The University of Iowa is hosting the event, as part of a full week of women's wrestling activities in the community.
The Special Wrestle-off will be a best-of-three series in three weight classes. The first match of each series will be held in the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex in Carver-Hawkeye Arena at 10:00 a.m. The second match is set for 6:30 p.m. on the competition mat inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, prior to the start of the Iowa vs. Purdue Big Ten dual at 8 p.m. Any rubber matches, if necessary, will be held after the conclusion of the Iowa vs. Purdue dual.
Under approved USA Wrestling procedures, a past World medalist can challenge a 2015 World Team member in the non-qualified Olympic weight classes.
At 53 kg/116.5 pounds, 2015 World champion and three-time World medalist Helen Maroulis of the Sunkist Kids is challenging 2015 World Team member Whitney Conder of the U.S. Army WCAP for the Pan American Qualifier berth. Maroulis won the 2015 World title at 55 kg/121 lbs., a non-Olympic weight.
At 58 kg/128 lbs., 2015 World bronze medalist Leigh Jaynes-Provisor of the U.S. Army is challenging 2015 World Team member Alli Ragan of the New York AC for the team spot. Jaynes-Provisor won her World medal at 60 kg/132 lbs., a non-Olympic weight.
At 69 kg/152 lbs., a Special Wrestle-off for the team has been set between No. 2 Tamyra Mensah of the Titan Mercury WC and No. 3 Randi Miller of the U.S. Army WCAP. Miller was a 2008 Olympic bronze medalist.
There will be no Special Wrestle-off series at 63 kg/138.75 lbs., as has been previously announced.
2012 World champion and three-time World medalist Elena Pirozhkova of the Titan Mercury WC withdrew her challenge against 2015 World Team member Erin Clodgo of the Sunkist Kids at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. Clodgo will therefore represent the United States at the Pan American Olympic Games Qualifying Tournament.
An exhibition match has been added to the card, featuring a female member of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. Lauren Louive of the Hawkeye WC will wrestle Randi Beltz of the Titan Mercury WC at 58 kg/128 lbs. Louive, who has been nationally ranked in recent years, competed and coached at the University of the Cumberlands, but moved to Iowa City to compete for the Hawkeye WC this year. Beltz, who wrestled for Missouri Valley College, is currently No. 3 on the Women's National Team at 60 kg/132 lbs.
The Pan American Olympic Games Qualifying Tournament, set for Frisco, Texas on March 4-6, is one of the most important events of the year for American wrestlers. The top two place-winners in each weight class qualify their nation to compete in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Fans attending the Iowa vs. Purdue dual meet will have an opportunity to witness top Olympic-caliber women's freestyle wrestling. There will be a special autograph session featuring members of Women's Team USA prior to the college dual meet. Be sure to come early at 6:30 p.m. to witness the Olympic-level wrestling bouts.
Tickets for the Iowa vs. Purdue dual meet and the Women's Special Wrestle-off are $12 for adults, $8 for those 18 and under, free for UI students and children five years and under.
The U.S. Women's National Team has been hosting a national team training camp in Iowa City, Iowa which started on Monday and concludes Friday. The team has been working out in the University of Iowa wrestling room as guests of the Iowa wrestling team and the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. The team has been spending time between workouts all around the local community, and have done a number of media appearances.
The camp has been conducted by National Women's Coach Terry Steiner, and will include many of the top women's freestyle wrestlers in the nation. Steiner was a 1993 NCAA champion for the University of Iowa. This is the second time that Coach Steiner has conducted a Women's National Team training camp in Iowa City, as a similar camp was held in 2012.
The nation's top women wrestlers will return, along with America's elite men's freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers, for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling, set for Carver-Hawkeye Arena, April 9-10. For tickets and information on the Trials, please visit IowaCityToRio.com.
WOMEN'S SPECIAL WRESTLE-OFF (updated)
At Iowa City, Iowa, January 22
53 kg/116.5 lbs. - World Team member Whitney Conder (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) vs. challenger Helen Maroulis (Huntington Beach, Calif./Titan Mercury WC)
58 kg/128 lbs. - World Team member Alli Ragan (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) vs. challenger Leigh Jaynes-Provisor (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army)
69 kg/152 lbs. - No. 2 Tamyra Mensah (Katy, Texas/Titan Mercury WC) vs. No. 3 Randi Miller (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP)
Exhibition Match (at 6:30 p.m. session only) - 58 kg/128 lbs. - Lauren Louive, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC) vs. Randi Beltz, St. Louis, Mo. (Titan Mercury WC)
Note: Winners of each best-of-three series will compete for the USA at the Pan American Olympic Games Qualifying Tournament in Frisco, Texas, March 5.
Match schedule on Friday, January 21, 2016
10:00 a.m. - Bout One of Special Wrestle-off in Dan Gable Wrestling Complex
6:30 p.m. - Bout Two of Special Wrestle-off Series, and an exhibition bout, in Carver-Hawkeye Arena
8:00 p.m. - Iowa vs. Purdue Big Ten Dual Meet in Carver-Hawkeye Arena
TBD - Immediately after Iowa vs. Purdue Meet, Bout Three of Special Wrestle-off Series (if necessary)
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