Missouri Valley completes 2001-02 women’s college season as top-ranked team; Lock Haven boasts three
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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
05/20/2002
TheMat.com has released its final team and individual ranking for U.S. women's college wrestling season with its May 2002 announcement. The U.S. college programs completed their seasons with three major USA Wrestling national events: the U.S. Women's Nationals, the University Nationals and the FILA Junior Nationals. Missouri Valley College, based on overall team depth, retained the No. 1 team spot. The Vikings placed second as a team at the U.S. Women's National Championships, just one point behind the Sunkist Kids club. A total of 17 Vikings wrestlers are ranked in the final U.S. College Women's individual rankings, although none claimed a No. 1 spot. Ranked second in the rankings for the first time this season is Pacific Univ. in Oregon. Pacific had a strong team performance at the U.S. Nationals, placing third in the standings. Two of the Boxers wrestlers earned No. 1 final college rankings: freshman Tela O'Donnell at 121 pounds and sophomore Kaci Lyle at 158.5 pounds. Placing No. 3 in the final team rankings was the Univ. of Minnesota-Morris, the nation's first women's college wrestling varsity team. UM-Morris had eight athletes in the individual rankings, including the No. 1 at 169.5 pounds, freshman Alicia Wilson. UM-Morris had good showings at all three USA Wrestling events: the U.S. Nationals, the University Nationals and the FILA Junior Nationals. Lock Haven Univ. had the most individual No. 1 athletes in the final rankings with three: junior Jenny Wong at 112 pounds, freshman Erin Tomeo at 130 pounds and senior Sara McMann at 138.5 pounds. Wong and McMann won U.S. Nationals titles, and Tomeo placed second at the U.S. Nationals. These individual performances gave Lock Haven the No. 4 final team ranking. Placing fifth in the final team rankings was Cumberland College, led by individual No. 1 ranked freshman Toccara Montgomery at 147.5 pounds. Montgomery won a gold medal and was named Outstanding Wrestler for the second straight year at the U.S. Nationals. Seven Cumberland athletes finished in the final individual rankings. The No. 6 ranked team was Neosho County CC, led by five individually-ranked wrestlers. Rounding out the top 10 teams were No. 7 American International College, No. 8 Princeton, No. 9 Hawaii and No. 10 Menlo College. The final No. 1 individual athlete was Stanford senior Patricia Miranda, who dropped to 105.5 pounds and claimed the gold medal at the U.S. Nationals. Miranda and Montgomery are the most accomplished college wrestlers on the international level, as both have won World silver medals. The rankings are posted in the rankings section of TheMat.com, under the College Women section. Athletes who are considered for ranking are eligible full-time college students, and are members of their college women's varsity or club program, or a member of their college men's wrestling team. The eligibility for the team rankings include both college varsity programs and college-affiliated club programs. The 2001-2002 TheMat.com U.S. College Women's rankings marked the first year that women's college teams have been ranked. Women's wrestling is the newest sport added to the Summer Olympic Games, and women's wrestling is growing on the high school and college levels in the United States.