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TheMat.com interview with Patricia Miranda, the 2002 U.S. Nationals women's freestyle champion at 48 kg

5/31/2002
John Fuller/TheMat.com

Although Patricia Miranda captured a silver medal at the 2000 World Championships, she had never won a U.S. Nationals title - until this year, when she came home with the 48 kg (105.5 lbs.) crown. Miranda also achieved something that could be hard to duplicate; she started eight dual meets for Division I Stanford University last season, as well as competing in numerous men’s college tournaments.

She will graduate in June with an undergraduate degree in Economics and a Master’s in International Policy before moving on to compete in the World Team Trials just four days later. TheMat.com spoke with Miranda about her past and how she finally got to the top while she was in Colorado Springs, Colo. for the two-month elite women’s training camp.

TheMat.com: Explain your thoughts and your feelings about winning your first national title this year.
Miranda: It was a lot of time and effort coming together in one tournament. It represented the last 4-5 years that I spent with the basics and fundamentals of wrestling. Being able to compete in college and for USA Wrestling has enabled me to reach my goals in this sport. The feeling I had was the same that actors get when they win an Oscar. People always laugh at them when they say they want to cry, but that is how I felt too. I am very thankful as well. The fact that I can devote half of my hours to wrestling is a privilege that a majority of people don’t have. There is a happiness that comes from the privileges I have.

TheMat.com: What was the key for you in winning U.S. Nationals?
Miranda: I think that I owe it to myself to make myself proud. The win was a result of me utilizing all of my resources. There wasn’t any one key or one strategy to winning. What I tell myself is that if I can translate what I’ve built in practices into my competition, then no one can stop me. I’m learning what it means to compete. I owe a lot of my success to breaking into the lineup at Stanford. That gave me a sense of confidence and comfort in myself.

TheMat.com: Did you have any difficulty dropping down to 105.5 pounds after competing at 112?
Miranda: It was surprisingly easy. You just add extra workouts day-in and day-out. I ate more meals during the day, but smaller portions. I felt my wrestling was still progressing as I was dropping the weight throughout training. Now that I’m graduating, though, I don’t have to worry about bulking back up to close to 125 pounds during the college season, so things should be smooth from this point on.

TheMat.com: Did you feel any bigger or stronger than your opponents at nationals this year, especially since you bulked up to compete at 125 during the college season?
Miranda: The difference in strength comes from wrestling the guys. The style that I wrestle with is about position, not about using my weight, so I don’t feel that my weight is that much of an issue.

TheMat.com: Is it true that you are putting off grad school to pursue a spot on the 2004 Olympic Team?
Miranda: Yes it is. I say that full-heartedly and without hesitation. It’s such a rare opportunity to wrestle in the Olympics that I can’t imagine myself not fully committing myself to winning a gold medal. No matter what, I don’t want any doubts when it is all said and done. I want to know that I gave it the best shot that I could, and that will mean focusing 100% on wrestling. My grad school was deferred until I am done training for the Olympics as well, so I don’t have to re-apply. Everyone at school has been very helpful.

TheMat.com: Talk about the experience of competing in varsity competition on the men’s team at Stanford this season.
Miranda: Not many people believed in me and some never really took me seriously. It really drove me to succeed. Breaking the starting lineup this past season was a great experience. It gave me a chance to compete against some of the top competition in the nation (which included a 13-1 loss to Stephen Abas) and more importantly to have constant competition, something that not all women are lucky enough to get. I learned a lot from some of the guys in the wrestling room at Stanford, but it was a great opportunity for me.

TheMat.com: You won a World silver medal in 2000, your first World Championships. Tell us about the tournament and the keys to your success.
Miranda: I have to give a lot of thanks to Levi Weikel-Magden. Having him there with me really helped. He kept things light which helped me to not have any nervousness. In life there are times when you have to change speeds, and wrestling is no different. There is a down time and then a time to turn up the notch. To be able to turn it on and off for that tournament was a key. I am learning to do it more and more now. I try to be very responsible for my own actions and therefore I try to be the very best I can.

TheMat.com: Are excited about graduating from Stanford in June?
Miranda: Yes. From the time school gets done to the time I have to be at the World Team Trials is only four days. I will have an undergrad degree in Economics and a Master’s in International Policy. Before September 11, nobody really knew what the International Policy degree was for, but ever since then, it seems like everybody is interested in what it is all about. It is definitely an interesting area of study.

Starting on May 30, TheMat.com will feature a daily interview with one of the 2002 U.S. Nationals champions, as well as a preview of that weight class for the upcoming World Team Trials, set for Saint Paul, Minn., June 21-23. Visit TheMat.com daily to read about America’s best international athletes and learn about the exciting action expected at this year’s World Team Trials.

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2002 World Team Trials preview for 48 kg in women's freestyle wrestling

5/31/2002
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling

Dropping down to 105.5 pounds and winning her first U.S. Nationals title this year was Patricia Miranda of the Dave Schultz WC. Miranda, a 2000 World silver medalist at 112 pounds, had made this weight once before in winning the Sunkist Kids International a few years ago. Miranda is completing her senior year at Stanford this year, where she competed on the men’s team and wrestled on the varsity this season. She has paid her dues since breaking onto the national scene as a high school athlete, and may be coming into her prime years now.

Miranda looked strong in the U.S. National finals by scoring a technical fall over veteran Julie Gonzalez of the Dave Schultz WC in the gold-medal finals. Gonzalez has shown a knack for making the finals of major events, but still seeks her first spot on a U.S. World Team.

Miriam Jenkins of the U.S. Marines has become a force at this weight class, taking third at the year’s U.S. Nationals. A full year in the Marines program has helped Jenkins to improve. She defeated college star Clarissa Chun of Missouri Valley in the bronze-medal match in Las Vegas. Jenkins was also the University Nationals champion this year.

Chun, who injured her knee in the early season, was second in the World Team Trials last year, and gave champion Tricia Saunders of the Sunkist Kids fits in the finals series. Chun has also been very successful in college competition and on the age-group levels.

Veteran Saunders did not compete at the U.S. Nationals, but has not indicated if she will return this season. During her historic career, Saunders has never lost to a U.S. opponent on the Senior level. She competed in last year’s World Championships, and hampered by an injury and a challenging draw, did not place. Saunders may be concentrating on coaching now, but the lure of a chance to compete at the Olympics could pull this legendary star back into competition. Her husband Townsend was an Olympic silver medalist in the 1996 Atlanta Games, and Tricia may still seek her own shot at Olympic glory.

High school star Sara Fulp-Allen of the SF Peninsula Grapplers placed fifth in the U.S. Nationals, with a big quarterfinal win over Chun on her record. Fulp-Allen has been one of the nation’s top age-group stars, with achievements on the Cadet and Junior levels, and by turning 17 this season was able to test the best Senior-level stars. Her father Lee Allen is the coach of the women’s team at Menlo College and a former Olympic Greco-Roman coach.

Placing sixth in Las Vegas was Katrina Betts of UM-Morris, who had a strong early season, including a gold medal at the Missouri Valley International. Betts wrestles an aggressive style and is known for scoring some big throws for pins. The other placewinners from U.S. Nationals to qualify for the World Team Trials were high school star Malida Ripley of the Sunkist Kids and Kristen Fujioka of Pacific University.

Also eligible to participate are Sandra Padron of Michigan, who was ranked No. 3 last year on the Senior level, and Leah Popolizio of Cumberland College, one of the Regional champions. A possibility exists that athletes from 112 pounds might consider dropping down to participate here, as this is one of the four Olympic weight divisions.

The story at this weight class will be who is able to win the Challenge Tournament and have a go at Miranda in the final series. Any one of a number of the participants might be able to advance through the Challenge Tournament. Miranda looked impressive at this division in Las Vegas, so the finals challenger will need to be in top form to claim the World Team spot.

48 kg (105.5 lbs.) qualifiers
National champion - Patricia Miranda, Stanford, Calif. (Dave Schultz WC)
U.S. Nationals #2 - Julie Gonzalez, Vallejo, Calif. (Dave Schultz WC)
U.S. Nationals #3 - Miriam Jenkins, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marines)
U.S. Nationals #4 - Clarissa Chun, Kapolei, Hawaii (Missouri Valley)
U.S. Nationals #5 - Sara Fulp-Allen, El Granada, Calif. (SF Peninsula Grapplers)
U.S. Nationals #6 - Katrina Betts, Milan, Mich. (UM-Morris)
U.S. Nationals #7 - Malinda Ripley, Antioch, Calif. (Sunkist Kids)
U.S. Nationals #8 - Kristen Fujioka, Kaneohe, Hawaii (Pacific)
Team USA member - Sandra Padron, Scottsville, Mich. (unattached)
Regional champion - Leah Popolizio, Niskayuna, N.Y. (Cumberland College)

Women’s Freestyle criteria: 1. Top eight at the 2002 Senior National Championships; 2. Current National Team Member - Top three; 3. Top three Finisher in a FILA A Championship in the past three years, including the Pan Ams, but not Sunkist; 4. 2002 University National Champion; 5. Past World Team Member; 6. 2002 Regional Tournament Champion from the Northeast and Northern Plains Regionals; 7. Medalist at Junior World Championships in the past two years

Note 1: Some athletes qualified in more than one way, although just one is noted in this list.
Note 2: Other wrestlers who meet qualifying criterion may identify themselves, and will be added to this list leading up to the event. Some of the anticipated qualifiers may choose not to attend.

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Men wrestlers take on women's sports

By Brad Knickerbocker | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

Like a gymnast on a balance beam, the Bush administration is treading carefully as it deals with landmark legislation that has opened up school sports to millions of young women.
While lauding opportunities for female athletes, administration officials – including President Bush – have criticized what they say are adverse effects on male athletes, particularly the "quotas" they believe have led to fewer team slots for men.

That law – known as Title IX – prohibits any school that receives federal funding from gender discrimination. The result: In the 30 years since it passed, the number of women playing college sports has risen nearly five-fold, to 151,000, and rosters of high school female athletes have jumped more than nine-fold, to 2.8 million. The number of male athletes at colleges and high schools has gone up as well, by smaller margins.

But over the same period, many universities have dropped less popular men's teams, such as wrestling and gymnastics. Because of this, the National Wrestling Coaches Association (with several college and sports groups) sued the Department of Education – the agency overseeing Title IX. Supporters of Title IX had feared that the administration would side with the coaches' association. Instead, Justice Department lawyers this week moved to dismiss the case, arguing that schools themselves – not the federal government – have to remedy discrimination.

Title IX supporters are cautiously happy with the administration action, but wary. "It spoke volumes that ... the administration made no defense whatsoever, even in passing, of the athletics policies that are so important to young women in this country," says Marcia Greenberger of the National Women's Law Center.

As a presidential candidate, Mr. Bush said he opposed "quotas or strict proportionality" in school sports. Likewise, while House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R) of Illinois has voiced support for the goals of Title IX, he, too, is troubled by the apparent effect on men's programs.

"The issue is, is there a way to increase women's opportunities without sacrificing opportunities for men?" asks Pete Jefferies, an aide to Mr. Hastert.

All this sharpens the debate over merits of the 1972 law.

"Title IX has been extremely successfully in creating athletics opportunities for girls," says Paul Haagen, a law professor at Duke University. "It has ... fostered a culture of women's athletics. It is extremely unlikely that change would have come so quickly or completely without it."

The problem, as many see it, is that some men-only sports – mainly football – have so many players, and generate so much revenue, that administrators are loathe to cut them.

"From the beginning, the central problem in determining ... an equitable treatment of men's and women's sports is ... football," says Mr. Haagen. "If football is removed from the equation, there is very close to parity."

"There's just no counterpart to men's football," agrees Rick Dickson, athletic director at Tulane University in New Orleans. "And because of that, you have to skew a number of programs to equalize the opportunities." Tulane is cutting its men's track programs while adding another women's sport to comply with Title IX, says Mr. Dickson. "That's unfortunate," he says, "but I don't know how you can argue that it's more unfortunate than the decades of young women who never got the opportunity [to play]."

Some analysts question the motives of those cutting men's teams. "Athletic directors have decided that they don't have the budget or don't want to increase opportunities for women, so they react by taking away opportunities from men," says Carol Barr, a sports management expert at the University of Massachusetts.

Schools can comply with Title IX in one of three ways: by demonstrating substantial "proportionality" so that the percentage of sports slots for women comes close to the percentage of women enrolled, by showing a history of increasing sports opportunities for women, or by meeting the abilities and interests of women athletes.

Critics focus on proportionality, claiming that it amounts to a "quota." But doing away with proportionality – which is what many Title IX supporters fear, and what many critics hope for – could make a big difference in how schools respond to the need for greater equity. This is especially true because proportionality is the only means of compliance that is quantifiable.

"I suspect that any weakening of the proportionality requirement will make it substantially harder to enforce Title IX," says Mr. Haagen.

More fundamentally, questions remain about the level of interest in sports among women. "Even the most well-intentioned college athletic departments can't get women to turn out at the same levels [as men]," says Christine Stolba, a senior fellow at the Independent Women's Forum.

That's nonsense, reply those who see Title IX as providing opportunities to which millions of female athletes have responded. "To punish women who are just as interested in sports as men is bad policy," says Kevin Matthews of the Center for the Study of Sport and Society at Northeastern University in Boston.

For now, some wonder whether the Bush administration – having gone on record opposing a high-profile lawsuit – will try to change the way the law is administered, particularly since the Clinton administration zealously enforced it. "They could roll back the regulations, they could change the policy interpretations," says Arthur Bryant, an Oakland, Calif., lawyer who has argued key Title IX cases. "But at least they're not saying they're going to do any of that now."

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Airdate for U.S. Women’s National Championships changed to Sunday, June 16 on Oxygen Network

5/31/2002
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling

Airdate for U.S. Women’s National Championships changed to Sunday, June 16 on Oxygen Network

USA Wrestling has been informed that the nationally televised coverage of the 2002 U.S. Women’s National Championships on the Oxygen Network has been rescheduled. The one-hour show will now be aired on Sunday, June 16 from 5-6 p.m. Eastern time.

This is two weeks later than the originally scheduled June 2nd airdate.

For the first time, the U.S. Women’s National Wrestling Championships, will be broadcast nationally as a separate show than the men’s national championships.

The Oxygen Network will combine match coverage from the gold-medal finals in Las Vegas with feature stories on the top American competitors during the 60-minute show. The Oxygen Network has distinguished itself with creative and entertaining coverage of major women’s sports events in recent years.

Calling the gold-medal matches will be the broadcast team of veteran play-by-play announcer Larry Nugent, working with color analyst Shannon Yancey, a four-time World silver medalist and top women’s wrestling coach.

The event, originally held in Las Vegas, Nev. in April, featured some tremendous action in the seven weight classes in the women’s division. The Oxygen Network spent the weekend covering the U.S. Women’s Nationals, interviewing numerous athletes and coaches and filming a variety of feature materials.

Women’s wrestling is the newest sport added to the official program of the Olympic Games, and will make its debut at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

Sponsorships of the coverage of the U.S. Women’s National Wrestling Championships, as well as the USA Women’s National Team, are available to interested companies and individuals. Please contact Larry Nugent of USA Wrestling to learn more by calling (719)598-8181 or via email at lnugent@usawrestling.org

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