SAUNDERS AND STENGLEIN REMAIN UNBEATEN, AND THEIR OTHER FOUR TEAMMATES HAVE ONE LOSS AT WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN POLANDTwo U.S. athletes opened with victories and remain eligible for the gold medal at the 1998 Women's World Wrestling Championships in Poznan, Poland, Oct. 8.
Two-time Women's World Champion Tricia Saunders (Phoenix, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) pinned Vladislava Petrova of Bulgaria in 1:50, her only bout of the day at 101.25 pounds.
Saunders, 32, won World gold medals in 1992 and 1996, and was a World silver medalist in 1993. She did not compete in the 1997 season, due to a knee injury and the birth of her second child. Saunders has competed in six previous World Championship events.
Two-time World silver medalist Kristie Stenglein (Albany, N.Y./ATWA) also won her first match at 165.25 pounds, defeating Vera Bazantova of the Czech Republic, by technical fall, 10-0 at 3:25.
Stenglein, 19, won World silver medals in both 1996 and 1997. She was also a 1998 Junior World Champion, which featured the best 17-20 year old women wrestlers in the world.
The four other U.S. wrestlers have one loss, but remain alive in the consolation rounds with an opportunity to battle back for a bronze medal.
They include Stephanie Murata (Phoenix, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 112.25 pounds, Tina George (South Euclid, Ohio/UM-Morris) at 123.25 pounds, Lauren Wolfe (Okemos, Mich./Michigan WC) at 136.5 pounds and Sandra Bacher (San Jose, Calif./Dave Schultz WC) at 149.75 pounds
Murata lost in the opening round to two-time World bronze medalist Elena Egoschina of Russia, 3-2. She rebounded with a 7-0 win over Agnieszka Pajak of Poland.
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.
Competing in her first World tournament, George lost to three-time World Champion Gudrun Hoie of Norway, 3-1.
George, 19, placed fifth in the 1998 U.S. Nationals, but qualified for the U.S. team by winning the 1998 Women's World Team Trials. She was a 1998 University Nationals champion.
Wolfe opened with an 8-0 win over Angela Lattanzio of Italy, 8-0, but lost by pin in the second round to two-time World medalist Lene Adnes of Norway.
Wolfe, 21, is competing in her fourth straight World Championships. Wolfe placed fifth in the 1995 and 1997 World Championships and was eighth in the 1996 World Championships. Wolfe is a four-time U.S. Nationals champion.
Bacher opened with an 8-0 loss to Lene Barlie of Norway, but came back with a pin over Margarita Montes of Spain at 3:00.
Bacher, 30, was second in the 1997 World Championships and fourth in the 1996 World Championships. She is a two-time U.S. Olympian in judo.
The 1998 U.S. Women's World team is 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.
1998 WOMEN'S WORLD WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
U.S. results on Thursday, Oct. 8
46 kg/101.25 lbs. - Tricia Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) - pin Vladislava Petrova (Bulgaria), 1:50
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Stephanie Murata, Phoenix, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) - lost dec. to Elena Egoschina (Russia), 3-2; dec. Agnieszka Pajak (Poland), 7-0
56 kg/123.25 lbs. - Tina George, South Euclid, Ohio (UM-Morris) - lost dec. to Gudrun Hoie (Norway), 3-1
62 kg/136.5 lbs. - Lauren Wolfe, Okemos, Mich. (Michigan WC) - dec. Angela Lattanzio (Italy), 8-0; lost by fall to Lene Adnes (Norway)
68 kg/149.75 lbs. - Sandra Bacher, San Jose, Calif. (Dave Schultz WC) - lost dec. to Lene Barlie (Norway), 8-0; pin Margarita Montes (Spain), 3:00
75 kg/165.25 lbs. - Kristie Stenglein, Albany, N.Y. (ATWA) - won by tech. fall over Vera Bazantova (Czech Republic), 10-0, 3:25