2004 U.S. Women's Freestyle Winter Tour to kick off with the Olympic Testing Event in Athens, Greece

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John Fuller (USA Wrestling)
01/13/2004


The 2004 U.S. Women's Freestyle Winter Tour will begin on Jan. 23-25 with the Olympic Testing Event in Athens, Greece and close out with the Klippan Ladies Open in Klippan, Sweden on March 14.    All seven medalists from the 2003 Women's World Championships will compete on at least one tour event.    Five of those seven will compete at the first Winter Tour event, the Olympic Testing Event in Athens, Greece, Jan. 23-25. This event will be held in order to help test the readiness of the city of Athens as well as the wrestling venue for the 2004 Olympic Games.    The U.S. team will be led by two-time World silver medalists 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. and Toccara Montgomery (Cleveland, Ohio/Cumberland College) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.    Also competing in the Olympic Testing Event will be 2003 World silver medalist Sara McMann (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) and 2003 World bronze medalist Sally Roberts (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC). Both are expected to wrestle at  63 kg/138.75 lbs.    The team will be coached by USA Wrestling National Women's Coach Terry Steiner (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and former Stanford wrestler Levi Weikel-Magden (Charlottesville, Va.)    Miranda will also lead the U.S. team at the Kiev Grand Prix in Kiev, Ukraine, Feb. 20-22.    She will be joined by 2001 World silver medalist and seven-time U.S. Nationals champion Stephanie Murata (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and 2003 U.S. Nationals champion Malinda Ripley (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 51 kg/112.25 lbs.    Also competing at the Kiev Grand Prix will be 2002-03 U.S. National Team member Katie Kunimoto (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. and two-time U.S. National Team member Marcie VanDusen (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids).    Troy Steiner (Madison, Wis.) and USA Wrestling Women's Resident Coach Tom Tomeo (Colorado Springs, Colo.) will coach the team.    Last year at the Kiev Grand Prix, Miranda won a gold medal at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. and Murata captured a bronze medal at 55 kg/121 lbs.    As many as 15 women are slated to compete at the Ivan Yarygin Memorial International in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, Feb. 27-29.    Miranda, George, Murata, VanDusen, McMann and Roberts are expected to be joined by 2003 World Champion and seven-time World medalist Kristie Marano (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.    Also competing are 2003 World silver medalist Jenny Wong (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 51 kg/112.25 lbs., 2003 U.S. Nationals champion Tela O'Donnell (Colorado Springs, Colo./Dave Schultz WC) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and three-time U.S. Nationals champion and 2000 U.S. World Team member Iris Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.    Two high school stars will also compete at the Ivan Yarygin Memorial International: Na'Tasha Umemoto (Portland, Ore./Cobra WC) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Samantha Lang (Tualatin, Ore./Sunkist Kids) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. Both have been stars on the Junior level the past two years, and Lang established herself as a strong Senior-level competitor with a second-place showing at the 2003 U.S. Nationals and U.S. World Team Trials.    Rounding out the U.S. roster will be three-time U.S. Nationals runner-up Clariss Chun (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., two-time U.S. National Team member and 2000 Junior World silver medalist Mary Kelly (Mahomet, Ill./New York AC) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. and 2002-03 U.S. National Team member Tori Adams (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.    The team will be coached by Joe Corso (Des Moines, Iowa), who has served as a coach for three U.S. Women's World Teams, and Terry Steiner.    At the 2003 Ivan Yarygin Memorial International, Wong won a silver medal at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. and Smith won a bronze medal at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.    The final leg of the 2004 U.S. Women's Winter Tour will be the Klippan Ladies Open in Klippan, Sweden, March 12-14.    Miranda, Wong, O'Donnell and Marano will be joined at this event by 2003 U.S. Nationals champion and two-time U.S. World Team Trials champion Katie Downing (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 67 kg/147.5 lbs.    Also on the U.S. roster for the Klippan Ladies Open are three-time U.S. National Team member Danielle Hobeika (Colorado Springs, Colo./Dave Schultz WC) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and 2003 U.S. World Team Trials runner-up Grace Magnussen (Colorado Springs, Colo./Dave Schultz WC) at 59 kg/130 lbs.    The U.S. squad will be coached by 2002 U.S. Women's World Team head coach Chris Horpel (Stanford, Calif.) and Limestone College head coach Ben Stehura (Gaffney, S.C.).    Last year, the United States placed first ahead of Germany and Japan at the Klippan Ladies Open. The U.S. team was led by gold medalists Lauren Lamb at 59 kg/130 lbs. and Sara McMann at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. Downing won a silver medal at 67 kg/147.5 lbs. and Miranda captured a bronze medal at 48 kg/105.5 lbs.    Some athletes attending the 2004 U.S. Women's Freestyle Winter Tour are financially supported by their sponsoring club team.    Olympic Testing Event  Athens, Greece  Jan. 23-25, 2004  48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Patricia Miranda, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC)  55 kg/121 lbs. - Tina George, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)  63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Sara McMann, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)  63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Sally Roberts, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)  72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Toccara Montgomery, Cleveland, Ohio (Cumberland College)  Coach: Terry Steiner, Colorado Springs, Colo., and Levi Weikel-Magden, Charlottesville, Va.    Kiev Grand Prix  Kiev, Ukraine  Feb. 20-22, 2004  48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Patricia Miranda, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC)  51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Katie Kunimoto, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)  51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Malinda Ripley, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)  55 kg/121 lbs. - Stephanie Murata, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)  55 kg/121 lbs. - Marcie VanDusen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)  Coach:Troy Steiner, Madison, Wis., and Tom Tomeo, Colorado Springs, Colo.    Ivan Yarygin Memorial International  Krasnoyarsk, Russia  Feb. 27-29, 2004  48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Clarissa Chun, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)  48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Mary Kelly, Mahomet, Ill. (New York AC)  48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Patricia Miranda, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC)  51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Jenny Wong, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)  55 kg/121 lbs. - Tina George, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)  55 kg/121 lbs. - Stephanie Murata, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)  55 kg/121 lbs. - Tela O'Donnell, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC)  55 kg/121 lbs. - Na'Tasha Umemoto, Portland, Ore. (Cobra WC)  55 kg/121 lbs. - Marcie VanDusen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)  63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Tori Adams, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)  63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Kristie Marano, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)  63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Sara McMann, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)  63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Sally Roberts, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)  72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Samantha Lang, Tualatin, Ore. (Sunkist Kids)  72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)  Coach: Joe Corso, Des Moines, Iowa, and Terry Steiner, Colorado Springs, Colo.    Klippan Ladies Open  Klippan, Sweden  March 12-14  48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Patricia Miranda, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC)  51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Jenny Wong, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)  55 kg/121 lbs. - Danielle Hobeika, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC)  55 kg/121 lbs. - Tela O'Donnell, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC)  59 kg/130 lbs. - Grace Magnussen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC)  63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Kristie Marano, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)  67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Katie Downing, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)  Coach: Chris Horpel, Stanford, Calif., and Ben Stehura, Gaffney, S.C.