The U.S. Olympic Committee has announced its Twitter voting is now open for the March Male & Female Athletes and Team of the Month.

Vote for Shawn Bunch

Vote for Kelsey Campbell

Vote for the Women’s Freestyle Team

Representing USA Wrestling in Men’s freestyle wrestling is Shawn Bunch who won a gold medal at 60 kg/132 lbs at the Alexander Medved International in Belarus. Kelsey Campbell is representing Women’s freestyle at 59 kg/130 lbs. Campbell had a perfect record at the Women’s World Cup in France.

The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team placed second at the Women’s World Cup in France. The team lost in a hard-fought finals match against defending champion China, 4-3, and also won its pool competition.

Fans are encouraged to vote and re-tweet the poll links.

SportsMan of the Month for March 2011 
Sport: Freestyle wrestling
Athlete: Shawn Bunch
Position: 60 kg/132 lbs. in freestyle wrestling

Shawn Bunch won a gold medal at 60 kg/132 lbs. at the Alexander Medved International in Minsk, Belarus, March 4.

Bunch won five matches to capture the title, including a victory over Bekhan Goigereev of Russia in the finals.

He opened with wins over Vladimir Fligontov of Russia, Vitali Koryakin of Tajikistan and Aliaksandr Kontoyev of Belarus. He defeated American Derek Moore in the semifinals. Moore lost his bronze-medal bout to finish fifth.

Bunch was a member of the 2009 U.S. World Team. He trains at the Ohio Regional Training Center in Columbus, Ohio.

SportsWoman of the Month for March 2011
Sport: Women’s Freestyle Wrestling
Athlete: Kelsey Campbell
Position: 59 kg/130 lbs. in women’s freestyle wrestling.

Kelsey Campbell had a perfect record at 59 kg/130 lbs. helping lead the U.S. team to a strong second place team finish at the Women’s World Cup held in Lievan, France, March 5-6

Campbell completed the competition with a 3-0 record, competing against many of the best women’s wrestlers in the world.

In her first match, Campbell defeated Amanda Gerhardt of Canada. The USA beat Canada 5-2. 

In her second bout, Campbell stopped Olga Kalnina of Kazakhstan. The USA beat Kazakhstan, 6-1.

In the championship dual meet, Campbell defeated Li Hui of China. The U.S. lost to China by a slim 4-3 margin.

Campbell was fifth at the 2010 World Championships. She is a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete.

Team of the Month for March 2011
Sport: Women’s Freestyle Wrestling
Team: 2011 U.S. Women’s World Cup Team

The United States placed a strong second at the Women’s World Cup held in Lievan, France, March 5-6. Team USA was defeated in a hard-fought championship match by host China by a 4-3 score.

U.S. winners against China were Tatiana Padilla at 55 kg, Kelsey Campbell at 59 kg and Ali Bernard at 72 kg. All seven of the matches against China were very close.

This was a rematch of the 2010 Women’s World Cup final, won by China, 6-1.

On the first day of competition, the United States defeated Canada 5-2, lost to Russia, 4-3 and dominated Kazakhstan, 6-1 in Pool B competition. The USA, Canada and Russia all finished the pool competition with 2-1 records. In the tiebreaking procedures, the USA took first with the most overall individual victories in the three dual meets.

Against Canada, U.S. winners were Campbell and Clarissa Chun at 48 kg, Helen Maroulis at 55 kg., Elena Pirozhkova at 63 kg and Kristie Davis at 67 kg.

Against Russia, scoring victories for the USA were Pirozhkova and Davis, plus Alyssa Lampe at 48 kg

Against Kazakhstan, U.S. winners were Padilla, Campbell, Pirozhkova, Davis and Bernard, plus Jessica Medina at 51 kg.

2011 U.S. Women’s World Cup Team
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Alyssa Lampe, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Clarissa Chun, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Jessica Medina, Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Whitney Conder, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
55 kg/121 lbs. – Tatiana Padilla, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
55 kg/121 lbs. – Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md. (New York AC)
59 kg/130 lbs. – Kelsey Campbell, Colorado Springs, 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. – Ali Bernard, New Ulm, Minn. (Gator WC)
Coach – National Women’s Coach Terry Steiner of Colorado Springs, Colo.
Coach - Assistant National Women’s Coach Izzy Izboinikov of Colorado Springs, Colo.
Coach – Ron Tirpak, Swarthmore, Pa.