Class of 2007

Like some of the top stars in American womens wrestling history, Kristie Stenglein had a background in judo. She also came from a wrestling family from Albany, N.Y., and Kristie became involved in wrestling, competing on the boys wrestling team at Colonie High School.

Also, while a teenager, Stenglein entered the major womens wrestling competitions in the United States. In her first year competing on the Senior level in 1996, Stenglein not only made the U.S. Womens Senior World Team, but she came back with a Senior World silver medal.

From that point on, winning a World medal became a habit for her. After getting married and competing as Kristie Marano, she continued to win a medal every time she made a World Team. In her first nine World Championship appearances, Kristie won nine World straight medals. Two of them were World gold medals (2000 and 2003). There were five World silver medals (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2007). Also on her list are two World bronze medals (2002 and 2006).

Her nine medals tied her with Bruce Baumgartner for the most World medals won by an American wrestler, regardless of gender. Although very skilled technically, it was her amazing toughness and competitive nature that made Kristie one of the all-time greats in the sport. When it came down to winning a tough match with a medal at stake, Kristie was one of the best.

Many wrestling fans remember her second World title vividly, because they saw it in person. As a native New Yorker, Kristie was excited that she made the 2003 U.S. World Team at 67 kg/147.5 lbs., when the Freestyle World Championships were hosted in Madison Square Garden in New York City. Kristie was dominant the entire tournament, winning her first four bouts by pin or technical fall. She pinned Jodeen Macgregor of New Zealand in 2:18, beat Martina Zyklova of the Czech Republic in a 10-0 technical fall, then pinned Japans Nori Saito in 2:13. In the semis, she pinned Canadian rival Shannon Samler in 2:15. With family and friends in the stands, she won the gold medal, handling Ewelina Pruszko of Poland, 7-1.

She was the only American to win a gold at the 2003 World Championships, and it was Kristie Marano who was on the top of the podium as American wrestling fans were able to hear the U.S. national anthem on their home soil. The U.S. womens team won seven medals in seven weight class, and finished in a tie for first place with Japan, losing the tie-breaker.

Kristie later went on to complete college at Oklahoma City University, where she wrestled on the womens varsity team, won two WCWA national titles and was married to assistant coach Link Davis. She made a 10th World Team competing as Kristie Davis in 2010, but did not win a medal that time. Kristie did not reach her goal of competing in the Olympic Games, falling just short at the Olympic Trials in 2004, 2008 and 2012. Yet, no other American athlete has as many World medals in her trophy case as she does, nor has shown her level of consistent excellence throughout a long and amazing career.