SAUNDERS WINS THIRD CAREER WORLD GOLD MEDAL; STENGLEIN WINS SILVER AND BACHER TAKES BRONZE AS USA PLACES THIRD AT WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN POLAND 
  Tricia Saunders (Phoenix, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) claimed her third career World title, with a gold-medal performance at 101.25 pounds at the 1998 Women's World Wrestling Championships in Poznan, Poland, Oct. 10.   
 Saunders stopped three-time World Champion Miyu Yamamoto of Japan in an exciting 1-1, overtime referee's decision in the finals. It was a spectacular battle between two of the best women's wrestlers in the world.   
 She remains the only U.S. athlete to win a Women's World Wrestling Championships title.   
 It was Saunders' fourth career World medal, including gold medals in 1992, 1996 and 1998 and a silver medal in 1993. She ties Shannon Williams with the U.S. record for the most career Women's World medals with four.   
 Saunders did not compete in the 1997 season, due to a knee injury and the birth of her second child. Saunders has participated in seven career World Championship events. Originally from Ann Arbor, Mich., Saunders was a student at the Univ. of Wisconsin. She is married to 1996 Olympic silver medalist wrestler Townsend Saunders. 
  USA PLACES THIRD IN THE TEAM STANDINGS   
 Two other U.S. wrestlers claimed medals, leading the United States to a third-place team finish in the standings for the third straight year. Russia claimed the team title with 44 points, followed by Japan with 38 points and the United States with 34 points. It matches the U.S. team's highest highest team finish at third. 
  STENGLEIN WINS SILVER MEDAL FOR THIRD TIME 
  For the third straight year, Kristie Stenglein (Albany, N.Y./ATWA) claimed a silver medal at 165.25 pounds. She becomes the first U.S. wrestler to win Women's World medals in three straight seasons.   
 She was defeated by defending World Champion Kyoko Hamaguchi of Japan in the championship finals, 5-2. Hamaguchi defeated Stenglein, 4-0, in last year's finals.   
 Stenglein, 19, was also a 1998 Junior World Champion, which featured the best 17-20 year old women wrestlers in the world. 
  BACHER WINS BRONZE MEDAL   
 Sandra Bacher (San Jose, Calif./Dave Schultz WC) claimed a bronze medal at 149.75 pounds. It was her second straight World medal, after winning a silver medal at the 1997 World Championships.   
 Bacher opened the day with a 4-3 overtime win over Ewelina Pruszko of Poland. In the bronze-medal match, she stopped Anna Chamova of Russia, 6-3 in overtime at 4:39.   
 Bacher, 30, was fourth in the 1996 World Championships and seventh in the 1995 World Championships. She is a two-time U.S. Olympian in judo. 
  MURATA PLACES FOURTH, HER BEST FINISH 
  Stephanie Murata (Phoenix, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) had her best international performance by placing fourth at 112.25 pounds. 
  Murata opened the day with a 5-2 victory over Theresa Piotrowski of Canada. In the bronze medal match, she lost to Elena Egochina of Russia, 6-2. It was their second meeting in the tournament, as Egochina also stopped Murata in the first round, 3-2. 
  Murata, 27, has dropped down one weight class from previous years, where she competed on the last two U.S. World Teams. She was seventh in the 1996 World Championships, and has won three career U.S. Nationals titles. 
  The 1998 U.S. Women's World team was led by head coach Joe Corso of Phoenix, Ariz., assistant coach Doug Reese of Morris, Minn. and Freestyle Developmental Coach Mike Duroe of Colorado Springs, Colo. 
  Russia won the title for just the second time, to go along with its 1995 team title. Japan, which won the team title last year, has been the World power in women's wrestling with eight total team titles.  
  1998 WOMEN'S WORLD WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS at Poznan, Poland 
  U.S. results on Saturday, Oct. 10   
 46 kg/101.25 lbs.  - Tricia Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) - won by ref. dec. over Miyu Yamamoto (Japan), 1-1, ot, 6:00   
 51 kg/112.25 lbs.  - Stephanie Murata, Phoenix, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) - dec. Theresa Piotrowski (Canada), 5-2; lost dec. to Elena Egochina (Russia), 6-2   
 68 kg/149.75 lbs. - Sandra Bacher, San Jose, Calif. (Dave Schultz WC) - dec. Ewelina Pruszko (Poland), 4-3, ot; dec. Anna Chamova (Russia), 6-3, ot, 4:39   
 75 kg/165.25 lbs. - Kristie Stenglein, Albany, N.Y. (ATWA) - lost dec. to Kyoko Hamaguchi (Japan), 5-3