Greece is the wordAli Bernard heads to Olympic Trials hoping for spot on first-ever Women's Team

By JEN SEAVEY

Journal Sports Editor

NEW ULM -- Ali Bernard has been trying to keep a level head the last couple of days as graduation approaches and she spends the weekend wrestling at the U.S. Women's Olympic Team Trials in Indianapolis, Ind.

Bernard is vying for a position on the first-ever Women's Olympic freestyle wrestling team that will compete in the Summer Games in Athens, Greece August 13-29.

"I always thought it would be cool ever since they said it'd be in the Olympics in 2001, but I didn't put much thought into it," Bernard said. "I didn't think about it too much, since the Olympics were so far away."

Even when the people from the Olympic Training Center called Bernard and invited her to Colorado Springs, Colo. to train after she won a couple of national championships, Bernard didn't let herself get too worked up.

Bernard just kept her goals close and kept entering -- and winning -- national and world-class competitions until the thought of being on the U.S. Olympic team seemed attainable.

"This summer, I went to Junior Worlds, and that was kind of fun," Bernard said. "I wanted to take it to the next level.

"I'm competitive," she said. "I like competing, and I like to do my best."

Perhaps Bernard's biggest challenge at the Olympic trials lies in her competition at a different weight class.

Competition for national tournaments has seven weight classes; women's Olympic wrestling has four classes: 48 kg (105 pounds), 55 kg (121), 63 kg (138), 72 kg (158).

Because of the weight class difference, it would be difficult to predict whom Bernard will have to defeat to advance to the finals, because many wrestlers Bernard is familiar with will be changing weight classes as well.

The one person that she knows she will have to beat will be Toccara Montgomery, the reigning champion in the 72-kilogram weight class (158 pounds). Bernard will go through a preliminary tournament; the winner of the tournament will challenge Montgomery in a best-of-three series.

At the U.S. National Championships April 8 in Las Vegas, Nev., Bernard proved herself as the national champion in the 67-kilogram weight class (147) with a pin in 4:00, but since that weight class doesn't exist in the Olympics, she will have to take the tough route.

To stay in shape and put on the nearly 20 pounds for the Olympic trials, Bernard has been doing cardio workouts like running, but also lifting weights a lot, training in the Twin Cities with her coach, John Holthaus, and the Rolling Thunder wrestling team.

To stay in shape mentally, Bernard has just tried not to think too much and will be surrounded by family and friends in Indianapolis.

"My mom and dad usually travel with me and keep me calm," Bernard said. "A whole bunch of people from New Ulm are coming down. I get a whole lot of support from the booster club men and women."

No matter what happens this weekend, Bernard will still be able to train at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs with U.S. Wrestling National coach Terry Steiner.

"It's not just about the Olympics," Bernard said.

Results from the Olympic trials can be found at http://www.themat.com.