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Sara McMann, Katie Downing win gold medals at Warsaw Cup
Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
08/19/2007
WARSAW, Poland – Sara McMann and Katie Downing each won gold medals to lead the United States Women’s Freestyle Team at the Warsaw Cup on Aug. 18-19.
McMann (Gaffney, S.C./Sunkist Kids) defeated Ludmila Golovchenko of the Ukraine in the finals at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. Golovchenko twice has placed fourth in the World. McMann, a past Olympic silver medalist, beat 2006 World bronze medalist Monika Rogien of Poland in the quarterfinals.
Downing (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) defeated Volha Khilko of Belarus in the finals at 67 kg/147.5 lbs. Downing is a past World bronze medalist.
The U.S. women took part in a training camp and competition in Europe as they continue preparations for next month’s World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. McMann and Downing are part of the seven-member U.S. World Team in women's freestyle wrestling.
Also from the U.S., two-time World champion Kristie Marano placed second after falling to 2006 World champion Stanka Zlateva of Bulgaria in the finals at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. Marano is seeking her record ninth World medal this year. American Stephany Lee (Honolulu, Hawaii/Missouri Valley) placed third at 72 kg.
Americans Stephanie Murata (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) and Sally Roberts (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) also finished second.
Murata, a past World silver medalist, competes at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. and will compete in Azerbaijan next month. Roberts, a past World bronze medalist, is just returning to the mat from an injury. Roberts competes at 59 kg/130 lbs. 2007 World Team member Leigh Jaynes (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) placed fifth at 59 kg.
American Julieta Okot (New York, N.Y./New York AC) took third at 51 kg/112.25 lbs.
2007 U.S. World Team member Marcie Van Dusen (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) placed fifth at 55 kg/121 lbs.
WARSAW CUP, AUG. 18-19, WARSAW, POLAND
Complete list of medalists and match scores was unavailable
U.S. match-by-match results
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Stephanie Murata, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) – 2nd
WIN Brigitte Wagner (Germany)
WIN Francine De Paola (Italy)
WIN Lilia Kaskarakova (Russia)
LOSS Irini Merleni (Ukraine)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Julieta Okot, New York, N.Y. (New York AC) – 3rd
Match results not available
55 kg/121 lbs. – Marcie Van Dusen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) – 5th
WIN Jessica Bechtel (Germany)
WIN Tulia Ratkievic (Azerbaijan)
LOSS Anna Zwirydowska (Poland)
LOSS Minerva Montero (Spain)
55 kg/121 lbs. – Sharon Jacobson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
LOSS Minerva Montero (Spain)
59 kg/130 lbs. – Sally Roberts, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC) – 2nd
WIN Elmira Mursalova (Azerbaijan)
WIN Stephanie Gross (Germany)
LOSS Natalya Synyshyn (Ukraine)
59 kg/130 lbs. – Leigh Jaynes, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) – 5th
WIN Simona Corbani (Italy)
WIN Ulya Rekvava (Russia)
LOSS Natalya Synyshyn (Ukraine)
LOSS Ludmila Cristea (Moldova)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Sara McMann, Gaffney, S.C. (Sunkist Kids) – 1st
WIN Ljubov Volosova (Russia)
WIN Monika Rogien (Poland)
WIN Kristine Odrina (Latvia)
WIN Ludmila Golovchenko (Ukraine)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Tori Adams, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
LOSS Maite Piva (Italy)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Randi Miller, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
LOSS Teodora Dimitrova (Bulgaria)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Katie Downing, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) – 1st
WIN Irina Bogdanowa (Russia)
WIN Kateryna Burmistrova (Ukraine)
WIN Natalie Kusina (Russia)
WIN Volha Khilko (Belarus)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Kristie Marano, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) – 2nd
WIN Maider Unda (Spain)
WIN Agnieszka Wieszczek (Poland)
LOSS Stanka Zlateva (Bulgaria)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Stephany Lee, Honolulu, Hawaii (Missouri Valley) – 3rd
WIN Marina Gastl (Austria)
LOSS Stanka Zlateva (Bulgaria)
WIN Svitlana Saienko (Ukraine)
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Wrestling - Twin sisters strive for 2012 Olympics
By Bettina Adragna
badragna@selmaenterprise.com
Kingsburg Recorder
Regina and Marina Doi of Kingsburg plan to wrestle their way to the 2012 Olympics, starting with a visit to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Aug. 4.
But first, the 11-year-old twins will attend Reagan Elementary School in Kingsburg in the fall.
"I don't think they understand the magnitude of it yet," said one of their coaches, Isaac Pumarejo. "But they're going to be the best of the best."
Pumarejo has been coaching the girls, along with Jay Pumarejo, since they were 9. He is also the club wrestling team coach at Fresno Pacific University, and has just been offered a job for the CSUF club wrestling team.
"I came into the wrestling room [at Kingsburg High School], just to help out. . .there was maybe a handful of kids," he said. "They were there, training."
The girls work with him and his club wrestling team at Fresno Pacific University, and are coached by Danny Pereschica for freestyle wrestling in Kingsburg. Pumarejo said their dedication rivals or surpasses his college team's.
"They don't miss practices," said Pumarejo. "They show up four to five times a week. . .They're so driven, they pay attention. . .They don't give up. They're really, really tough mentally."
The two girls became interested in wrestling after seeing their older brother, Sonny's, involvement. They started competing in tournaments against boys at four years of age.
Pumarejo said, "They wrestle just boys because there's no competition with them in the state with girls, unless you go up a weight, which we don't like to do because they can get hurt."
The girls, though focused, aren't driven by anyone other than themselves.
"It's really fun," said Marina.
Their mother, Cee Doi, said the girls are competitive with each other both in school and with sports.
Regina credited her sister with keeping her abilities sharp.
"What's helped us is, we always have each other," she said. "We're the right partners."
Marina concurred saying, "We help each other."
The girls balance their wrestling schedule with homework and soccer. Cee runs a daycare, which gets out at 2 p.m. Then she takes them to their practices and tournaments. They do their homework on the way to Sunnyside High in Fresno, still managing to get a 3.8 grade point average, or above.
Their hectic lifestyles and the heat of competition don't faze them, said Cee.
"They don't get worried," she said. "They just go, and I'm the one with the sick stomach."
Marina and Regina have won eighty to ninety medals each. Regina has placed fourth and sixth at the Reno Worlds Championship Tournament in Nevada, and was the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) champion in her first tournament with them. Marina has won three prestigious tournaments to be the California State Champion, the California World Challenge Champion and the Western States Champion. She is the first female to receive the Triple Crown Award by California and USA Wrestling.
Cee, the twins and Pumarejo will be staying with Olympic silver medalist Stephen Abas in Colorado. Abas was introduced to the Doi twins a year ago.
"I knew right away that their love and dedication for the sport was there," he said.
He has not seen them in action yet, but he's heard good things about them.
"I'm pretty excited about seeing them," said Abas. "It'll be good for the future of wrestling [to have them in the 2012 Olympics]."
The girls can eat what they want now and can still go to public schools, but that will change if they choose to pursue the path to the 2012 Olympics. They will have more restricted diets, and will be tutored instead of going to school.
In order to compete in the Olympics, they'll have to place in the top eight in the U.S. Open for women's wrestling, then win the Olympic World Trials. Pumarejo has confidence that they can do it.
"When the tough gets going, either you get tough, or the opponent gets tough," he said. "They have always competed at their best. I have yet to see them lose to someobdy because of something that was going on in their heads."
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Women wrestlers leave for Beijing to participate in World Junior Championship
From our ANI Correspondent 8/19/07
Rohtak (Haryana), Aug 19: Top seven junior women wrestlers of the country are on their way to China for participating in the World Junior Wrestling Championship to be held in Beijing from August 21 to 26.
The girls are sweating out for the upcoming event and will be leaving on Sunday night for China.
There is a wave of happiness and excitement amongst the girls as they were preparing for the event.
"It feels good. Our team is going to China for World Junior Wrestling. It is a good thing," said Suman Kundu, an Asia sub-junior gold medalist.
In cricket crazy country, wrestling, the once royal national sport, is fighting for its survival. Lack of basic facilities makes it all the more difficult for wrestlers to put in their best efforts.
"In general there is a dearth of facilities for us. The girls should be sent along with their coaches to countries like China, Russia, Japan, America, which are renowned for their wrestling, as the girls can learn a lot from there," said Ishwar Singh Dahiya, who is the coach of the team.
"The girls would come to know their shortcomings and improve themselves. The coaches would also know where their trainees lack and then train them accordingly. If that happens, nobody can stop us from scoring medals at the Olympics," he added.
India's only name to fame is a bronze medal won by Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, since then no other wrestler has been able to make a mark in Olympics.