Roberts vs. Sastin is the new “Bout of the Week” on USA Wrestling Members-Only website

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Gary Abbott (USA Wrestling)
03/15/2004


USA Wrestling has updated its new "Bout of the Week" on USA Wrestling's Members-Only website.    The featured match this week will be the Sally Roberts vs. Marianna Sastin bronze medal match at the 2003 World Championships of Freestyle Wrestling at 59 kg/130 lbs. in women's freestyle wrestling.    This match was held in Madison Square Garden in New York City. Roberts, who was competing in her first World Championships, put on an offensive display in this bout, including an exciting high amplitude throw that was printed in newspapers across the nation the next day. By winning this match and capturing the bronze medal, Roberts earned the seventh medal for the U.S. in women's wrestling at the event. It was the first time in history that a U.S. World Team had won a medal in every single weight class at a World Championships.    Roberts qualified for the U.S. World Team by winning a Special Wrestle-off for the position at 59 kg. She was a 2003 U.S. Nationals champion at the division and was named Outstanding Wrestler in the women's division. She competed up at 63 kg/138.75 pounds at the World Team Trials, placing third, which allowed her to enter the Special Wrestle-off.    Roberts is one of the talented young women accepted into the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) resident program for women's wrestling, training full-time under National Freestyle Coach Terry Steiner.    Roberts was a 2003 University Nationals champion, and second in the 2002 University Nationals. She has placed at the U.S. Nationals three times. Her top international achievement was a gold medal at the 2003 World Cup. She also boasts a 2003 Dave Schultz Memorial International title.    Roberts competed on the women's college level, first at UM-Morris then at Pacific University. She is originally Washington, where she competed on the boys team at Federal Way High School. She was also an all-state performer in swimming.    Like Roberts, Sastin was competing in her first Senior-level Women's World Championships for Hungary in New York.  Only 20 years old, Sastin had worked her way up through the age-group level competing for Hungary. She was 10th in both the 2001 and 2003 Junior World Championships. She also competed in the 1999 Cadet World Championships. She has wrestled in the European Championships on three levels: Senior, Junior and Cadet.    This popular feature will be changed on a regular basis, allowing members to enjoy many of the greatest matches in wrestling history.     Moving into the archived section of Bouts of the Week was last week's 1996 Melvin Douglas vs. Mike Van Arsdale men's freestyle match. Many other entertaining and historic matches are in the archive section for the Bout of the Week.     USA Wrestling has done a complete redesign and expansion of its Members-Only website, providing all USA Wrestling members with an impressive new resource stocked with interactive learning tools and entertaining features.     This on-line resource is available free of charge only to current members of USA Wrestling, one of the most exciting benefits of joining the organization.    USA Wrestling members will only need to enter the number from their 2003-04 membership card into an entry form, and the exciting new Members-Only page will become available to them.    RECENT BOUTS OF THE WEEK PLACED IN ARCHIVE  1996 Melvin Douglas vs. Mike Van Arsdale men's freestyle match  1988 Ike Anderson vs. Buddy Lee men's Greco-Roman match  1996 Tom Brands vs. Jang Jae-Sung men's freestyle match  2004 Eric Larkin vs. T.J. Williams men's freestyle match  1992 Rodney Smith vs. Cecilio Rodriguez men's Greco-Roman match.  1988 Rico Chiapparelli vs. Lukman Jabrailov men's freestyle match  2003 Kristie Marano vs. Ewelina Pruszko women's freestyle match  1999 Stephen Neal vs. Andrei Shumilin men's freestyle match  2003 Cael Sanderson vs. Sajid Sajidov men's freestyle match