Natasha Bunin, 14, a freshman at Honolulu Waldorf School, dove head first into competitive wrestling and never let up.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
News Page
Future looks bright for Mac wrestling
Published: December 11, 2004
By ALLEN MOODY
Of the News-Register
There aren't too many certainties in the world of high school athletics, but one thing that is guaranteed is that the McMinnville Grizzlies wrestling team is going to be youthful.
"I hate to use the words ‘rebuilding year' but we're a young team," said Mac coach Trent Rollins. "We have quite a few freshmen and young kids that will be in our varsity lineup this year. Some of them have experience in the middle school, but there's a definite difference in ability and strength when you get to the high school level and that's what these freshmen are running into.
"In last week's Westview Tournament they were a little intimidated. A couple of guys they wrestled had mustaches and some body hair that they're not used to."
But by no means is Mac giving up on this season. In the Westview Tournament, the Grizzlies saw Leon Carl, Josh Armstrong, Jack Carelle and Max Horner each place and Rollins has high hopes for them, along with some others.
"I'm looking forward to those four kids performing and we have a couple of other young kids that might surprise some people," he said. "Luke O' Halloran, he's a sophomore that wrestles about 135, and Dustin Unrath, who wrestled varsity last year. In tournaments he has that experience you need and might step up."
The Pac-9 Conference is always difficult, although Tualatin was hit hard by graduation and Forest Grove and Tigard could be down a bit.
But on the other side of the equation, teams like Newberg and Canby return a number of talented wrestlers and figure to be extremely tough. "Newberg's returning 13 state qualifiers and Canby is returning a number of state qualifiers," Rollins said. "Dallas has a tough kids program that's producing for them and they're stepping up."
Rollins said the Grizzlies should fare better in tournaments than in dual meets because they are particularly stronger in some weight classes than in others and he anticipates three or four of his wrestlers making it to the state meet. Canby defeated Mac 51-18 in a dual meet Thursday.
There's no question the future looks bright for Mac wrestling, as more kids are coming out for the team.
"We started the year with about 45 kids so our numbers are up," Rollins said. "We have a ways to go, but I'm foreseeing us being in the middle of the Pac-9. There are about four teams that we should be able to step above. In a couple of years we'll probably be scoring some big points."
The future also looks pretty good for girls that are interested in wrestling, as Mac is becoming a trendsetter in Oregon athletics.
"We have nine girls, so we're trying to start a separate girls team so that girls can wrestle against other girls," Rollins said. "They wrestled a couple of Cleveland girls up at Westview and they had a good time."
Just as importantly, other coaches were receptive to the idea of girls wrestling, something which is currently done in Hawaii and Texas.
"When we were at the tournament a couple of coaches said, ‘I like what you're doing. We're going to start a girls team next year,"' Rollins said. "Pacific University has a girls team. It's time we bring it to the high school level."
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, December 13, 2004
Should girls be allowed to wrestle boys? Well that question spawns a wide range of questions from "sure why not" to "wrestling is so unladylike." To Tara Neal the answer can only be a definitive "yes."
Tara fought the toughest battle in her young wrestling career a few years ago when she was just 13. That when she was told by Texas school authorities that it would be the last year she could compete against the boys and after that, it was girls only. The ups and downs Tara fought that year are the subject of the documentary "Girl Wrestler" which airs tonight on public television's program Independent Lens.
Guests:
Diane Zander, documentary filmmaker
Related Links:
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'Perfectionist' wants 2nd wrestling title
SGP's Molinar keeps pushing herself, even cutting out ice cream
By RANDY JENNINGS / The Dallas Morning News 11/11/04
South Grand Prairie senior wrestler Crystal Molinar admits there is
pressure associated with trying to defend the state title she won in the
110-pound weight class.
"Everybody expects me to win again," she said, "and I expect it, too."
Molinar said she's is trying to ease the pressure by putting last
season in the background and focusing on every match. The season begins tonight.
What is the quality that makes you a good wrestler?
I'm a perfectionist. I want to have my moves down so I can do them over
and over again. And I know how to push myself in my training.
How did you get into wrestling?
It was my freshman year. It looked interesting. I'd say Coach [Mike]
Eaton talked me into it, but it was stronger than that. I did it to get him
off my back.
What medals or trophies does a state champion receive?
I got a medal, a little plaque and the completed bracket of my weight
class in a gold frame. The medal is hanging with my other medals I've won in
my room. The plaque and the bracket are on the floor.
You are working with a new coach this year, Shawn Hoover. What have you
noticed about him?
Coach Hoover runs practice like Coach Eaton did, as far as
conditioning. It is much tougher than last year. I'm getting conditioning and technique.
In many states, girls don't have their own divisions. They wrestle
against guys. Texas separates the two. Which do you think is better?
There is a big gap in strength. It makes girls tougher to wrestle guys,
but I don't think girls that wrestle guys get as much work on technique. I
wish we could practice against them, but that is against the rules.
Do you have any sympathy for a boy that loses to a girl?
No sympathy at all. When we compete, we aren't girls or boys. We're
wrestlers. Guys say it is a lose-lose situation for them. If they win,
they are supposed to win. I have beaten boys. To me, it is not that big a
deal. It just makes me feel better because of the people that say girls
shouldn't wrestle.
Maintaining weight is important for wrestlers. What is your secret?
I eat a lot healthier during the season. I don't drink soft drinks. I
just pick out a day before the season and start eating completely healthy.
What is the enemy of your diet?
Fast food, cherry limeades from Sonic, Starbucks and ice cream from
McDonald's. I had a cone every day for a week before the season. When
the season ends, look out, McDonald's!
What are some of your outside activities in addition to wrestling?
I'm the sports editor for the yearbook and the photographer for the
newspaper. And I'm on the Student Empowerment Team. Four days a week,
we go to elementary schools and work with students that have problems and
need a friend. The kids just love us. When it is time for us to leave, they
ask for just five more minutes. Each kid has a different problem. We reassure
them everything is OK. It is good for the kids and for us.
Do you enjoy being around kids?
I love it. At one time, I wanted to be a child psychologist. Now, I'd
like to be an elementary school teacher. Kids have such spurts of random
energy. The main thing I remind myself is that they are kids and not to get
stressed out.
MEET CRYSTAL MOLINAR
School, class: South Grand Prairie, Sr.
Sport: Wrestling
Notable: Is a member of the National Honor Society and ranks 22nd in
her class. ... Is the defending state champion at 110 pounds.
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Effort pleases coach
Accustomed to success, new wrestling coach has teaching to do
By RANDY JENNINGS / The Dallas Morning News 10/26/04
First-year wrestling coach Shawn Hoover said there is still much to
teach his team, but he appreciates the work ethic he has seen in the first
week of practice.
"Coming from a program in Minnesota that routinely finished in the
state's top five, this is a change for me," Hoover said. "We are very young.
But the kids are working hard."
Hoover has 50 boys and girls in the program, a number that can present
challenges for the coach because of the varying skill levels.
Hoover said he couldn't ask for a better leader than defending state
champion Crystal Molinar.
"She works hard, makes good grades and is a team player," Hoover said
of the senior. "She just has a few technical little things she needs to work
on."
Molinar will wrestle at 110 pounds again this season.
Juniors Darren De La Cruz (103 pounds) and Andrew Konkle (275) are
developing into the boys leaders, the coach said.
The Warriors' first matches will be against Bishop Dunne and Lancaster
on Nov. 11 at home.
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Daughter teaches important life lessons
By Helen Takeuchi 10/24/04
Special to The Advertiser
I have learned many lessons from my daughter, a PAC-5 wrestler.
Sometimes as parents, we forget that our children may teach us more than they learn from us. It occurred to me the other day to take stock of some things I have learned from my daughter, Natasha Bunin, a Waldorf High School freshman:
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Natasha Bunin, 14, a freshman at Honolulu Waldorf School, dove head first into competitive wrestling and never let up. |
Look inside yourself for courage to try something really, really difficult. You may be surprised at what you can do.
The decision to act is the first step. My daughter was a clumsy girly-girl her first day on the mat, and every exercise the coaches demanded was challenging. She flopped this way when she was supposed to flip that way. She had been a natural in the water, but was awkward on land, a tadpole learning to be amphibious. I saw her struggle to do things she found very trying. But she had decided to do this amazing thing called wrestling.
• Have fun while you're doing anything, even and especially when you're doing something hard.
Finding joy in the most difficult of situations is a talent coaches Aaron Sekulich and John Schmidtke cultivate in all their students. You can never be defeated if you have that lightness and joy in your spirit. My teenager became a true advocate of this number one rule in PAC-5 wrestling: You must have fun.
• Choose your mentors wisely.
When my daughter joined the PAC-5 wrestling team she had no idea that after her first season, Coach Aaron would be recognized as the Interscholastic League of Honolulu Girls Wrestling Coach of the Year.
John Schmidtke, the assistant coach, was no less inspiring in his striving to advance in the U.S. Amateur Wrestling Association certification process. My daughter didn't realize that even as a working attorney, Coach John makes the time to take workshops on the Mainland to be a better wrestling coach; he is on his way to becoming "Silver Certified," a distinction that would allow him to teach teachers and coach at national events. Yet without knowing any of this, she somehow sensed from the very first day that he and Coach Aaron, and all of their assistant coaches, were special. She saw in their dedication to the students and their commitment of time and energy to the team, that this endeavor was a worthy one.
• Don't seek immediate rewards. Diligence over time always translates into success, whether it's a medal, respect from your teammates for your dedication to the sport or an improvement in your skills that becomes a foundation for future progress.
My daughter learned from her PAC-5 teammates' histories that champions are made of consistent hard work. True self-esteem comes from a feeling of pride over accomplishments earned through hard work.
Strength and conditioning became a vital part of Natasha Bunin's life as she sought to improve her skills as a high school wrestler. |
• Respect your body.
As a wrestler, Natasha understands the value of eating healthily, resting your body through sleep and exercising to keep up with the rigorous demands of wrestling.
• Know the importance of balancing sports with academics. As a scholar-athlete, Natasha has acquired an amazing ability to focus on each activity. To make time for wrestling practice, she learned to use her study time efficiently, a most critical skill for future success in college.
• Don't ever give up if you want something.
My daughter went winless her first season, and yet she picked herself up each time and went right back into training. Sometimes she felt like quitting, but she always returned to the mat. She continued to work hard not for the ILH Championship medal she eventually won her second year, or the trophy she received from her PAC-5 coaches, but because she wanted to prove to herself that she could do it. She showed me what it means to live without fear of failure.
• Learn from those who came before you and pass it on to those who follow.
My daughter learned from veteran PAC-5 wrestlers that generosity and compassion characterize true leadership. She learned that even when a team is composed of members from different schools, one can build a sense of community by caring about others and by sharing. Even in an individual sport like wrestling, each student's achievement becomes a source of team pride. Losses in life are easier to bear when friends are there for you; victories are more glorious when you share them with your teammates.
• Learn to let go.
Sometimes life is full of sadness and frustration, but when you release this pent-up energy in a safe environment, like a wrestling mat under proper supervision, it helps you let go and move on. Whether one is going through teenage angst or struggling through mid-life crises, the ability to move through change makes the difference between thriving and just surviving.
• There is a special satisfaction in being a trailblazer.
As proud as she is of becoming the first ever Waldorf ILH Wrestling Champion, she takes equal pride in being a wrestler from one of only two states in the country to sanction high school girls' wrestling. Hawai'i and Texas are the only two states where girls are acknowledged as competitive wrestlers in their own right, a fact not missed by journalists who cover women's wrestling. To compete as a girl wrestler is to honor the legacy of Patsy Mink.
• Live with passion.
My daughter, the PAC-5 wrestler, taught me what it means to throw your whole body and soul into something in the way she trained and competed. She taught me to live each moment to its fullest in the way she put her all into every second of every match. My daughter has shown me that wrestling is a discipline that strengthens one's physical, mental and spiritual core. Each and every season she teaches me these valuable life lessons and more.
The PAC-5 Wrestling Team consists of intermediate and high school girls and boys from the University Lab School and private schools with too few students in any one sport to have their own teams. For more information, see www.geocities.com/pac5wrestle/wolfpack.html.
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Girls can play Students making marks in untraditional sports
By Rick Pedone News-Gazette Staff Writer 12/13/04
Thirty years ago, if girls in high school wanted to play a sport, it would have been tennis, track or maybe volleyball.
Cheerleading at the football games was the only way most girls ever got into the spotlight.
Oh, how times have changed.
Title IX, the federal mandate requiring equal opportunities for female athletes, led to an explosion in athletic options for girls.
Basketball, swimming, golf and soccer have evolved into hugely popular sports for females.
And, today, even traditionally male sports such as wrestling and weightlifting are no longer off limits.
Girls wrestling teams at Osceola, Gateway, St. Cloud and Poinciana are attracting dozens of participants.
Weightlifting programs for girls at Osceola, St. Cloud and Gateway are also popular.
And, over the past decade, several girls have participated in high school football programs, although none have managed to make the varsity roster for a regular season game.
Coaches say that the girls are every bit the competitors the boys are.
“Sometimes I wish my boys showed as much heart as my girls do,” lamented Osceola High Wrestling Coach Jim Bird earlier this year. “The girls work hard year around, and they do what you tell them to do.”
Many coaches who have led girls and boys team offer the same observations.
“The girls listen to what you say. They listen. It’s a lot different from the boys, who think they know everything already,” said Poinciana Coach Lance Seeright.
So, why do girls opt to participate in physical sports like wrestling?
“It’s fun. I love it, I love the competition,” said Osceola wrestler Jolene Sun, a junior and the state’s 130-pound state champion. “When my friends went out doing things last summer, I was in the mat room.”
Sun, and teammates Jenny Glover, Candice Pellerin, Katie Orben and Vanity Vasquez, all won individual state championships and helped Osceola win its second consecutive team championship in January.
Coach Bird said his girls train as hard as the boys.
“The ones who reached the state finals were the ones who were in here before school lifting weights,” said Bird.
“I knew I had to get stronger, so girls couldn’t turn me on my back,” said Vasquez, a two-time state champion and also one of the county’s best cross country and track athletes.
Pellerin, a three-time champion, traveled to Texas over the holidays to compete in a tournament.
“I knew that wrestling in a tournament like that would help me discover my weaknesses,” she said.
St. Cloud’s girls weightlifting team sent eight athletes to the state’s first ever state meet in February.
Coach Lonnie Beckel said girls have been working out in the weight room alongside the boys for years.
“They put the time in, just like the guys,” said Beckel. “We learned at the state meet that we still have some work to do to go up to that next level, but I was very pleased with what we accomplished in our first year.”
The lifters said they find rewards in the effort.
“When you are done, you feel good, like you accomplished something,” said St. Cloud state qualifier Carlee Sweatt, a senior at 119 pounds.
Sammi Walsh, a sophomore who was a state qualifier at 110 pounds, said she, like many girls, joined to be part of a new sport.
“I figured since it was new, it was something that you could compete at where everyone was at the same level,” she said.
The opportunities for female high school athletes will continue to expand this spring.
Osceola High, for the first time, will offer flag football. Over 100 schools around the state participated in the sport last year, the first time it was sanctioned by the Florida High School Athletics Association. The seven-on-seven format has proved popular, and Osceola High acting athletic director Jamie Baker said input from incoming eighth-graders last year spurred him to offer the sport.
“There was a lot of enthusiasm for it,” he said. “The girls have always loved to play in the powder puff (football) games. In fact, a lot of times those games are more intense than the regular games.”
St. Cloud began its girls wrestling program during the 2002-03 season and under coaches Terrie Drake and Lee Sill, it already has grown to one of the largest in the state. The team placed second at the state tournament. St. Cloud senior Yomara Santiago won the 140-pound state title.
“I’m very pleased with the progress our girls made. To go from no program to where we are now is a tribute to the girls and their hard work and dedication,” said Drake, who along with Sill resigned after the season.
Drake, a coach of females at the high school and collegiate level for 30 years, said it is important that girls have the opportunity participate in athletics.
“Anytime you can get students involved in anything that involves conditioning and discipline, that’s a plus,” she said.
Osceola High softball Coach George Coffey agrees with Drake. He has sent more than three dozen of his players into the college ranks on scholarship over the past decade. The girls on his teams have one thing in common: They play hard, and they study hard.
“We don’t make it easy for them. They have to have a 3.0 (grade point average) to play here. We have high standards, and they understand what is required of them,” he said. “We believe that if they learn about discipline and teamwork now, that will be something that stays with them for the rest of their lives.”
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