Women athletes who will be representing the United States at World-level events this year will be traveling to Canada in July for extensive training and competition.

The U.S. Senior Women's World Team, the U.S. Junior Women's World Team and a few other talented U.S. athletes will be in Canada from June 28 - July 10, to train with other international athletes. They will also be competing in Canada Cup tournament, set for Guelph, Ontario, Canada on July 4.

"We wanted to have a camp opportunity with all of our World Team wrestlers," said National Women's Coach Terry Steiner. "It all works out well up there in Canada. At the camp prior to the Canada Cup, there will be a few top Canadians training with us. After the tournament, many foreign athletes as well as the Canadian National Team will be training. This is our reciprocal training situation with Canada, which comes here for a January camp in the United States.

The U.S. Senior World Team will include 2008 World champion Clarissa Chun (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., plus 2008 World bronze medalist Tatiana Padilla (Azusa, Calif./Sunkist Kids) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and 2008 U.S. Olympian Ali Bernard, New Ulm, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.

Past U.S. World Team members on the team include Deanna Rix (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 59 kg/130 lbs. and Elena Pirozhkova (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. Competing on their first U.S. World Team will be Jessica Medina (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. and Adeline Gray (Denver, Colo./New York AC) at 67 kg/147.5 lbs.

The trip to Canada in part of the preparation for when the U.S. Senior World Team will compete at the World Wrestling Championships in Herning, Denmark, Sept. 21-27.

"This is our first time together as a World Team, although many team members had already started their individual training," said Steiner. "We want to establish our focus areas for the rest of the summer. We have established a great base. Let's get in and see where we stack up with the competition. We can also pinpoint areas that we can work on."

The U.S. Junior World Team will also attend this training camp and competition. These are athletes who are 17-20 years old. They will be preparing for the Junior World Championships in Ankara, Turkey, Aug. 4-9

Headlining the team is Gray, who qualified for both the Senior and Junior World teams and was a Junior World champion in 2008. Also on the team is 2008 Junior World bronze medalist Helen Maroulis (Rockville, Md./New York AC) at 55 kg/121 lbs.

Members of the 2008 U.S. Junior World Team who will be competing at the Junior Worlds again this year will be Victoria Anthony (Huntington Beach, Calif./Team So Cal) at 44 kg/97 lbs. and Schuyler Brown (Montpelier, Va./USOEC) at 59 kg/138.75 lbs.

In addition to the entire Junior World Team, a few athletes on the Canada trip will later compete on a University-level tour to the Grand Prix of Spain in Madrid, July 11-12. A number of other talented Senior-level athletes will also participate in the training camp and Canada Cup competition.

"I really like this group of athletes," said Steiner. "Their attitude, work ethic and discipline is outstanding. It is a special group. We will have high expectations for them, and we expect they will have high expectations for themselves."

CANADA CUP TOUR

U.S. Senior World Team members on tour
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Clarissa Chun, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Jessica Medina, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Tatiana Padilla, Azusa, Calif. (Sunkist Kids)
59 kg/130 lbs. - Deanna Rix, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Elena Pirozhkova, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Adeline Gray, Denver, Colo. (New York AC)*
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Ali Bernard, New Ulm, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)

U.S. Junior World Team members on tour
44 kg/97 lbs. - Victoria Anthony, Huntington Beach, Calif. (Team So Cal)
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - CC Weber, Goodrich, Mich. (Sunkist Kids)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Trinity Plessinger, Colorado Springs, Colo. (USOTC)
55 kg/130 lbs. - Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md. (New York AC)
59 kg/138.75 lbs. - Schuyler Brown, Montpelier, Va. (USOEC)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Veronica Carlson, Addison, Ill. (New York AC)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Adeline Gray, Denver, Colo. (New York AC)*
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Christen Paysse, Fullerton, Calif. (Univ. of the Cumberlands)

U.S. University team members on tour
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Melissa Apodaca, Chugiak, Alaska (USOEC)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Erin Clodgo, Richmond, Va. (USOEC)

Additional Athletes on tour
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Erin Golston, Lake in the Hills, Ill. (USOEC)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Alyssa Lampe, Tomahawk, Wis. (Sunkist Kids)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Leigh Jaynes, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
59 kg/130 lbs. - Kelsey Campbell, Milwaukie, Ore. (Sunkist Kids)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Annalise deAragon, Sandpoint, Idaho

*- Adeline Gray is a member of both the U.S. Senior World Team and the U.S. Junior World Team.

Coaches on tour - National Women's Coach Terry Steiner (Colorado Springs, Colo.); National Women's Developmental Coach Izzy Izboinikov (Colorado Springs, Colo.); Keith Wilson (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Shannyn Gillespie (Marquette, Mich.); Donnie Stephens (Arcadia, Calif.), Alex Conti (Fredonia, N.Y.)

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California

Wrestler's talent goes international

STOCKTON - Xiomara Fonseca tried out for the Tracy High wrestling team more than three years ago to stay in shape between the fall and spring sports seasons.

"What got me started was the fact that I did track in the spring and cross country in the fall, so I needed a sport to keep me in shape during the winter," Fonseca said.

"I just happened to fall in love with (wrestling), so I stuck with it."

The Stockton resident, who recently graduated from Tracy High, has made her time in the wrestling room pay off. Fonseca, 18, is one of nine girls from California and the only Stockton-area wrestler selected for the Team California girls wrestling squad that will compete Monday through Wednesday in the Down Under International Games in Sydney, Australia. The 32-member team, which also includes girls from Washington and Utah, will compete against teams from Australia and New Zealand.

Fonseca is part of a growing sport. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, the number of girls competing in the sport has grown each year since 1990, and California is second only to Texas in the number of girls participating with 1,142.

Fonseca, who competed in the California Interscholastic Federation Northern California regional tournament as a junior and senior, was nominated for the team by Darryl Rond, her high school coach. Rond could not be reached for comment. Team California is coached by Darren Hatch, who guided Pacifica High to the CIF Southern Regional girls wrestling title in February.

On Wednesday, Fonseca and members of her family drove to Los Angeles and boarded a flight to Sydney with the rest of the team. The tournament is sponsored by International Sports Specialists, which since 1989 has hosted high school football, cross country, track and field, baseball, swimming, golf and volleyball events, according to its Web site.

Fonseca said she received her invitation to Sydney after she took seventh place at the CIF regionals as a junior.

"The cost was too much to pay up front," said Fonseca, who had to raise $4,100 to cover travel and hotel expenses. "We asked if I could compete the following year, and they said yes.

"When I was sent the invitation to go to Australia to compete, I was very surprised and shocked at the opportunity that I was given."

Each of the girls on Team California is expected to wrestle about a dozen matches.

Hatch said Fonseca and the rest of the team are excited about the opportunity.

"We're going to have some fun," Hatch said. "We're going to be good ambassadors of our country."

Fonseca plans to attend Pacific in the fall and hopes to continue in wrestling, either as a member of the Tigers' club team or as an assistant coach at Tracy High.

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