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Going places: GW senior, wrestler takes grades to mat
By Mark Wolf, Rocky Mountain News
March 1, 2004
Nadia Brouillette grappled with the rigorous International Baccalaureate academic program at George Washington High School - and with opponents on the wrestling mat.
The 18-year-old senior carries a 4.0 grade-point average and leans to the math and science side of the curriculum.
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"Everything I do revolves around making patterns, making sense of something," she said. "Metaphors and similes aren't me. I like numbers that are nice and easy to deal with."
Brouillette is president of GW's National Honor Society, where she is involved with the induction of next year's members as well as the organization's array of volunteer projects.
"We go to Warren Village and take care of kids for parents who don't have the money to pay for child care while they're taking night classes," she said.
The honor society also helps with Project Angel Heart ("It revolves around making food for people who can't leave their homes") and tutors extensively at GW.
She earned two varsity letters each in lacrosse and softball and was one of three girls to join GW's wrestling team this year. Another was her younger sister, Jen.
"I just wanted to try it because it was something new. It's been really great, a lot of fun and the hardest workout I've ever done, every single day. It's definitely been a big challenge," said Brouillette, who wrestled in the 119-pound class and plans to compete in some women-only wrestling tournaments.
"The guys are fit and really into it. The seniors had been wrestling for years, and it was serious for them. By the end of the season, I was keeping up pretty well."
Patriot wrestling coach Lawrence Ma said Brouillette "held up against the guys, would never give up. She had a good attitude, kept her head up. I was very impressed with her. She won a couple of JV matches and was an uplifting presence on the team."
She worked as a lifeguard at Cook Park and La Alma pools in the summers and is an active climber, snowboarder and rafter with her family. She hopes to spend the summer working as a rafting guide on the Arkansas River.
"(Rafting) is thrilling. It would be awesome to get paid while having that much fun."
She will either attend West Point or accept a Navy ROTC scholarship to the University of Colorado.
"My dream is to be a fighter jet pilot, but my eyesight isn't good enough. There's a lot of me that wants to be an aerospace engineer."
Nadia Brouillette
Favorite musicians: Green Day and Offspring
Favorite TV show: Friends
Favorite book: A Farewell to Arms
Hero: "My grandfather (Charles Brouillette). He was in the Navy for so long and has so many great stories to tell me. He's always been my hero since I was little."
Advice: "Know what you're going up against."
Friday nights I'm usually: "hanging out with my friends."
I really like to: snowboard
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Tough repeat for St. Rita
By Reid Hanley
Tribune staff reporter
February 28, 2004, 10:54 PM CST
MOLINE, Ill. -- No matter how you figured it, the St.
Rita and Providence wrestling teams were about as
close as you could get.
Coming into Saturday night's Class AA team dual
finals, St. Rita had a dual meet victory over the Celtics
and won the Catholic League championship with Providence
second. Providence defeated St. Rita in the Dvorak
Invitational and the Geneseo Invitation. That dual meet
was tied 22-22 and came down to the seventh criteria of
most near fall points. That's close.
It wasn't much of a surprise the two teams advanced to
the finals at Wharton Fieldhouse Saturday. And it was
no surprise the teams fought to the last match for the
state championship with St. Rita winning 27-22 for its
second straight title.
"This was such an unbelievable dual," said St. Rita
coach Dan Carroll, whose team defeated Glenbard North,
37-18 in the semifinals. "You have to hand it to
Providence. They are there every year. I'm just real proud
of our kids."
The unbelievable part was no exaggeration. St. Rita
(25-1) found itself down 22-4 after losing six of the
first seven matches. Only state champion Albert White's
major decision got in the way. The Mustangs then won
seven straight matches--three by a single point--to win
the title.
Scott Sands' 3-2 victory over Class AA 189 pound
champion DeAndre Nunn gave them the sense that it could
happen. Heavyweight Fred Deramus gave the Mustangs a
22-21 lead with a 1-0 victory over Tim Jay setting up the
final match between Providence's Ron Uccardi and St.
Rita's John Starzyk. A Starzyk takedown with 26 seconds
left gave him a 3-1 victory and St. Rita the title.
"I went out there to beat him," said Starzyk, a
freshman who finished with a 49-6 record. "I saw the lead we
had so I went out there to do my best. That's what I
gave all season.
"I definitely thought we could win. From 152 on up,
we're unbelievable. It's just great how they came
through for us."
Providence (24-2) built its lead to 22-4 after White's
victory. State champion Sean Reynolds scored a major
decision over Gerry Starzyk and Marty Engwall pinned
Brian Carey. Things looked good for Providence, which
defeated Dundee-Crown 35-30 in the semifinals.
"There was some great wrestling," said Providence
coach Keith Healy. "We got a good lead. I was hoping for
one more win somewhere along the line but we didn't get
it. [St. Rita] did a nice job. They kept their
composure and I give them a lot of credit."
Excitement wasn't limited to the Class AA championship
match. After Starzyk won his match, all eyes turned to
the third-place battle between Glenbard North and
Dundee-Crown. It came down to the 103-pound match between
Glenbard's Caitlyn Chase and D-C's Colin Spence.
Chase, a sophomore, scored a takedown in overtime for
an 11-9 victory to seal a 30-25 Panthers victory.
"Of course I was nervous, I was nervous the whole
dual," she said. "I knew it would come down to this. I
didn't realize it was overtime, the whole match flew by
so fast. This is one of the best memories because I'm
with my team."
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O’Donnell, Smith win women’s golds at Yarygin Tournament in Russia; Morrison claims bronze medal
2/29/2004
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling
Two U.S. women wrestlers captured gold medals at the Ivan Yarygin Tournament in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, Feb. 29.
Capturing titles in their divisions were Tela O’Donnell (Colorado Springs, Colo./Dave Schultz WC) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Iris Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.
O’Donnell won three matches on Sunday to capture the crown. She had lost a bout in her pool on Saturday, and qualified for a repechage wrestle-back for a chance at the semifinals. In the repechage, there was only one opponent, and she defeated World bronze medalist Jenny Wong (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), 4-3.
In the semifinals, O’Donnell advanced with an injury default over Marcie Van Dusen (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids). Van Dusen was unable to compete in the bronze-medal match, and earned fourth place.
In the gold-medal finals, O’Donnell defeated Natalia Karamchakova of Russia, 9-6.
“She was behind in the match,” said John Peterson, a U.S. coach on the tour. “She took her down and got a bar arm, and turned her twice. She held her the first time for one extra point. That made the difference.”
Smith was in a five-athlete round-robin competition at her weight class, and finished the tournament with a 3-1 record. On Sunday, she had only one bout, stopping Alena Stardubsena of Russia, 5-1.
No athlete had a perfect record in the tournament at her weight class. When the medals were determined, Smith won the gold, Svetlana Martynenko of Russia won the silver and Anna Shamova of Russia won the bronze. Smith had lost to Martynenko, but defeated Shamova.
Two other U.S. athletes were defeated on Sunday and fell short of winning a medal: Clarissa Chun (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. and Samantha Lang (Tualatin, Ore./Sunkist Kids) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.
In the men’s division, claiming a bronze medal at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. was Dean Morrison (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC). It was the second medal won by the U.S. men, as Cael Sanderson (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) won a silver medal at 84 kg/185 lbs. on Saturday.
Morrison captured third place, when Daniel Cormier (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) did not compete in the bronze-medal match.
Cormier won a quarterfinal match on Sunday morning, defeating Oleg Kallegov of Russia, 5-2. Both U.S. wrestlers were defeated in the semifinals. Morrison dropped a 4-3 match to Khajimurad Gatsalov of Russia, and Cormier fell to Alexander Shemarov of Belarus, 5-0.
“We had the chance to win both of the semifinals,” said Peterson. “Morrison went into the clinch and took Gatsalov to his back for three points. Gatsalov is powerful, and hit him with high crotches, catching him flatfooted twice.”
“Cormier had beaten his opponent before using throws,” Peterson continued. “He forced a throw that cost him two points, then he had to play catchup. On the edge of the mat, he tried another throw and it cost him two more. Shemarov is a brawler, a basic wrestler who has good defense.”
Cormier is ranked No. 1 in the USA at this weight class, and was fifth in the 2003 World Championships. Morrison holds a No. 2 national team ranking. Cormier had defeated Morrison in a Special Wrestle-off for a spot on the U.S. team last summer.
A team of U.S. men wrestlers will compete in dual meet competition in Russia later this week.
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Sanderson wins silver at Yarygin Tournament in Russia; Van Dusen qualifies for women’s semifinals
2/28/2004
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling
In the women’s division, Marcie Van Dusen (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) won her two pool matches and has qualified for the semifinals at 55 kg/121 lbs.
She scored a technical fall over Marina Kolobaeva of Russia, then stopped World silver medalist Natalia Ivashko of Russia, 9-3. Her semifinal opponent is not yet determined, pending the repechage matches in the division.
Three U.S. wrestlers have lost a bout, but are in the repechage wrestle-backs, with a chance to qualify for the semifinals: Clarissa Chun (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., Jenny Wong (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Tela O’Donnell (Colorado Springs, Colo./Dave Schultz WC) at 55 kg/121 lbs.
Competing in a five-athlete weight division at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. are U.S. wrestlers Iris Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) and Samantha Lang (Tualatin, Ore./Sunkist Kids). Smith has a 2-1 record after the first day, and Lang’s record stands at 1-2. Smith defeated Lang in the first round by a 7-3 margin. Their final placement will be determined on Sunday.
Ivan Yarygin Memorial International
2/28/2004
Krasnoyarsk, Russia
Entered by Gary Abbott
Team Scoring
Results By Weight
Medal matches
48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Gold - Irini Merlini (Ukraine) dec. Inga Karamchakova (Russia), 7-1
Bronze - Lidia Karamchakova (Tajikistan) dec. Liang Yan (China), 5-3
51 kg/112.25 lbs.
Gold - Elerna Tolstenko (Russia) dec. Olga Orsuch (Russia), 6-1
Bronze - Lilyia Islamova (Russia) pin Van Chen (China)
55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold - Tela O’Donnell (USA) dec. Natalia Karamchakova (Russia), 9-6
Bronze - Olga Smirnova (Russia) inj. dft. over Marcie Van Dusen (USA)
59 kg/130 lbs.
Gold - Viktoria Zagainova (Russia) dec. Eugenia Perpelkina (Russia), 6-1
Bronze - Yuanuyan Tszyao (China) dec. Maria Smolyakova (Russia), 4-1
63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Gold - Alena Karteshova (Russia) dec. Anna Polovneva (Russia), 4-1
Bronze - Lubov Volosova (Russia) pin Huang Wen Wen (China)
67 kg/147.5 lbs.
Gold - Ekatarine Burmistrova (Ukraine) dec. Alena Perplkina (Russia), 3-1
Bronze - Anastasia Degneva (Russia) pin Chgan Yanlin (China),
72 kg/158.5 lbs.
Gold - Iris Smith (USA)
Silver - Svetlana Martynenko (Russia)
Bronze - Anna Shamova (Russia)
U.S. results
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Patricia Miranda, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC)
lost pin to Lidia Karamchakova (Tajikistan)
dec. Larisa Oorzhak (Russia), 10-1
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Clarissa Chun, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
pin Yekaterina Yevdokimova (Russia)
lost dec. to Lian Yan (China), 5-1
lost dec. to Larisa Oorzhak (Russia), 5-3
lost dec. to Inga Karamchakova (Russia), 7-1
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Mary Kelly, Mahomet, Ill. (New York AC)
lost pin to Irini Merlini (Ukraine)
lost pin to Inga Karamchakova (Russia)
pin Yulia Karmachakova (Russia)
55 kg/121 lbs. -Jenny Wong, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
lost dec. to Natalia Karamchakova (Russia), 3-0
dec. Mili Monhhishig (Mongolia), 9-0
won by inj. dft. over Natalia Ivashko (Russia), 9-3
lost dec. to Tela O’Donnell (USA), 4-3
55 kg/121 lbs. - Marcie Van Dusen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) - 4TH PLACE
tech. fall over Marina Kolobaeva (Russia)
dec. Natalia Ivashko (Russia), 9-3
lost inj. dft. to Tela O’Donnell (USA)
lost inj. dft. to Olga Smirnova (Russia)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Tela O’Donnell, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC) - GOLD MEDAL
dec. Li Xio Fei (China)
lost dec. to Olga Smirnova (Russia), 13-2
dec. Jenny Wong (USA), 4-3
inj. dft. over Marcie Van Dusen (USA)
dec. Natalia Karamchakova (Russia), 9-6
72 kg/158.5 lbs. -Samantha Lang, Tualatin, Ore. (Sunkist Kids)
lost dec. to Iris Smith (USA), 7-3
lost dec. to Svetlana Martynenko (Russia), 4-2
dec. Alena Starodubtsena (Russia), 9-2
lost pin to Anna Shamova (Russia)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. -Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army) - GOLD MEDAL
dec. Samantha Lang (USA), 7-3
dec. Anna Shamova (Russia), 6-1
lost dec. to Svetlana Martynenko (Russia), 6-0
dec. Alena Starodubsena (Russia), 5-1
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Swinehart family focuses on wrestling
By Michael Sudhalter Of The Press Staff 3/1/04
From November to March, the Swinehart family spends every single Saturday in exciting, noise-filled gymnasiums with plenty of competition in the air.
"This goes on every weekend," said Larry Swinehart, the father of three Carthage wrestlers. "We start in November and the state tournament is at the end of March."
Larry's oldest child, Larry III is a 10-year old veteran; he's wrestled with the Carthage youth program for the past five years.
"It (wrestling in the youth program) gives me an advantage because I know more moves," Larry III said.
The 10-year old wrestles will pride for the Tigers program as evidenced by the Tiger logo on the back of his hair.
"We started it and we passed it on to the club," he said.
What's Larry III's biggest thrill in wrestling?
"Having the referee raise the hand," he said. "That's a thrill."
Larry Sr. said his oldest son used to be shy but wrestling has helped him gain confidence.
"He was the quiet one in the group," Larry Sr. said. "After his first or second year of wrestling, his total attitude changed."
Shelby Swinehart,8, is the only female wrestler in the 35-wrestler program.
"You get to work a lot," Shelby, a first-year wrestler who is using the wrestling experience to prepare for football next year.
Larry Sr. said its OK for girls to wrestle boys until the sixth grade.
"When they get to sixth grade, it's time for girls to stop," Larry Sr. said.
However, he said Shelby could continue her wrestling in another organization such as the United States Girls Wrestling Assoction.
"If she wants to, we'll give her the opportunity," Larry Sr. said.
Hayden Swinehart, 6, enjoys wrestling for one simple reason - "Because it's fun".
Hayden, a second-year wrestler and all of the other 6 and under wrestlers received medals Saturday; the 6 and under division is the only one that finished up Saturday as all the other ages groups will move on to the district and state tournaments.
Larry Sr. graduated from Quapaw (Okla.) High School - the same school where CHS head football coach Doug Buckmaster graduated from in the late 1970's.
Larry Sr. never wrestled competitively but that's not to say he doesn't have experience.
"A lot of the moves in ground fighting are similar to wrestling moves," said Larry Sr., a police officer in Joplin. "The background I have is in ground fighting as a law enforcement officer. It goes hand in hand with wrestling."
Jennifer Swinehart, Larry Sr.'s wife and the proud mother of the three Swinehart wrestlers, is a board member of Carthage Youth Wrestling.
She said it's nice to have an activity in which the whole family can get involved with on a weekly basis.
"It's a good family thing and it keeps everybody together," Jennifer said. "They look forward to seeing their friends they meet from wrestling. The discipline in it is great. It builds a lot of character.
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Female wrestler won't go to state
Smithfield junior will aim for berth in '05
By Ryan O'Halloran
Daily Press YORK
Published February 28, 2004
Warry Woodard's attempt at history will have to wait until next year.
Competing in the Region I wrestling tournament Friday at Tabb High, Woodard, a Smithfield junior, was trying to become the second female to reach the state tournament, but she was eliminated after losing her first two matches at 119 pounds
In her second match, Woodard led Spotsylvania's Mike Hamlett 9-8, but he recorded a two-point takedown with seven seconds remaining to win.
"He had a good shot, and I didn't know how to get out of it because I couldn't counter," Woodard said. "It was a good match, but, boy, I should have won it."
Woodard trailed 8-4 before scoring five straight points.
"I didn't think I was going to come back that far to tie and then take the lead," she said. "But when (your opponent) makes mistakes, you have to take advantage."
Hamlett, who had wrestled a female before, came away impressed.
"I thought I would roll through the match, but it was pretty tough," he said. "She was countering all my moves, and you could tell she had experience. ... When I was leading 6-2, I felt like I could hold out for the rest of the match, but she picked it up. I was losing wind, and she was conditioned really well."
Asked if he was worried about losing to a girl, Hamlett said, "There would have been a lot of nagging and embarrassment. But if I would have lost, I wouldn't have had anything against her because she's good."
Woodard lost her first match to York's Zach Williamson 9-4. The only female in the 195-wrestler event, she ended her season with a 13-9 record.
"She made really big strides," Smithfield coach Tyler Mosley said. "She went up a weight class from 112, and she did really well."
Woodard says she occasionally thinks about being a pioneer, "... but other times, it's not about that, it's about being here to wrestle my hardest," she said. "I'm sort of used to (the attention). Sometimes, I'm like, 'Hey I just lost and you're talking to me when there are great wrestlers out there winning.' "
Woodard will focus on female tournaments this spring and summer. She is ranked third nationally in her weight class.
Mosley said it's realistic to think Woodard could reach the state meet after another year of experience and training.
"It all depends on how she develops this summer, but I think she can be one of the top four in the region," he said. "She has to continue to work on her form and technique, but the big thing now is going to be her strength. You can only be so strong, but she has to maximize her strength because she won't face any girls that are strong as the boys she wrestles."
Thirty-seven Bay Rivers District wrestlers advanced to the semifinals. The two semifinal winners in each class clinch spots in next week's state meet; the two semifinal losers have some work left. They have to win wrestle-backs to finish third or fourth.
Lafayette led Bay Rivers teams with nine wrestlers in the semifinals, followed by Tabb (seven), Poquoson (six) and New Kent and Grafton (four each). Southampton is the only Bay Rivers team without at least one wrestler in the semis.
Among the possible all-Bay Rivers title matches are Lafayette's Ryan Smagalski (43-5 after Friday's matches) against Tabb's Brian Muerer (27-3) at 130 pounds, Poquoson's Parker Stone (25-6) against Tabb's Brian Forestiere (23-6) at 140, Lafayette's Nate Shook (42-2) vs. Smithfield's Daniel Hare (26-3) at 171 and, at 275 pounds, York's Antoine Holmes (37-0) against Lafayette's Leon Barrow (40-1).
Today's schedule: The semifinals start at 10 a.m., followed by the consolation rounds, which include the third-place match. The championship matches are scheduled to start at 7 p.m.