U.S. women's wrestling team claims five medals and ties with Japan for first place in team standings at the 1999 Klippan Cup in Klippan, Sweden, March 13 
   The U.S. women's wrestling team claimed five medals and tied for first place with Japan in the team standings at the 1999 Klippan Cup in Klippan, Sweden, March 13.    
 In the team standings the U.S. and Japan tied with 14 points and Poland placed third with 10 points.   
 Stephanie Murata (Minden, Nev./Sunkist Kids) won the gold medal in the 112.25-pound weight class. She won four matches on her way to the gold medal. Murata recorded a pin over Leila Brigui of France at 0:14, then pinned Cecilia Olsson of Sweden at 0:14, and scored a technical fall over Malissa Sherwood of the USA, 11-0, in the semifinals. She decisioned Tomoko Shinkai of Japan, 6-1, in the gold medal match.   
 Two-time World medalist, Sandra Bacher (San Jose, Calif./Dave Schultz WC) also claimed gold for the United States at the 149.75-pound weight class. Although she lost her first match to Tomoe Miyamoto of Japan, 9-3, Bacher pinned her next four opponents to advance to the title match. Bacher pinned Elvira Barriga of Austria at 2:32, Petra Pradeova of the Czech Rep. at 0:50, Abigail Schwarzberg of the USA at 5:10 and Nina Strasser of Austria at 3:30. In the title match, Bacher avenged her loss and decisioned Tomoe Miyamoto of Japan, 4-1.   
 The U.S. also claimed three bronze medals at the tournament: Malissa Sherwood  (Granite Bay, Calif./Dave Schultz WC) at 112.5 pounds, Treeva Cohee (Omaha Neb./Edmondson Youth YMCA) at 123.25 pounds and Iris Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo.) at 165.25 pounds.     
 Sherwood won four of her five matches. She pinned her first three opponents: Mary Vergin of France at 0:21, Olga Orlovska of the Czech Republic at 1:47 and Vlahava Bassi of Greece at 2:20. Sherwood then lost by a technical fall to Stephanie Murata of the USA, 11-0, and decisioned Teresa Pietrowski of Canada, 11-10, to claim the bronze medal.   
 Cohee pinned Lucie Majznerova of the Czech Republic, at 2:46, scored a technical fall over Eve Kontogianni of Greece, 10-0, and decisioned Mariko Kanie of Japan, 7-0, before getting pinned by Sara Eriksson of Sweden at 4:30. Cohee pinned Iva Stahonove of the Czech Republic at 2:25 to win the bronze medal.   
 Smith decisioned Veronica Ahlstrom of Sweden, 11-3, pinned Katerina Halova of the Czech Rep. at 3:50 and decisioned Masako Sasaki of Japan, 7-6, in overtime. Smith then lost to Monika Kowalska of Poland, 3-2, in overtime, and scored a technical fall over Mia Papageorgiou of Greece, 11-0 in the bronze-medal match.   
 1999 KLIPPAN CUP 
 in Klippan, Sweden, March 13 
 Medalists   
 101.25 - 1st - Tomoe Oda (Japan); 2nd - Mette Barlie (Norway); 3rd - Naomi Kawamata (Japan); 4th - Maiko Okado (Japan)   
 112.25 - 1st - Stephanie Murata (USA); 2nd - Tomoko Shinkai (Japan); 3rd - Malissa Sherwood (USA); 4th - Teresa Pietrowski (Canada)   
 123.25 - 1st - Sara Eriksson (Sweden); 2nd - Karolina Pastuchow (Poland); 3rd - Treeva Cohee (USA); 4th - Iva Stahonova (Czech Rep.)   
  
 136.5 - 1st - Nikola Hartman (Austria); 2nd - Gudrun Hoje (Norway); 3rd - Lotta Andersson (Sweden); 4th - Eri Sakamoto (Japan)   
 149.75 - 1st - Sandra Bacher (USA); 2nd - Tomoe Miyamoto (Japan); 3rd - Nina Strasser (Austria); 4th - Nina Nilsen (Norway)   
 165.25 - 1st - Monika Kowalska (Poland); 2nd - Edyta Witkowska (Poland); 3rd - Iris Smith (USA); 4th - M. Papageorgiou (Greece) 
 U.S. Performances   
 101.25  - Danielle Hobeika, Cambridge, Mass., dnp - lost by pin to Mette Barlie (Norway), 1:14; pin Martina Gustavsson (France), 4:13   
 112.25  - Stephanie Murata, Minden, Nev., 1st - pin Leila Brigui (France), 0:14; pin Cecilia Olsson (Sweden), 0:14; won by tech. fall over Malissa Sherwood (USA), 11-0; dec. Tomoko Shinkai (Japan), 6-1   
 112.25 - Malissa Sherwood, Granite Bay, Calif., 3rd - pin Mary Vergin (France), 0:21; pin Olga Orlovska (Czech Rep.), 1:47; pin Vlahava Bassi (Greece), 2:20; lost tech. fall to Stephanie Murata (USA), 11-0; dec. Teresa Pietrowski (Canada), 11-10   
 112.25 - Afsoon Johnston, Phoenix, Arix., dnp - won by tech. fall over Lucie Skalova (Czech Rep.), 10-0; dec. Vanessa Boubryemm (France), 7-0; lost by pin to Tomoko Shinkai (Japan), 2:27   
 123.25 - Treeva Cohee, Omaha, Neb., 3rd - pin Lucie Majznerova (Czech Rep.), 2:46; won by tech. fall over Eve Kontogianni (Greece), 10-0; dec. Mariko Kanie (Japan), 7-0; lost by pin to Sara Eriksson (Sweden), 4:30; pin Iva Stahonova (Czech Rep.), 2:25   
 136.5 - Olga Lara, Daly City, Calif., dnp - lost by pin to Malgorzata Bassa (Poland), 2:30; lost by pin to Satomi Miyamoto (Japan), 3:50   
 136.5 - Jimi-Dawn Hornbuckle, Lawrence, Kan., dnp - pin Anneli Stahl (Sweden), 4:52; lost dec. to Eri Sakamoto (Japan), 6-0   
 149.75 - Sandra Bacher, San Jose, Calif., 1st - lost dec. to Tomoe Miyamoto (Japan), 9-3; pin Elvira Barriga (Austria), 2:32; pin Petra Pradeova (Czech Rep.), 0:50; pin Abigail Schwarzberg (USA), 5:10; pin Nina Strasser (Austria), 3:30; dec. Tomoe Miyamoto (Japan), 4-1   
 149.75 - Abigail Schwarzberg, Huntington Woods, Mich., dnp - pin Monica Johannessen (Norway), 0:50; dec. Marita Ronningshaug (Norway), 3-1; lost by pin to Nina Strasser (Austria), 1:25; lost by pin to Sandra Bacher (USA), 5:10; won by inj. def. over Petra Pradeova (Czech Rep.)   
 165.25 - Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo., 3rd - won by tech. fall over Veronica Ahlstrom (Sweden), 11-3; pin Katerina Halova (Czech Rep.), 3:50; dec. Masako Sasaki (Japan), 7-6, ot, 9:00; lost dec. to Monika Kowalska (Poland), 3-2, ot, 9:00; won by tech. fall over Mia Papageorgiou (Greece), 11-0 
 Team Standings   
 1. The United States and Japan - 14 points;  3. Poland - 10 points; 4. Norway - 7 points; 5. Austria and Sweden - 6 points; 7. Canada, Czech Rep. and Greece - 1 point