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Top athletes travel to Ecuador for 2008 Junior Pan Am Championships

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by Elizabeth Wiley

A number of future American stars in the international styles of freestyle, women's freestyle and Greco-Roman are set to take the mat for the Junior Pan American Championships.

The event is set for June 20-22 in Cuenca, Ecuador. The Greco-Roman competition will be held June 20, followed by women's freestyle on June 21 and men's freestyle on June 22.

The Pan American nations are from North, Central and South America.

The U.S. will send a combined freestyle and Greco-Roman squad with eight athletes competing in both styles.

FILA Junior World Team Trials freestyle champions Quentin Wright and Kirk Smith will led the men's freestyle and Greco-Roman teams in Ecuador. Wright placed first at 74 kilos, beating Andrew Howe, and Smith placed first over Dustin Kilgore at 84 kilos.

Silver medalists from the FILA Junior World Team Trials set to compete for the U.S. include freestylers Desmond Moore at 50 kg and Ben Berhow at 120 kg, as well as Greco-Roman wrestlers Nikko Triggas at 55 kg and Brent Eidenshink at 96 kg.

Also competing for the men's team are Washington-natives Brian Owen and Michael Mangrum, at 60 kg and 66 kg, respectively.

The women's team consists of seven second place finishers and one third place finisher at the Body Bar FILA Junior National Championships.

At 67 kg/147.5 lbs., Lauren Knight will lead the women as one of only two wrestlers on the team qualified to compete at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling and Judo, which will take place prior to the FILA Junior Pan Am Championships. Knight finished second at Body Bar to Adeline Gray.

Marina Piccolotti, at 63 kg/138.75 lbs., is the lone bronze medalist set to travel to Ecuador. Piccolotti has also qualified to compete at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

Completing the U.S. women's freestyle roster are the other six Body Bar silver medalists including Nicole Woody at 44 kg/97 lbs., C.C. Weber at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., Whitney Conder at 51 kg/112.25 lbs., Beth Johnson at 55 kg/121 lbs., Nicole Darrow at 59 kg/130 lbs., and Lindsey Brooks at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.

U.S. Freestyle and Greco-Roman Team

50 kg/110 lbs. - Desmond Moore, Easton, Pa.
55 kg/121 lbs. - Nikko Triggas, Moraga, Calif.
60 kg/132 lbs. - Brian Owen, Spokane, Wash.
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Michael Mangrum, Auburn, Wash.
74 kg/163 lbs. - Quentin Wright, Wingate, Pa.
84 kg/185 lbs. - Kirk Smith, Boise, Idaho
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Brent Eidenschink, Detroit Lakes, Minn.
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Ben Berhow, Hayward, Minn.

Coaches: Jim Humphrey, Rob Prebish

U.S. Women's Freestyle Team

44 kg/97 lbs. - Nicole Woody, Odenton, Md.
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - C.C. Weber, Goodrich, Mich.
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Whitney Conder, Puyallup, Wash.
55 kg/121 lbs. - Beth Johnson, Garden City, Kan.
59 kg/130 lbs. - Nicole Darrow, Lanesboro, Mass.
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Marina Piccolotti, Pacifica, Calif.
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Lauren Knight, Williamsburg, Kent.
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Lindsey Brooks, Spring, Texas

Coach: Alex Conti

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