Zadick, Bono, Downing and Marano Weigh-In; Special Wrestle-Offs Ready To Go
<< Back to Articles
John Fuller (USA Wrestling)
07/26/2002
FARGO, N.D. - Two Special Wrestle-Offs for the U.S. World Team set for Friday morning will go as planned after the four athletes weighed in this evening. Bill Zadick (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC), Chris Bono (Gilbert, Iowa/Sunkist Kids), Katie Downing (Pendleton, Ind./Sunkist Kids) and Kristie Marano (Albany, N.Y./ATWA) all made weight and are now ready to compete for the final two spots on the U.S. World Team. The Special Wrestle-offs will be held July 27 at the FargoDome in Fargo, N.D. during the ASICS/Vaughan Junior and Cadet National Championships. In men's freestyle competition, U.S. Nationals champion Zadick will face 2002 World Team Trials champion Bono for the 63 kg/145.5 lbs. spot on the 2002 U.S. Freestyle World Team. In a women's freestyle Special Wrestle-Off, Downing, the 67 kg/147.5 lbs. World Team Trials champion, will face Marano, who was the World Team Trials runner-up at 63 kg/138.5 lbs. The winner will represent the USA at the World Championships at 67 kg/147.5 pounds. Both wrestle-offs will be a best two-out-of-three series to determine the 2002 U.S. World Team member. Zadick won the U.S. National Championships in April, but due to an injury, was unable to compete at the World Team Trials. Only the U.S. Nationals champion is allowed to request a delay to a finals series due to injury. "I feel 100 percent," Zadick said after the weigh-in. "I feel good and ready to go. Now that this part is out of the way, I can just do what I need to do - which is win." Bono, a 2001 World Team member, won the Challenge Tournament and defeated Jamill Kelly (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) in a best two-out-of-three series at the World Team Trials. "I feel real good. I made weight easily," stated Bono. "Now it's time to just go out, wrestle and have fun." A new USA Wrestling rule approved by the Women's Sports Committee allows for additional women's wrestle-offs at the three non-Olympic weight classes (51 kg, 59 kg and 67 kg). The athletes that place second or third at the four Olympic weights (48 kg, 55 kg, 63 kg and 72 kg) are allowed to challenge the winners of the three non-Olympic weights for a spot on the U.S. Women's World team. Marano, a five-time World medalist, lost to Sara McMann (Lock Haven, Pa./Sunkist Kids) at the World Team Trials at an Olympic weight. "I decided to challenge because I needed to wrestle more matches and get back into the swing of things," Marano said. "I just have to wrestle my match and do what I've been practicing and I will be just fine." Downing has never been a member of the World Team. She will have to battle through experience to gain her first spot this year. Marano was a World Champion in 2000 and boasts four World silver medals. Marano defeated Downing two matches to one, in the finals of the 2001 University Nationals. "I am ready to get out there and just wrestle," Downing said. "I have been ready for this for a while. I feel completely prepared for this series and ready to earn a spot on the World Team." The first match in both Special Wrestle-Offs will begin at 8:50 am (Central Time). The second match will begin at 1 pm (Central Time) and the third match, if necessary, will be wrestled at least one hour following the conclusion of the second match.