News Page
7/6/2005
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling
A Special Wrestle-off for the 55 kg/121 lbs. position on the U.S. Women’s World Team in wrestling will be held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. on Monday, July 11.
This best-of-three series will feature 2005 U.S. Nationals champion Tina George (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) against Marcie Van Dusen (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids).
George took an extension on her championship series due to injury, something that only national champions may do. She suffered hand and knee injuries which prevented her from competing in the World Team Trials in Ames, Iowa, June 18-19.
Van Dusen earned a position in the Special Wrestle-off by winning the title at the World Team Trials. She defeated Chelynne Pringle (Hugo, Minn./Minn. Storm), 2-2, 1-0 in bout one and 5-0, 2-0 in bout two.
The Special Wrestle-off will be held at SportsCenter II at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, in the second-floor gymnasium. The first match of the series is set for 10:30 a.m., with the second and third (if necessary) to be held at 12:30 p.m.
Admission is free to the public.
George is a two-time World silver medalist, who placed second at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. She has won three U.S. Nationals titles, and has qualified for five U.S. World Teams.
Van Dusen was a 2004 University World champion, and was a 2005 University Nationals champion. She placed second at the 2005 U.S. National Championships.
The winner of this Special Wrestle-off will represent the United States at the World Wrestling Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Sept. 26-Oct. 2. The rest of the U.S. World Teams in all three styles were determined at the World Team Trials in Ames, Iowa.
BIOGRAPHIES
TINA GEORGE, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
Born: Nov. 5, 1978
* Two-time World silver medalist (2002-03)
* Second in 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials
* Five-time U.S. World Team member (1998-99, 2000, 2002-03)
* Three-time U.S. Nationals champion (2001, 2004-05)
* Two-time U.S. Nationals runner-up (1999, 2003)
* Has won five tournaments this season: 2005 Trophe Milone (Italy), 2005 Klippan (Sweden), 2005 Dave Schultz Memorial, 2004 New York AC Christmas International, 2004 Sunkist Kids International
* Four-time University Nationals champion (1998, 2000-02)
* U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete
* Featured in Vogue magazine and Hers Magazine
* Competed for the Univ. of Minnesota-Morris, before joining the U.S. Army
* Missed the 2001 World Championships because of Army Basic Training
MARCIE VAN DUSEN, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
Born: June 25, 1982
* Second in 2005 U.S. Nationals
* 2004 World University champion
* Fifth in 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials
* Third in 2002-03 U.S. World Team Trials
* 2005 University Nationals champion
* Third in 2005 Medved International (Belarus)
* Two-time Cadet World bronze medalist (1998-99)
* Four-time Cadet Nationals champion (1996-99)
* U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete
* Placed fourth in the men’s CIF Southern Section for Rim of the World High School (1999-2000)
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Day 1 Jr World Women
7/7/05
USAW Women push 3 into the championship finals to be held at 6pm Lithuanian standard time (6am Hawaii or 11pm Eastern standard time). Sara Fulp-Allen 48k, Dany Hedin 55k, and Ali Bernard 72k all wrestle for Gold Wednesday afternoon.
Jackie Cataline 63k will wrestle for bronze via the repechage after dropping a match to Japan. Her victor pinned 2 foes on her way to the Gold medal match.
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7/7/2005
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling
note: this story will be updated as more information is received
The United States won three medals during the first day of the FILA Junior World Women’s Wrestling Championships in Vilnius, Lithuania, July 7.
Claiming a gold medal was Ali Bernard (New Ulm, Minn./Univ. of Regina) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. It was her second career Junior World gold medal, to go along with a Junior World title at 67 kg/147.5 lbs. in 2003.
Winning silver medals for the U.S. were Sara Fulp-Allen (El Granada, Calif./Menlo College) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. and Dany Hedin (Kailua, Hawaii/USOEC) at 55 kg/121 lbs.
Bernard pinned all four of her opponents during the competition, including a second-period fall over Alena Stardubtseva (Russia). Bernard won the first period on criteria, 2-2, then pinned Stardubtseva in the second period.
Bernard competes for the Univ. of Regina in Canada, and was a CIS national champion this year as a college freshman. Starodubtseva was fourth in the 2003 Junior World Championships and a 2004 European Junior champion.
Other athletes that Bernard pinned were Kie Tanaka of Japan, Vasilisa Marzaliuk of Belarus and Jenny Franson of Sweden.
Fulp-Allen won her first three matches to reach the gold-medal finals, stopping Lyudmila Balushka of Ukraine, Yuki Katafuchi of Japan and Cristina Croitoru of Romania. In the gold-medal finals, Fulp-Allen lost to Lorissa Oorzak of Russia, 1-3, 0-3.
Fulp-Allen competes at Menlo College, and was a 2005 U.S. Senior Nationals champion. Oorzhak placed fifth in the 2004 Olympic Games, was a 2003 Junior World champion and won the 2005 European Championships.
Hedin also needed three wins to reach the championship finals, stopping Olena Malishko of Ukraine, Sabrina Esposito of Italy and Emese Szabo of Hungary. In the gold-medal finals, she dropped a 1-2, 2-2 decision to Johanna Mattson of Sweden.
Hedin is a member of the USOEC women’s resident team at the Univ. of Northern Michigan, and has won the FILA Junior Nationals for two straight years. Mattsson was a 2004 European Cadet champion.
At 63 kg/138.75 lbs., Jackie Cataline (Corona, Calif./Cataline’s Wildcats) lost both of her matches and was eliminated from medal contention.
She opened the tournament with a loss to Mio Nishimaki of Japan. When Nishimaki qualified for the gold-medal finals, Cataline was drawn back into the wrestle-back portion of the tournament. In her first wrestle-back match, Cataline was defeated by Olga Butkevich of Ukraine.
Four U.S. women in other divisions weighed in today and will compete on Friday.
Women’s freestyle competition will be held Thursday, July 7 and Friday, July 8. Men’s Greco-Roman competition is set for Saturday, July 9 and Sunday, July 10. The men’s freestyle competition was completed on Wednesday, July 6.
For more information, visit the official event web page at:
http://www.event-management.lt/wjwc2005/index.php?lang=eng
FILA Junior World Championships results
7/7/2005
Vilnius, Lithuania
Entered by Gary Abbott
Team Scoring
Results By Weight
U.S. results
(scores will be posted when available)
48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Sara Fulp-Allen, El Granada, Calif. (Menlo College), silver medal
WIN Lyudmila Balushka (Ukraine)
WIN Yuki Katafuchi (Japan)
WIN Cristina Croitoru (Romania)
LOSS Lorissa Oorzak (Russia), 1-3, 0-3
55 kg/121 lbs.
Dany Hedin, Kailua, Hawaii (USOEC), silver medal
WIN Olena Malishko (Ukraine)
WIN Sabrina Esposito (Italy)
WIN Emese Szabo (Hungary)
LOSS Johanna Mattson (Sweden), 1-2, 2-4
63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Jackie Cataline, Corona, Calif. (Cataline’s Wildcats)
LOSS Mio Nishimaki (Japan)
LOSS Olga Butkevich (Ukraine)
72 kg/158.5 lbs.
Ali Bernard, New Ulm, Minn. (Univ. of Regina), Gold medal
WIN Kie Tanaka (Japan), pin
WIN Vasilisa Marzaliuk (Belarus), pin
WIN Jenny Franson (Sweden), pin
WIN Alena Stardubtseva (Russia), 2-2, pin
U.S. athletes who will compete Friday, July 8
44 kg/88 lbs.
Melissa Gerard, Norway, Mich. (Cumberland College)
51 kg/112.25 lbs.
Kapua Torres, Kahuku, Hawaii (Pacific Univ.)
59 kg/130 lbs.
Suekoilya Shelly, Bedford, Texas (New York AC)
67 kg/147.5 lbs.
Heather Martin, Wellington, Ohio (New York AC)