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2003 Women’s World Team Trials preview at 51 kg/112.25 lbs.

6/1/2003
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling

One of the top surprises from the 2003 U.S. Women’s Nationals was the gold-medal performance by young Malinda Ripley of the Sunkist Kids, who claimed her first Senior national title. A year ago, Ripley was a high school senior in California, who had placed fifth at the World Team Trials at 105.5 pounds. She was accepted into the USOTC resident program, the youngest person in Coach Steiner’s stable of athletes. In addition to moving up a division, Ripley had to contend with a challenging injury that kept her off the mats for months. Nobody was sure how ready she would be for Las Vegas.

Ripley defeated 2002 U.S. Nationals champion Jenny Wong of the Sunkist Kids in the finals, 5-2. Wong, also a USOTC resident athlete, has had a strong season. Highlights of Wong’s season included a dominant win at the University Nationals in April, and a medal at the Yarygin Memorial in Russia. She has the most experience of the athletes competing at this division now, and will work hard to get another chance to face Ripley in Indianapolis.

As a non-Olympic weight, the results from the World Team Trials may not determine the U.S. World Team member. Just like last year, medalists from the Olympic weight classes may challenge the World Team Trials winner for a spot on the U.S. team to compete in New York City, Sept. 12-14. In addition, this is not a weight division that will be contested at the Pan American Games in the Dominican Republic in August.

Last year, Wong won the World Team Trials, but was defeated in a Special Wrestle-off for the U.S. World team, by 2001 World silver medalist Stephanie Murata of the Sunkist Kids. This year, Murata is competing up at 121 pounds again. Whoever wins the Trials in Indianapolis may be open to a Special Wrestle-off from athletes medalling at 105.5 pounds or 121 pounds.

Placing third at the U.S. Nationals was USOTC resident athlete Katie Kunimoto of the Gator WC. Kunimoto lost to Wong in the finals of the 2002 World Team Trials. She rebounded from some disappointing performances this winter, including a fifth place at the University Nationals. Kunimoto is still learning freestyle, and has shown technical progress since last year when she emerged on the national level.

Among the exciting high school stars on the scene are Debbi Sakai of the Rainbow Wahine WC of Hawaii, who was fourth at the U.S. Nationals. Sakai scored a victory at the Junior World Team Trials this year, and has done well in other freestyle competitions.

The next two places at the U.S. Nationals featured college stars Patrice Crenshaw of UM-Morris and Sarah Hayes of Cumberland College. Crenshaw defeated Hayes by pin in the fifth-place match at the U.S. Nationals. Crenshaw, who represents the Minnesota Storm, scored a win over Kunimoto at the University Nationals. She ended the college season as the top-ranked collegian at her division. Hayes has also shown improvement throughout the year, taking a step ahead of the pack at many competitions.

Cheryl Wong of the Dave Schultz WC finished seventh at the U.S. Nationals, her top performance after a number of years at the event. Placing eighth in Las Vegas was high school star Sarah Bergman of the Minneapolis club in Minnesota, one of the many young Minnesota women wrestlers who are making a name in the sport. The final qualifier at this division is Marianne Vollmer of Missouri Valley College, who earned a spot in the field by winning a medal at a major international event in the past three seasons. Vollmer has turned in some strong performances in the past, but has lacked consistency at this level.

The Challenge Tournament will be a test of veteran Jenny Wong, who hopes to dominate the competition and move into the Championship Series against Malinda Ripley. Based upon past performance, Wong will be heavily favored to make it into the finals, but certainly, nothing is guaranteed with some tough young athletes looking for an upset. If Wong gets through, it would not be surprising to see her battle with Ripley go the full three matches. Whoever wins will then have to wait and see if they will be called out for a Challenge from somebody at an Olympic weight class.

2003 U.S. Women’s Nationals results at 51 kg/112 lbs.
1st - Malinda Ripley (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) dec. Jenny Wong (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), 5-2
3rd - Katie Kunimoto (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) by fall over Debbi Sakai (Honolulu, Hawaii/Wahine WC), 1:03
5th - Patrice Crenshaw (Morris, Minn./Minnesota Storm) by fall over Sarah Hayes (Broomfield, Colo./Cumberland), 2:35
7th - Cheryl Wong (Boston, Mass./Dave Schultz WC) by inj. default over Sarah Bergman (Otsego, Minn./MPIS)

2003 Women’s World Team Trials qualifiers at 51 kg (112 lbs.)
National champion - Malinda Ripley (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids)
National placerwinners - 2. Jenny Wong (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids); 3. Katie Kunimoto (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC); 4. Debbi Sakai (Honolulu, Hawaii/Wahine WC); 5. Patrice Crenshaw (East Point, Ga./Minnesota Storm); 6. Sarah Hayes (Broomfield, Colo./Cumberland); 7. Cheryl Wong (Boston, Mass./Dave Schultz WC); 8. Sarah Bergman (Otsego, Minn./MPLS)
Medalist at Group A Tournament - Marianne Vollmer (Grayling, Mich./Missouri Valley)

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10 Questions for U.S. Nationals champion Malinda Ripley

6/2/2003
John Fuller/USA Wrestling

MALINDA RIPLEY
2002-03 Team USA Ranking: No. 5 at 48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Years on Team USA: 1 (2003-04)
Residence: Colorado Springs, Colo.
Club: Sunkist Kids
College: None
High School: Deer Valley, Calif. (Deer Valley HS)
Born: March 29, 1980
Height: 5-2

1. Did you expect to dominate the U.S. Nationals the way you did?
Ripley: You never expect to dominate, but it certainly is something you hope to do going into competition. I wrestled very well, especially for having an injury at the time. I was pleased with my performance.

2. Being only 19 years old, how special was it for you to already win the U.S. Nationals?
Ripley: It was awesome. I feel like I am able to compete at a very high level, and I felt that way last year as well when I placed fifth. I have been making improvements and knew I was capable of competing at that level this year.

3. Last year, Jenny Wong won the Trials at your weight class and she then lost the World Team spot to Stephanie Murata in a special wrestle-off. Do you expect to have to compete in a wrestle-off if you win the Trials as well?
Ripley: I fully expect there to be a challenge and I will be prepared for that when the time comes and if I win the Trials.

4. What are your thoughts about being able to wrestle-off for the World Team spots at the non-Olympic weights?
Ripley: Last year, I competed at 48 kilograms, a weight that is eligible to challenge for the wrestle-off. I did not agree with the system then and I do not now either. What is the point of having a World Team Trials if we are going to re-wrestle three of the weights. We might as well just select our Olympic teams rather than make us all go through the Trials. I hope it gets changed before 2004.

5. You spoke briefly of a back injury after the U.S. Nationals. What was the injury specifically and how long did it take you to recover?
Ripley: A week after the Dave Schultz Memorial International, an x-ray showed a fracture on my vertebrae in my lower back.

6. Were there thoughts of not even wrestling at the Nationals and just waiting until the Trials?
Ripley: Coach Terry Steiner and I discussed wrestling at nationals and how my back might cause me trouble as the tournament went on. We decided that if my back was cause my too much pain, I would wrestle to a point where I would place high enough to qualify for the Trials.

7. Why did you decide to come to Colorado Springs to train instead of wrestling at one of the college programs in the country?
Ripley: I decided to come to Colorado Springs because I felt that if I wanted to be the best, then I wanted to train with the best. That means the best athletes and coaches.

8. Being younger than a lot of the other women at the Training Center, was it tough to adjust at first?
Ripley: Yes. I had a hard time moving away from home for the first time and being around others that had been away for years. But a lot of the women have helped make me very comfortable and now I am completely focused on training towards my Olympic goals.

9. Who has helped you the most since you moved to Colorado Springs?
Ripley: Terry Steiner has had a big impact on me since I’ve been in Colorado Springs. He helped me understand that it was okay to not be wrestling and to be off the mat when my back was fractured. He has also helped me so much, not only technically, but also with the mental aspects of the sport.

10. If you weren’t wrestling, what would you be doing with your life right now?
Ripley: I would be living in San Diego and going to school full-time for teaching.