Worlds. We will use the Canada Cup and the Golden Grand Prix in Azerbaijan to gain ground. When we come back to training camp, we will know where to focus, technically, for conditioning and mentally,” said Steiner.

CANADA CUP
At Guelph, Canada, July 3-4

U.S. Senior Women’s World Team
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Alyssa Lampe, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
51 kg/112.25 lbs.- Jessica Medina, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Tatiana Padilla, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
59 kg/130 lbs. - Kelsey Campbell, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
63 kg/138.75 lbs.- Elena Pirozhkova, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Kristie Davis, Oklahoma City, Okla. (New York AC)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Stephany Lee, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
Coaches – National Women’s Coach Terry Steiner of Colorado Springs, Colo., Keith Wilson of Colorado Springs, Colo., USOEC head coach Shannyn Gillespie of Marquette, Mich.

U.S. FILA Junior Women’s World Team
44 kg/97 lbs. - Erin Golston, Lake in the Hills, Ill. (USOEC)*
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Victoria Anthony, Huntington Beach, Calif. (New York AC)
51 kg/112.25 lbs.- Amy Whitbeck, Duanesburg, N.Y.(New York AC)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md. (New York AC)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Erin Clodgo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
72 kg/158.5 lbs.- Brittany Delgado, Fountain Inn, S.C. (Gator/OCU)
Coaches – Assistant National Women’s Coach Izzy Izboinikov of Colorado Springs, Colo., Alex Conti of Buffalo, N.Y., Erin Tomeo of Colorado Springs, Colo.
* All of the FILA Junior team members will compete in the Senior division at the Canada Cup, except for Golston, who will wrestle in the Pre-Junior division.

U.S. FILA Cadet Team
43 kg/94.75 lbs. - Patricia Martin, Traverse City, Mich. (TCSF)
46 kg/101.25 lbs. - Alex Gomez, Bakersfield, Calif. (Elite Force)
49 kg/108 lbs. - Jasmine Yanez, Gilroy, Calif. (Gilroy Hawks)
52 kg/114.5 lbs. - Siobhan Esquerra, West Covina, Calif. (Wolverines)
56 kg/123.25 lbs. - Brazel Marquez, Diamond Bar, Calif. (California Grapplers)
60 kg/132 lbs. - Aleah LaFrancis, Vista, Calif. (No Mercy School of Wrestling)
65 kg/143.25 lbs. - Krista Revelle, Meriden, Kansas (Kansas Krusaders)
70 kg/154.25 lbs. - Kim Spiegel, Port Trevorton, Pa. (Team Pennsylvania)
Coaches – USOEC assistant coach Tony DeAnda of Marquette, Mich.
Note: All of the FILA Cadet wrestlers will compete in the Pre Junior division of the Canada Cup.

Additional athletes
Senior 72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Analiese DeAragon, Sandpoint, Idaho (USOEC)
Pre-Junior 52 kg/114.5 lbs. - Kalin Knight-Alvarez, Vista, Calif. (No Mercy School of Wrestling)

CANADA CUP SCHEDULE

Saturday, July 3
Canada Cup Senior division

Sunday, July 4
Canada Cup pre-Junior division