Waterford’s Stefenie Shaw falls in trials for U.S. world championship team

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo, June 30, 2006 — Two wrestlers with Connecticut ties competed at the recent U.S. World Team trials in women’s freestyle.

Waterford’s Stefenie Shaw swept through the challenge tournament to get the right to challenge national champion Katie Downing at 147.5 pounds (67 kg). But Downing, a bronze medalist at the 2005 World Championships, pinned Shaw in the first bout of her best-of-3 final and beat her again, 7-0 and 5-0 in the second bout.

At 112 pounds, 2004 U.S. Olympian Patricia Miranda (51 kg) swept a pair of matches from her Sunkist Kids WC teammate Jenny Wong to earn a spot on the U.S. team that will compete at the World Championships in China on Sept. 26 through Oct. 2. Miranda, who won a bronze medal at 105.5 pounds at the Athens Olympics, is a law student at Yale University.

Recent Shaw results are fourth place at the U.S. national tournament and second place at the University nationals tournament. At the Pan-Am games in 2005, Shaw was third at 138.75 pounds (63 kg) as the U.S. won the title.