The U.S. won five of nine first-session bouts, with all seven team members in action at the Women's World Wrestling Championships in Halkida, Greece, Nov. 2 Two of the losses were to opponents from world-power Japan. There was also an early upset of a top U.S. hopeful in the first American bout of the day, and a late upset of a top U.S. hopeful in the final American bout of the day. Completing the first session without a loss were Tina George (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 55 kg/121 lbs., Sara McMann (Lock Haven, Pa./Sunkist Kids) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. and Kristie Marano (Albany, N.Y./ATWA) at 47 kg/147.5 lbs.). George won two matches in the first session, but has not completed her four-athlete pool competition. George opened with a solid 8-2 victory over Vanessa Boubryemm of France, jumping to a 4-0 lead early and winning all of the takedown situations. In the second match, she faced Nadine Tokar of Switzerland and scored an impressive 15-4 technical fall in the second period. George scored a variety of takedowns and tilts, to dominante the match from the start. To win her pool, George must beat Josiane-Patricia Soloniaina of Madigascar in the second session. George is competing in her fourth World Championships. McMann opened with a dominant 11-0 technical fall over Yoon So-Young of Korea, scoring four different exposure techniques from the top position and closing out the match with 17 seconds left in the opening period. McMann will compete against Kaori Icho of Japan, an Asian Games silver medalist in the afternoon session, and must win the bout to advance. This is McMannÕs third straight World tournament. In a match featuring two athletes using upperbody techniques well, Marano defeated Stanka Zlateva of Bulgaria, 6-3. With the match tied 3-3 in the second period, Marano scored a clutch takedown for a 4-3 lead, then stepped over a Zlateva armthrow attempt for two more exposure points to put the match away 6-3. Zlateva was seventh in the 2001 World Championships. Marano will face Shannon Samler of Canada in the afternoon session. Samler placed sixth in the 2000 World Championships and was second at the 2002 University World Championships. Marano has won five previous World medals, a gold in 2000 and four silver medals (1996-99). Patricia Miranda (Colorado Springs, Colo./Dave Schultz WC) finished the morning with a 1-1 record, completing her pool competition at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. Miranda suffered the first loss for the U.S. team, as she dropped a heartbreaking 3-2 match to Ida Hellstrom of Sweden. There was no takedown in the first period, so the athletes started the second period in the clinch. Hellstrom pressed Miranda to the mat, then for exposure with a bodylock and held her long enough for an additional backpoint and a 3-0 lead. A Miranda reversal and takedown closed the score to 3-2, but time ran out for the American lightweight. In her second match, Miranda opened up the offense, on the way to a 13-1 technical fall in the second period over Tsogtbazar Enkhjargal of Mongolia. Miranda led 7-0 at the mid break, with takedowns and tilts. Late in the match, Miranda got behind Enkhjargal and launched her with a picture perfect back supplay for five big points and the technical fall victory. Stephanie Murata (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) dropped a tough 4-1 match in the first round to 2001 Junior World Champion Chiharu Icho of Japan at 51 kg/112.25 pounds. Murata scored the lone point in the first period, a one-point gut wrench turn. Leading 1-0 late in the second period, the athletes were placed in the clinch after a second straight passivity against Murata without a point scored. Icho hit a little headlock toss for three points, held for an additional one-point backpoint, and escaped with a 4-1 win on the buzzer. Murata will face Marta Wojtanowska of Poland in the afternoon session in her pool. Wojtanowska was fourth in the last two European Championships. Murata was a 2001 World silver medalist, and is battling in her sixth World meet. Lauren Lamb (Farmington N.Y./Michigan WC) dropped her opening match at 59 kg /130 lbs. Lamb fell 4-0 to 2000 World silver medalist Rena Iwama of Japan. Iwama led 1-0 at the break, then added three unanswered points in the second period for the margin of victory. Lamb has an afternoon match in her pool against Dashjanchiv Bottsetseg of Mongolia. Lamb is competing in her sixth World Championships event and has placed fifth in the World three times. The final U.S. match of the session featured 2001 World silver medalist Toccara Montgomery (Cleveland, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) at 72 kg/158.25 lbs. Montgomery quickly fell behind 5-0 in the first period to Xu Wang of China, who scored a takedown and two exposures. Battling back with a tilt and hold, Montgomery pulled to 5-3. However Wang reversed Montgomery, turned her and scored a sudden fall at 2:18. Montgomery will face Gulbanu Abdullina of Kazakhstan in the second session. Montgomery has moved up a weight class this year to compete at an Olympic division, and is competing in her first World-level event at this weight class. "We had some tough losses," said U.S. head coach Chris Horpel. "It appears the level of parity in women's wrestling has come up. With the pool system, it is difficult to know how we will finish as a team. I thought we had some strong performances from Sara (McMann) and Kristie (Marano) and Tina (George)." "In Patricia (Miranda's) match, I couldn't tell if it was a style conflict or if she was not ready for the bout," said Horpel. ÒIt doesn't appear that the Swedish athlete is great, but maybe she is deceptively good. I am hopeful that the Mongolian can beat her." "I think Stephanie did a great job to get the lead. Whenever anybody wrestles to protect a lead, it often ends badly," said Horpel. "I don't know if the other countries are wrestling at a level that we weren't ready for, or if we just plain were not ready for the first round." U.S. WOMEN'S TEAM MATCH SUMMARIES Morning Session, Saturday, November 2 48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Patricia Miranda, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC) Ida Hellstrom (Sweden) dec. Patricia Miranda (USA), 3-2 1st period Passivity against Hellstrom, 1:13 2nd period Hellstrom, 2 pt. bodylock to exposure, 3:29, 2-0 Hellstrom Hellstrom, 1 pt., additional backpoint, 3:37, 3-0 Hellstrom Miranda, 1 pt. reversal, 4:02, 3-1 Hellstrom Miranda, 1 pt. takedown, 5:40, 3-2 Hellstrom Patricia Miranda (USA) won by tech. fall over Tsogtbazar Enkhjargal (Mongolia), 13-1, 5:38 1st period Passivity against Enkhjargal, 1:00 Miranda, 2 pt. gutwrench, 1:21, 2-0 Miranda Miranda, 1 pt. single leg takedown, 1:51, 3-0 Miranda Miranda, 2 pt. tilt exposure, 2:18, 5-0 Miranda Miranda, 1 pt. additional backpoint, 2:24, 6-0 Miranda Miranda, 1 pt. high crotch takedown, 2:45, 7-0 Miranda 2nd period Enkhjargal, 1 pt takedown, 5:14, 8-1 Miranda Miranda, 5 point back supplay, 5:38, 13-1 Miranda 51 kg /112.25 lbs. - Stephanie Murata, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) Chiharu Icho (Japan) dec. Stephanie Murata (USA), 4-1 1st period Passivity against Icho, 1:13 Murata, 1 pt. gutwrench, 1:50, 1-0 Murata Passivity against Murata, 2:44 2nd period Passivity against Murata, 5:32 From the clinch, Icho, 3 pt. headlock, 5:52, 3-1 Icho Icho, 1 pt. additional backpoint, 5:57, 4-1 Icho 55 kg /121 lbs.- Tina George, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) Tina George (USA) dec. Vanessa Boubryemm (France), 8-2 1st period George, 1 pt. double leg takedown, 0:20, 1-0 George George, 2 pt. gutwrench, 0:30, 3-0 George George, 1 pt. spin behind takedown, 1:19, 4-0 George Passivity against George, 1:30 Boubryemm, 2 pt. tilt, 1:46, 4-2 George 2nd period George, 1 pt. single leg takedown, 4:05, 5-2 George George, one-point single leg takedown, 4:32, 6-2 George George, 1 pt. takedown, 5:00, 7-2 George George, 1 pt. takedown, 5:30, 8-2 George Tina George (USA) won by tech. fall over Nadine Tokar (Switzerland), 15-4, 4:15 1st period George, 1 pt. takedown, 0:23, 1-0 George George, 2 pt tilt, 0:30, 3-0 George George, 1 pt