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Girl Power
Mercedes Creason making an impact at TU

By Andrew Bettencourt
Staff writer 1/17/04

Tulare Union freshman Ricardo Rojas had an introduction in the world of wrestling that might scar lesser men for life.

One of the first opponents Rojas faced during practice was a girl, fellow freshman Mercedes Creason.

"I thought I would win easy," Rojas said.

He didn't.

"She pinned me," Rojas said.

And he's not embarrassed about it.

"It's hard wrestling her," Rojas said, raising his eyebrows. "She's real fast. She's definitely the toughest girl I ever faced."

Not only is Creason the toughest girl Rojas has ever faced, Creason may be the best female high school wrestler in the state.

Earlier this month, Creason captured the 100-pound title at the girls state championships. She went 5-0, with five pins, and was named the tournament's most outstanding wrestler.

And Creason has done well wrestling against male competition.

She finished third in the 103-pound division Saturday at the East Yosemite League championships and wrestles next at the Yosemite Division championships Friday at Buchanan High School in Clovis.

"They usually seem surprised," Creason said. "Sometimes they're scared. Sometimes you hear 'Oh, she's just a girl,' but they don't say much after [the match]."

"It's been a lot of fun having her on the team," Tulare Union senior Blake Parreira said. "She works hard just like the rest of us. I'm really impressed with how she's done. It doesn't surprise me, but I'm impressed."

The last thing anyone expected was for Creason to make the starting lineup of a Tulare Union team that is currently ranked No. 4 in the Central Section and No. 9 in the state. But with some eligibility issues, the team turned to Creason to take over the 103 starting slot.

"In working with her the last few years, she's always been a pretty hard worker," Tulare Union coach Randy Pfitzer said. "She's developed the skill and intensity it takes to be successful. She's at her best on the mat during a match. Usually for a freshman, it takes a little bit more time to develop into a good wrestler, but she's progressing very well."

It didn't take long for Creason to make an impact.

In Tulare Union's initial league dual match, the Redskins trailed Monache 25-9. A loss to the Marauders and Tulare Union's seven-year hold on the league crown would have become tenuous.

The Redskins needed a win to stop Monache's momentum, and Creason delivered it.

She pinned her opponent in a minute, starting the Redskins' string of eight consecutive wins en route to a 42-25 victory. And it was the first time that a Tulare Union girl won an EYL match on the mat, not via forfeit.

"We were very fortunate that we had Mercedes come through for us," Pfitzer said. "We knew our strength was coming up [in the lower weight classes, but we didn't know how she would respond. When she got that pin, it was a shot of adrenaline to the whole team. It was a lot of fun watching her wrestle that night."

For Creason, it was just another day of wrestling.

"I don't think about losing," she said. "I keep a positive attitude. I'm concentrating about winning and that's what I was doing. I wasn't really nervous. When I won the match, everyone was happy and congratulating me. That felt good. That was probably my best moment in high school so far, besides being volleyball captain."

Later that week, Creason took fifth place at the Redwood Invitational.

Such accolades aren't new to Creason. From a family of wreslters, she has been wrestling since the third grade.

Creason is a five-time California folkstyle champion, and those were tournaments in which she faced boys.

So wrestling against boys doesn't faze Creason, although some boys don't even want to face her.

During the league season, Creason won by forfeit in dual matches against Granite Hills and Delano.

A six-point forfeit win is the same as a pin victory, but Creason would rather be out on the mat.

"I just wish they would come and show up so I would have someone to wrestle," Creason said.

After high school, wrestling hasn't offered many avenues for females, but that may be starting to change with the 2004 Olympics. Women's wrestling will be contested for the first time in the Olympics in four weight classes. Several colleges are also starting to develop their own women's wrestling programs, and wrestling in college is something Creason would like to pursue.

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UIL wrestling meet results

February 15, 2004 From Staff Reports

UIL REGION III MEET
(At Allen High School)

GIRLS DIVISION
TEAM STANDINGS

1. Katy, 139.50
2. Katy Taylor, 97
3. The Woodlands, 68
4. Katy Mayde Creek, 66
4. Coppell, 66
6. Waller, 51
7. Klein, 44
8. Katy Cinco Ranch, 37
9. Langham Creek, 34
10. Friendswood, 24
11. Klein Forest, 23
12. Lake Highlands, 22
13. Klein Collins, 17
14. Conroe Oak Ridge, 12
14. Cypress Creek, 12
16. Klein Oak, 10
17. Cypress Springs, 5
18. Cypress Ridge, 4
18. A&M Consolidated, 4
20. Brazoswood, 3

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

Top two girls qualify for the UIL State Wrestling Championship, Feb.
27-28 at Austin Convention Center.

95: Championship: Ana Ramey, Langham Creek, d. Melissa Terry, Katy,
dec., 4-2. Third Place: Dani Aming, Katy Taylor d. Crystal Murdock, Waller,
fall 1:47.

102: Championship: Lara Hamilton, Katy Taylor, d. Lillian Marques,
Coppell, by fall, 3:33. Third Place: Gabby Bruscianelli, Katy, d. Elizabeth
Morales, The Woodlands, by fall, 2:45.

110: Championship: Laurie Ashby, Katy Taylor, def. Tosha McSloy, Katy
Mayde Creek, dec., 7-3. Third Place: Hailey Hale, Katy Cinco Ranch, def.
Kathy Roy, Cypress Creek, dec., 10-7.

119: Championship: Jessica Allen, Klein, d. Sara Cevallos, Katy Mayde
Creek, dec., 8-5. Third Place: Jamie Gulley, Katy Taylor, def. Alex Bradshaw,
Katy, by fall, 5:35.

128: Championship: Stephanie Haver, Katy, def. Tiffany Sanders,
Friendswood, major dec., 14-4. Third Place: Karen Howe, The Woodlands, def.
Stephanie Sparks, Katy Mayde Creek, by fall, 3:05.

138: Championship: Teri Lopez, Katy, def. Amanda Muncer, Coppell, by
fall, 1:06. Third Place: Lindsey Brooks, Klein, def. Crystal Garrison, by
fall, 5:42.

148: Championship: Sarah Smith, The Woodlands, def. Felicia Woodall,
Katy, by fall, 5:56. Third Place: Ruth Johnson, Klein Forest, def. Jade
Manto, Katy Cinco Ranch, by fall, 1:26.

165: Championship: Lauren Frisbie, Coppell, def. Cheryl Avery, Langham
Creek, by fall, 1:04. Third Place: Becky Grimes, Waller, def. Summer
Jenkins, Katy Taylor, by fall, 4:57.

185: Championship: Katie Klammer, Lake Highlands, def. Kacee Ravenberg,
Katy, by fall, 1:20. Third Place: Toni Rogers, Coppell, def. Jennifer
Cook, Klein Oak, dec., 5-2.

215: Championship: Amber Hicks, Waller, def. Gesche Weiss, Katy Taylor,
by fall, 5:58. Third Place: Kiki Williams, Katy by forfeit.

GIRLS DIVISION
TEAM STANDINGS

1. Arlington Sam Houston, 135.5
2. Arlington, 113
3. Frisco, 107
4. Arlington Bowie, 85
5. South Grand Prairie, 78
6. Arlington Seguin, 65
7. Samuell, 62
8. Keller Fossil Ridge, 49
9. Hurst L.D. Bell, 45
10. Skyline, 44
11. Frisco Centennial, 47
12. Southlake Carroll, 30
13. Arlington Martin, 26
14. Grapevine, 18
15. Keller, 16
16. Midlothian, 14
17. Adamson, 13
18. Arlington Lamar, 9
19. Kimball, 8
20. Bryan Adams, 7
21. Euless Trinity, 4

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

Top two finishers advance to UIL State Meet Feb. 27-28 in Austin.

95 pounds: Championship: Maria Wisener, Keller Fossil Ridge d. Jasmin
Flores, Frisco, 5-1; Third place: Ashley Painter, Arlington Bowie
pinned Anna Ray, Arlington, :56.

102: Championship: Tiffany Larriba, Southlake Carroll d. Kasha Chaney,
Samuell, 17-9; Third place: Aubrey Sperier, Frisco pinned Crystal
Grajeda, Arlington, 2:21.

110: Championship: Crystal Molinar, South Grand Prairie pinned Tashia
Lewis, Arlington Sam Houston, 1:29; Third place: Sarah Van Allen, Frisco
Centennial d. Danielle Windquest, Arlington Bowie, default.

119: Championship: Deseree Cazares, South Grand Prairie pinned Desiree
French, Grapevine, 4:27; Third place: Katherine Barreda, Frisco pinned
Christina Wall, Frisco Centennial, 1:10. Challenge match: Katherine
Barreda Frisco d. Desiree French, Grapevine.

128: Championship: Semaj Langston, Arlington Sam Houston d. Amy
Herrera, Arlington Seguin, technical fall; Third place: Melissa Glover, South
Grand Prairie pinned Whitney Slatten, Arlington, :41.

138: Championship: Candy Guevara, Arlington d. Sarah Hendrix, Hurst
L.D. Bell, 13-9; Third place: Vanessa Epps, Frisco pinned Sabrina Garcia,
Arlington Bowie, 2:39.

148: Championship: Emmy Thompson, Keller Fossil Ridge d. Sasha McElroy,
Arlington, 15-3; Third place: Yadira Aguilera, Arlington Sam Houston
pinned Ivonne Ramirez, Arlington Bowie, 4:53. Challenge match: Yadira
Aguilera, Arlington Sam Houston d. Sasha McElroy, Arlington.

165: Championship: Jennifer Miller, Arlington Martin pinned Aumaya
Vernon, Samuell, 1:29; Third place: Nicole Reyes, Arlington Sam Houston, pinned
Natassia Lamar, Skyline, 1:19.

185: Championship: Erica McClendon, Arlington Seguin pinned Jessica
Surratt, Hurst L.D. Bell, 4:31; Third place: Krista Gilmore, Arlington Bowie
pinned JimmLisa Coleman, Arlington Sam Houston, 1:33.

215: Championship: Courtney Green, Arlington pinned Valerie Ward,
Arlington Sam Houston, :47; Third place: Martha Ramirez, Samuell pinned Marquan
Hunter, Skyline, 5:57.

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Wrestling

2/17/04

David Douglas junior Na'Tasha Umemoto became only the second girl in Oregon to qualify for the state wrestling tournament when she finished third in the Mount Hood Conference tournament at 119 pounds, but her family struggled to celebrate because of what happened at the Pacific- 9 Conference tournament in McMinnville.
Tualatin senior Samantha Lang, a club teammate and close friend of Umemoto's, was disqualified from the Pac-9 tourney on the second day because of a technicality during the weigh-in. Lang, according to her club team coach Bobo Umemoto, was disqualified for missing the weigh-in, despite being just yards away from where the weigh-in was taking place.
"The entire Woodburn team wasn't even there for the start of the weigh-in because their bus was late, but they were allowed to weigh in," Umemoto said. "It's terribly unfair."
Lang lost a close match on Friday but then won two consolation matches and was in position to finish third and reach the state tournament at 160 pounds. Her disqualification halted that.
The OSAA state tournament is set to begin Thursday at Memorial Coliseum.
Umemoto said he planned to hire a lawyer today and seek some recourse on Lang's behalf. He hoped to have her added to the state tournament bracket.
"It's unfortunate, but it's going to have to be some sort of gender complaint," Umemoto said.
Lang said she expects her season is over.
"I don't think anything will happen," she said. "It's really unfair."
In the PIL, Benson wasn't overpowering, but the Techmen won when it counted.
Benson, the league's dual meet champion at 9-0, rallied Saturday from a third-place standing after the first day of the meet at Benson to win the district title for the first time in five years. The Techmen had seven finalists and three individual champions and will head to the Class 4A state meet this week with 10 entrants.
"It was a team effort," Benson coach Mike Mechling says. "The guys did a great job of getting to the semifinals and then doing well when they got there."
Cleveland, which finished third, will take eight wrestlers to state. Second-place Grant has seven entrants.
Of the district's 10 schools, nine had at least one individual champion from among the 14 weight classes.
Three wrestlers won titles for the second consecutive year: junior Andy Jackson of Madison (145 pounds), senior Brock Luedtke of Cleveland (152) and senior Sean Murphy of Wilson (189).
Three individuals won PIL titles despite not being one of the top four seeds at their weight: sophomore Peter Herbert of Benson (103), junior Ben King of Franklin (140) and junior Paul Miles of Grant (160).
Wrestlers who were seeded No. 1 at their weight won 10 of the 14 weights.

--------------------------------------------

Akiyama returns to state

2/15/04

Newport's Leilani Akiyama finished fourth at 112-pounds and qualified for the state tournament for the second straight year.

Akiyama won her first match by pin and then fell in the second overtime in the semifinal 6-4 to Sedro-Woolley's Brad Hayes.

Akiyama tied it up 4-4 just before the end of the third period and countered every move Hayes tried in the first overtime, but Akiyama couldn't escape his grip. In the second overtime, Hayes quickly got a reversal for the win.

``That match was so close it would make anyone mad,'' Akiyama said. ``I thought I wrestled well.''

But the loss only served as motivation for Akiyama.

``It only made me stronger, I started to get motivated,'' Akiyama said.

In the consolation bracket, Akiyama eked out a 6-3 decision against Liberty's Daniel Hank, to clinch her state berth.

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2/15/04

Mt. Hood Conference: David Douglas scored 317 points to 286 for Gresham and 254 for Reynolds to claim the district title. The Scots also qualified six wrestlers for the state meet, including one of the few girls to qualify for state, 119-pounder Na'tasha Umemoto .

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West Branch girl takes a road less traveled

A+ Achiever

By Rob Daniel 2/16/04
Iowa City Press-Citizen

Amber Davidson , is an active high school student, but in ways few others are.

Davidson, 17, a senior at West Branch High School, has in the past year wrestled on the school's wrestling team and also has gone through basic training with the Army Reserves. Both, she said, were just activities that seemed to her like a good idea and one has helped with the other.

"I actually had the highest score in (physical training recently) and wrestling helped me get to that level," Davidson said.

A basketball and volleyball player earlier in her school years, Davidson said she became interested in wrestling, a sport with few girls, as she listened to Shawn Voight, West Branch's wrestling coach and her social studies teacher.

"He always talks about it," Davidson said. "I thought it sounded kind of neat."

After deciding to join with another girl, who eventually quit, Davidson joined the team and wrestled at 145 pounds.

"(Voight) tried to find someone who had the same ability as me (to wrestle)," she said.

The boys on the team were hesitant about a girl joining their ranks, but Davidson said they came around as the season wore on.

"They didn't say much," she said. "But at the end, they thought it was a good idea and thought more girls should go out."

Though she said she was an inspiration to other girls, including opposing female team managers and fans, Davidson finished the season with only one win - a forfeit. She blames her poor record on her lack of experience in the sport.

The wrestling, though, has helped her handle the rigors of Army life. Davidson said she was attracted to the Army Reserves by a recruiter who came to the school and showed what they could do, such as rappelling off the school building.

"They always seemed like they had fun doing what they're doing," she said.

Her parents - her dad, Randy, was a Marine - backed her decision to join. The approval came despite her mother Marcia's cousin, Bradley Korthaus, a Marine reservist from Davenport, being among the first to be killed in the Iraq conflict. Last summer, she went through the nine-week basic training course at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., a new experience for Davidson as she learned skills such as rifle work and first aid.

"I'd never been around that many people for that long," she said. "It was pretty intense. You get yelled at a lot."

Today, as she looks ahead to graduation, Davidson plans to do more in the Army Reserves. She is scheduled to go to advanced infantry training at Fort Leonard Wood again in August, where she will train to be a military police officer.

"It looked kind of neat," she said.

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Erica Torres is the reigning EYL junior varsity wrestling champion at 112 pounds.

2/16/04

She beat two boys Saturday to claim the title.

"She dominated them, seriously," said Gabe Meneses, one of Torres coaches at Granite Hills.

There are at least two reactions a boy can have after being beaten by a girl in a wrestling match.

"They either get up and have respect for me, or they are really embarrassed," Torres said.

"They can talk all they want, but as soon as we get on the mat, they're in my world," said Torres, a freshman at Granite Hills.

Torres, 14, in baseball cap and sweats, gym bag strap over a shoulder, dark hair and eyes, looking every bit the tomboy likely to become a swan - with a vicious double-leg takedown - smiled as she talked about wrestling.

She started officially in fourth grade at Alta Vista Elementary. Before that, she was inspired by wrestling matches with her father as she grew up.

"When I saw they were having sign-ups for the wrestling team, I knew I would like it," she said.

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OLYMPIC-SIZE DREAM-MATCHED FOR THE MAT

Cumberland wrestler, coach quite a team

By Mark Maloney 2/17/04

HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER

WILLIAMSBURG - Reviving a high school wrestling program after about a 40-year hiatus seemed unusual.

What really piqued the curiosity of one sophomore, though, was that girls were welcome.

Another school, another coach, another time, Toccara Montgomery might never have strayed from basketball, softball and volleyball.

All elements merged at Cleveland's inner-city East Tech, and Montgomery checked out the school's long-lost sport.

Now a junior at Cumberland College, she is a four-time World Championships silver medalist -- twice at the junior level and twice at senior -- and the 2001 International Wrestler of the Year.

She is the 5-foot-6, 72-kilogram (1581/2-pound) crown jewel of Cumberland's top-ranked women's wrestling program.

And she expects to medal in Athens this summer, when women's wrestling makes its Olympic debut.

Death and life

"Toccara is one of the most straightforward, honest, hard-working type people I've ever met in my life," said Kip Flanik, the former East Tech and present Cumberland coach. "I trust her 100 percent in everything that she does. I know she's not drinking; I know she's not partying and I know she's serious about what it is she's committed to."

In wrestling terms, Flanik has been with Montgomery from the beginning. What happened long before they met contributed greatly to what they have created together.

Flanik, 38, grew up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.

No silver spoons, he said.

At 14, he was obliged to accompany his alcoholic father, Robert, on his second job -- servicing vending machines. One night, while Kip waited in the van, a robber gunned down Robert.

Kip had endured beatings by his father. Death opened a new life to young Kip.

At 16, he joined the high school wrestling team.

"My family had issues, just like so many other families. Whether it shaped me or not, I'm not sure," Flanik said. "What I'm sure of is wrestling shaped me. My high school coach, a guy named Larry Hoon from Cleveland Heights, he's the one who made me what I am today. If it wasn't for him, I'd be on the streets struggling, just like I know a lot of other people are."

Hoon suggested Flanik try coaching, and later hired him as an assistant. For two seasons, Flanik worked with Tina George, a girl who "proved herself to be just as tough as any of the guys," Flanik said. George went on to become a five-time national champion and, like Montgomery, is an Olympic medal favorite this summer.

After about a dozen years at Cleveland Heights, Flanik left to raise a program from the ashes. East Tech is best known as the school that produced track and field immortal Jesse Owens.

Montgomery was among seven girls and 40 boys to try out for the team.

Tara Montgomery, Toccara's mother, had no idea that girls wrestled.

"She had asked about playing football," mother Montgomery said. "I was like, 'Nah! I'm going to draw the line. But we'll try wrestling.'"

Toccara soon had doubts.

"The first time I actually seriously wrestled, I was just really sore," she said. "Me and the whole team. Kip assured us that we wouldn't feel like that after we continued on, but I was a little skeptical.

"And I was wrestling guys. That in itself was hard for me, too, because I was constantly losing. And it's kind of hard for an athlete to lose every time you compete."

The sophomore stuck with it, though. She started to beat some boys. And fell in love with wrestling.

When Tara, head cook at the Salvation Army women's and children's shelter, finally saw Toccara wrestle -- and win -- she realized, "Oh, my God, this kid is really serious about this!"

Deaths and escape

What Flanik had missed from his father, Toccara got from her dad, Paul.

"I guess you could say I was a daddy's girl," Toccara said. "My dad was always there for me, and doing things."

From reading books together to shooting hoops.

A strong family included a brother, Patrick, 9 years Toccara's junior.

All that changed the year that Toccara first wrestled.

Her father confessed to shooting two men on Oct. 3, 1998. He claimed self defense, saying the men became angered because he had refused to buy drugs.

A jury found him guilty of murder. His sentence: 33 years to life.

"When he got incarcerated, I was sort of a little bit upset with him," she says. "Because I sort of felt like he abandoned our family.

"After a couple of months ... I started to just realize situations happen. And he was always there when he could be. So our relationship is pretty much the same, other than the fact that he's not there."

Wrestling provided an escape.

Flanik sold Toccara and her mother on wrestling as a worthwhile choice, and, after some initial doubts, Tara now thinks Toccara is right where she needs to be.

"I consider Kip like a brother to me," she said. "Like one of my friends of the family. I trust him completely with her."

Without a college degree, Flanik could coach, but he couldn't teach.

"I worked the jobs that I worked in Cleveland so that I could coach," he said. "I didn't coach in addition to it. I purposely found jobs like managing apartment buildings and starting my own businesses, and doing lawn care, things like that, so that I could coach. So that I could make sure I could coach."

Flanik laughs when he hears talk that he has ridden Montgomery's coattails to Cumberland. He says that the Patriots sought him, not the other way, and that he took a pay cut to come.

Money seems incidental.

Tara talks of what Flanik did for Toccara, and for all the Tech wrestlers. He would drive by van to tournaments in Michigan, Minnesota or wherever. He would pay fees out of his pocket.

"I think what really touched me is that he had this motorcycle when he was here. He really liked this motorcycle," Tara said. "And he sold the motorcycle to get all of us (to Michigan) for a tournament. He paid for the hotels, gas and food. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe that he was that dedicated to the sport and that he opened Toccara's eyes to it."

A big heart

At East Tech, Toccara was a quick learner on the mat.

She advanced to the high school nationals her first two seasons.

In April of her senior year, Toccara placed fourth at the U.S. nationals. That was worth a spot on the U.S. junior world team and a trip to Nantes, France, where she earned a silver medal.

"A lot of my friends ask me, 'Where's she at now?'" Tara says. "I say, 'Oh, she just got back from Greece.'"

Greece was last month, in an Olympic test event. Tara's first international trip was to Bulgaria. Her favorite stop was Austria. And her biggest win came last October in Tokyo, where she defeated five-time world champion Kyoko Hamaguchi to give Team USA a one-point win over Japan in the World Cup.

The rapid success has not changed Montgomery, who always has time for her family and her team.

She instructs at clinics, free of charge, and helps teammates.

"I always thought that people at that level (who) are really good, potential Olympians, are kind of stuck up," says Othella Lucas, a 130-pound freshman from San Diego. "But she's a really good person, and she's very willing to help out the team with moves and with everything. If her head's big, she sure doesn't show it. She has a big heart."

Storybook ending?

Toccara, an elementary education major, is the first member of her family to attend college "in a long time," Tara says.

"Sometimes," Tara says, "I have to pinch myself and think: Am I dreaming that this kid went this far?"

"The kid" considers her strongest suits to be explosiveness, power and technique. She's working on her par terre (ground wrestling).

She will go into the U.S. Olympic Trials, May 13-17 at Indianapolis, ranked No. 1.

Winners in Indianapolis will represent the United States in Athens. Then, through television, Paul might get to see his daughter wrestle for the first time.

"One of my biggest dreams is just for him to see me wrestle," Toccara says. "I'm not real sure if that's ever going to happen, you know?"

To win a gold medal, Montgomery probably would have to beat Hamaguchi, whom she lost to in the World Championships last September in New York, and again last month in Athens.

"I think it's going to come down to me and her or ... (Canada's) Christine Norhagen," Toccara says. "Either way it goes, it's going to be a tough match. It's just something you look forward to. It's sort of like a storybook tale for the Olympics."

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Cumberland more than Montgomery

By Mark Maloney 2/17/04

HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER

In the Lilliputian world of college women's wrestling, Cumberland is a giant.

The Patriots rank No. 1 among the 10 teams in the nation that have women's programs.

"While most of the other college programs decided to go to a one-semester season, I took my girls to a full year," Coach Kip Flanik said. "Girls at my school wrestle from the first day they show up until the last day they leave.

"We're No. 1 in the country, which I'm very proud of, but I'm even more proud of the fact that I've got over 25 girls on this team and we've got a cumulative GPA of over 3.0, almost 3.1."

Flanik's top wrestler is two-time World Championships silver medalist Toccara Montgomery, an Olympic medal favorite at 72 kilograms (1581/2 pounds).

TheMat.com ranks Montgomery No. 1 nationally in her weight class. Other Patriots ranking first in their weight class are freshmen Lauren Lindsay (51 kg, 1121/4 pounds) and Suekoiyla Shelly (55 kg, 121), and sophomores Alaina Berube (59 kg, 130) and Shelly Ruberg (63 kg, 1381/2).

Jessi Shirley, recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament, is a world-class competitor (55 kg, 121).

No. 3 Othella Lucas (59 kg, 130) is among six other freshmen on the Cumberland roster ranked no lower than sixth. Two seniors are rated, No. 3 Jamie Alvesteffer (67 kg, 1471/2) and No. 4 Issa Alvarez (63 kg, 1381/2).

"We've got a great team," Montgomery says. "A lot of good freshmen, and our upper classmen have really pulled this team together. That makes me happy because it's not always focused on me now. It's the whole team thing."

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Women's wrestling poll

Ten colleges in the nation offer women's wrestling programs. Here are how those schools rank in the latest poll of coaches for TheMat.com:

1. Cumberland College

2. Missouri Valley College

3. Pacific University

4. Menlo College

5. University of Minnesota-Morris

6. Lassen College

7. MacMurray College

8. Hawaii Rainbow Wahine WC

9. Cal-State Bakersfield

10. Princeton University