Pairings set for Special Wrestle-off for the 123.25-pound position on the U.S. Women’s World Team in

<< Back to Articles
Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
11/05/2001


The pairings for the Special Wrestle-off for the 123.25-pound position on the U.S. Women's World Wrestling Team have been set.    The competition will be held in Gym #9 of Sports Center II at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, tomorrow Tuesday, Nov. 6. Session times for the competition will be at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., and spectators may attend the Special Wrestle-off free of charge.    The Special Wrestle-off became necessary when World Team member Tina George (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) notified USA Wrestling that she will not be able to compete at the 2001 Women's World Championships. George has joined the U.S. Army, and has started her basic training assignment.    Five women have confirmed that they will participate, and the athletes have been paired off. These pairings will only change if an athlete does not make weight.    The athletes will be paired into a bracket format, with one quarterfinal match. The winner of the quarterfinal match will advance to the semifinals against another opponent, and a second semifinal will be held between the other two athletes.    The championship finals will be a best-of-three series between the winners of the semifinals. The first match will be held at the end of the first session, at approximately 12:00 noon. The second match of the finals series is set for 2:00 p.m., with the third match (if necessary) at approximately 2:45 p.m.    Two of the participants placed in the top four of the 2001 U.S. National Championships at the weight division: runner-up Erin Tomeo (Volant, Pa./Sunkist Kids) and fourth-place finisher Grace Magnussen (Walnut Creek, Calif./Missouri Valley College).    Tomeo was the 2001 University Nationals champion, and is a student at Lock Haven Univ. Magnussen placed third in the 2001 Women's World Team Trials, qualifying for Women's Team USA.    Three other qualified for the Wrestle-off based upon a top-three finish in a FILA A Championship: Malissa Sherwood (Rocklin, Calif./Missouri Valley College), Brandy Rosenbrock (Warren, Mich./Shamrocks) and Jessi Shirley (Galion, Ohio/Cumberland College).    Sherwood was injured during the 2001 season and did not compete in the U.S. Nationals or World Team Trials. She has placed second in the U.S. Nationals five times during her career.    Rosenbrock, a senior at East Detroit High School in Michigan, was a member of the 2001 U.S. Junior World Team.     Shirley is a freshman at Cumberland College, and placed seventh at the 2001 U.S. World Team Trials at this weight class.    The Women's World Championships were originally scheduled for Madison Square Garden in New York City, Sept. 26-29. Due to the terrorist attacks on the United States, the event was postponed. It has been rescheduled to take place in Sofia, Bulgaria, Nov. 22-25.    WOMEN'S WORLD TEAM WRESTLE-OFF AT 123.25 LBS.  Participants  Erin Tomeo, Volant, Pa. (Sunkist Kids)  Grace Magnussen, Walnut Creek, Calif. (Missouri Valley College)  Malissa Sherwood, Rocklin, Calif. (Missouri Valley College)  Jessi Shirley, Galion, Ohio (Cumberland College)  Brandy Rosenbrock, Warren, Mich. (Shamrocks)    WOMEN'S SPECIAL WRESTLE-OFF SCHEDULE    Monday, November 5, 2001  6:00 p.m. - Weigh-in Participants (Wrestling Room Olympic Training Center)    Tuesday, November 6, 2001  9:00 a.m.  - Gym # 9 Open for competitors and fans  10:00 a.m. - Quarterfinal #1 (Shirley vs. Rosenbrock)   10:45 a.m. - Semifinal Match  #1 (Magnussen vs. Sherwood)  10:55 a.m. - Semifinal Match #2 (Tomeo vs. Winner of Quarterfinal #1)  12:00 p.m. - Finals Match #1  Break For Lunch  2:00 p.m. - Finals Match #2   2:45 p.m. - Finals Match # 3 (If Needed)  *  All Matches will be held in Gym # 9 in Sports Center II at the USOTC in Colorado Springs