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Tricia & Townsend Saunders: Taking US Women Wrestlers to New Heights

by Mark Palmer

Townsend Saunders coaches World Silver Medalist Tocarra Montogomery at the World Championships

Perhaps the biggest story to come out of the 2003 World Freestyle Championships held in New York City in September was the outstanding performance of the US women’s team. Each of the seven women on the team earned a medal -- two bronze (Sally Roberts and Jenny Wong), four silver (Patricia Miranda, Tina George, Sara McMann and Toccoa Montgomery) and one gold (Kristie Marano).   Overall, the US women placed second in the team standings, earning the same number of points (62 points) as Japan who won the team title because they had five gold medallists.

A couple of key components to the US women’s winning ways: Tricia and Townsend Saunders.

Townsend Saunders was the head coach for the 2003 US Women’s World Team. His wife Tricia, America’s most successful female wrestler, offered her considerable experience and expertise to the wrestlers on the team.

Each brought an impressive resume to the task.

Townsend Saunders wrestled freestyle for the US at two Olympics (1992 and 1996), earning a silver medal at 149.5 lbs at the 1996 Atlanta Games. He also won gold medals at the 1991 and 1995 Pan American Games, a gold medal at the 1994 Goodwill Games, and two US Nationals titles. In addition, Townsend has competed in four World Championships.

Born in Arizona, Townsend played football as a kid. Unlike so many top wrestlers who hit the mats at a tender age, Townsend didn’t start wrestling until he was in junior high school. “There was no instant success, but steady progress” as Townsend puts it. “I took second at the California state tournament in my senior year in high school.”

Townsend earned a wrestling scholarship to Cal State Bakersfield, and won an NCAA Division II championship. After two years, Townsend transferred to Arizona State where he wrestled for the legendary coach Bobby Douglas. While at Tempe, he was a two-time PAC-10 champion and a two-time NCAA All-American, placing third at the NCAA Division I championships in 1989, and earning second in 1990.

In addition to his US women’s coaching responsibilities, Townsend serves as club coach for Sunkist Kids, and is the executive director for the internationally-respected wrestling club.

Tricia Saunders coaches World Silver Medalist Tina George at the World Championships

Tricia Saunders has been called “the grand dame of women’s wrestling” in the US. She is certainly the most accomplished, having won three gold medals at the World Championships in 1992, 1996 and 1998 – more than any other US woman. In addition, she holds the honor of having the most US women’s national titles with eight.

Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Tricia grew up in a wrestling family. Her grandfather, dad and older brother all had mat experience. She entered her first tournament at age nine. Competing only against boys, she won seven of nine matches at that first tourney. In 1976, Tricia was the first female to win a Michigan state title, and the first female regional national champion.

Sadly, her mat accomplishments stirred up some controversy. “In seventh grade, my local school board said I couldn’t wrestle,” said Tricia. “So I decided to focus all my attention on my other sport, gymnastics.”

Tricia did not wrestle in high school or college. In fact, she experienced a ten-year absence from wrestling. However, in 1989, Tricia discovered that there was a competition for women at the World Championships… and that reignited the competitive fire.   To get back into the game, she started working out with the men at Arizona State. It was there Tricia met Townsend, who wrestled for the Sun Devils at the time.

Tricia entered the second-ever women’s World Championships in 1990, and competed in nine straight Worlds. In addition to her three world titles, she was named Wrestler of the Year three times. Tricia retired from competition in 1999, and is now involved in coaching, having coached the US women’s team at the 2003 Pan American Games in the Dominican Republic.

A new world in women’s wrestling. Women’s wrestling has changed in the decade since Tricia resumed her mat career. “The women’s pools have grown significantly in size,” said Tricia. “There are so many more competitors. And the level of competition has intensified. Back in the early 90s, Japan was the powerhouse in women’s wrestling, and still is. However, they’ve been joined by Russia, China, Canada, and, yes, the United States, in terms of having powerful, highly competitive women’s freestyle programs.”

The considerable US media attention focused on the women’s competition at the 2003 World Freestyle Championships may be new to American wrestling fans, but, in some countries, it’s nothing new.   “In Japan, women’s wrestling is a major sport that eclipses men’s wrestling in terms of media attention and number of spectators,” said Tricia. “The women are treated like superstars, and are featured in comic books and teen magazines. It’s really obvious when you’re in Japan. But you could get a sense of that in New York, where the large Japanese media contingent scurried from mat-to-mat, following the matches featuring competitors from their home country.”

US women: Building on success. The US women won the team title at the Worlds in Norway in 2002, and came incredibly close to repeating in 2003. Tricia Saunders credited women’s national coach Terry Steiner. “Terry’s a respectful, hard-working coach. He has brought structure to their training, and helped our women work on what I’d call competitive errors,” said Tricia. “We’ve always had heart, and were over 95% of the way there, but Terry has pushed the women just a bit further, helping them cut out competitive errors and polish their overall performance. In addition, he’s provided a positive mindset that they are competitive with the best in the world, and can win. It’s the difference that has taken the US women to the next level of competition, and helped us do so well in New York.”

Tricia continued her praise of coach Steiner. “Terry is a great family man. He brings a positive, family-type atmosphere to the team,” said Tricia. “I’m very thankful to see what Terry is doing for the women’s program.”

“The US Olympic Training Center is great,” added Tricia. “It helps our women get expert training and the ability to concentrate on their technique.”

“In the past, women had to seek out training facilities,” said Tricia. “In many cases, women were relegated to working out in a junior high gym, or in a corner of a men’s college practice room. It’s so much better to have everyone together, working together, getting valuable instruction and guidance.”

A matter of pride. “I can’t say enough about how proud I am of the US women,” said Tricia Saunders. All of them demonstrated integrity and perseverance in New York.”

“There are some great stories on this team,” Tricia added. “Kristie Marano is raising a kid by herself – juggling work, school, wrestling and being a mother. Patricia Miranda earned her bachelor’s and master’s at Stanford, and has been accepted at Yale Law. She lost her mother at age 12, and is dealing with a father who is not very supportive of her wrestling. Jenny Wong had to work out with a high school team while she was in college. Tina George is athletically gifted – a sprinter in high school who discovered she could excel in wrestling, too. A number of the women – Sara McMann, Sally Roberts, and Toccoa Montgomery – grew up in tough towns and have overcome considerable odds.”

Before the Worlds in New York, Townsend said there was a strong possibility that each of the US women would earn a medal – and he was right.

“The New York Worlds were at a great time,” says Townsend. “It’s just one year before the Olympics, where women will be competing for the first time. It’s great for the women in terms of preparing them for Athens, and in terms of raising consciousness for women’s wrestling for the next Olympics.”

At home with the Saunders. Townsend and Tricia Saunders met at Arizona State in 1988, and have been married since 1992. They have two children: daughter Tassia and son Townsend.

“It’s a challenge to have two people who are in the sport of wrestling under one roof,” said Townsend. “We’re always on the go, getting ready for the next tournament. Yet there’s lots of understanding too. We each know the preparation that’s involved, and the need for post-event support.”

Both Townsend and Tricia see the need in giving back to the sport that provided them with so much.

“I was blessed to have the opportunity to compete at two Olympics and experience so much of the world in my competitive career,” said Townsend. “Coaching and mentoring Tricia provided valuable experience that helps in coaching the US women’s team.”

Tricia echoed those sentiments. “During my wrestling career, I benefited from the actions of a hundred others. In that same spirit, I wanted to pass along what I can to the next group,” said Tricia.