Miranda, McMann and Montgomery set to wrestle for gold medals this evening; George in the semifinals
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John Fuller (USA Wrestling)
08/05/2003
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic - Three U.S. women's freestyle wrestlers have earned a trip to the gold-medal match at the Pan American Games. This is the first year that women's wrestling has been featured at this event. The three finalists are Patricia Miranda (Colorado Springs, Colo./Dave Schultz WC) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., Sara McMann (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. and Toccara Montgomery (Cleveland, Ohio/Cumberland College) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. Tina George (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) will wrestle in the semifinals at 55 kg/121 lbs. Miranda stormed through her competition, recording two first-period pins and another win by technical superiority, 11-0. She will face Lyndsay Belisle of Canada for the first-ever gold medal awarded in women's wrestling at the Pan American Games. Belisle defeated Miranda 3-1 at the Pan American Championships in Guatemala City, Guatemala in March. McMann also had no trouble in her pool matches, winning her first two matches by fall and her third by a 10-0 technical superiority. She will wrestle Viola Yanik of Canada in the gold-medal match. Yanik placed third at the 2002 World Cup. After a forfeit, Montgomery defeated Yasmili Ramos of Venezuela 8-0 to win her pool and advance to the gold-medal match. Montgomery will square off with North American rival Ohenewa Akuffo of Canada. Montgomery is 4-1 this year against Akuffo, but Akuffo won the last meeting, 4-2 in overtime, at the Canada Cup in July. George defeated Tonya Verbeek of Canada 4-1 in pool competition to advance to the semifinal round. The win avenged a Pan American Championships loss to Verbeek in March. In the semifinals, George will wrestle Marcia Andrades of Venezuela, an opponent that pinned George at the Pan American Championships. Only the four Olympic weight classes are competed at the Pan American Games in order to be in accordance with the Olympic programme. Women's freestyle competition will commence at the Pebellon de Combate in the Olympic Park in Santo Domingo this evening at 5:00 p.m. For complete coverage, bio information and results of the Pan American Games wrestling competitions, log in to www.themat.com/specialevents/2003/PanAm/default.asp . Pan American Games at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic August 5, 2003 U.S. Women's Freestyle Individual Results 48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Patricia Miranda, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC) pin Susana Dos Santos (Brazil), 2:50; tech. fall Flor Quispe (Peru), 11-0, 3:50; pin Ivelisso Nunez, Dominican Republic, 1:43 55 kg/121 lbs. - Tina George, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) tech. fall Sandra V. Roa (Guatemala), 10-0, 2:50; dec. Tonya Verbeek (Canada), 4-1 63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Sara McMann, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) pin Vanesa Mallqui (Peru), 1:07; pin Xiomara Guevara (Venezuela), 3:16; tech. fall Lili A. Canales (El Salvador), 10-0, 1:12 72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Toccara Montgomery, Cleveland, Ohio (Cumberland College) dec. Yasmili Ramos (Venezuela), 8-0