Betts sweeps major awards, and Missouri Valley wins four titles at Missouri Valley Women’s Internati
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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
01/26/2002
Katrina Betts (Milan, Mich./UM-Morris) won the 105.5 pound class and swept the major awards at the Missouri Valley Women's International Championships, held at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo., January 26. Betts was named Outstanding Wrestler, and also claimed the Most Falls award after an impressive showing in the largest weight class. She pinned her first three opponents, using an attack of headlocks and hip tosses, in a combined 2:19. In the championship finals, she defeated veteran Julie Gonzalez, Vallejo, Calif. (Dave Schultz WC), in a competitive 6-2 finals match. The host Missouri Valley College dominated as a team, with four individual champions. Claiming gold medals for the Vikings were Marianne Vollmer (Grayling, Mich./Missouri Valley) at 112 pounds, Malissa Sherwood (Tracy, Calif./Missouri Valley) at 121 pounds, Tonya Evinger (Odessa, Mo./Missouri Valley) at 130 pounds and Satrinina Vernon (Rodeo, Calif./Missouri Valley) at 169.5 pounds. Vollmer broke open a close bout with a high-arching hip toss for a pin in 4:51 over Keli Hinton (Andover, Kansas/UM-Morris) in the gold-medal finals. Sherwood dominated the field, wrestling with aggressiveness and purpose, including a 14-4 technical fall in the finals over Jessica Shirley (Galion, Ohio/Cumberland College). Evinger was also equally dominant, pinning three of her four opponents in a five-athlete round-robin. Her other match was a 10-0 technical fall. Vernon won all three matches in her four-athlete roundrobin, defeating runner-up Alicia Mena (St. Paul, Minn./Cumberland College), 11-2 in her closest bout. Her other two matches were a pin and a technical fall. The most prominent athlete in the event, 2001 World silver medalist Toccara Montgomery (Cleveland, Ohio/Cumberland College), captured the gold medal at 147.5 pounds. Montgomery defeated long-time rival and past Junior World medalist Katie Downing (Pendleton, Ind./UM-Morris) by a 10-0 technical fall in the finals match. At 138.5 pounds, veteran Lauren Lamb (Troy, N.Y./Michigan WC) edged Sarah Williams (Interlochen, Mich./Missouri Valley College) in a wide-open 7-5 gold-medal match. Lamb had a difficult pool, defeating two nationally ranked opponents from host Missouri Valley College, Tori Adams and Tina Arnds. The champion at 158.5 pounds was Elena Mena (St. Paul, Minn./Cumberland College), who scored a pin over Randi Miller (Arlington, Texas/Neosho County CC) in the finals in 4:18. Competition was held in the seven new international weight classes, and an additional college weight class (77 kg). The competition featured some spectacular action, and showcased a number of new young talents who will be expected to make an impact on the national scene for many years.