MALINDA RIPLEY  2002-03 Team USA Ranking: No. 5 at 48 kg/105.5 lbs.  Years on Team USA: 1 (2003-04)  Residence: Colorado Springs, Colo.  Club: Sunkist Kids  College: None  High School: Deer Valley, Calif. (Deer Valley HS)  Born: March 29, 1980  Height: 5-2    1. Did you expect to dominate the U.S. Nationals the way you did?  Ripley: You never expect to dominate, but it certainly is something you hope to do going into competition. I wrestled very well, especially for having an injury at the time. I was pleased with my performance.    2. Being only 19 years old, how special was it for you to already win the U.S. Nationals?  Ripley: It was awesome. I feel like I am able to compete at a very high level, and I felt that way last year as well when I placed fifth. I have been making improvements and knew I was capable of competing at that level this year.    3. Last year, Jenny Wong won the Trials at your weight class and she then lost the World Team spot to Stephanie Murata in a special wrestle-off. Do you expect to have to compete in a wrestle-off if you win the Trials as well?  Ripley: I fully expect there to be a challenge and I will be prepared for that when the time comes and if I win the Trials.    4. What are your thoughts about being able to wrestle-off for the World Team spots at the non-Olympic weights?  Ripley: Last year, I competed at 48 kilograms, a weight that is eligible to challenge for the wrestle-off. I did not agree with the system then and I do not now either. What is the point of having a World Team Trials if we are going to re-wrestle three of the weights. We might as well just select our Olympic teams rather than make us all go through the Trials. I hope it gets changed before 2004.    5. You spoke briefly of a back injury after the U.S. Nationals. What was the injury specifically and how long did it take you to recover?  Ripley: A week after the Dave Schultz Memorial International, an x-ray showed a fracture on my vertebrae in my lower back.    6. Were there thoughts of not even wrestling at the Nationals and just waiting until the Trials?  Ripley: Coach Terry Steiner and I discussed wrestling at nationals and how my back might cause me trouble as the tournament went on. We decided that if my back was causing me too much pain, I would wrestle to a point where I would place high enough to qualify for the Trials.    7. Why did you decide to come to Colorado Springs to train instead of wrestling at one of the college programs in the country?  Ripley: I decided to come to Colorado Springs because I felt that if I wanted to be the best, then I wanted to train with the best. That means the best athletes and coaches.    8. Being younger than a lot of the other women at the Training Center, was it tough to adjust at first?  Ripley: Yes. I had a hard time moving away from home for the first time and being around others that had been away for years. But a lot of the women have helped make me very comfortable and now I am completely focused on training towards my Olympic goals.    9. Who has helped you the most since you moved to Colorado Springs?  Ripley: Terry Steiner has had a big impact on me since I've been in Colorado Springs. He helped me understand that it was okay to not be wrestling and to be off the mat when my back was fractured. He has also helped me so much, not only technically, but also with the mental aspects of the sport.    10. If you weren't wrestling, what would you be doing with your life right now?  Ripley: I would be living in San Diego and going to school full-time for teaching.