Biographies of Women's Freestyle Finalists

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
07/27/2002


95 pounds (round-robin participants)  Rachel Holthaus, Little Falls, Minn., age 15, Hi-Flyers  Will be a sophomore at Little Falls High School...posted a 13-5 record in the boys varsity as a freshman...third in 2002 FILA Junior Nationals...six-time Minnesota state freestyle champion...third in 2002 USGWA folkstyle nationals...Third Team TheMat.com/ASICS All-American...    Bernadette Javier Honolulu, Hawaii, age 17, Team Hawaii  Will be a senior at Leilehua High School...placed sixth in the Hawaii girls state championships with a 20-3 record...posted a 15-6 record as a sophomore...2002 FILA cadet national champion...second in the 2002 FILA junior nationals...    Peggy Whitaker, Pattersonville, N.Y., age 16, TNT  Will be a junior at Schalmont High School... Career high school record of 32-10... Third in 2001 FILA Cadet Nationals... Three-time New York State women's freestyle champion... 2001 Colonial Central JV Tournament champion... Also a nationally ranked judo athlete... Second in 2001 U.S. Women's Senior Judo Nationals.... 2000 American-Canadian Judo champion... Two-time Junior Pan American Championships judo champion (2001-02)... Two-time High School Nationals judo champion... 2001 Judo Junior Nationals champion... Bronze medalist at 2001 Senior Women's U.S. Open... 1996 Presidential Sports Award in Judo...    Editor's note, post event: Holthaus won the gold, Whitaker the silver and Javier the bronze...     101 pounds  Sara Fulp Allen, El Granada, Calif., age 17, SF Peninsula Grapplers  Will be a senior at Half Moon Bay High School... Has competed on the boys varsity for three years, with a 86-22 record... Fifth in 2002 U.S. Nationals... 2002 FILA Junior National champion... Three-time FILA Cadet National champion... Two-time USGWA folkstyle national champion... Third in 2001 Senior Polish Ladies Open... 2001 Cadet Klippan Ladies Open champion in Sweden... First Team TheMat.com/ASICS All-American...     Gina Heinzelmann, Saginaw, Mich., age 18  Graduated senior from Heritage High School... Four-year varsity member of boys team, with a First Team TheMat.com/ASICS All-American... Second in 2002 FILA Junior Nationals... Fourth in 2001 FILA Junior Nationals...two-time USGWA folkstyle national champion...First Team TheMat.com/ASICS All-American...has the most high school wins in Michigan as a female wrestling boys      110 pounds  Mary Kelly, Mahomet, Ill., age 18, Dave Schultz WC  Graduated senior from Mahomet-Seymour High School... Will attend Neosho County CC in the fall... Third at the 2002 World Team Trials...  Second in 2002 University Nationals... Second in 2002 FILA Junior Nationals... Junior World silver medalist... Cadet World Champion... Cadet World Silver medalist... First Team TheMat.com/ASICS All-American in 2001 and 2002...     MalindaRipley Antioch, Calif., age 18, Sunkist Kids  Graduated senior from Deer Valley High School... Will become a U.S. Olympic Training Center Resident Athlete in Colorado Springs, Colo. in August... Fifth at the 2002 World Team Trials... Seventh at 2002 U.S. Nationals... 2002 USGWA folkstyle national champion and Outstanding Wrestler... 2000 FILA Cadet National champion... First Team TheMat.com/ASICS All-American...     119 pounds  Rachel Groft, Abbotstown, Pa., age 16, Ice Breakers  Will be a junior at New Oxford High School... has competed on the boys team for two years with a 16-28 record... Pennsylvania state freestyle champion... Honorable Mention TheMat.com/ASICS All-American    Amberle Montgomery, Maple Valley, Wash., age 14, Toro  Will be a sophomore at Tahoma High School... Washington state womens freestyle champion 2002 FILA cadet national champion... sixth in USA Wrestling schoolboy nationals competing against boys... has won nine national wrestling titles... Second Team TheMat.com/ASICS All-American...     128 pounds  Lindsay Owens, Ripon, Calif., age 18  Graduated senior from Ripon High School... fourth in 2002 USGWA folkstyle nationals... four-time folkstyle state champ...     Shawn Swartzlender Burns, Ore., age 16, Hi-Desert  Will be a junior at Burns High School... member of boys varsity team with a career 26-13 record... 2002 Oregon state womens freestyle champion... two-time USGWA folkstyle national champion... First Team TheMat.com/ASICS All-American...    138 pounds    Brandy Rosenbrock, Warren, Mich., 17 years old, Shamrock  Will be a senior at East Detroit High School... Competed for three years on varsity boys team, with a 41-28 record... Second in 2002 Senior World Team Trials... Fourth in 2002 U.S. Nationals... 2001 and 2002 FILA Junior National champion... 2001 FILA Cadet National champion... Second in 2001 Senior Lady Klippan Open in Sweden... 2-time FILA Junior World team member... 2-time FILA Cadet World team member... Three-time USGWA folkstyle national champion... First Team TheMat.com/ASICS All-American in 2001 and 2002...     Wendy Casey, Binghamton, N.Y., 17 years old, Shamrock  Will be a senior at Binghamton High School... Two-time USGWA folkstyle national champion... two-time state folkstyle champion... Third in 2000 FILA Cadet Nationals... First Team TheMat.com/ASICS All-American...     150 pounds    Ali Bernard New Ulm, Minn., age 16, Minnesota Storm  Will be a junior at New Ulm High School... a member of the boys varsity team with a career record of 5-11... 2001 FILA cadet national champion... 2002 USGWA folkstyle national champion... First Team TheMat.com/ASICS All-American...    Heather Martin Wellington, Ohio, age 16, All-American  Will be a junior at Keystone High School... 2002 FILA cadet national champion... 2001 FILA cadet runner-up... USGWA folkstyle All-American... Second Team TheMat.com/ASICS All-American...    165 pounds  Ashley Gaspar, Ewa, Hawaii, age 18, Team Hawaii  Graduated senior from Nanakuli High School... three-time Hawaii girls state high school champion... three-time USGWA state champion... fourth at 1999 USGWA folkstyle nationals...     Samantha Lang, Tualatin, Ore., age 16, Team Oregon  Will be a junior at Tualatin High School... 2002 FILA cadet national champion... two-time USGWA national folkstyle champion... 2002 Oregon state womens champion... 1998 USA Wrestling national kids folkstyle champion competing against boys, the only girl to ever win this tournament... 1998 Western Regional kids champion in both styles... First Team TheMat.com/ASICS All-American...     175 pounds  Alicia Mena, St. Paul, Minn., age 19, Minnesota Storm  Graduated senior from Humbolt High School... FILA junior national champion... FILA cadet national champion... US Senior Nationals All-American... state freestyle champion... First Team TheMat.com/ASICS All-American in 2001 and 2002...    Misty Stalley, San Mateo, Calif., age 17, SF Pennisula Grapplers  Will be a senior at Aragon High School... fifth in 2002 USGWA folkstyle nationals... 2002 state womens freestyle champion... 2002 USGWA state folkstyle champion... Honorable mention TheMat.com/ASICS All-American