Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic - The U.S. women's freestyle wrestling team entered the Pan American Games competition with hopes of sweeping the four gold medals.    When the dust had settled, that mission had been accomplished in possibly the most dominating performance by a U.S. women's wrestling team since it won the 1999 World team title.    Gold medals were won by Patricia Miranda (Colorado Springs, Colo./Dave Schultz WC) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., Tina George (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 55 kg/121 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.    Miranda, George and Montgomery are all World silver medalists.    "Our girls are really honed," stated Tricia Saunders, a gold medal winner for that 1999 World Championship team and head coach of the Pan American Games team. "I am not surprised we did this, but it was a challenge as well. Three of these women lost to their opponents at the Pan Am Championships, but they came back and really dominated."    "They have always had the talent, but its about putting it together on the same day, and that's what they did here," Saunders added.    Miranda got the ball rolling for the U.S. squad - literally. She dominated the action, using a front headlock throughout the entire first period to gain position against Canada's Lyndsay Belisle.    Leading 4-0 in the second period, Miranda used that front headlock to fake a shot and lock a cradle, earning a pin at the 4:08 mark.    "Terry told me at the halfway point that when she grabs at my hands and arms to give her a yank and go to the leg. When I did that, I had an opening for the cradle and took it," Miranda said.    The win was also monumental as Miranda became the first-ever gold medalist for women's wrestling at the Pan American Games.    "I feel like the luckiest person alive," she said in Disney World-like fashion.    Following Miranda's win was George, who had a 4-1 semifinal win over Marcia Andrades of Venezuela at the beginning of the session.    In the finals, George held on for a 4-3 victory over Tonya Verbeek of Canada, an opponent George had defeated in pool competition as well.    Verbeek opened the scoring in the match with a takedown and a one-point ankle lace for a 2-0 advantage. George tied the score in the second period with her second takedown, and a two-point gut wrench put her up 4-2 on the Canadian. Verbeek later forced a fleeing the mat call against George, but was unable to muster any more offense.    "I realized at the halfway point that I didn't want to give that match away. I didn't come out with the intensity that I usually like to show. Sometimes your best isn't good enough, but I felt like mine was," an emotion George said after the win.    "So many people in my Army unit have supported me and I wanted to give everything I had for them," she added.    McMann wasted no time in taking control of her match against Viola Yanik of Canada, scoring six points in the first period and earning a pin at the 3:24 mark.    McMann felt that her success in the gold-medal match, along with the success of the other U.S. champions, is a direct result of the Women's Freestyle Resident Program at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.    "(USA Wrestling National Women's Coach) Terry Steiner has helped me on my defense so much. Everybody has improved since Terry has come in. We all take advantage of what he knows," she said.    Montgomery finished the sweep with a first-period pin of Ohenewa Akuffo of Canada at the 1:19 mark. Akuffo had gained a 2-0 lead with two takedowns, but Montgomery refused to back down to the woman who had defeated her in July.    "I was confident. We had wrestled five times this year before this match, and in two of them she had at least a two or three-point lead," Montgomery said. "When I'm down, I don't get nervous."     The U.S. placed first in the team race, followed by Canada and Venezuela.    The U.S. Women's Freestyle Team will now prepare for the World Championships which will be held at New York City's Madison Square Garden, Sept. 12-14.    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) - 1st  pin Susana Dos Santos (Brazil), 2:50; tech. fall Flor Quispe (Peru), 11-0, 3:50; pin Ivelisso Nunez, Dominican Republic, 1:43; by fall over Lyndsay Belisle (Canada), 4:08    55 kg/121 lbs. - Tina George, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) - 1st  tech. fall Sandra V. Roa (Guatemala), 10-0, 2:50; dec. Tonya Verbeek (Canada), 4-1; dec. Marcia Andrades (Venezuela), 4-1; dec. Tonya Verbeek (Canada), 4-3    63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Sara McMann, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) - 1st  pin Vanesa Mallqui (Peru), 1:07; pin Xiomara Guevara (Venezuela), 3:16; tech. fall Lili A. Canales (El Salvador), 10-0, 1:12; by fall over Viola Yanik (Canada), 3:24    72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Toccara Montgomery, Cleveland, Ohio (Cumberland College) - 1st  dec. Yasmili Ramos (Venezuela), 8-0; by fall over Ohenewa Akuffo (Canada), 1:19