WORLD SILVER MEDALIST BACHER AMONG MINI-TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSAT WOMEN¹S WORLD TEAM TRIALS IN ST. PAUL, MINN., AUG. 14
1997 World silver medalist Sandra Bacher (San Jose, Calif./Dave Schultz WC) was among the six ³Mini-Tournament² champions at the 1998 Women¹s World Team Trials at the Salvation Recreation Center in St. Paul, Minn., Aug. 14.
The competition features the best women freestyle wrestlers in the United States.
All of the athletes who qualified for the event, except for the 1998 U.S. Nationals champion at each weight class, participated in Friday¹s Mini-Tournament. Each Mini-Tournament winner will battle the national champion in a best-of three series on Saturday.
The winners of Saturday¹s championship series at each weight class will represent the United States at the 1998 Women¹s World Championships in Poznan, Poland, Oct. 8-10.
Bacher won the Mini-Tournament at 149.5 pounds, defeating Katie Downing (Pendleton, Ind./Indiana WC), 5-0 in the finals. Bacher will face 1998 National runnerup Satrinina Vernon (Rodeo, Calif./UM-Morris) in the championship series on Saturday.
Bacher dropped down from 165 pounds, where she was second in the 1998 U.S. Nationals. She was named the 1997 USA Wrestling Women¹s Wrestler of the Year after winning her World silver medal at 149.75 pounds.
Two 1998 U.S. Nationals champions dropped down from their weight class at the national tournament, and claimed victories in the Mini-Tournament: Stephanie Murata (Phoenix, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 112.25 pounds and Lauren Wolfe (Okemos, Mich./Michigan WC) at 136.5 pounds.
Murata beat Malissa Sherwood (Granite Bay, Calif./Dave Schultz WC), 8-0 in the Mini-Tournament finals. She will face 1996 World silver medalist Jackie Berube (Evanston, Ill./Wildcat WC) in the championship finals.
Murata competed at 123.25 pounds last year, and was a member of the U.S. World team. She has won three career U.S. Nationals titles.
Wolfe won by technical fall over Olga Lara (Daly City, Calif./Peninsula Grapplers), 12-1 in the Mini-Tournament finals. She will battle 1998 National Champion Jimi-Dawn Hornbuckle, Lawrence, Kan. (Dave Schultz WC) in the finals series.
Wolfe, a four-time U.S. Nationals champion, is looking to make her fourth straight World Team. Wolfe placed fifth in the 1997 World Championships.
The other three Mini-Tournament champions were Julie Gonzales (Vallejo, Calif./Peninsula Grapplers) at 101.25 pounds, Tina George (South Euclid, Ohio/UM-Morris) at 123.25 pounds and Diana Wesendunk (Hillsborough, Calif./Peninsula Grapplers) at 165.25 pounds.
Gonzales beat Danielle Hobeika (Cambridge, Mass./Harvard), 4-3 in the finals. She will face two-time World Champion Tricia Saunders (Phoenix, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) in the championship series
George stopped Treeva Cohee (Omaha, Neb./Edmondson Youth YMCA), 5-0 to claim the Mini-Tournament. George will face 1998 National runnerup Patricia Miranda (Stanford, Calif./Dave Schultz WC) in the championship finals.
Wesendunk pinned Iris Smith (Albany, Ga.) in 1:27 to claim the Mini-Tournament win. Wesendunk will face two-time World silver medalist Kristie Stenglein (Albany, N.Y./ATWA) in the championship finals.
1998 WOMEN¹S WORLD TEAM TRIALS at St. Paul, Minn., Aug. 14
Mini-Tournament final results
46 kg/101.25 lbs.
1st - Julie Gonzales, Vallejo, Calif. (Peninsula Grapplers) dec. Danielle Hobeika, Cambridge, Mass. (Harvard), 4-3
51 kg/112.25 lbs.
1st - Stephanie Murata, Phoenix, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Malissa Sherwood, Granite Bay, Calif. (Dave Schultz WC), 8-0
3rd - Afsoon Roshanzamir, Phoenix, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Marie Ziegler, Martinez, Calif. (CYC), 4-1
56 kg/123.25 lbs.
1st - Tina George, South Euclid, Ohio (UM-Morris) dec. Treeva Cohee, Omaha, Neb. (Edmondson Youth YMCA), 5-0
3rd - Cheryl Meyer, Concordia, Kan. (Team Kansas) dec. Grace Magnussen, Walnut Creek, Calif. (CYC), 11-3
62 kg/136.5 lbs.
1st - Lauren Wolfe, Okemos, Mich. (Michigan WC) won by tech. fall over Olga Lara, Daly City, Calif. (Peninsula Grapplers), 12-1
3rd - Megan Andrews, Napa, Calif. (Peninsula Grapplers) dec. Sara McMann, Marion, N.C. (Strong & Courageous), 4-2
68 kg/149.75 lbs.
1st - Sandra Bacher, San Jose, Calif. (Dave Schultz WC) dec. Katie Downing, Pendleton, Ind. (Indiana WC), 5-0
3rd - Cassie Inman, Rochelle, Ill. (UM-Morris) pin Kristy Jeffrey, Deland, Fla. (Arabian), 1:10
75 kg/165.25 lbs.
1st - Diana Wesendunk, Hillsborough, Calif. (Peninsula Grapplers) pin Iris Smith, Albany, Ga., 1:27
Saturday¹s Championship series matchups
46 kg/101.25 lbs. - 1998 National Champion Tricia Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Julie Gonzales, Vallejo, Calif. (Peninsula Grapplers)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - 1998 National Champion Jackie Berube, Evanston, Ill. (Wildcat WC) vs. Stephanie Murata, Phoenix, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
56 kg/123.25 lbs. - 1998 National runnerup Patricia Miranda, Stanford, Calif. (Dave Schultz WC) vs. Tina George, South Euclid, Ohio (UM-Morris)
62 kg/136.5 lbs. - 1998 National Champion Jimi-Dawn Hornbuckle, Lawrence, Kan. (Dave Schultz WC) vs. Lauren Wolfe, Okemos, Mich. (Michigan WC)
68 kg/149.75 lbs. - 1998 National runnerup Satrinina Vernon, Rodeo, Calif. (UM-Morris) vs. Sandra Bacher, San Jose, Calif. (Dave Schultz WC)
75 kg/165.25 lbs. - 1998 National Champion Kristie Stenglein, Albany, N.Y. (ATWA) vs. Diana Wesendunk, Hillsborough, Calif. (Peninsula Grapplers)
Complete Mini-Tournament preliminary bouts
Quarterfinals
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Marie Ziegler, Martinez, Calif. (CYC) pin Angela Hesener, Ann Arbor, Mich., 1:33
56 kg/123.25 lbs. - Treeva Cohee, Omaha, Neb. (Edmondson Youth YMCA) dec. Aimee McNab, Malone, Wis. (UM-Morris), 5-2
62 kg/136.5 lbs. - Sara Mc Mann, Marion, N.C. (Strong & Courageous) pin Elena Mena, St. Paul, Minn. (Minn. Storm), 0:47
62 kg/136.5 lbs. - Olga Lara, Daly City, Calif. (Peninsula Grapplers) pin Lisa Bethke, Oakdale, Minn. (Tartan), 0:46
62 kg/136.5 lbs. - Megan Andrews, Napa, Calif. (Peninsula Grapplers) dec. Megan Mc Hattee, St. Paul, Minn. (Minn. Storm), 6-1
68 kg/149.75 lbs. - D¹anya Bierria, Colorado Springs, Colo. pin Ana Pines, New York, N.Y. (NYU), 0:14
69 kg/138.75 lbs. - Cassie Inman, Rochelle, Ill. (UM-Morris) pin Kristy Jeffrey, Deland, Fla. (Arabian), 3:51
68 kg/149.75 lbs. - Katie Downing, Pendleton, Ind. (Indiana WC) pin Fanny Rodriguez, New York, N.Y. (NYU), 1:20
Semifinals
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Stephanie Murata, Phoenix, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) won by tech. fall over Marie Ziegler, Martinez, Calif. (CYC), 11-0
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Malissa Sherwood, Granite Bay, Calif. (Dave Schultz WC) dec. Afsoon Roshanzamir, Phoenix, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids), 10-8
56 kg/123.25 lbs. - Treeva Cohee, Omaha, Neb. (Edmondson Youth YMCA) dec. Grace Magnussen, Walnut Creek, Calif. (CYC), 10-7
56 kg/123.25 lbs. - Tina George, South Euclid, Ohio (MN-Morris) dec. Cheryl Meyer, Concordia, Kan. (Team Kansas), 8-0
62 kg/136.5 lbs. - Lauren Wolfe, Okemos, Mich. (Michigan WC) won by tech. fall over Sara McMann, Marion, N.C. (Strong & Courageous), 11-1
62 kg/136.5 lbs. - Olga Lara, Daly City, Calif. (Peninsula Grapplers) pin Megan Andrews, Napa, Calif. (Peninsula Grapplers), 1:42
68 kg/149.75 lbs. - Sandra Bacher, San Jose, Calif. (Dave Schultz WC) won by ref. dec. over D¹anya Bierria, Colorado Springs, Colo., 0-0, ot, 8:00
68 kg/149.75 lbs. - Katie Downing, Pendleton, Ind. (Indiana WC) dec. Cassie Inman, Rochelle, Ill. (UM-Morris), 4-3
Consolation quarterfinals
62 kg/136.5 lbs. - Lisa Bethke, Oakdale, Minn. (Tartan) pin Megan Mc Hattee, St. Paul, Minn. (Minn. Storm), 1:38
68 kg/149.75 lbs. - Kristy Jeffrey, Deland, Fla. (Arabian) pin Fanny Rodriguez, New York, N.Y.