Rosenbrock, Lang repeat as champions at ASICS/Vaughan Junior Girls Nationals; DuPont named Outstandi

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
07/26/2003


The action was impressive at the 2003 ASICS/Vaughan Girls Junior National Championships held in Fargo, N.D., July 25-26.     Claiming Junior National titles for the second straight year were Brandy Rosenbrock of Michigan at 138 pounds and Samanthan Lang of Oregon at 165 pounds.    Rosenbrock won an all-Michigan finals, pinning Anna Jenkins in 5:42. Jenkins scored the first takedown, then Rosenbrock opened up her off offense, scoring seven straight points before putting Jenkins on her back for the fall. Rosenbrock is a member of the 2003 FILA Junior World Team.    Lang jumped to an 11-1 lead before pinning Juanita Russell of New York in the finals in 2:33. Lang was second at both the Senior World Team Trials and Senior U.S. Nationals this year.    In a battle of Junior Nationals runner-ups from last year. Ali Bernard of Minnesota defeated Shawn Swarzlender of Oregon, 3-0. Bernard scored the third and deciding point on a takedown with 30 seconds to go.  Swartzlender has grown since last season, when she competed in Fargo at 128 pounds. Bernard is a member of the 2003 FILA Junior World Team.    It was a year for many new Junior National champions, as a number of young women showed great progress in their wrestling abilities since last year.    One of these young talents to emerge was 110-pound champion Claire DuPont of Colorado, who was named Outstanding Wrestler. DuPont upset FILA Junior World Team member Debbi Sakai of Hawaii, 12-8. DuPont jumped to an 8-4 lead over. In the second period, Sakai closed the gap to 9-8, but DuPont took Sakai down to her back with a throw late in the period to ice the victory.    The new 101-pound champion was Ashley Smetana of Pennsylvania, who clinched her gold medal on Friday with two wins in her round-robin competition. Jessica Essad of Nevada captured the silver medal, losing only to Smetana.    Kelli Rasmussen of Minnesota upset returning Junior National champion Rachel Holthaus of Minnesota with a pin in 3:56 at 101 pounds. The match was tied at 1-1, and Rasmussen hit an inside trip to a throw, putting Holthaus on her back for the fall.    Claiming her first Junior National title was Deanna Rix of Maine, who scored an impressive 11-0 technical fall over Jessica Jauck of California. Rix opened with a throw, then turned Jauck a number of times on the mat for the quick finish. Rix has been successful in the age-group programs and is competing in Fargo for the first time.    Capturing the 128-pound title was Jen Chu of Pennsylvania, who pinned Monica Gochioco of Californina in 3:45. The first period ended with a 1-1 tie, then Chu took down Gochioco in the second period and turned her for the fall. Chu was seventh in last year's Junior Nationals. Gochioco was one of the tournament's surprises, winning a pool which included talented veterans Na'Tasha Umemoto of Oregon and Chelynne Pringle of Minnesota.    The final champion was Lizz Sanders of Iowa, who pinned Misty Stalley of California at 175 pounds in 4:51.