Olympian Chun among top seeds for U.S. Women’s World Team Trials on Saturday

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Clarissa Chun (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), who placed fifth in last month's Olympic Games, is among the top seeds for the U.S. Women's World Team Trials, which will be held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. on Saturday, Sept. 20.

Chun is the only member of the four-athlete U.S. Olympic women's wrestling team from Beijing who has entered the tournament.

The winners qualify for the 2008 U.S. Women's World Team. The World Championships for women's freestyle will be held Oct. 11-13 at Yoyogi National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. The World Championships are being held in the seven women's freestyle weights, because only four weights were contested at the Olympic Games for women.

Among the other top seeds is 2001 World silver medalist Stephanie Murata (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 51 kg/112.25 pounds.

Leigh Jaynes (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC), a member of the 2007 U.S. Women's World Team, is the top seed at 59 kg/130 lbs.

Two athletes who won 2008 University World titles received top seeds, Elena Pirozkhov (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 67 kg/147.5 lbs. and Stephany Lee (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. Lee has won two career University World gold medals.

Alaina Berube (River Falls, Wis./New York AC), who was second at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, received the top seed at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. The other top seed is 2007 Junior World silver medalist Tatiana Padilla (Azusa, Calif./Sunkist Kids) at 55 kg/121 lbs.

2005 World champion Iris Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) received the No. 2 seed at 72 kg/158.5 lbs., behind Lee.

There will be two sessions at the U.S. Olympic Training Center SportsCenter 1 on Saturday. The preliminary rounds will begin at 10:00 a.m. The championship finals, which will feature a best-of-three series between the finalists in each weight class, will begin at 4:00 p.m.

U.S. WOMEN'S WORLD TEAM TRIALS SEEDED WRESTLERS

48 kg/105.5 lbs.
1. Clarissa Chun, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
2. Alyssa Lampe, Tomahawk, Wis. (Sunkist Kids)
3. C.C. Weber, Goodrich, Mich. (unattached)
4. Victoria Anthony, Huntington Beach, Calif. (So Cal)

51 kg/112.25 lbs.
1. Stephanie Murata, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
2. Jessica Medina, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
3. Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md. (New York AC)
4. Katherine Fulp-Allen, El Granada, Calif. (New York AC)

55 kg/121 lbs.
1. Tatiana Padilla, Azusa, Calif. (Sunkist Kids)
2. Chelynne Pringle, Hugo, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
3. Na'Tasha Umemoto, Oklahoma City, Okla. (Sunkist Kids)
4. LeAnne Barney, Austin, Texas (OCU Stars)

59 kg/130 lbs.
1. Leigh Jaynes, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
2. Kelsey Campbell, Oregon City, Ore. (Sunkist Kids)
3. Deanna Rix, River Falls, Wis. (New York AC)
4. Samantha Fee, Blairstown, N.J. (Missouri Valley)

63 kg/138.75 lbs.
1. Alaina Berube, River Falls, Wis. (New York AC)
2. Schuyler Brown, Montpelier, Va. (USOEC)
3. Nicole Darrow, Lanesboro, Mass. (USOEC)
4. Tessa Plana, Irving, Texas (OCU Stars)

67 kg/147.5 lbs.
1. Elena Pirozkhov, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
2. Stefenie Shaw, Waterford, Conn. (New York AC)
3. Adeline Gray, Denver, Colo. (USOEC)

72 kg/158.5 lbs.
1. Stephany Lee, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
2. Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
3. Lacey Novinska, Fennimore, Wis. (OCU Stars)
4. Lindsey Brooks, Spring, Texas (USOEC)