Black, Goodale claim
women's freestyle honors

BY MATT PFIFFNER
Out of the four Iowans who participated in the Women's Freestyle Junior National Tournament the past two days in Fargo, N.D., two of them earned All-American honors.

In place matches contested Saturday morning in the FargoDome, Megan Black of Ottumwa finished eighth at 109 and Roni Goodale of Bettendorf earned a sixth-place finish at 124.

Black took on Samantha Klingel of Pennsylvania in the seventh-place bout at 109.

Kilngel was pushed out of bounds early in the bout, but scored a takedown later in the first period to make it a 1-1 match. Black scored a late takedown for the 2-1 period win.

In the second period Klingel scored the only point on a takedown for a 1-0 victory, to force a third period.

Klingel scored an early takedown and sent Black to her back for a 4-0 lead. Klingel would go on to a 6-1 period victory to win the seventh-place bout.

The final Iowan to wrestle in the morning session was Roni Goodale against Brittney Faust of Pennsylvania in the fifth-place match at 124.

The two also met in the fifth-place bout last year, with Goodale winning by medical forfeit.

Faust would show up to wrestle this time and win the match, 3-0, 2-0.

After a scoreless first two minutes of the first period, they went to the clinch. Faust won the flip and took Goodale down to her back after a long fight for the three points.

Faust scored a pair of takedowns in the second period, including a late counter takedown, for the 2-0 period win.

"I did pretty well. There were tough girls on both sides of the bracket," Goodale said. "I've improved so much from last year, even though I'm at the same place. It's always a fun match against her."

Before the finals began, Goodale was honored as an Asics First Team All-American.

"When I first found out, my coach texted me congratulations. And I was like, for what?" she said. "It's a big honor. My coach is proud of me and my parents are proud of me."

The two other Iowans who wrestled in the tournament but were eliminated on Friday were Julie Johnsen at 132 and April Ritts at 139. Johnsen went 0-2 in competition and Ritts was 1-2.