UPDATE: USA wins Junior Pan Am women’s title, led by golds from Webster & Shannon

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
07/02/2011


SAO PAOLO, Brazil – The United States won the team title in women’s freestyle at the Junior Pan American Championships on Saturday.

The U.S. team was led by gold medalists Emily Webster at 44 kg/97 lbs. and Rachael  Shannon at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.

Webster pinned Canada’s Darby Huckle in the finals. Shannon defeated runner-up Natalia Rodriguez of Puerto Rico.

Webster, a high school star from Missouri, will attend Oklahoma City University. Shannon competes for Lindenwood University.

Winning silver medals for the United States were Shauna Isbell at 55 kg/121 lbs., Demi Strub at 67 kg/147.5 lbs. and Kimberly Spiegel at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.

Isbell is a student at Lindenwood University. Strub is a high school star from Indiana. Spiegel, a high school star from Pennsylvania, attends the U.S. Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan.

The United States and Canada were tied in first in the final team standings with 64 points, but the USA won the team title on the second tiebreaker.

“The tie with the USA and Canada went to gold medals which was tied again, then went to pins and the USA won,” said U.S. coach Marcie Van Dusen. “We are proud of this team.”

Van Dusen, the head coach at Menlo College, and Toccara Montgomery, the head coach at Lindenwood, coached the U.S. team. Both are past Olympians.

"This team represented themselves well on and off the mat, they were a pleasure to coach and I expect we will be seeing these women bring back medals from World Championship Teams in the future.  I was especially impressed with Rachel Shannon's composure,  she is a true competitor, knowing when to turn it up a notch she wrestled smart throughout the tournament," said Van Dusen.

"We had a good group of girls who wanted to win, which made our job a lot easier," said Montgomery.

Host Brazil placed third with Ecuador fourth in the standings. Ecuador had the most individual champions with three.

The U.S. team was developed from those who were medalists at the Body Bar Women’s Junior Nationals in Florida in May.

PAN AMERICAN JUNIOR WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS
At San Paolo, Brazil, July 2

44 kg/97 lbs.
1st - Emily Webster (USA)
2nd - Darby Huckly (Canada)

48 kg/105.5 lbs.
1st - Angelica Bustos Bone (Ecuador)
2nd - Haley Thomas (Canada)
3rd - Eunice Alejandra Jimenez Alejandro (Mexico)
3rd - Priscila Firmino (Brazil)
5th - Kristi Garr (USA)
6th - Nesmarie Rodriguez (Puerto Rico)
7th - Evelyn Ivoy (Guatemala)

51 kg/112.25 lbs.
1st - Luisa Valverdes Melendres (Ecuador)
2nd - Celia Karina Oea Bernal (Mexico)
3rd - Beatriz Lima (Brazil)
3rd - Natalie Brandy (Canada)
5th - Jasmine Yanez (USA)
6th - Magda Morales (Guatemala)

55 kg/121 lbs.
1st - Lissette Antes Castillo (Ecuador)
2nd - Shauna Isbell (USA)
3rd - Karina Sanchez (El Salvador)
3rd - Rocio Guadalupe Garcia Borquez (Mexico)
5th - Caroline Soares (Brazil)
6th - Gina Carpenter (Canada)

59 kg/130 lbs.
1st - Lais Nunes (Brazil)
2nd - Soraya Ortiz Borja (Ecuador)
3rd - Sandra Slonso Ridiguez (Mexico)
3rd - Yuri Adelaida Mejias (El Salvador)
5th -  Marlen Figurioa (Canada)
6th - Gabriella Klein (USA)

63 kg/138.75 lbs.
1st - Rachael Shannon (USA)
2nd - Natalia Rodriguez (Puerto Rico)
3rd - Keila Dias (Brazil)
4th - Marissa Sorrell (Canada)

67 kg/147.5 lbs.
1st - Jenna Mclatchy (Canada)
2nd - Demi Strub (USA)
3rd - Daniele Brandao (Brazil)

72 kg/158.5 lbs.
1st - Molly Bouchard (Canada)
2nd - Kimberly Spiegel (USA)
3rd - Amanda Quesia (Brazil)

U.S. women's performances

44 kg/97 lbs. - Emily Webster, Sedalia, Mo. (Mules WC), 1st
WIN Darby Huckly (Canada)

48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Kristi Garr , Goodrich, Mich. (OCU/Gator), 5th
LOSS Haley Thomas (Canada)
LOSS Eunice Jimenez Alejandro (Mexico)

51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Jasmine Yanez, Gilroy, Calif., 5th
LOSS Luisa Valverde Melendres (Ecuador)
LOSS Natalie Brady (Canada), 0-1, 0-4

55 kg/121 lbs. - Shauna Isbell, Flagstaff, Ariz. (Lindenwood), 2nd
WIN Caroline Soares (Brazil)
WIN Ricio Garcia Borquez (Mexico), 3-0, 4-1
LOSS Lissette Antes Castillo (Ecuador), 2-2, 0-3

59 kg/130 lbs. - Gabriella Klein, Stevens Point, Wis. (Waldorf College), 6th
LOSS Marlen Figurioa (Canada), 0-1, 0-3

63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Rachael Shannon, Big Lake, Alaska (Lindenwood), 1st
WIN Marissa Sorrell (Canada), 6-0, 3-0
WIN Keila Dias (Brazil), 6-0, 6-0
WIN Natalia Rodriguez (Puerto Rico), 6-0, 6-0

67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Demi Strub, Guilford, Ind. (Team Indiana), 2nd
LOSS Jenna McLatchy (Canada), 0-5, 0-6
WIN Daniele Brandao (Brazil), 6-0, 6-0

72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Kimberly Spiegel, Selinsgrove, Pa. (USOEC), 2nd
WIN Amanda Quesia (Brazil)
LOSS Molly Bouchard (Canada), 0-5, 0-7

Team Standings
1st United States, 64 pts
2nd Canada, 64 pts
3rd Brazil, 56 pts
4th Ecuador, 39 pts
5th Mexico, 33 pts
6th El Salvador, 16 pts
7th Puerto Rico, 14 pts
8th Guatemala 9 pts