Randi Miller named 2008 Women’s Wrestler of the Year by USA Wrestling
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by Gary Abbott
Randi Miller (Colorado Springs, Colo. and Marquette, Mich./Gator WC) was named 2008 Women's Wrestler of the Year by USA Wrestling. It is the first time in her career that she has received this award.
Miller won a bronze medal at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. in women's freestyle at the Olympic Games in Beijing, China. She was the only U.S. women's wrestler to win a medal at the Beijing Games.
She become only the third U.S. women's wrestler in history to capture an Olympic medal, joining 2004 Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann and 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Patricia Miranda.
She won four of her five matches at the Olympics, losing only to two-time Olympic champion Kaori Icho of Japan in the quarterfinals. Miller defeated three-time World silver medalist Martine Dugrenier of Canada in the bronze-medal match.
Miller won the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Las Vegas, Nev. in June, defeating 2004 Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann in the championship series in two straight matches. She also won her first U.S. Nationals title in Las Vegas in April, defeating McMann in the championship finals.
She won three other medals in major international events during the year, winning a silver medal at the Medved International in Belarus in March, a bronze medal at Dave Schultz Memorial in Colorado Springs in February and a bronze medal at the Ivan Yarygin International in Russia in January.
Miller was a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete during the 2008 season. She attended college at Neosho County CC in Kansas, MacMurray College in Illinois and Northern Michigan Univ. prior to moving to the USOTC. Miller was a high school star at Martin High School in Arlington, Texas. After the Olympic Games, Miller returned to Northern Michigan to coach with the U.S. Olympic Education Center women's team there.
PAST WOMEN'S WRESTLER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
2008 - Randi Miller, Colorado Springs, Colo., Gator WC
2007 - Kristie Marano, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC
2006 - Kristie Marano, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC
2005 - Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. U.S. Army
2004 - Sara McMann, Lock Haven, Pa., Sunkist Kids
2003 - Patricia Miranda, Colorado Springs, Colo., Dave Schultz WC
2002 - Kristie Marano, Albany, N.Y., ATWA
2001 - Toccara Montgomery, Cleveland, Ohio, Sunkist Kids
2000 - Kristie Marano, Albany, N.Y., ATWA
1999 - Tricia Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
1998 - Kristie Stenglein, Albany, N.Y., ATWA
1997 - Sandra Bacher, San Jose, Calif., Dave Schultz WC
1996 - Tricia Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
1995 - Vickie Zummo, Hamburg, N.J., New York AC
1994 - Shannon Williams, Ontario, Calif., Sunkist Kids
1993 - Tricia Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
Miller won a bronze medal at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. in women's freestyle at the Olympic Games in Beijing, China. She was the only U.S. women's wrestler to win a medal at the Beijing Games.
She become only the third U.S. women's wrestler in history to capture an Olympic medal, joining 2004 Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann and 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Patricia Miranda.
She won four of her five matches at the Olympics, losing only to two-time Olympic champion Kaori Icho of Japan in the quarterfinals. Miller defeated three-time World silver medalist Martine Dugrenier of Canada in the bronze-medal match.
Miller won the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Las Vegas, Nev. in June, defeating 2004 Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann in the championship series in two straight matches. She also won her first U.S. Nationals title in Las Vegas in April, defeating McMann in the championship finals.
She won three other medals in major international events during the year, winning a silver medal at the Medved International in Belarus in March, a bronze medal at Dave Schultz Memorial in Colorado Springs in February and a bronze medal at the Ivan Yarygin International in Russia in January.
Miller was a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete during the 2008 season. She attended college at Neosho County CC in Kansas, MacMurray College in Illinois and Northern Michigan Univ. prior to moving to the USOTC. Miller was a high school star at Martin High School in Arlington, Texas. After the Olympic Games, Miller returned to Northern Michigan to coach with the U.S. Olympic Education Center women's team there.
PAST WOMEN'S WRESTLER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
2008 - Randi Miller, Colorado Springs, Colo., Gator WC
2007 - Kristie Marano, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC
2006 - Kristie Marano, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC
2005 - Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. U.S. Army
2004 - Sara McMann, Lock Haven, Pa., Sunkist Kids
2003 - Patricia Miranda, Colorado Springs, Colo., Dave Schultz WC
2002 - Kristie Marano, Albany, N.Y., ATWA
2001 - Toccara Montgomery, Cleveland, Ohio, Sunkist Kids
2000 - Kristie Marano, Albany, N.Y., ATWA
1999 - Tricia Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
1998 - Kristie Stenglein, Albany, N.Y., ATWA
1997 - Sandra Bacher, San Jose, Calif., Dave Schultz WC
1996 - Tricia Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
1995 - Vickie Zummo, Hamburg, N.J., New York AC
1994 - Shannon Williams, Ontario, Calif., Sunkist Kids
1993 - Tricia Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
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