Roni Goodale finishes fifth in Women's freestyle action

BY MATT PFIFFNER
Roni Goodale of Muscatine may have left Fargo, N.D. with a frown last year, but was nothing but smiles this trip after finishing fifth in the Women's Freestyle National Tournament at 124 pounds.

After going 3-2 to place third in her pool during the morning freestyle action, Goodale was scheduled to meet Brittney Faust of Pennsylvania in the fifth-place match on Monday afternoon.

But Faust had suffered an injury earlier in the tournament and was unable to wrestle in the medal match, giving Goodale the fifth-place award.

Goodale's losses on Monday came against the eventual first and third-place finishers in the tournament.

After going 0-2 at 116 pounds at last year's Women's Freestyle National Tournament in Fargo, Goodale was pleased with her finish on the award stand.

"I'm pretty happy. I would have been a little happier with a high place finish, like everyone else, but I'm happy after how it went last year," she said.

Goodale said she didn't realize her opponent wasn't wrestling Monday afternoon until right before she stepped onto the mat.

"It was a surprise when I didn't see her lining up before the finals. But I saw her earlier with ice on her shoulder, so I knew she was hurt and wondered if she was going to wrestle," she said.

Julie Johnsen of Underwood also represented Iowa at 124 pounds, but went 0-2 in her pool during the morning session and was eliminated from medal contention.