Women's Wrestling

California wrestler becomes first female national champion in a co-ed bracket

WATERLOO, Iowa

Twelve-year-old Teresa Gordon-Dick of Redwood Valley, California, won the Greco-Roman gold medal Thursday in the 100-pound class of the 11- and 12-year-old division of the USA Wrestling Kids National Tournament. This makes her the first female national champion in a co-ed bracket. This is the first year that USA Wrestling has sponsored national championships for wrestlers younger than sixteen.

Teresa pinned four of her five boy opponents at the Waterloo, Iowa, event. Pin times were 53 seconds in the first round, 2:54 in the second, 46 seconds in the quarterfinals, and 47 seconds in the championship round. She won a 13-1 technical fall in the semifinals.

Teresa is the 1997 novice freestyle California state champion at 95 pounds in a co-ed bracket. She also took first place at 100 pounds in the Western Regionals novice freestyle competition in a co-ed bracket.

``I did this for fun, and it was really fun,'' she said. ``The nationals is a little bit harder and it's a bigger achievement than the other events.''