HENSON, GARDNER, MURATA WIN 1998 CHAMPIONSHIP BELT SERIES ON THE SENIOR LEVEL 
 Freestyle wrestler Sammie Henson (Norman, Okla./Sunkist Kids), Greco-Roman wrestler Rulon Gardner (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) and women's wrestler Stephanie Murata (Minden, Nev./Sunkist Kids) have won the 1998 Championship Belt Series on the Senior level in their respective styles. 
 The series is sponsored by USA Wrestling and honors the top point scorers among U.S. wrestlers, based upon actual success in competition during the year. The point system is based upon results from events on the regional, national and international levels and gives greater credit for success in the major competitions. The top point scorer in the series for each style receives a handsome plaque.  
 Freestyle champion - Sammie Henson, Norman, Okla. (Sunkist Kids) 
 Henson, a 1998 World Champion, scored 397 points, beating runner-up Lincoln McIlravy (Iowa City, Iowa/Gateway) by 23 points among freestyle wrestlers. 
 Henson won the World gold medal at 119 pounds. He was the 1998 U.S. Nationals champion and World Team Trials champion. Henson added silver medals at the World Cup and the Goodwill Games. He was also third in the Kiev Grand Prix in Ukraine and sixth in the Yasar Dogu Tournament in Turkey. 
 McIlravy won a bronze medal at 152 pounds at the World Championships. He won a gold medal at every other event he entered, including the World Cup, the Goodwill Games, the Yarygin Tournament in Russia, the U.S. Nationals and the World Team Trials. 
 Greco-Roman champion - Rulon Gardner, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) 
 Gardner claimed the Greco-Roman Belt Series title for the second straight year with 601 points, defeating second place finisher James Gruenwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) by 92 points. 
 Gardner was the most active Greco-Roman wrestler during the year, claiming eight gold medals. The major international tournaments he won were the Granma Cup in Cuba, the Hungary Grand Prix, the Pan American Championships, the Concord Cup, the Sunkist Kids International and the Vaanta Cup in Finland. He also won the Colorado Open and the Winter Classic. Gardner was second at the U.S. Nationals, and third at the World Team Trials and the Tropheo Milone in Italy. 
 Gruenwald claimed five gold medals during the year, winning the Sweden Cup, the Pan American Championships, the Concord Cup, the Sunkist Kids International and the Winter Classic. He was second at the U.S. Nationals, the World Team Trials and the Peer Gynt Cup in Norway, and placed third at the Henri Deglane Challenge in France. 
 Women's champion - Stephanie Murata, Minden, Nev. (Sunkist Kids) 
 Murata won the Women's Belt Series with 379 points, topping runner-up Malissa Sherwood (Granite Bay, Calif./Dave Schultz WC) by 86 points. 
 Murata was fourth in the 1998 World Championships at 112.25 pounds. She claimed gold medals at the U.S. Nationals, the World Team Trials and the Clansman Invitational in Canada. She was second at the Sunkist Kids International, third at the Pan American Championships and fifth at the Polish International. 
 Sherwood was second at the U.S. Nationals and third at the World Team Trials. She won the Northwest Regionals and the Skyline Invitational, placed third at the Clansman International and the Sunkist Kids International and was fifth at the Klippan Cup in Sweden. 
 STANDINGS AND HISTORY 
 1998 Freestyle Championship Belt Series Top Ten 
 1. Sammie Henson, Norman, Okla., Sunkist Kids, 119 pounds, 397 pts. 
 2. Lincoln McIlravy, Iowa City, Iowa, Gateway WC, 152 pounds, 374 pts. 
 3. Cary Kolat, Bellefonte, Pa., Dave Schultz WC, 138.75 pounds, 352 pts. 
 4. Les Gutches, Corvallis, Ore., Sunkist Kids, 187.25 pounds, 338 pts. 
 5. Steve Marianetti, Champaign, Ill., New York AC, 167.5 pounds, 323 pts. 
 6. Tom Erikson, W. Lafayette, Ind., Sunkist Kids, 286 pounds, 309 pts. 
 7. Terry Steiner, Madison, Wis., Team Excel, 152 pounds, 306 pts. 
 8. Kerry McCoy, State College, Pa., New York AC, 286 pounds, 299 pts. 
 9. Tolly Thompson, Lincoln, Neb., Sunkist Kids, 286 pounds, 295 pts. 
 10. Troy Steiner, Madison, Wis., Team Excel, 138.75 pounds, 293 pts. 
 1998 Greco-Roman Championship Belt Series Top Ten 
 1. Rulon Gardner, Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunkist Kids, 286 pounds, 601 pts. 
 2. James Gruenwald, Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunkist Kids, 127.75 pounds, 509 pts. 
 3. Shawn Sheldon, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC, 119 pounds, 389 pts. 
 4. Billy Pierce, Minneapolis, Minn., Minnesota Storm, 286 pounds, 386 pts. 
 5. Ethan Bosch, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC, 187.25 pounds, 346 pts. 
 6. Matt Lindland, Lincoln, Neb., Sunkist Kids, 167.5 pounds, 329 pts. 
 7. Glenn Nieradka, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army, 127.75 pounds, 326 pts. 
 8. Dan Henderson, Huntington Beach, Calif., Dave Schultz WC, 187.25 pounds, 320 pts. 
 9. Kevin Bracken, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC, 138.75 pounds, 310 pts. 
 10. Corey Farkas, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Air Force, 286 pounds, 301 pts. 
 1998 Women's Championship Belt Series Top Ten 
 1. Stephanie Murata, Minden, Nev., Sunkist Kids, 112.25 pounds, 379 pts. 
 2. Malissa Sherwood, Granite Bay, Calif., Dave Schultz WC, 112.25 pounds, 293 pts. 
 3. Satrinina Vernon, Rodeo, Calif., UM-Morris, 149.75 pounds, 256 pts. 
 4. Sandra Bacher, San Jose, Calif., Dave Schultz WC, 149.75 pounds, 252 pts. 
 5. Kristie Stenglein, Albany, N.Y., ATWA, 165.25 pounds, 242 pts. 
 6. Jackie Berube, Evanston, Ill., Wildcat WC, 112.25 pounds, 235 pts. 
 7. Jimi Dawn Hornbuckle, Poteau, Okla., Dave Schultz WC, 136.5 pounds, 204 pts. 
 8. Afsoon Johnston, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids, 112.25 pounds, 184 pts. 
 9. tie Julie Gonzales, Vallejo, Calif., Peninsula Grapplers, 101.25 pound, 182 pts. 
 9. tie Tina George, S. Euclid, Ohio, UM-Morris, 123.25 pounds, 182 pts. 
 CHAMPIONSHIP BELT SERIES HISTORY 
 Freestyle 
 1990 - Kevin Jackson, Lansing, Mich., Team Foxcatcher, 180.5 pounds 
 1991 - John Smith, Stillwater, Okla., Sunkist Kids, 136.5 pounds 
 1992 - Townsend Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids, 149.5 pounds 
 1993 - Chris Bollin, Cedar Falls, Iowa, Sunkist Kids, 125.5 pounds 
 1994 - Melvin Douglas, Mesa, Ariz., Sunkist Kids, 198 pounds 
 1995 - Terry Brands, Iowa City, Iowa, Team Foxcatcher, 125.5 pounds 
 1996 - Tom Erikson, W. Lafayette, Ind., Sunkist Kids, 286 pounds 
 1997 - Tom Erikson, W. Lafayette, Ind., Sunkist Kids, 286 pounds 
 1998 - Sammie Henson, Norman, Okla., Sunkist Kids, 119 pounds 
 Greco-Roman 
 1990 - Matt Ghaffari, Chandler, Ariz., Sunkist Kids, 286 pounds 
 1991 - Matt Ghaffari, Chandler, Ariz., Sunkist Kids, 286 pounds 
 1992 - Matt Ghaffari, Chandler, Ariz., Sunkist Kids, 286 pounds 
 1993 - Shawn Sheldon, Albany, N.Y., New York AC, 114.5 pounds 
 1994 - Matt Ghaffari, Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunkist Kids, 286 pounds 
 1995 - Shawn Sheldon, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC, 114.5 pounds 
 1996 - Matt Ghaffari, Avon Lake, Ohio, Sunkist Kids, 286 pounds 
 1997 - Rulon Gardner, Mesa, Ariz., Sunkist Kids, 286 pounds 
 1998 - Rulon Gardner, Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunkist Kids, 286 pounds 
 Women 
 1994 - Shannon Williams, Ontario, Calif., Sunkist Kids, 116.5 pounds  
 1995 - Tricia Saunders, Ann Arbor, Mich., Sunkist Kids, 103.5 pounds 
 1996 - Jackie Berube, Evanston, Ill., Wildcat WC, 125.5 pounds 
 1997 - Lauren Wolfe, Okemos, Mich., Michigan WC, 136.5 pounds 
 1998 - Stephanie Murata, Minden, Nev., Sunkist Kids, 112.25 pounds