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04/16/04DOUG BINDER

and JOE FREEMAN

Sammi Lang's pursuit of a spot on the U.S. Olympic wrestling team took a detour last week, but her coach said she is still on course.

Lang, a Tualatin High senior, traveled to Las Vegas last weekend hoping to win the 72 kilogram (158.5 pounds) regional championship and earn a ticket to the Olympic Trials, scheduled for May 21-23 in Indianapolis.

But after arriving in Las Vegas, Lang suffered a bout of food poisoning. She was hospitalized and did not compete.

"She's fine now," Lang's coach, Bobo Umemoto, said Thursday. "She's back to training this week."

Lang has shifted her focus toward New Orleans, site of another qualifying tournament, April 22-24. If she wins that tournament, and Umemoto said he suspects she will, Lang will gain a berth in the trials.

Lang is the No. 2-ranked competitor in the nation at 72 kilograms, according to the April 1st poll on TheMat.com's Web site.

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Missouri Valley takes top spot in TheMat.com Women’s College Poll, as Cumberland has the most No. 1 athletes

4/16/2004
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling

The April 16, 2004 TheMat.com U.S. Women’s College Wrestling Rankings for teams and individuals have been released. This is the final poll of the 2003-04 season.

Two major events have been held since the last poll in mid-March, the Women’s College Nationals in Marshall, Mo. and the U.S. Senior Nationals in Las Vegas, Nev.

Missouri Valley College, a NAIA team coached by Carl Murphree, placed first in the poll with two first place votes. Missouri Valley scored the most team points at the Women’s College Nationals. At the U.S. Nationals, two Vikings qualified for the championship finals, and five were All-Americans.

Cumberland College, a NAIA school in Kentucky, came in at No. 2 in the poll, with one first place vote. Cumberland , coached by Kip Flanik, was second in the standings at the Women’s College Nationals. At the U.S. Nationals, Cumberland had an individual champion, as well as six All-Americans.

The next three teams held their positions from the last poll, No. 3 Pacific University, No. 4 Menlo College and No. 5 UM-Morris.

Rounding out the top 10 were No. 6 Lassen College, No. 7 MacMurray College, No. 8 Cal-State Bakersfield, No. 9 Princeton and No. 10 Univ of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine WC.

The poll can be found at:
http://themat.com/rankings/default.asp?CategoryID=108&RankingID=685

The team ranking poll is elected by a panel of three U.S. women’s college coaches. Eligible for ranking are college varsity and club women’s wrestling programs.

There was a shakeup in the individual rankings, as many athletes changed weights for the U.S. Nationals in Las Vegas, as well as the College Women’s Nationals.

Cumberland had the most No. 1 athletes with four: Iris Mucha at 121 pounds, Suekoila Shelly at 130 pounds, Alaina Berube at 138.75 pounds and Toccara Montgomery at 158.5 pounds.

Missouri Valley had three individual No. 1 ranked athletes: Debbi Sakai at 112.25 pounds, Kelly Branham at 147.5 pounds and Stephany Lee at 176 pounds.

The other individual No. 1 ranked athlete was Mary Kelly of MacMurray College at 105.5 pounds.

The April 16, 2004 TheMat.com U.S. Women’s College Individual rankings can be found at:
http://themat.com/rankings/default.asp?CategoryID=108&RankingID=686

The individual rankings are selected by TheMat.com. Athletes who are considered for ranking are eligible full-time college students, and are members of their college women’s varsity or club program, or a member of their college men’s wrestling team.