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News Page
MARTY JAMES: Chalk Talk
04/03/2000
n Vintage High freshman Maika Watanabe and junior Danni Presley both earned All-America honors at the 2000 U.S. Girls Wrestling Association National Championships last week in Michigan. All-America status is awarded to the top 12 finishers in each weight class.
Presley fought her way to a 5-2 record and seventh-place finish in the 112-pound division. She had wins over Sarah Fowler of Michigan (pin), Debbie Sakai of Hawaii (14-2), Illinois state runner-up Margaret Hosman (11-0) and Virginia state champion Emma Lindsay (12-3).
"Danni had a rough time at nationals last year going 0-2 and worked hard this year in hopes of doing a little better," said Carl Murphree of the Napa Valley Wrestling Club. "To finish seventh against this level of competition is tremendous."
Watanabe placed 11th with a 3-3 record at 101 pounds, one of the tournament's most competitive weight classes because it featured two defending national champions and World Cadet champion Mary Kelly of Illinois. None of the three won the tournament.
"I think the most important thing for Maika was the experience of seeing first hand the best wrestlers in the country," said Murphree, the co-coach of the Vintage wrestling team. "She now has a better idea of what she needs to do to reach that level herself."
Presley and Watanabe both represent the NVWC, which is sponsored by the Boys and Girls Club of Napa Valley.
In the team competition, Team California finished second, just behind Michigan and ahead of Texas.
The third annual tournament, held in Lake Orion, Mich., just north of Detroit, featured over 400 wrestlers from across the country.
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Stephanie Wins National Wrestling Title
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Stephanie Murata (top) |
LAS VEGAS, NV, April 30 – May 1, 1999
Stephanie Murata (Omaha), wrestling for the NASC Sports Warrior Athletic Club and Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club, won the Women’s Division 56 kilo (123 lb.) at the 1999 US National Wrestling Championships (to be aired on ESPN II, July 20, 1999).
Stephanie has been a member of the U.S. National Wrestling Team for six years since graduating from UC Davis where she earned a degree in Genetics and a minor in nutrition. Stephanie’s first place victory gives her an automatic berth into the finals of 1999 US Wrestling World Team Trials, Rochester, MN, June 10-12, 1999. A first place finish there at the World Trials guarantees her a spot on the National USA Women’s Wrestling Team scheduled to compete in 1999 World Wrestling Championship, Boden, Sweden.
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