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Sarah Tolin wins gold in Laramie LARAMIE -

3/27/2001

Sarah Tolin of Casper, Wyoming,
receives her third straight gold medal in the Senior Womenís Division at
the Rocky Mountain Regionals held March 23-24 on the campus of the
University of Wyoming in Laramie. The Rocky Mountain Regionals annually
hosts some of the top athletes in the nation for competition in Greco-Roman
and Freestyle Wrestling in the Juniors, Seniors, and Senior Womenís
Divisions of USA Wrestling. Tolin previously won the gold at the Rocky
Mountain Regionals in 1998 and 2000, but did not compete there in 1999.
The nineteen year old Tolin totally dominated her opponent, Ann Whipple,
the twenty-three year old Olympic Training Center resident athlete of
Colorado Springs, Colorado. Tolin, wrestling at 56k, was successful in
keeping Whipple, the 51k former college wrestler and womenís team coach
from scoring any points against Tolin during their three special matches on
Saturday. In their first match, Tolin earned a technical fall over Whipple
by a score of 10-0 in one minute and nineteen seconds. In their second
match, Tolin was leading Whipple by a score of 6-0, when Tolin successfully
pinned Whipple in one minute and twenty-two seconds. In their final match
of the day, Tolin earned a technical fall over Whipple by a score of 12-0
in two minutes and twenty-nine seconds.
Whipple is one of only three women wrestlers that currently live and train
at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Whipple, a
graduate of Western States College, now practices two to three times each
day with two of the top U.S. Womenís National Team members: Tina
George-Wilson, the number one ranked 56k (123.25#) senior woman wrestler in
the nation, and Iris Smith, the number two ranked 75k (165.25#) senior
woman wrestler in the nation. Whipple is coached by Mike Duroe the newly
named head coach of the resident training program at the Olympic Training
Center in Colorado Springs and the U.S. Womenís National Team Coach.
Tolin, is a freshman at Casper College, and was the first girl in Wyoming
allowed to compete in high school wrestling since the Wyoming High School
Activities Association had adopted its rule against mixed gender teams.
Tolin wrestled two years for Kelly Walsh High School in Casper, and as a
senior, received her varsity wrestling letter and earned the coveted annual
Craig Howie Hustle Award from her coaches. During her final year of high
school wrestling, Tolin also earned a ninth place medal at the USGWA Girls
High School National Championships in Michigan.
This is Tolinís seventh year of wrestling in the USA Wrestling programs,
in both Freestyle and Greco-Roman, and is a two time Girls Wyoming State
Freestyle Champion. Tolin is also a two time recipient of the Wyoming
Governorís Award for Excellence in Freestyle Wrestling.
Tolin is being actively recruited by several colleges to become a part of
their varsity womenís wrestling program next year. Tolinís next national
wrestling competition will be at the Womenís U.S. National Championships in
Las Vegas, Nevada, April 12-14. Juniors State Wrestling Championships and
Cultural Exchange Team

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2001 AAU WRESTLING LA FEMME NATIONALES

MARCH 16-18, 2001
KINGSPORT, TENNESSEE

TRIPLE CROWN WINNERS
Amberle Montgomery
Maple Valley, WA 98038

Jimi Dawn Hornbuckle
Poteau, OK 74953

Stefanie Shaw
Waterford, CT 06385

Kristi Leigh Sweat
Cookeville, TN 38501

Joey Miller
Woodward,Ok 73801