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U.S. MATWOMEN AREN'T JOKING AROUND

By LENN ROBBINS August 12, 2004 --

ATHENS — For the first time, women's wrestling is an official Olympic sport. To many, it remains a joke, or worse, an insult.
Recently in Bangladesh, Muslims marched in protest with banners that read, "Say no to Women's Wrestling." In the U.S., perhaps you missed the pay-per-view debut of the NWWL — the Naked Women's Wrestling League. Honest. Carmen Electra is the commissioner.

To the four women representing the U.S., this is no joke.

"Athens is our stage to say, 'Hey, look at us. Look at us for more than a side joke to think about us as mud wrestling. Look at us and see the sweat, see the tears, see the triumph that is sport and is as intense as any other sport or any other male sport," said Patricia Miranda, who wrestles at 105 pounds. "That's one of the side benefits I'm most excited about at the Olympics."

Each of the U.S. wrestlers — Miranda, Tela O'Donnell, Sara McCann and Tocara Montgomery — has a chance to medal. Miranda, who will study to wrestle sharks at Yale Law School after she finishes wrestling, is the most determined of the U.S. wrestlers to change the perception of her sport.

"It's not to get in people's face and say, 'Hey, I'm a legitimate sport because I'm in the Olympics,' " said Miranda. "No, it's a place where somebody might turn their TV on back home for more than two minutes and see the pain and the happiness and everything that what we love about sports and say, 'Why can't women wrestle?'

"Not that every woman has to [wrestle] or every girl even should, but just that every girl in America can know she can," continued Miranda. "That's the really great thing we can say from Athens."

O'Donnell wasn't good at hand-to-eye sports so she tried wrestling. McCann's older brother wrestled and used her as a dummy. Montgomery wanted to be the best female athlete in her high school and was looking for a sport outside of basketball and football.

Even as they are about to make history, women wrestlers know they still have quite a struggle on their hands, one they can't contest on the mat. McCann, who said her mother Paula was the nation's first heavy crane operator, remembers an opposing high school coach telling mom, "It will be a cold day in hell before any girl wrestles on this mat."

Perhaps there's an Olympic official out there who also is eating his words.

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Going to the mat to compete
Women wrestlers take their place

By Reid Laymance, Globe Staff | August 15, 2004

ATHENS -- Tricia Saunders, one of the coaches of the US women's wrestling team, is a good bit of evidence for the four American entries here of just how far the sport has come as it makes its Olympic debut.

"I started wrestling in the fourth grade in 1975 but by the time I got to junior high, that was it. It was over. I couldn't compete anymore," Saunders said last week. "There was no place to compete in schools or clubs. I had no one to wrestle. I couldn't compete against the boys. I had to give the sport up until 1989.

"It's great for these athletes to get the chance. We thought [women's wrestling] might make it to the Olympics in 1992, then 1996, then 2000. It didn't happen in time for me. That's OK. I'm honored to be here as a coach. These four have taken the torch and carried it."

The four -- Patricia Miranda, Tela O'Donnell, Sara McMann, and Toccara Montgomery -- have had their own obstacles to overcome. While there is a growing number of club competitions for women, and many can compete on boys' teams in high school, the avenues to wrestle decrease as they get older. Only four colleges in the US have varsity women's teams, none in Division 1. Miranda, one of the favorites in the 48-kilogram class, had to compete on the men's team at Stanford, where she was a starter as a senior. McMann competed on the men's team at Lock Haven. (She also spent time on the women's team at Minnesota-Morris.)

"When I was in the eighth grade, they wouldn't let me wrestle with the boys," said O'Donnell, who grew up in Alaska. "We had to write letters to the school board to let me compete on the boys' team in high school."

The four know there are stereotypes about the sport. "I know that some like to talk about mud wrestling or wonder why we all don't look like big ogres with just two teeth, but I've gotten a lot of positive support," McCann said.

The male wrestlers have been among the most difficult to win over. "I've seen a few indications that the men are starting to accept them," said Townsend Saunders, one of the women's coaches and a silver medalist in freestyle wrestling at the 1996 Games in Atlanta. "There's a group of people who didn't think they belonged in the sport, or the Olympics."

"A lot of the attitudes are changing," said Terry Steiner, who was named the first US national women's coach in 2002. "The Olympics gives us a chance to reach a lot of people. It would mean a lot to have a few medals strapped around our necks. But real change has to come at the grass-roots level for the sport to grow."

"We have a long way to go to get respect for our sport," Miranda said. "We want people to look at us like athletes and not a side joke about mud wrestling. We want people to see our sweat, see our tears, see our skills.

"Maybe there will be somebody who will turn on the TV and watch for more than two minutes and see what we are all about and know that as a girl you can compete in anything that you want."

But the main focus is on these Games and the competition that begins Aug. 22. "They are all focused on their opponent and winning," Saunders said. "They understand they are pioneers and what it would mean for women."

Miranda, 25, is the oldest member of the team and knows this is likely her last shot (she is scheduled to start Yale Law School after the Games).

"That punctuates the idea that I have one dream and one shot," she said. "This is it."

For now, and perhaps the future of the sport.

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Grappling for Gold
Beamsville's Tonya Verbeek a serious Olympic medal threat

By Bernie Puchalski
Local News - Thursday, August 12, 2004

Jenn Ryz once cast a long and imposing shadow over the Canadian women’s wrestling scene.

She dominated her weight class, capturing national titles in 2000, 2002 and 2003 and finishing second in 2001. Over the years, Beamsville native Tonya Verbeek had won a number of matches against Ryz but had never been able to conquer the Burnaby Mountain, B.C., wrestler when it mattered most.

All that changed in an empty gym in Edmonton Feb. 19. Injured and unable to compete in the Olympic trials in December 2003, Verbeek was granted a second chance by Wrestling Canada to earn a spot in the first Olympics to feature women’s wrestling.

The 26-year-old Verbeek — who turns 27 Saturday — earned another shot at Ryz by first defeating Erica Sharp in a semifinal. She faced the task of having to defeat her nemesis twice to pin down an Olympic berth.

Wrestling with confidence, coolness and efficiency, the Beamsville Secondary School graduate recorded a pair of 3-0 victories over Ryz, including the first in overtime.

“It was the best accomplishment for myself this year and for my whole career,” Verbeek said.

“She screamed, ‘I did it, I did it,’ and she started crying,” said Olympic team assistant coach Marty Calder. “Believing in yourself is one thing, but actually doing it is another.”

“I’m definitely going to enjoy the moment and then I’m going to slap myself in the face a few times to make sure it’s real,” Verbeek said at the time.

Shortly after the slaps landed, reality set in. She had 10 days to savour the victory before heading to Tunis, Tunisia, for the first of the international Olympic qualifiers.

It didn’t go as planned. She lost in the quarter-finals to a two-time world medalist. It left her with one final shot to earn a trip to Athens.

“She had just peaked and it was a hugely emotional victory in Canada. She took off for Europe, faced adversity over there but got through it,” Calder said.

“I thought I would be OK but I really noticed a change in my mental focus. I couldn’t get that feeling back and I was searching for it,” Verbeek said.

“But it was too soon. I thought I would never get the feeling back and I wasn’t able to accept that. But when the time came, I knew I had to get the job done,” she said.

That time came in late March, when she earned her Olympic spot in Madrid by winning a bronze medal at the final Olympic qualifier.

Since conquering Ryz, she hasn’t stopped. In June, she topped the 55-kilogram division at the Austrian Ladies Open and then defeated American Olympian Tela O’Donnell at Titan Games in Atlanta. In July, at the Canada Cup in Guelph, she won her division and was named the meet’s outstanding female wrestler.

“She has propelled herself by leaps and bounds internationally,” Calder said. “She has always been there but I think she feels that she is the top dog now. She’s got the attitude that she should be doing well.”

It’s an attitude she will unveil in Athens.

“I’ve trained very hard this year and every year, but now I’m at the top and I’m not going in as an alternate or because the No. 1 girl was injured,” Verbeek said. “This is my tournament, I earned it, and I want to show myself what I’m capable of doing.”

Verbeek

continued from page A1

Awaiting her in Greece, is a Godzilla-like obstacle even more daunting than Ryz. The favourite for the gold medal is Japan’s Saori Yoshida, the two-time defending world champion.

Verbeek has wrestled her twice, losing 6-1 in 2000 and getting pinned early in a match last October at the World Cup of Women’s Wrestling in Japan.

“I think she’s capable of winning the tournament but I don’t want that to be her focus. What I want for her to do is compete and expect the best from herself,” Calder said.

Her division, which begins competition Aug. 22 and ends Aug. 23, is divided into four pools of three wrestlers. The winner of each pool advances to the semifinals. The winners of the semifinals wrestle for gold and the losers square off for bronze.

“We would prefer not to have the Japanese wrestler, but, regardless of what happens, she’s capable of beating everyone,” Calder said.

If they draw Yoshida, they’ll deal with it.

“If we don’t, it’s a decent situation but the other girls are very strong, too,” Calder said.

“If I draw the No. 1 girl that wins, and I’ve wrestled my best match, I would be more happy than winning a medal and not wrestling to my full potential,” Verbeek said.

But stepping onto the podium is obviously the goal.

“I know I can wrestle well against these girls and I want to prove to myself that I can. By doing that, I believe I can be a medallist.”

And her training for the Olympics has prepared her to succeed.

“She has had an awesome preparation,” Calder said. “She dominated at the Canada Cup and I was so happy for her. She looked sharp and she has so much momentum heading to the Olympics. She’s got to feel like she’s going well.”

Now if only the competition would start.

“I’m actually anxious. It has built up since I’ve known since March. I feel good on the mat, I feel good mentally, and I wanna go,” Verbeek said.

And while she’s eager to perform well, she’s excited to be competing in her first Olympics.

“I’m looking forward to just being there, experiencing the whole thing, taking it all in and being around my teammates and friends.”

Verbeek started wrestling in 1994 under coach Dave Collie when Beamsville Secondary School offered a girls wrestling program for the first time. Collie played an integral part in her early development.

“He got me interested and he always believed in me.”

Verbeek captured Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations gold medals in Grade 11 and Grade 12 but was denied a threepeat in her OAC year by a teachers’ work-to-rule campaign.

She moved on to Brock University, where she won a Canadian Interuniversity Sport bronze medal in her rookie year before reeling off three straight CIS crowns.

In 1998, talk began circulating in wrestling circles that women wrestlers might be competing at the 2000 Olympics. When that didn’t materialize, Verbeek set her sights on 2004.

“I always wanted it, to participate in the Olympics, but when it wasn’t there right in front of you it was hard to dream.

“But as soon as it became an official thing, that’s when you start training for it. I knew it was coming so maybe that’s what kept me going.”

Verbeek spent this past year supply teaching in Niagara and training. Once the Olympics are over, she plans to complete her master’s degree in education.

“I’ve put that off for too long,” she said.

Wrestling will continue to be an all-encompassing part of her life.

“If everything goes well in the next four years, I can see myself competing in 2008.

“My career isn’t over. This isn’t my final tournament but I don’t want to use that as a backdrop.”

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Canada pins hopes on pioneer
Nordhagen has raised women's wrestling to new level

Lauren MacGillivray
Calgary Herald
Tuesday, August 10, 2004

It seems most appropriate that Christine Nordhagen will compete in Athens during the Olympic debut of women's freestyle wrestling.

After all, the 33-year-old Calgarian -- who will be the second-oldest female wrestler in Athens -- is a pioneer of the sport in Canada.

She was there back in 1992 when the first national championship was held, and has been a fixture in the sport ever since.

"I hung on," chuckles Nordhagen. "When I first went to nationals, there were some girls who had only been wrestling for a few months. In the very beginning, I didn't think about the Olympics -- I was just excited to wrestle."

Since then, the wrestling landscape has changed dramatically.

"At nationals, now, there are girls who train full time," says Nordhagen. "It's a whole new level now.

"I think it's about time (women's wrestling is an Olympic event). We've definitely proven there's enough participation all around the world."

Nordhagen has dominated in the past dozen years as a 10-time national champion, six-time world champion and eight-time world medallist.

The only time her career hit a speed bump was in 2002, when she struggled with arthritic knees, a stretched nerve in her neck and a rib injury.

As a result of sporadic training, she settled for a bronze medal at the 2003 national championships in Edmonton -- the first stage of Olympic trials. But that third-place finish in the 72-kilogram weight class meant she didn't make the Canadian team for the world championship.

At the time, she was crushed, but as they say, time heals all wounds.

"It was good for me," she says. "It was an eye-opener. The harder the struggle, the better the reward. I now can fully appreciate the position I'm in."

She has regained her health and her psyche seems stronger than ever heading to Athens.

"No matter what the result, I'll be proud of myself," she says. "I'm doing everything I can do to be the best prepared. I'm trying to treat it just like any other tournament."

Her ability to cope with pressure is part of what has brought Nordhagen success.

"The thing about Christine is, when the day actually comes, she's awesome at dealing with the pressure and has the ability to believe in herself," says Leigh Vierling, Nordhagen's husband and coach.

Sometimes, Nordhagen's confidence wavers prior to competitions. And for Athens, she must carry high expectations from Canadians.

"It's a hard thing to enter the Olympics as a supposed favourite," explains Vierling.

"I think every person in that situation feels pressure. Christine puts a lot of pressure on herself but she seems to be dealing with it very well.

"We've had a ton of support from family and friends," he says. "We know that even if things don't turn out, nothing's going to change."

Vierling, 35, has coached Nordhagen since 1994.

"There are times I have to give feedback and it's hard for her to hear," he says, "but she knows I'm here for her and we're out to achieve her goals.

"I'm so glad we can go through this together. Walking into Athens is going to be amazing."

Nordhagen is on an eight-month leave of absence from teaching the dance program at Ernest Manning High School. "I forget that I'm a teacher," she admits. "I'm so focused on being an athlete."

She recently had a sneak peek at her top competition. In June, she travelled to Atlanta and faced American Toccara Montgomery -- who will be one of her toughest opponents at Athens -- in an exhibition match. Nordhagen lost 10-2 by a pin, but says she learned from her mistakes.

She also attended a training camp in Germany and competed in a tournament in Austria. There, she faced three wrestlers whom she'll meet in Athens. She won all three matches, including two against women who ranked in the top five at the 2004 world championships.

Nordhagen plans to enjoy the Olympic experience in every way.

"I've never been to the Games, even as a spectator, so it's going to be great," she says. "The girls (fellow wrestlers) and I want to cheer on other Canadians. We're going to get cute little bikinis and check out the beach volleyball."

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ANDERSON COOPER 360 DEGREES

3/3/04

COOPER: An uplifting story next. A pioneering wrestler goes for the
gold in Greece. Next on 360 meet the young firebrand from Alaska who's already
broken one incredible record on the road to the Olympics.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: For many in America, the thought of wrestling conjures up
images of steroid-stacked men in costumes attacking each other in a roped ring.
It's a world ruled by men with egos larger than their massive biceps, who made
Hulk Hogan and Randy "Macho Man" Savage household names. But in Olympic
wrestling, the wrestling is real, and you don't need to be quite as
macho. In fact, beginning this year, you don't even have to be a man.

Jason Bellini introduces us to a pioneer on the U.S. women's wrestling
team, a woman who defies the stereotypes.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tela O'Donnell is pure
sweetness and might.TELA O'DONNELL, U.S. OLYMPIC WRESTLER: When people first meet me,
you're a wrestler? I think they think that wrestlers might be kind of like these
brutish, kind of mannish girls.

BELLINI: Around O'Donnell's training camp, it feels more like a pajama
party. On the mat, most wrestlers scowl. O'Donnell smiles. O'Donnell
was born and raised in Homer, Alaska. The singer Jewel was her baby-sitter.

O'DONNELL: Jewel made me swing one time from this tree. It was really
cool, and swung at her (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

BELLINI: She learned her first wrestling moves shearing sheep.

O'DONNELL: I didn't wrestle a team of sheep or anything.

BELLINI: O'Donnell's mother, Claire, moved to Alaska while she was
pregnant with Tela. She gave up her career as a mime in Chicago to offer her
daughter the simple life. O'DONNELL: My mom built our house. It's a log cabin,
and there's -- she cut down the trees.

BELLINI: While still pregnant, Claire wore a pillow to cut down the
noise of the chainsaw.

In high school, Tela got tired of playing football with the boys. She
preferred to wrestle them.

During the Olympic trials, the women didn't see her coming. No one
expected her to take one of the four slots on the Olympic team.

(on camera): Tela O'Donnell is considered the rookie on the team. She's
never competed in a major international tournament. The Olympics will
be her first.

(voice-over): No one knows what to expect when she goes up against the
renowned Chinese and Russian female wrestlers. Her teammates are more
concerned about her outside the ring.

SARA MCMANN, U.S. OLYMPIC WRESTLER: She has a heart of gold, and we
don't want anybody else to like taint that. So if anybody is like, trying to
be mean to her or anything, we're all like, we're on them like wild dogs.
Don't you hurt our Tela.

O'DONNELL: I'm really emotional, but I'm happy most of the time, like
often. Yeah, I'm emotional, I'm like any other girl.

BELLINI: Like any other girl, who's sweet on the outside, but drops
(UNINTELLIGIBLE) and pins for the fun of it.

Jason Bellini, CNN, Colorado Springs, Colorado.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: We wish her a lot of luck.

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O'Donnell isn't looking for fame, but may get it anyway
Wrestler's Olympic odyssey takes her from Homer, Alaska, to Athens, Greece

By MARK WOODS
Morris News Service 8/15/04

ATHENS, Greece - The TV reporter finished the interview by pointing out to Tela O'Donnell that "The Rock" had gone from wrestling to Hollywood.

Would she, he asked, be interested in making that kind of transition?

O'Donnell laughed and said: "I don't know if I'd be a very good famous person."

Maybe not. But the 22-year-old wrestler from Homer, Alaska, certainly handled some international attention Wednesday. The U.S. women's wrestling team - here in Athens to compete in a new Olympic sport - held a press conference that drew about 100 journalists, some of them showing up out of curiosity, others looking for a good story. And O'Donnell certainly provided the latter.

She retold her story - about growing up in Homer, about her mother's training as a mime, about getting into wrestling - to everyone from ESPN to Japanese writers.

"My dad is Japanese," she said, explaining the roots of her name. "My mom spent a lot of time in Japan. And the culture was very important to her."

Her father lives in Hawaii. But Homer is home not only for O'Donnell, but also for Olympic rower Stacey Borgman.

O'Donnell and Borgman are two of four Olympic athletes from Alaska - the others are Carlos Boozer of Juneau in men's basketball and former University of Alaska Fairbanks shooter Matt Emmons. Jeff Donaldson of Juneau is working as the team bike mechanic for USA Triathlon at the Olympics.

"It has been great," O'Donnell said of the reaction back in Alaska. "Everybody is so genuinely happy for you. They feel like they have a part in your success. And, really, they do."

Her mother, Claire, is coming to Athens for the Games. So are an aunt, a couple of good friends and some of her coaches. For now, she plans to let them go sightseeing.

"I'm pretty focused on wrestling," she said. "Afterwards, I'm going to have some fun."

She doesn't start competition until Aug. 22. And because of her surprising run in the Olympic trials, she is somewhat of an unknown quantity in the 55-kilogram weight class (121 pounds). Sports Illustrated predicted that the medals will go to two-time defending world champion Saori Yoshida of Japan, Russia's Natalia Golts and China's Sun Dongmei.

"In her weight class, Japan's wrestler definitely to me is, pound for pound, the best in the world right now," U.S. coach Terry Steiner said. "But Tela brings a dynamic style, and that's probably the best way to wrestle against Japan.

"Tela has such an unorthodox style - she'll be hard to prepare for. She does things you don't teach, and things I wouldn't teach to other wrestlers. But it works for her."

If it continues to work for her - if her already interesting story gets even better with a medal in Athens - don't be surprised if O'Donnell gets something she isn't sure she wants. Fame.

"I don't know," she said. "I just don't like attention."

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Toccara Montgomery Ready To Take On The World

6/4/2004 11:34:00 AM

Cumberland College Star Preparing for Olympic Games and the Chance to Capture the World’s Attention

By Jacob Sumner – Special to The Wrestling Mall
Please send comments, questions or replies to: info@thewrestlingmall.com

Comparing an Olympic athlete to a dog can be very dangerous.

Call one a pit bull and you might get a dirty look, a snide comment, or even a punch in the gut. But for U.S. Olympic Women’s Wrestling Team member, Toccara Montgomery, being compared to such a powerful animal would be quite the compliment. In fact, Montgomery considers herself similar to the breed of dog that has struck fear in the minds of many people.

“I feel like the underdog and pit bulls are the same way,” says Montgomery, who recently won the 72 kg/158.5 lbs. weight class at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Indianapolis, Indiana. “People are like ‘Oh no’ when they come around. ‘They can’t be trusted.’ I just think that given the chance anything can happen,” Montgomery said.

Montgomery has the will and determination; now she has the chance to show the world what she can do. On August 22, Montgomery will have the opportunity to face off with other top wrestlers from all over the world in quest for Olympic gold at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Women’s wrestling is an Olympic sport for the first time this year, and Montgomery is one of four U.S. women attempting to make history by wining a medal.

Montgomery, a senior at Cumberland College, will undergo some intense training in route to the Olympics. On June 19-20, Montgomery and the rest of the U.S. Women’s Wrestling Team will compete one last time before the Olympics at the Titan Games in Atlanta, GA. The U.S. Team will contend against teams from Canada and China. Immediately after the Titan Games, Montgomery will continue her training in New York City. She will spend a week in the Big Apple with the rest of her teammates as they continue to sharpen their skills on the mat. Soon afterwards, the team will travel to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO where they will spend most of their time conditioning and perfecting the moves that will pin their opponents to the mat.

Prior to winning a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team roster, Montgomery dominated the mat for Cumberland College. With only a few colleges offering a women’s wrestling program finding a college suitable for Montgomery was hard to find.

After narrowing her choices down to two schools, Montgomery made a visit to Cumberland. What she saw left an impression like none other.

“The campus was so beautiful, that was the big seller to me,” says Cumberland.

Another factor in her choosing to attend Cumberland was her friend and coach Kip Flanik. As her high school coach, he helped Montgomery develop the desire and the love of the sport in which she now dominates.

“Kip is great,” says Cumberland. “He has been there from the beginning. He started everything.”

With people from all over the world watching the Olympics, there will be a new focus on the first ever women’s wrestling event. For many, this may be their first encounter with wrestling. Montgomery gives some advice to anyone who might become interested and want to take part in the sport.

“Try to have fun, but at the same time you have to work hard,” she says. “It will teach you discipline and responsibility but it will also teach you a lot about yourself too.”

When Montgomery takes the mat for her final match at the Olympics, it might be the last time she will be in the public spotlight as the top women’s wrestler. With one more year of wrestling left at Cumberland, she will likely turn down the option to pursue a career in wrestling. Instead, Montgomery would opt to settle down and begin a teaching and coaching career of her own. After graduation, she looks to enter the school system as a first or second grade teacher. When asked why such a young age group, she claims, “I love little kids. You can see them learning. It’s just something amazing; and you are responsible for that.”

Montgomery has certainly made an impact in the wrestling world; as a teacher she can still make an impact, but now in the lives of children.

Montgomery will compete against many familiar faces at the Olympic Games. She has already competed against three women that will be representing their countries in the 72 kg division. Kyoko Hamaguchi of Japan, Anita Schaetzle of Germany, and Svetlana Martyneko of Russia have all faced Montgomery before and will likely face her again in Athens. Even though she may be in Greece, Montgomery will not be alone. She will have the support of her family, Cumberland College, and the whole United States of America. Before taking the mat, Montgomery might think of her own pit bulls, Xavier, Cocoa, and Vegas, and find the inspiration to reach out and grasp the first ever women’s wrestling gold medal.

She has the mentality, and the talent, and most importantly, the heart and desire. It’s not such a bad comparison after all.

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

Pinning Down a Few Good Books
Olympic Wrestler Toccara Montgomery Offers Her Best Bets

Weekend Edition - Sunday audio

Aug. 15, 2004 --

In this week's installment of our summer reading series, we hear from one of the world's top female wrestlers. Toccara Montgomery will compete in Athens in the 72-kilogram weight division. Here's a list of what she's recommending for reading this summer:

'The Coldest Winter Ever,' by Sister Souljah

One of Montgomery's friends lent her this novel by rap star and political activist Sister Souljah. The book chronicles the life of Winter Santiaga, a 17-year-old Brooklyn girl whose drug-dealing father moves the family to Long Island.

'Milk in My Coffee,' by Eric Jerome Dickey

Another of Montgomery's favorite authors is Eric Jerome Dickey. She likes how Dickey uses fiction to address human foibles and real-life relationships. Her favorite book by Dickey is Milk in My Coffee, about the romance that develops between a black engineer and a white artist.

The 'Goosebumps' Series, by R.L. Stine

Montgomery says her father has been the greatest literary influence in her life. Some of the first books he gave her were from R.L. Stine's Goosebumps series. These stories feature monsters and the children that do battle with them.

'Curious George'

Montgomery is an education major at Cumberland College in Williamsburg, Kentucky. In her classes, Montgomery has also been reading children's books.

"I think back to when I was that young," Montgomery says, "how I was trying to figure out the world and it oftentimes got me in trouble. So, I've always recommended Curious George books."