Downing, Smith qualify for semifinals at Women's Junior World Championships in Bucharest, Romania, Aug. 13 
 Two U.S. wrestlers, Katie Downing (Pendleton, Ind./UM-Morris) at 149.75 pounds and Iris Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./Minn. Storm) at 165.25 pounds) have qualified for the semifinals of their weight classes at the FILA Junior Women's World Championship in Bucharest, Romania, which began on August 13. The tournament features the best 17-20 year old women wrestlers in the world. 
 Downing opened with two impressive wins, defeating Natalia Zverena of Russia, 6-2, and pinning Mihaela Sandu Oana of Romania in 4:12. Downing is a student at the Univ. of Minnesota-Morris, and holds a No. 2 U.S. national ranking on the Senior level. 
 Smith crushed her two opponents, pinning Katarina Halova of the Czech Republic in just 11 seconds, then scoring a 10-0 technical fall over Anna Kotchergina of Russia in 4:35. Smith also holds a No. 2 U.S. national ranking on the Senior level. 
 All eight of the U.S. wrestlers still have matches in their pool competition on Saturday. Four of the U.S. wrestlers have just one loss, and still have medal hopes. They are Thisbe Reardon (Oakley, Calif./Peninsula Grapplers) at 94.75 pounds, Olivia Ocampo (Oxnard, Calif. /UM-Morris) at 101 pounds, Jenny Wong (Woodbury, Minn. /Minn. Storm) at 119 pounds) and Sara McMann (Lock Haven, Pa./UM-Morris) at 127.75 pounds. 
 Ocampo finished fourth at the 1998 FILA Junior World Championships in Fredrikstad, Norway, and was the 1999 U.S. Nationals champion on the Senior level. Wong  finished eighth at the 1998 FILA Junior World Championships. 
 Two U.S. athletes had two losses in Friday's competition: Danielle Hobeika (Cambridge, Mass./Dave Schultz WC) at  110 pounds and Aimee McNab (Malone, Wis./UM-Morris) at  138.75 pounds. McNab finished ninth in the 1998 FILA Junior World Championships. 
 Coaching the U.S. team is Head Coach Doug Reese of Morris, Minn., the head coach at the Univ. of Minnesota-Morris, and Assistant Coach Jack Griffin of Evanston, Ill., an assistant wrestling coach at Northwestern Univ. 
 FILA JUNIOR WORLD WOMEN'S WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS 
 at Bucharest, Romania, Aug. 13 
 U.S. team performance 
 43 kg/94.75 lbs. - Thisbe Reardon, Oakley, Calif. - lost dec. to Gabriela Gherasim (Romania), 10-3; bye 
 46 kg/101.25 lbs. - Olivia Ocampo, Oxnard, Calif. - lost pin to Irina Melnic (Ukraine), 2:00; bye 
 50 kg/110 lbs. - Danielle Hobeika, Cambridge, Mass. - lost pin to Alina Skegariu (Romania), 1:15; lost pin to Atsuko Shinomura (Japan), 1:01 
 54 kg/119 lbs. - Jenny Wong ,Woodbury, Minn. - lost dec. to Konstantina Tsipanokov (Greece), 9-2; pin Angelica Olariu (Romania), 1:28 
 58 kg/127.75 lbs. - Sara McMann, Lock Haven, Pa. - pin Mirela Bunnichi (Romania), 0:53; lost by tech. fall to Lubov Volossova (Russia), 16-5, 5:03 
 63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Aimee McNab, Malone, Wis. - lost dec. to Diana Ortiz Carabali (Venezuela), 10-9; lost pin to Evgenia Perepkina (Russia), 0:42 
 68 kg/149.75 lbs. - Katie Downing, Pendleton, Ind. - dec. Natalia Zverena (Russia), 6-2; pin Mihaela Sandu Oana (Romania), 4:12 
 75 kg/165.25 lbs. - Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. - pin Katarina Halova (Czech Rep.), 0:11; won by tech. fall over Anna Kotchergina (Russia), 10-0, 4:35 
 Head Coach - Doug Reese, Morris, Minn. 
 Assistant Coach - Jack Griffin, Evanston, Ill.