AKRON, Ohio — Alaina Berube of Escanaba captured her fifth national women’s wrestling championship Sunday at the University of Akron.
Berube won the 63 kilogram (138.5 pounds) championship by pinning Samantha Fee of Missouri Valley College in just 34 seconds. It was the fastest finals match of the Women’s University National tournament.
Berube, attached to the New York Athletic Club after completing her eligibility at The University of the Cumberlands, will now advance to the Olympic Trials June 15-16 in Las Vegas.
“I got a good competition in,” Berube said on themat.com website. “I felt that I have had a couple of good weeks of training in. I am looking forward to the Olympic Trials.”
Berube is now training at Wisconsin-River Falls.
“It is a big step for me. I am doing what I am supposed to be doing to get ready for the Trials,” she said of switching her training base closer to her home.
Berube is ranked second in senior women’s freestyle at 63 kg by themat.com, behind long-time leader Sara McMann of Gaffney, S.C. McMann did not compete in Akron. Fee is eighth at 59 kg.
Berube, who also won the 2005 national title, was the runner-up at the 2004 Olympic Trials. Last year Berube was a gold medalist at the Pan Am Games and was third at the U.S. nationals and U.S. World Team trials.
Two of Berube’s teammates at Cumberland placed in the top five Sunday. Lauren Knight was third and Paige Rife was fifth. Knight is ranked eighth at 63 kg and Rife is sixth at 67 kg.
