Three athletes weigh in for Women’s Special Wrestle-off at 112 pounds: Murata battles Kelly on Monda

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
08/18/2002


Three athletes weighed-in on Sunday for a Special Wrestle-off on the 2002 U.S. Women's World Championship team at 51 kg/112 pounds. The winner qualifies to compete at the Women's World Championships in Halkida, Greece, Nov. 1-2.    Making weight for the competition were Mary Kelly (Mahomet, Ill./Dave Schultz WC), Stephanie Murata (Minden, Nev./Sunkist Kids) and Jenny Wong (Stillwater, Minn./Sunkist Kids).    Kelly will battle Murata in a one-match Challenge Tournament final on Monday, Aug. 19 at 11:00 a.m. The match will be held on the second floor of Building #2 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.    The winner of the Murata vs. Kelly match qualifies for the best-of-three Championship Series on Tuesday, Aug. 20, also in Building #2 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. The first match in the  will take place at 10:00 am. The second match is scheduled for 1:30 pm and the third match, if necessary, will take place one hour after the conclusion of the second match.    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 placed second or third in the World Team Trials 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.    Wong won the 51 kg/112 lbs. weight class at the World Team Trials in June by defeating Katie Kunimoto (Kaneohe, Hawaii/Pacific) two matches to none. Therefore, in the Special Wrestle-off, Wong is automatically in the Championship finals. Wong was the 2001 U.S. Nationals champion at this weight class, which is a non-Olympic weight division.    "I have been feeling surprisingly good," said Wong. "My weight came off early. Going between Colorado and Pennsylvania this summer, I've kept up my training well. It will be tough matches, for sure. They are both great competitors. I have been working with (National Coach) Terry Steiner for a week, and that's nice. He's a good coach."    "I won't be sitting," said Wong of the day off before her Tuesday matches. "I'll get a match or two in. It won't be like I'll go in half awake."    Murata placed second at the World Team Trials to Tina George-Wilson (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 55 kg/121 lbs., an Olympic weight class. Murata was a 2001 World silver medalist and is a five-time member of the Women's World Team (1996-99, 2001). Murata has won seven straight U.S. Nationals titles.    "It feels good. It's just like old times," said Murata of making 112 pounds again. "I'd like to go to the Worlds. Anytime you have an opportunity to go to the Worlds and face elite competition, it's a chance to improve yourself and test yourself."    Kelly placed third at 48 kg/105.5 pounds at the World Team Trials, also competing at an Olympic weight. Kelly, one of the nation's top high school stars last season, will be attending Neosho County CC in the fall.    "I don't have anything to lose," said Kelly. "I couldn't make the team at 105, so I am taking every chance I can get to make it. I would have liked to have trained a little more than I did, but hopefully I will wrestle well. I'm hoping the altitude won't affect me. I've never wrestled at that before."    Admission is free to all spectators for both days of the action.