Contact | Subscribe | Advertise | Links | Youth | H.S. | College | Club | News/General
11/5/2000
The University of Minnesota-Morris women's wrestling team competed in their third competition of the year at the highly competitive Sunkist International Open in Phoenix on November 3-4. Some very strong wrestling talent was represented from Japan, Mexico, El Salvador as well as some of the top club teams in the United States; such as the Dave Schultz Wrestling Club, Sunkist Kids, Minnesota Storm, and Missouri Valley. The UM-Morris team finished fourth in the tournament to Missouri Valley, Sunkist Kids, and the Dave Schultz Wrestling Club.
Leading the way for UM-Morris was junior Katie Downing (Pendleton, IN). Downing placed third in the competition at 149 pounds. Here only loss was to Toccari Montgomery of the Sunkist Kids 7-3 in the semi-finals.
Downing defeated former U.S. Junior World Team member Kaci Lyle of Missouri Valley with a fall in 5:43. Then Downing produced a shocker of an upset versus 2000 World Champion Kristie Marano of the Albany Three-Style Wrestling Club with a solid 4-0 performance. In the bronze medal match, Downing knocked off another "big dog" pinning 1999 World Champion Sandy Bacher in 1:21.
"I was very proud of Katie's performance this weekend," said UM-Morris head wrestling coach Doug Reese. "Katie really arrive on the elite level this weekend, she has been flirting with it for a while. Now she is there."
"Marano has 6 world medals, and Bacher has 4. Katie is focused and confident in her abilities, and now she knows she can beat anyone in the world...the best in the world. The only thing that kept Katie from winning the tournament was one mistake on finishing a gut wrench. Just one mistake in this sport makes a huge difference."
A number of the UM-Morris wrestlers placed in the tournament. Sophomore Samantha Branka (Lincoln Park, MI) finished 5th at 165 pounds, junior Amanda Kelling (Braham, MN) placed 7th at 149 pounds, freshman Jennifer Adkinson (El Paso, TX) placed 8th at 112 pounds, sophomore Sally Roberts (Federal Way, WA) finished 9th at 136 pounds, and freshman Sarah Devers (Bloomington, MN) placed 10th at 112 pounds.
Coach Reese was very proud of the efforts of his young team. "We are a bit young and experienced in the way of freestyle wrestling, but what I saw this weekend is that we are taking steps in the right direction. The team is really improving with each match and each practice. We just have to remember the big picture - to keep moving towards our goal to peak at U.S. Nationals in April. We are doing that right now," noted Reese.
The Cougar women have resumed practicing and are preparing to host the 5th Annual Minnesota- Morris Women's Open on Saturday, December 2nd.