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By Shannyn J. Gillespie

The Women's Sr. National tournament was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center Thursday April 8, 2009 and the U.S. Olympic Education Center freestyle team, a USA Wrestling resident athlete program, won 6 medals and placed 11 of 12 wrestlers in the top 8.

Champions Helen Maroulis at 55kg and Adeline Gray at 67kg, Marquette Senior High School seniors, lead the way on a record day of medals for the USOEC freestyle program at the Sr. Nationals.

Northern Michigan University sophomore Alyssa Lampe, who has been competing all year at 48kg and also owns 2 Jr. World bronze medals at 48kg, missed weight and wrestled at 51kg. Lampe, in impressive fashion, won a bronze medal and was selected to the Sr. Pan American Championships team for her efforts; Maroulis will join Lampe at the Sr. Pan Am Championships in Peten, Guatemala April 21-26, 2009.

Schuyler Brown, an NMU freshman, lost in the semi finals and battled back to her bronze medal with a victory over a two time Jr. World bronze medallist. Brown competed at 59kg which is one weight below her Jr. World weight class of 63kg; Brown represented Team USA at the 2008 Jr. World Championships.

Vonnie Carlson, a MSHS senior competing in her first Sr. Nationals, has been wrestling well all year after 8 months of rehabilitating a back injury she suffered her sophomore year in high school. Carlson won a bronze medal at 63kg.

Amber Miracle competed up 2 weight classes from her 2008 campaign and captured her first Sr. Nationals bronze medal at 67kg. Miracle is an NMU sophomore.

The top 7 placewinners in each weight class at the women's Sr. Nationals qualify for the World Team Trials in Council Bluffs, IA May 30-31. The WTT, a qualifying tournament, champion will represent Team USA at the Sr. World Championships later this summer in Denmark.

Sr. Nationals is the start of the Championship Season for the USOEC freestyle team. Next competitions include: University Nationals in Akron, OH April 23-25; Body Bar Nationals (for 15-20 year olds) in Colorado Springs, CO May 1-2, 2009; and the World Team Trials. All are qualifiers for Team USA world, continental, and international contests this summer.

In February, 1989, the U.S. Olympic Committee named Northern Michigan University (NMU) as the nation's only United States Olympic Education Center (USOEC). The USOEC's main focus is the resident athlete training program, where athletes actively train for the Olympic Games while also continuing their education.

Generally, athletes in this program must be nationally ranked and also approved by their national governing body (NGB), the USOEC, and NMU. The USOEC has resident athlete training programs in freestyle wrestling, boxing, short track speedskating, Greco-Roman wrestling, and weightlifting.

USOEC freestyle results
51kg Alyssa Lampe bronze, Emily Martin 8th, Amy Whitbeck DNP
55kg Helen Maroulis Champion, Beth Johnson 4th
59kg Schuyler Brown bronze
63kg Vonnie Carlson bronze, Melissa Apodaca 5th
67kg Adeline Gray Champion, Amber Miracle bronze, Erin Clodgo 6th
72kg Lindsey Brooks 4th