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Miller on the Mat

Woodward News 4/19/06

Woodward's Joey Miller is still compet ing in the sport that she loves, and that is wrestling.

Miller has recently competed in three national tournaments. The first was the Women's Showcase Tournament in
Marshall Mo., the second was at the USGWA Women's High School Nationals at Lake Orion Mich. and the third was in Las Vegas Nev. at the Senior Women's National Freestyle Championship.

At the Women's Showcase Tournament, Miller took fIrst in the folkstyle at 116 ~ pounds. She went 3-0 at the event.

At the USWGA Women's High School
Tournament, Miller also took first place. On her way to the championship, Miller pinned three of her opponents, tech-falled one and
won the championship match 5-1. There were 30 girls in her bracket from 22 different states.
This is the 3rd National title in the high school division. She won 2 in middle school and 2 in grade school.

In Las Vegas, Miller placed fifth out of 18 competitors in the the 51 kg (112 lbs) weight div. . This is the qualifier for the World team trials thaqt will take place the end of June. Joey was a qualifier for the world team trials last year as a freshman in High school but did not place.Joey got to wrestle the 2004 Olympic bronze medallist in her 2nd match. Joey lost but didn’t get pinned . Joey won 3 matches by fall and 1 by points and lost 2 by points.

Up next for Miller will be a trip to Colorado Springs to wrestle and train with some of the top female wrestlers in the United States at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs Colo.

Following her training there, Miller will attend the FILA Bodybar Tournament. The FILA Bodybar is a qualifier for the Junior World Team.
Another Woodward wrestler also made noise at two of the tournaments that Miller attended. Fourth grader Lacey'Wallis, who attends Cedar Heights Elementry School,
Lacie placed first at the Women's ShowcaseTournament, and third at the USGWA National event.

Results:

USGWA

Becky Cissell (Indiana) fall: 1.47
Suzanne Baker (Texas) T-Fall 17-1 1:43
Ariel Green (California) Fall 3:45
Schuyler Brown (Virginia) fall: 3:02
Helen Maroulis (Maryland) 5-1

Senior Women's National Freestyle Championship.

De Anna Lau (Team Hawaii) fall
Patricia Miranda (Sunkist Wrestling Club) 0-5. 0-4 - Loss
Valerie Price (Pacific University) fall
Kelli Rasmussen (Minnesota Storm) 1-1, 1-0, 5-1
Jessica Medina (University of the Cumberlands) 0-2, 0-2 - Loss
Cheryl Wong (New York Athletic Club) fall

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Soldier named 2005 Women’s Wrestler of the Year by USA Wrestling

CFSC Release #0650

For immediate Release: April 18, 2006

For further information contact: Douglas Ide

CFSC Public Affairs Officer(703) 681-1548/DSN: 761

pao@cfsc.army.mil

By Tim Hipps

USACFSC Public Affairs

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Soldier in the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program has been named the 2005 Women’s Wrestler of the Year by USA Wrestling.

The highlight of Sgt. Iris Smith’s year was a gold-medal performance in the women’s 158.5-pound freestyle division of the 2005 World Wrestling Championships in Budapest, Hungary. She also finished third in her weight class at the 2005 World Cup of Wrestling in Clermont-Ferrand, France.

Earlier this year, Smith was named 2005 Female Wrestler of the Year by the United States Olympic Committee. She also received a plaque from the Sportswomen of Colorado for her outstanding performances.

“Winning the world championship definitely was one of the goals that I’ve been trying to reach for the past 10 years,” Smith said. “Being a part of the World Class Athlete Program definitely helped me out a lot. I’m able to focus and still have a career and do something I love doing.”

As the only American to win a gold medal in the 2005 World Wrestling Championships, Smith became the fourth U.S. female wrestler to win a world crown, joining four-time gold medalist Tricia Saunders, two-time gold medalist Kristie Marano and Sandra Bacher. Smith is the only U.S. woman to win a world crown since women’s wrestling became an Olympic sport.

Smith upset five-time world champion Kyoko Hamaguchi of Japan to become the new world champion in her weight class. To reach the championship match, Smith posted victories over Bulgaria’s Stanka Zlateva, Poland’s Angnieska Wieczczek, and Germany’s Anita Schaetzle.

Smith, 26, has competed twice in the World Championships, finishing seventh in 2000. She also made Team USA’s roster for the 2001 World Championships but missed the tournament to attend Army basic training.

“My main goal is to win the Olympic gold medal,” Smith said. “Until then, I’m just going to continue to push forward.”

A four-time national champion, Smith did not participate in the 2006 U.S. National Wrestling Championships because of a left knee injury sustained in January during a tournament in Siberia. She has resumed training and plans to compete June 30 in the 2006 U.S. World Team Trials at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

“It shouldn’t be too much of a setback except for just being a little bit rusty,” Smith said. “All of that rust can be cleaned out in the next few weeks.”

Champions of the women’s U.S. World Team Trials will qualify to represent the United States in the 2006 World Wrestling Championships scheduled Sept. 26 through Oct. 1 in Guangzhou, China.

Stationed at Fort Carson, Colo., Smith was born in Albany, Ga., where she began wrestling for the boys’ varsity team at Dougherty High School.

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Womens Senior Nationals - Photos and Results

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