UPDATED: Henson, Frayer, Koscheck, Sanderson win golds at FILA Manitoba Open in Canada

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
02/03/2003


Four U.S. men's freestyle wrestlers claimed gold medals with victories at the FILA Manitoba Open in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Feb. 1.    Claiming individual titles were Sammie Henson (State College, Pa./Sunkist Kids) at 55 kg/121 lbs., Jared Frayer (Norman, Okla./Sunkist Kids) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Josh Koscheck (Edinboro, Pa./New York AC) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Cael Sanderson (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 84 kg/185 lbs.    Henson, a 1998 World Champion and 2000 Olympic silver medalist, defeated James Crowe of Canada in the finals with a 10-0 technical fall. Henson scored technical falls in all four of his matches.    Frayer, a college star at the Univ. of Oklahoma, defeated 2002 Canadian World Team member Neal Ewers in the finals with an 11-1 technical fall. Frayer had five victories, including three technical falls.    Koscheck, who starred at Edinboro Univ., stopped Canada's Rob Lang in the finals, 6-3. He was 3-0 in the tournament.    Sanderson, who has been No. 1 in his weight in the USA for two years, had only three athletes in his division. He defeated them both by technical fall, including topping runner-up Drikke Wolmaranz of Canada 12-0.    The competition also featured a very strong field of women wrestlers. No U.S. athletes claimed gold medals, but two U.S. athletes won silver medals: Kristie Marano (Albany, N.Y./ATWA) at 67 kg/147.5 pounds and Samantha Lang (Tualatin, Ore./unattached) at 72 kg/158.5 pounds.    Marano, a six-time World medalist, was defeated in the finals by former World Champion Lene Aanes of Norway. By pin in 2:49. Marano won her pool with a pin and a technical fall.    Lang, a high school student in Oregon and U.S. Cadet and Junior champion, was defeated by six-time World Champion Christine Nordhagen-Vierling of Canada in the finals, 5-2. To reach the finals, Lang upset 2001 World silver medalist Toccara Montgomery (Cleveland, Ohio/Sunkist Kids), 11-8. Her record for the tournament was an impressive 4-1.    The other U.S medalist in men's freestyle was silver medalist Michael Lightner (Norman, Okla./Sunkist Kids) at 60 kg/132 lbs. Lightner fell to Canadian star Saeed Azarbajani in the gold-medal finals, 6-4    Montgomery was the only U.S. bronze medalists in women's freestyle, capturing her bronze-medal bout after the loss to Lang by pinning Kaci Lyle (Colorado Springs, Colo.) in 4:32.    Other U.S. women placewinners were:  Marianne Vollmer (Grayling, Mich./Missouri Valley), fourth at 51 kg/112.25 pounds,  Patrice Crenshaw (East Point, Ga./UM-Morris), fifth at 51 kg/112.25 pounds,  Sharon Jacobsen (El Cajon, Calif./UM-Morris), fourth at 59 kg/130 lbs.,  Mollie Keith (Aurelia, Iowa/Missouri Valley), fourth at 67 kg/147.5 pounds,  Nickia Jenson (Eden Prairie, Minn./Minnesota Storm), fifth at 67 kg/147.5 pounds, and  Kaci Lyle (Colorado Springs, Colo.), fourth at 72 kg/158.5 pounds.