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.