17-year-old Maroulis earns berth on U.S. Women's World Team
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by Craig Sesker
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Helen Maroulis didn't eat any birthday cake on her 17th birthday.
She was too busy cutting weight.
A day after turning 17, Maroulis could have her cake and a berth on the U.S. World Team too after knocking off World silver medalist Stephanie Murata at the U.S. Women's World Team Trials.
The third-seeded Maroulis swept the top-seeded Murata in two straight matches at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. to win the Trials on Saturday afternoon at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. Maroulis continued her superb 2008 season after winning a Junior World bronze medal earlier this year.
Maroulis is believed to be the youngest U.S. World Team member in women's freestyle since Kristie Marano in 1996. Marano placed second at the 1996 World Championships.
"That experience at Junior Worlds helped me a lot," Maroulis said. "Going to that event opened my eyes a lot to the international level of competition. Now I have a little bit of an idea what to expect when I go to the World Championships."
Maroulis was one of seven American wrestlers to qualify for the World Championships in women's freestyle wrestling, set for Oct. 11-13 in Tokyo, Japan. Joining Maroulis on the U.S. World Team are Clarissa Chun (48 kg/105.5 lbs.), Tatiana Padilla (55 kg/121 lbs.), Deanna Rix (59 kg/130 lbs.), Alaina Berube (63 kg/138.75 lbs.), Elena Pirozhkov (67 kg/147.5 lbs.) and Stephany Lee (72 kg/158.5 lbs.).
Maroulis beat Murata 4-2, 3-0 in the first match before coming back to prevail 1-6, 2-0, 2-1 in the second match with Murata. Maroulis, a senior in high school, downed an eight-time World Team member in Murata.
"I had some tournaments earlier this summer that I didn't think I did that well in, and I wanted to show that I've improved," Maroulis said. "I got my focus back when I came here. I just had to wrestle aggressively and give it my all."
Maroulis is 20 years younger than Murata. Maroulis has moved from her native Maryland to train at the U.S. Olympic Education Center in Marquette, Mich., while completing her final year of high school.
"My goal is to progress toward making it to the Olympic Games in 2012," Maroulis said. "Going to the (USOEC), it is a big step I felt I needed to take to get ready for that."
Chun, who placed fifth in the Olympic Games last month in Beijing, China, swept Alyssa Lampe in a pair of hard-fought matches in the finals. She looks like a legitimate threat to win a World title next month. Chun made her second World Team and will be the only U.S. wrestler in Japan with experience at a World Championships.
Chun is the only member of the four-athlete U.S. Olympic women's freestyle wrestling team from Beijing who competed at the Trials. Chun had the lead late in her semifinal match at the Olympics against two-time World champion Chiharu Icho of Japan before falling.
Padilla, a Junior World silver medalist, rolled to a pair of convincing wins over Chelynne Pringle in the finals. Padilla was second in the 2007 World Team Trials.
Rix pulled out a pair of close, three-period battles over past World Team member Leigh Jaynes in the finals. Rix was able to defend Jaynes in the clinch position to win the final period of the second match to make her first World Team.
Berube, a World University bronze medalist, looked dominant in notching two straight victories over Schuyler Brown in the finals.
Pirozhkov, a World University champion in 2008, swept her two finals matches in two straight periods over 2008 Junior World champion Adeline Gray.
Two-time World University champion Stephany Lee made her first World Team by downing 2005 World champion Iris Smith in the finals.
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.
FINALS RESULTS FOR U.S. WORLD TEAM TRIALS FOR WOMEN'S FREESTYLE
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Clarissa Chun, Colorado Springs (Sunkist Kids) vs. Alyssa Lampe, Tomahawk, Wis. (Sunkist Kids)
Chun def. Lampe 3-1, 1-1
Chun def. Lampe 4-3, 4-0
Chun wins series 2-0
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Stephanie Murata, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md. (New York AC)
Maroulis def. Murata 4-2, 3-0
Maroulis def. Murata 1-6, 2-0, 1-0
Maroulis wins series 2-0
55 kg/121 lbs. - Tatiana Padilla, Azusa, Calif. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Chelynne Pringle, Hugo, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
Padilla def. Pringle 2-0, pin 1:47
Padilla def. Pringle 4-0, 2-0
Padilla wins series 2-0
59 kg/130 lbs. - Leigh Jaynes, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) vs. Deanna Rix, River Falls, Wis. (New York AC)
Rix def. Jaynes 0-1, 1-0, 1-0
Rix def. Jaynes 2-0, 1-2, 1-0
Rix wins series 2-0
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Alaina Berube, River Falls, Wis. (New York AC) vs. Schuyler Brown, Montpelier, Va. (USOEC)
Berube def. Brown 4-0, 7-2
Berube pinned Brown 1:01
Berube wins series 2-0
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Elena Pirozkhov, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC) vs. Adeline Gray, Denver, Colo. (USOEC)
Pirozhkov def. Gray 2-0, 2-0
Pirozhkov def. Gray 2-0, 1-0
Pirozhkov wins series 2-0
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Stephany Lee, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
Lee def. Smith 1-1, 1-0
Lee def. Smith 3-0, 1-0
Lee wins series 2-0
She was too busy cutting weight.
A day after turning 17, Maroulis could have her cake and a berth on the U.S. World Team too after knocking off World silver medalist Stephanie Murata at the U.S. Women's World Team Trials.
The third-seeded Maroulis swept the top-seeded Murata in two straight matches at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. to win the Trials on Saturday afternoon at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. Maroulis continued her superb 2008 season after winning a Junior World bronze medal earlier this year.
Maroulis is believed to be the youngest U.S. World Team member in women's freestyle since Kristie Marano in 1996. Marano placed second at the 1996 World Championships.
"That experience at Junior Worlds helped me a lot," Maroulis said. "Going to that event opened my eyes a lot to the international level of competition. Now I have a little bit of an idea what to expect when I go to the World Championships."
Maroulis was one of seven American wrestlers to qualify for the World Championships in women's freestyle wrestling, set for Oct. 11-13 in Tokyo, Japan. Joining Maroulis on the U.S. World Team are Clarissa Chun (48 kg/105.5 lbs.), Tatiana Padilla (55 kg/121 lbs.), Deanna Rix (59 kg/130 lbs.), Alaina Berube (63 kg/138.75 lbs.), Elena Pirozhkov (67 kg/147.5 lbs.) and Stephany Lee (72 kg/158.5 lbs.).
Maroulis beat Murata 4-2, 3-0 in the first match before coming back to prevail 1-6, 2-0, 2-1 in the second match with Murata. Maroulis, a senior in high school, downed an eight-time World Team member in Murata.
"I had some tournaments earlier this summer that I didn't think I did that well in, and I wanted to show that I've improved," Maroulis said. "I got my focus back when I came here. I just had to wrestle aggressively and give it my all."
Maroulis is 20 years younger than Murata. Maroulis has moved from her native Maryland to train at the U.S. Olympic Education Center in Marquette, Mich., while completing her final year of high school.
"My goal is to progress toward making it to the Olympic Games in 2012," Maroulis said. "Going to the (USOEC), it is a big step I felt I needed to take to get ready for that."
Chun, who placed fifth in the Olympic Games last month in Beijing, China, swept Alyssa Lampe in a pair of hard-fought matches in the finals. She looks like a legitimate threat to win a World title next month. Chun made her second World Team and will be the only U.S. wrestler in Japan with experience at a World Championships.
Chun is the only member of the four-athlete U.S. Olympic women's freestyle wrestling team from Beijing who competed at the Trials. Chun had the lead late in her semifinal match at the Olympics against two-time World champion Chiharu Icho of Japan before falling.
Padilla, a Junior World silver medalist, rolled to a pair of convincing wins over Chelynne Pringle in the finals. Padilla was second in the 2007 World Team Trials.
Rix pulled out a pair of close, three-period battles over past World Team member Leigh Jaynes in the finals. Rix was able to defend Jaynes in the clinch position to win the final period of the second match to make her first World Team.
Berube, a World University bronze medalist, looked dominant in notching two straight victories over Schuyler Brown in the finals.
Pirozhkov, a World University champion in 2008, swept her two finals matches in two straight periods over 2008 Junior World champion Adeline Gray.
Two-time World University champion Stephany Lee made her first World Team by downing 2005 World champion Iris Smith in the finals.
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.
FINALS RESULTS FOR U.S. WORLD TEAM TRIALS FOR WOMEN'S FREESTYLE
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Clarissa Chun, Colorado Springs (Sunkist Kids) vs. Alyssa Lampe, Tomahawk, Wis. (Sunkist Kids)
Chun def. Lampe 3-1, 1-1
Chun def. Lampe 4-3, 4-0
Chun wins series 2-0
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Stephanie Murata, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md. (New York AC)
Maroulis def. Murata 4-2, 3-0
Maroulis def. Murata 1-6, 2-0, 1-0
Maroulis wins series 2-0
55 kg/121 lbs. - Tatiana Padilla, Azusa, Calif. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Chelynne Pringle, Hugo, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
Padilla def. Pringle 2-0, pin 1:47
Padilla def. Pringle 4-0, 2-0
Padilla wins series 2-0
59 kg/130 lbs. - Leigh Jaynes, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) vs. Deanna Rix, River Falls, Wis. (New York AC)
Rix def. Jaynes 0-1, 1-0, 1-0
Rix def. Jaynes 2-0, 1-2, 1-0
Rix wins series 2-0
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Alaina Berube, River Falls, Wis. (New York AC) vs. Schuyler Brown, Montpelier, Va. (USOEC)
Berube def. Brown 4-0, 7-2
Berube pinned Brown 1:01
Berube wins series 2-0
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Elena Pirozkhov, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC) vs. Adeline Gray, Denver, Colo. (USOEC)
Pirozhkov def. Gray 2-0, 2-0
Pirozhkov def. Gray 2-0, 1-0
Pirozhkov wins series 2-0
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Stephany Lee, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) vs. Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
Lee def. Smith 1-1, 1-0
Lee def. Smith 3-0, 1-0
Lee wins series 2-0
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