World champion Saunders and World silver medalists Bacher and Stenglein win titles at the 1999 Women's World Team Trials in Rochester, Minn., June 12Three-time World Champion Tricia Saunders (Phoenix, Ariz./Sunkist Kids), three-time World silver medalist Kristie Stenglein (Albany, N.Y./ATWA) and two-time World medalist Sandra Bacher (San Jose, Calif./Dave Schultz WC) are among the six champions at the 1999 Women's World Team Trials at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, Minn., June 12.
A best-of-three series was held at six weight classes, featuring the 1999 U.S. Nationals champion and the winner of Friday's Mini-Tournament at each weight. Saunders scored a technical fall over 1999 U.S. Nationals champion Olivia Ocampo, Oxnard, Calif. (UM-Morris), 10-0 and then won again by a technical fall at 10-0 at 101.25 pounds. Saunders is a three-time World champion and moved up to 112.25 pounds at the 1999 U.S. Nationals and won a record ninth U.S. Nationals title.
Stenglein won the 165.25-pound weight class with a decision over Iris Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo.),7-5, and with a pin at 5:51. Stenglein has won the U.S. Nationals four straight seasons.
Bacher (San Jose, Calif./Dave Schultz WC) won two of the three matches against Katie Downing (Pendleton, Ind./UM-Morris) at 149.75 pounds. Bacher first won a decision, 13-5, then lost the second match in a close 6-3 overtime decision. She pinned Downing in the third match in 2:41 to make her fifth World team. Bacher is a two-time World medalist and has won the U.S. Nationals three times.
Stephanie Murata (Boca Raton, Fla./Sunkist Kids), the 1999 U.S. Nationals Champion at 123.25 pounds, moved down to 112.25 pounds and won the Mini-Tournament. Murata was fourth in the 1998 World Championships. She first scored a pin over Malissa Sherwood, Rocklin, Calif. (Dave Schultz WC) at 1:58 and then won by injury default.
Tina George (Colorado Springs, Colo./Minnesota Storm) won two of the three matches over Sara McMann (Marion, N.C./UM-Morris) at 123.25 pounds. She first lost by a pin at 1:17 and then scored two decisions with scores of 6-5 and 7-4. 1999 U.S. Nationals Champion
Lauren Wolfe (Ithaca, N.Y./Michigan WC) won at 136.5 pounds when she scored a technical fall over Jimi D. Hornbuckle, Poteau, Okla. (Dave Schultz WC), 10-0 and then won by pin at 1:14. Wolfe has four U.S. World team berths and five U.S. Nationals titles.
The competition features the best women freestyle wrestlers in the United States. All of the athletes who qualified for the event, except for the 1999 U.S. Nationals champion at each weight class, participated in Friday's Mini-Tournament. Each Mini-Tournament winner battled the national champion in a best-of-three series on Saturday.
The winners of the championships series at each weight class will represent the United States at the 12th Women's World Championships in Boden, Sweden, September 12-15.
1999 SENIOR WOMEN'S WORLD TEAM TRIALS
Rochester, Minn., June 12
Championships series results
46 kg/101.25 lbs. - Tricia Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) won by tech. fall over Olivia Ocampo, Oxnard, Calif. (UM-Morris), 10-0 and 10-0, 3:00
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Stephanie Murata, Boca Raton, Fla. (Sunkist Kids) pin Malissa Sherwood, Rocklin, Calif. (Dave Schultz WC), 1:58 and won by inj. def.
56 kg/123.25 lbs. - Tina George, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Minnesota Storm) dec. Sara McMann, Marion, N.C. (UM-Morris), 6-5 and 7-4, and lost by pin, 1:17
62 kg/136.5 lbs. - Lauren Wolfe, Ithaca, N.Y. (Michigan WC) won by tech. fall over Jimi D. Hornbuckle, Poteau, Okla. (Dave Schultz WC), 10-0, and won by pin, 1:14
68 kg/149.75 lbs. - Sandra Bacher, San Jose, Calif. (Dave Schultz WC) dec. Katie Downing, Pendleton, Ind. (UM-Morris), 13-5 and pin at 2:41 and lost by dec., 6-3, ot, 6:30
75 kg/165.25 lbs. - Kristie Stenglein, Albany, N.Y. (ATWA) dec. Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo., 7-5 and pin 5:51