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No replay required for McDougall
Calgarian earns spot at Junior Pan Am Games

Kevin Rothbauer
For the Calgary Herald
Monday, March 22, 2004

Instant replay didn't do Laura McDougall any favours, but she's not holding any grudges.

The recent high-tech addition to the sport of wrestling is supposed to repair any poor judgments made by officials.

Had it been used during McDougall's 55-kilogram gold-medal match at the junior national freestyle wrestling championships at the University of Calgary's Jack Simpson Gymnasium over the weekend, McDougall would have won 10-0.

As it was, she only defeated her opponent, Crystal Santos of British Columbia's Burnaby Mountain Wrestling Club, 9-0.

"You're not allowed two gutwrenches in a row," the University of Calgary wrestler explained. "I didn't do it, but it looked (to the officials) like I did. They called it back, but they didn't look at the tape.

"I'm okay with the win. I just go with the flow."

The missing points didn't prevent the 19-year-old McDougall from being named outstanding female wrestler either. "This is a bonus," she smiled, looking at the plaque that came with the title. "I'm happy they thought my match was worth it."

McDougall was one of two Dino wrestlers who reached the finals in Saturday's tournament. Teammate Huy Nguyen captured the gold medal in the men's 55-kg class, beating Clayton Sereres of Lakehead University (Thunder Bay, Ont.) 14-3.

"It feels great, winning in front of a home crowd," said Nguyen, also 19. "I was up 7-0, and I felt tired. A lot of the guys (in my weight class) are bigger than me. I started to hear the crowd going, and that helped me with my last four points."

Another Calgarian, Jazzie Barker of the Kings of the Mat club, fell 3-0 to Edmonton's Justine Bouchard in the women's 59-kg class.

McDougall and Nguyen, both graduates of Sir Winston Churchill High School, have qualified for the Junior Pan-Am Games in July at Venezuela. Nguyen represents Canada for the first time, but McDougall has been on the national junior team before.

Despite finishing third at last year's junior nationals, McDougall ended up on the team when the champion dropped out and she came up victorious in a trial match with the second place finisher.

"It's awesome to actually win (my way) in and legitimately be on the team," she laughed.

Sheldon Francis of Hamilton, Ont., was named outstanding male wrestler. He nabbed the gold medal in the 74-kg class with a 10-0 win over Roger Alves of Edmonton.

At 20, this is Francis' final shot at the junior championships, which made the win, his first to go with a pair of silver medals, sweeter.

"What a way to go out," he grinned. "Good times."

Burnaby Mountain captured both the men's and women's team titles.

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Wrestlers to go to Michigan for national event

Monday, March 22, 2004

NOTES AND QUOTES for a Monday in the Napa Valley:

The Napa Valley Wrestling Club will send several wrestlers to the 2004 U.S. Girls Wrestling Association National Championships, which will be held later this week at Lake Orion, Mich.

The wrestlers tuned up for nationals by participating at a USGWA-sanctioned tournament at Rio Lindo High School, near Sacramento, over the weekend.

From Vintage High, Kayla Chambers was first at 127 pounds. Michelle Querin (137), Jessica Hsieh (112) and Audrey Garza (heavyweight) were all second. Shaundra Cox (117) was fourth.

The NVWC's Casa Cox (140) was second in the middle school division, and Shelby Lanterman (88) was first in the elementary school category while also wrestling in the middle school class.

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First U.S. College Nationals championship claimed by Lady Vikings

Monday, March 22, 2004
By Chris Allen/Sports Editor

Missouri Valley freshman Debbi Sakai (top) defeated a longtime rival from her home state of Hawaii to win the 51-kilogram title at the U.S. College Nationals. [Click to enlarge]

As the sport of women's wrestling continues to grow, the Missouri Valley College program appears ready to keep pace.
Consider that of the Lady Vikings' six finalists Saturday in the first U.S. College Nationals at Marshall, four were freshmen or sophomores. Victories in four of those matches pushed second-ranked Valley past No. 1 Cumberland (Ky.) for the championship, 97 to 87 points.

"They're learning how to play, not making mistakes that beat them," noted MVC head coach Carl Murphree.

Take, for example, the case of Debbi Sakai, a freshman from Mililani, Hawaii. She was "a little nervous" going into the 51-kilogram finals against top-rated Pacific (Ore.) freshman Kapua Torres, and understandably so. Torres was Sakai's nemesis, having beaten her for the state high school title two years ago and more recently pinning her at the College National Duals a month ago.

This time, though, Sakai shook off her early jitters and took control of the match -- coming back from a 3-1 deficit for a 16-5 victory by technical fall.

"I was kind of nervous about her head-and-arm (move), but I just kind of threw her when I saw it," Sakai said. "After that, it was gravy."

The win could propel Sakai over Torres into the No. 1 spot in TheMat.com's rankings, and she isn't the only one who could make that case. The Lady Vikings spread the trio they have at the top of the 67 Kg list into three different weight classes and each got to the finals.

Junior Brandy Golt was stopped for the 67 Kg title in 1:20 by Cumberland sophomore Alain Berube, ranked first at 59 Kg, but No. 1 senior Mollie Keith of Aurelia, Iowa, and sophomore Kelly Branham of Apache Junction, Ariz., each claimed gold medals. So did sophomore Brooke Bogren of Carbondale, Kan., who only trails Berube in the 59 Kg poll.

Keith had a tussle with Cumberland freshman Suekoilya Shelly, No. 1 at 55 Kg, in the deciding match at 63 Kg. Shelly had a 2-1 lead at the end of regulation, which gave her the first choice of holds in the clinch which begins overtime. However, Keith applied a head lock and took Shelly down in 16 seconds for a 3-2 win.

"You know if you don't score in a minute, it's over," Keith explained the pressure of the OT format. "It was even more stressful because the team title was coming down to the last couple of matches."

Bogren, a transfer from Cumberland, was in a different spot with a 2-1 lead over Patriots freshman Iris Mucha. The bout evened up when Mucha slipped out of a head lock and push Bogren into the mat to begin the extra period, but the Valley grappler completed a shot with 1:14 elapsed to get the decision.

The 80 Kg finals, as expected, came down to yet another clash between MVC sophomore Stephany Lee and two-time World silver medallist Toccara Montgomery. The Cumberland junior wasn't able to dominate this time, as she had during a pair of 11-0 technical falls a week earlier at the University Nationals, and was in danger when Lee got behind her and attempted an overhead throw. However, Lee, down 3-2 at the time, wasn't able to complete it and was driven backwards with four seconds remaining for a 5-2 loss.

"It was just an impulse thing where I tried a throw," Lee noted. "You learn: just don't rush. I was rushing."

Lee readily concedes Montgomery's heavy edge in experience, but that's something only mat time can solve. It's certainly beginning to show for the Lady Vikings, as demonstrated during third-place runs by freshman Clarissa Calibuso (59 Kg) -- who got a significant win over Pacific freshman Michelle Ludwig -- and Maika Watanabe (55 Kg).

For Sakai, the college experience is even more challenging because her high school coach had no other wrestlers to whom to give his attention -- as opposed to Valley's large program split between Murphree and assistant Cheryl New, a former MVC all-American.

"I have to learn some independence and not always depend on the coach," she said. Of course, practicing against so many other talented teammates helps. "If you can hold your own in the (practice) room, you can do anything on the mat."

"I want them to be intense and try things," Keith explained her leadership role. "if you're timid, you won't do well. You just go with what you know."

Which is what Murphree is hoping the Lady Vikings will do as they prepare for the U.S. Senior Nationals at Las Vegas on April 8 with a trip to the Can/Am Open this weekend. Further, he believes Valley has something to prove after having been ranked below the Patriots, even after winning the University Nationals meet last week.

"We haven't been getting much credit," Murphree remarked. "I've been seeing the improvement. Everybody's going to have to acknowledge we're the best team out there

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Copeland cruises to another wrestling title

BY MIKE MANGAN
Press & Sun-Bulletin 3/22/04

Toni Copeland clinched the title in the high school 152-pound weight class by defeating Silver Creek's Cory King by technical fall, 20-4, in 3:41.

In the title-clinching match, Copeland scored three takedowns and a two-point nearfall to take an 8-3 lead after the first period.

She continued on the offensive in the second period, getting an early takedown and three-point nearfall for a 13-3 lead before eventually overwhelming King.

Copeland had pinned Frankie Curtis of Sabattus, Maine, in 1:15 in her earlier match.

"I think I did all right, it wasn't my best," Copeland said. "I knew it wasn't going to be competitive so I just went out there and wrestled."

Next up for Copeland is the USGWA Nationals next weekend in Lake Orion, Michigan. Last year, Copeland placed sixth in the 152 weight class.

"Last year was my first time in the high school nationals," Copeland said. "I think I can do a lot better than sixth this year."

Not quite as fortunate Sunday was Unatego sophomore Billie Jean Dill.

A winner last year at 110, Dill went 2-2 en route to a runner-up finish in the 107 high school division to Domenique Heslep of Ramsey, N.J.

Dill lost her final match by fall, in 3:25, to Ramsey, who won the New Jersey state championship two weeks ago. Her other loss came to nationally-ranked Dianna Acors of Ballston Lake by fall in 4:47, a match Dill led 11-10 going into the third period.

"I'm proud of what I did," said Dill, who will also be going to Nationals. "I'll take a lot from this and hopefully do well at Nationals."

Also placing in the high school division was Oxford's Ashley Lohan, who was third at 116 after going 1-2 in round-robin competition.

Wrestling was also contested in the middle school and elementary school divisions Sunday.

Both Afton's Sarah Gregory (127) and Windsor's Kara Frederick (114) placed second in their middle-school divisions, Gregory settling for second after losing the deciding match to Stanley's Stephanie Cota by fall in 5:28.

OXFORD -- Dominating both her opponents, Oxford sophomore Toni Copeland successfully repeated as champion Sunday at the United States Girls Wrestling Association New York State Championships at Oxford High School.

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Fee finds gold on the N.J. mats

North Warren soph captures state title in first girls wrestling tournament.

Monday, March 22, 2004
By MIKE WEILAMANN
The Express-Times

Samantha Fee doesn't mind being thought of as one of the guys.

In fact, she wouldn't have it any other way considering Fee competes in a sport dominated by males.

The North Warren Regional sophomore stands out in the high school wrestling scene primarily because she's a female -- one of just two in the Skyland Conference along with Hackettstown's Jen Benoist.

But Fee isn't just a pretty face looking to be recognized for being different. And the boys better watch out.

Fee recently accomplished something no other North Warren wrestler -- male or female -- has done before by winning a high school state title in the New Jersey State Championships held at Hackettstown High School. The first ever event is sponsored by the U.S. Girls Wrestling Association.

"I don't want to be looked at as a girl in wrestling," Fee said. "Winning the state title was definitely a huge deal for me. It's a huge confidence booster."

Winning that championship earned Fee an opportunity to compete in the national tournament March 27-28 in Lake Orion, Mich. That is, provided she can come up with the $3,000 it will cost to make the trip.

The North Warren community is rallying in an attempt to help Fee raise the necessary funds.

"The word is out and we're talking to people about donating money," said North Warren wrestling coach Chris Jones.

It's been a tough year for the tight-knit Fee family. They recently lost their father Dave when he passed away after suffering a heart attack.

Samantha Fee began in the sport at a young age. Her brother Jason was a North Warren wrestler and a pretty good one, finishing second in the district at 160 pounds his senior year in 1994. Another brother, Mike was a fine football player for the Patriots.

So growing up in a house full of athletes definitely rubbed off on Samantha Fee, who also participates in field hockey and softball.

"I started when I was nine and my father wrestled a lot," she said. "My cousins Justin and Jeremy Teel wrestled for the Blairstown Recreation team. The whole family was into wrestling and they are people I really look up to. Me and my cousin Tammy were always tomboys."

That's not to say Fee doesn't take time to do girl stuff.

"I have a lot of girlfriends but they do a lot of bickering and gossip," Fee said. "I always got along with guys more than girls."

Fee will never forget the first time she stepped onto the mat to face another female -- in the state championships.

"It was the first time I wrestled with all girls and it was kind of weird," she said. "It was a big change compared to wrestling guys. I feel I have the upper hand wrestling another girl."

Fee cruised in winning the state title -- recording two pins and one decision in the round-robin format. She needed five minutes to put away Boonton's Alexandria Williams in her opener.

It took Fee just 54 seconds to pack Newton's Katie Cuff in the second match. Cuff also comes from good stock with her father being former NJSIAA state champion Bill Cuff.

In her last match, Fee earned the title with a 6-3 decision over Kearny's Ana Araujo.

"I used a bar and far arm a lot (to pin my opponents)," Fee said. "I also used a lot of setups and single legs for takedowns."

Fee's success comes as no surprise to her coach. In fact, Jones was the one who handed her papers to enter the tournament.

"A week later I was state champ," Fee beamed. "I can't tell you how much he's done for me. He's always supported me. From the time I was in midgets he's always stuck by me. It's not just him, but (assistant Rich) coach Naylor and (assistant Rich) coach Fox, too."

While some coaches and wrestlers would discourage a female trying to invade their world, Jones welcomed Fee from the onset. And he says she made it easy to do so.

"She's one of the hardest workers in the (practice) room," said Jones, a star wrestler at High Point High School who just finished his eighth season as the Pats head coach. "She can go with some of the guys she's works out with. In the seventh and eighth grade program, she pinned a kid from Phillipsburg. That says it all right there."

Though some coaches and wrestlers shy away from competing against a girl, Fee said she personally never found that to be the case coming up through the elementary school ranks.

"They wrestled me all the time," Fee said. "Some guys cried when I beat them. I'd cry, too, if I got beat by a girl."

Fee also has developed a special relationship with her teammates, most of whom she competed with on the youth level in Blairstown. That's a big reason why she believes they have accepted her as just another wrestler, along with her strong work ethic.

"She practices real hard and puts out a lot of effort," said sophomore Kyle Jablon, a two-year starter for the Pats at 103 pounds. "Since she's been with us for awhile now, it's no different from having anybody else on the team."

"I like the hard work and discipline that comes with wrestling," Fee said. "I like being a part of that. Coach Jones really teaches you to work hard and he's somebody who also loves wrestling. His attitude rubs off on you. We all get along really well together."

"The thing that sets her apart is how bad she wants to succeed," Jones said. "She loves to wrestle. She's not out there to make a statement about a girl being in wrestling. She was so excited to win at Hackettstown. It all came together for her. It was fun to watch. It opened my eyes because there was some quality wrestling. There's a following."

Fee isn't satisfied with winning in the female only circuit. Now, the goal is to get her first win against the males on the high school level. Fee didn't win this season on the JV level and was 0-5 in limited varsity action.

But the real shocker was getting the chance to compete at the District 1 Tournament in February. Fee was a last minute replacement and was entered in the 135-pound class, where she unfortunately met up with two-time champ Bobby Whelan of Belvidere, who went on to finish second in Region 1 and fourth in the state tournament.

Fee lost by technical fall, 23-7 in 1:57. Nevertheless, she hung in there with one of the state's best.

"That wasn't supposed to happen, especially when I found out I had to wrestle Bobby," Fee mused. "I was nervous but I wasn't going to be intimidated by him."

Fee plans on implementing a strict training regiment this summer and hopes that her team can improve upon last season's success. North Warren finished 12-6 overall and qualified for the sectional playoffs for the first time since 1998.

"I'm most proud of our team," Fee said. "We came a long way this year."

So has its female teammate.