U.S. Olympic Team Trials preview in women's freestyle at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.
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by Elizabeth Wiley
This weight class is loaded with talent and experience. There are two past World Champions in the field, and neither qualified for the U.S. Nationals finals.
Winning the U.S. Nationals and claiming the top seed at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials is two-time Junior World champion Ali Bernard. She has attended college in Canada, where she dominated her weight class. Bernard has two career U.S. Nationals titles, and has been nationally ranked since she was in high school.
Two-time World bronze medalist Katie Downing placed second at the U.S. Nationals after moving up from her normal weight class at 147.5 pounds. Downing made a similar move up in weight at the 2004 Olympic Trials and placed sixth.
The World champions in the field are two-time World champion Kristie Marano and 2005 World champion Iris Smith. Downing beat Marano at the U.S. Nationals and Bernard defeated Smith. In the third-place match at U.S. Nationals, Smith beat Marano. In 2004, Marano was second in the Olympic Trials at this weight, after missing weight at 138,75 pounds. Marano has won nine World Championship medals, the winningest U.S. women's wrestler of all time.
Sitting out of U.S. Nationals was 2004 University World champion Stephany Lee, who defeated Bernard in the finals of the University Nationals this year. Lee was second in the 2006 and 2007 U.S. World Team Trials behind Marano and has wins over many of the other athletes in the field.
The rest of the field will have trouble matching the achievements of these five top stars. Qualifying by placing at the U.S. Nationals this year in the top seven were Megan Goldsmith, Lacey Novinska and Jenna Pavlik. Of these, Pavlik is most experienced, placing fifth in the 2001 World Championships.
2008 U.S. Nationals results
1st - Ali Bernard, New Ulm, Minn. (Gator WC) dec. Katie Downing, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 0-1, 2-2, 1-0
3rd - Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) dec. Kristie Marano, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 1-0, 2-0
5th - Megan Goldsmith, Black River Falls, Wis. (UCWC) dec. Lacey Novinska, Fennimore, Wis. (OCU Stars), 2-0, 6-0
7th - Jenna Pavlik, Lewes, Del. (New York AC) dec. Kuuiini Johnson, Aiea, Hawaii (USOEC), 2-0, 2-0, 0-0
2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Pre-Seeds
Qualified for best-of-three finals: Ali Bernard, New Ulm, Minn. (Gator WC)
Challenge Tournament seeds
1. Katie Downing, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
2. Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
3. Kristie Marano, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
4. Stephany Lee, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
5. Megan Goldsmith, Black River Falls, Wis. (UCWC)
6. Lacey Novinska, Fennimore, Wis. (OCU Stars)
7. Jenna Pavlik, Lewes, Del. (New York AC)
8. Amberlee Ebert, Reedsville, Wisc. (Missouri Valley)
9. Ashley Sword, West Palm Beach, Fla. (OCU Stars)
10. Jessica Smith, Austintown, Ohio (unattached)
Winning the U.S. Nationals and claiming the top seed at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials is two-time Junior World champion Ali Bernard. She has attended college in Canada, where she dominated her weight class. Bernard has two career U.S. Nationals titles, and has been nationally ranked since she was in high school.
Two-time World bronze medalist Katie Downing placed second at the U.S. Nationals after moving up from her normal weight class at 147.5 pounds. Downing made a similar move up in weight at the 2004 Olympic Trials and placed sixth.
The World champions in the field are two-time World champion Kristie Marano and 2005 World champion Iris Smith. Downing beat Marano at the U.S. Nationals and Bernard defeated Smith. In the third-place match at U.S. Nationals, Smith beat Marano. In 2004, Marano was second in the Olympic Trials at this weight, after missing weight at 138,75 pounds. Marano has won nine World Championship medals, the winningest U.S. women's wrestler of all time.
Sitting out of U.S. Nationals was 2004 University World champion Stephany Lee, who defeated Bernard in the finals of the University Nationals this year. Lee was second in the 2006 and 2007 U.S. World Team Trials behind Marano and has wins over many of the other athletes in the field.
The rest of the field will have trouble matching the achievements of these five top stars. Qualifying by placing at the U.S. Nationals this year in the top seven were Megan Goldsmith, Lacey Novinska and Jenna Pavlik. Of these, Pavlik is most experienced, placing fifth in the 2001 World Championships.
2008 U.S. Nationals results
1st - Ali Bernard, New Ulm, Minn. (Gator WC) dec. Katie Downing, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 0-1, 2-2, 1-0
3rd - Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) dec. Kristie Marano, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 1-0, 2-0
5th - Megan Goldsmith, Black River Falls, Wis. (UCWC) dec. Lacey Novinska, Fennimore, Wis. (OCU Stars), 2-0, 6-0
7th - Jenna Pavlik, Lewes, Del. (New York AC) dec. Kuuiini Johnson, Aiea, Hawaii (USOEC), 2-0, 2-0, 0-0
2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Pre-Seeds
Qualified for best-of-three finals: Ali Bernard, New Ulm, Minn. (Gator WC)
Challenge Tournament seeds
1. Katie Downing, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
2. Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
3. Kristie Marano, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
4. Stephany Lee, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
5. Megan Goldsmith, Black River Falls, Wis. (UCWC)
6. Lacey Novinska, Fennimore, Wis. (OCU Stars)
7. Jenna Pavlik, Lewes, Del. (New York AC)
8. Amberlee Ebert, Reedsville, Wisc. (Missouri Valley)
9. Ashley Sword, West Palm Beach, Fla. (OCU Stars)
10. Jessica Smith, Austintown, Ohio (unattached)
