By Doug Reese - reesedc@mrs.umn.edu

University of Minnesota-Morris Women's Wrestling Release

GOLDSMITH AND RAMSEY WIN GORD GARVIE TITLES
COUGARS PLACE A STRONG SECOND

Thunder Bay, Ontario - The University of Minnesota - Morris women's
wrestling team placed second in the Gord Garvie Memorial Wrestling
Festival, just one point from taking championship honors.

Leading the way for the Cougars was a pair of sophomores in Megan
Goldsmith and Tabithia Ramsey who produced the first championship titles
in the New Year.

Goldsmith won a technical superiority in the first period in the finals
versus Lakehead's Emily McCague at 70 kilos. Goldsmith is the number one
ranked wrestler in the United States and is undefeated so far this
season winning two championship titles, both in Canada.

Texan Tabithia Ramsey won her first collegiate freestyle championship
title at the Garvie. Ramsey defeated former Cougar Liz Short who placed
5th in the Junior World Championships 9-3, and then won by fall over
Kelly Robinson of Lakehead University by fall.

Senior Katie Ross was out of the line up due to an injury suffered while
training.

Also placing for the Cougars were Ranae Faaborg, 3rd at 65 kilos, and
Gabby Portillo at 57 kilos.

Lakehead University won championship team honors with the Cougars
placing just one point out of the top spot. The University of Manitoba
placed a strong third.

UM-Morris Women Place Second in U of Regina Open
Goldsmith Claims Gold
Regina, Saskatchewan - In their first competition of the season, the University of Minnesota-Morris women's wrestling team placed second in the traditionally tough University of Regina Women's Open wrestling tournament on Saturday, November 22nd.  All six of the UM-Morris women placed in the event.
Sophomore, Megan Goldsmith (Black River Falls, WI) won the gold medal posting a 3-0 record at 80 kilos/176 pounds.  Goldsmith placed 2nd, earning All-American honors in the Junior National championships last season and was an alternate to the Junior World Championships.
Sophomore, Tabithia Ramsey (Austin, TX) placed second at 53 kilos/116.6  pounds.  The effort was Ramsey's best in her collegiate freestyle career.  Last season Ramsey earned All-American honors with a third place finish in the US Junior National Championships.
Sophomore, Ranae Faaborg (Radcliffe, IA) placed second at 65 kilos/143 pounds.  Faaborg a University All-American a year ago recorded her best finish in the sport this weekend.
A pair of freshman Adriana Cervantes (Petaluma, CA) and Gabrielle Portillo (El Paso, TX) each placed fourth in their weight classes.  Cervantes placed fourth at 57 kilos/125.4 pounds, and Portillo placed fourth at 61 kilos/134.2 pounds.   This was the first freestyle competition for both this former high school wrestling stars.
Senior Katie Ross (Greensboro, NC) place fifth at 57 kilos/125.4 pounds.  Ross is a two-time University National All-American.
"It was a great effort by our team," said UMM head coach Doug Reese.  "They have been working hard for months, and they were hungry for competition.  I am not surprised at all by the results."
The University of Regina won the tournament with 34 points, UM-Morris placing second with 23 points, and the University of Saskatchewan placing third scoring 20 team points.
The UMM women will continue their training, but will not compete again until January 3rd at the Gord Garvie Memorial Wrestling Festival in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Three Former Cougar Women Wrestler Earn Medals at World Championships

New York - Three former University of Minnesota-Morris women wrestlers
earned medals at the World Championships at Madison Square Garden in New
York on Sunday, September 14th.

Tina George captured a silver medal at 121 pounds, Sally Roberts took
home the bronze medal at 129 pounds, and Sara McMann claimed the silver
medal at 138 pounds. All three wrestlers now reside in Colorado
Springs, Colorado and train full time at the U.S. Olympic Training
Center.

"I am so very proud of them," said UMM head coach Doug Reese. "We have
been blessed here at UMM to attracted talented student-athletes. They
have worked hard, pursued their own dreams and have been honored on the
world's stage. It is an awesome accomplishment. Having four of our
athletes partake in the World Championships this summer alone says a
lot." The fourth wrestler, Liz Short placed 5th in the Junior World
Championships in Turkey in late August.

The US team jumped out to at 22-2 record at the world championships
going in to the medal round. What started off as an incredible series
of victories early in the tournament turned into series of
heart-breaking losses for the U.S. Women's freestyle wrestling team in
the finals of the World Championships of Freestyle Wrestling at Madison
Square Garden.

The American women's contingent went 1-4 in gold medal finals, but every
team member came home with a medal.

The women finished in a tie with Japan, but the Japanese won the
tiebreaker with more gold medals.

The U.S. did qualify all four Olympic weights for the 2004 Olympic Games
in Athens.

"Qualifying the four was a big thing for us. We came in hoping to show
that this (women's wrestling) is for real," said U.S. women's national
team coach Terry Steiner.

"Hopefully we can change some attitudes and some of the stigma out there
about women's wrestling," Steiner said.

Tina George, wrestling at 121 pounds opened the tournament with a
decision over Julieta Okot of Bulgaria. George then pinned Ludmila
Christea of Moldavia in 2:36. In her final pool match George won a 10-2
decision over Elvira Rusulova-Mursalova of Kazakhstan 10-2.

In the quarterfinals George defeated Mabel Fonsoca of Puerto Rico 7-3.
In the semi-finals, George won a hard fought 4-3 decision over Sun
Dungmei of China to advance to the finals for the second straight year
versus Saori Yoshida of Japan. Saori Yoshida beat Tina George in the
finals at 55kg in a rematch of last year's final.

Yoshida scored four points on takedowns, including three straight in the
second period that broke a 2-2 tie, winning the match 5-2.

"Those were moves I wasn't preparing for, I wasn't as focused as I
thought," George said. Yoshida beat George 10-4 last year.

At 129 pounds, Sally Roberts claimed the bronze medal. Roberts opened
the tournament with a pin over Aikaterinako Tsimpanakou of Greece in
2:20, then won a 10-3 decision versus Stefanie Stueber of Germany.
Roberts then shut down Seba Jimenez Valderrama of Spain 5-0.

In the semi-finals Roberts lost a tough match 7-5 to Natalia Ivashko of
Russia. Roberts claimed her first world medal, a bronze when she pinned
Marianna Sastin of Hungary in 5:36.

At 138 pounds the tough and talented Sara McMann claimed her first world
medal after winning the Gold at the Pan American Games earlier this
summer. McMann opened the tournament in dramatic fashion upsetting 2002
world silver medalist Sara Eriksson of Sweden by fall in 5:32. McMann
continued to dominate with a 11-0 technical fall over Kristine Odrina of
Lativia in 1:38.

In the quarterfinals, McMann defeated the tough Alena Kartacheva of
Russia 4-3. In the semifinals McMann defeated Viola Yanik of Canada by
fall in just 39 seconds.

In the finals, Kaori Icho of Japan topped Sara McMann 4-3 in overtime.
McMann clung to Icho's leg, but Icho kept moving and finally broke
McMann's grip to get the gold medal-winning takedown.

Three UM-Morris wrestlers on a seven person U.S. Team with three world
medals at the Olympic level does speak rather loudly for the UMM
wrestling program.

"Our athletes here work extremely hard," said Reese, "They are focused
and pursue the dream. It is amazing what one can accomplish in life if
you just work hard and believe. Faith in action works."
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PHOTOS ATTACHED

sally_roberts_wc_arch.jpg Sally Roberts throws Marianna Sastin of
Hungary in the bronze medal match at the 2003 Women's World
Championships in New York. Roberts won the bronze by fall in 5:36 in
the 129 pound weight class.

mcmann_eriksson_wc.jpg Sara McMann runs a chicken wing on Sara
Eriksson of Sweden in the opening round of the 2003 Women's Wrestling
World Championships. McMann pinned Eriksson, the defending world silver
medalist in 5:32. McMann went on to claim the silver medal at 138
pounds.

Doug Reese
Assistant to the Athletic Director
Head Wrestling Coach
University of Minnesota-Morris
P.E. Center, East Second Street
Morris, MN 56267
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Office 320-589-6437
Fax 320-589-6428
www.tothenextlevel.org
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