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Wrestling with the gender thing
Magruder freshman girl makes a splash

By KEVIN DUNLEAVY
Examiner Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, December 21, 2005 10:51 PM EST

Helen Maroulis had all the right moves Wednesday night as she prepared for her wrestling match at Walter Johnson.

The Magruder freshman bounced from foot to foot in the nervous but confident style of wrestlers. She skipped rope, wheeled her arms in circles, and bent down to slap her calves to attention. It was in preparation for her 112-pound bout, which never happened.

When she reported to the scorer’s table, she was alone. Walter Johnson had two 112-pound wrestlers on its roster, but coach Tom Wheeler sent neither out. Both were bumped up to higher weight classes, thereby avoiding a wrestler with a 9-1 record and no losses in Montgomery County.

“The boy can’t win,” said Wheeler. “If he drills her, he’s supposed to. If he loses he’s a bum. It’s not something that should be encouraged.”

Getting ducked is something Maroulis might have to get used to.

It’s rarefied air, especially for a girl. It’s not just the machismo barrier. There’s a physiological one as well. Wrestlers in Maryland are required to meet a body-fat minimum — 7 percent for boys, 12 percent for girls. At 5-foot-2, Maroulis weighs in at 107 pounds and her body fat measurement is 20 percent. All of the boys she will wrestle this year will be leaner. But only one has been better.

“I’m not going to overpower anyone,” said Maroulis. “I have to have good technique.”

It’s safe to say Maroulis has that part licked. The last two summers, she placed in the top three in her age and weight class in the girls national championships.

Drawn to the sport by her brother, a wrestler at Randolph Macon (Va.) High, Maroulis has participated for seven years. She’s not alone. With inclusion of women’s wrestling in the most recent Olympics, female participation is rapidly rising.

“Colleges are starting to offer women’s programs,” said Maroulis. “I was interested in other sports, but there are a lot of opportunities with wrestling. It’s a great sport. It’s taught me how to deal with a lot of things.”

Colonizing WJ

- Walter Johnson (4-5) was hampered by injuries to Joe Brody (152) and Mike Donahue (140).

- Magruder has lost just one match. It came against defending state champion Whitman.

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Girl’s rule: Maroulis belongs on mat

Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2005

Magruder freshman Helen Maroulis (top) pins Whitman’s Joe Hancher at 112 pounds during Saturday’s tri-meet at Wheaton. Maroulis also won her match against Wheaton and has only lost once this year.

It is a problem that Helen Maroulis’ foes on the mat probably don’t have to deal with. In the middle of her match against Whitman’s Joe Hancher during Saturday’s tri-meet between Magruder, Whitman and Wheaton at Wheaton, the 112-pound Magruder freshman was forced to the sideline by the referee when her hair had come loose of her ponytail, spilling out of her headgear. At first she tried to tie her hair back tighter, but when that didn’t work, her coaches were forced to take corrective action in the short time they had left. They wrapped her head in a layer of athletic tape to cover her hair and sent her back out on the mat. Even though she looked injured, Maroulis did not wrestle that way, using her speed and skill to beat Hancher by decision. Later in the day, she pinned Wheaton’s Sam Tripoulas to complete her sweep, and continue her undefeated season against Montgomery County competition. Maroulis, 14, has dropped just one match overall this season, when she lost to James River (Va.) High’s Jared Anongos in the 112-pound final of last week’s Mad Mats Tournament at Magruder.
‘‘She’s very technically sound,” Magruder assistant coach Kevin Phelps said. ‘‘We work on her footwork a lot, and she knows how to scramble well. We try to focus on getting the points early and wherever she can, because she does have some strength issues to overcome.”

In case you haven’t already gathered it, Maroulis ‘‘strength issues” derive from the fact that she is one of the few girls wrestling against boys in Montgomery County. Despite the fact that she is wrestling against opponents that, for the most part, weigh the same as her, Maroulis does not have the upper body strength that many of her male counterparts have. While that may be an insurmountable obstacle for other wrestlers, Maroulis has learned how to use her opponents preconceived notions to her advantage.

‘‘Some people just really don’t like wrestling girls,” she said. ‘‘I think some guys get psyched out, but I don’t know. I don’t really care. I like the competition.”

In fact, the competition was the reason that Maroulis gravitated to wrestling in the first place. At the age of 8, Maroulis joined her younger brother, Tony, who was already wrestling in the Gaithersburg Sports Association youth program. While her mother had reservations, it was a sport that Maroulis wanted to pursue.

‘‘A couple of years in, we told her to quit,” Paula Maroulis said. ‘‘There were no college programs for girls, and there was nothing that she could do [with the sport]. But then, that fall they made women’s wrestling an Olympic sport, so we let her continue.”

‘‘They didn’t want me to get too attached,” Maroulis explained. ‘‘I wanted to wrestle in matches because I didn’t think it was fair that I could practice but not wrestle in matches. I made a deal with my dad that if I won my first match, I could keep wrestling, and I did. But, that was the only match that I won all year, so it was perfect timing, I guess.”

By the time she was in middle school, Maroulis was wrestling in a Mt. Airy junior league program under the direction of coach Mike Desarno. She rapidly improved, and soon the family was traveling to intramural tournaments to watch her compete. While at first she was considered an oddity, as Maroulis showed off her skill, acceptance followed.

‘‘Certain people were less than kind,” Paula Maroulis said. ‘‘But I found that kids who are good wrestlers, who come out and do what they need to do, recognize each other as wrestlers. You wrestle, you win or lose, and that’s it.”

As she learned technical skill under Desarno, she not only beat the male opponents she faced on a regular basis, but Maroulis moved up the national rankings of the United States Girls Wrestling Association. Before she even entered high school, Maroulis was rated the fourth best girls wrestler in the nation in the 110-pound division by the organization.

‘‘Sometimes I feel some pressure,” Maroulis said. ‘‘At a lot of tournaments that I go to, people will watch my first few matches just to check me out and see if I’m any good, but I don’t really mind.”

However, as a freshman at Magruder, Maroulis is not the main attraction, but one of several good wrestlers on a deep team. The Colonels boast two defending state champions — Zach Tolbert and John Holloway — and return several regional qualifiers, including Thad Stevens, Alex Borzov and Alex Tolbert. The intensity and toughness of her teammates has pushed Maroulis to become a better wrestler already.

‘‘It has been fun,” she said. ‘‘The team is really supportive. Coach Phelps and [head] coach [Max] Sartoph have been really focused on helping me to get better.”

In fact, even though she does not get to hang out with the Colonels in the locker room before matches, her work ethic has quickly integrated her into the fabric of the team. While other programs would have had a prolonged period of adjustment with a female wrestler, Magruder has not.

‘‘She works very hard in the wrestling room,” Phelps said. ‘‘She’s the last one to leave. When practice is over, she comes back to work with me or to work out against Zach [Tolbert]. She works as hard, if not harder, than anyone else in that room, and because of that, they take her on as a team member.”

So, while Helen Maroulis may be on the vanguard of a new generation of girls who have entered the formerly male-dominated sport of wrestling, she does not think of herself primarily as a trailblazer.

‘‘It’s definitely changing for girls [in wrestling],” she said. ‘‘I thought I was among the first, but I talked to so many women who wrestled in high school. But, now girls aren’t just wrestling on their high-school team’s, they’re wrestling all year round and going to big competitions. It’s really growing. Now, I see 8-year-old girls and they are so good, and I’m like, ‘Wow.’ It’s pretty cool.”

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Catey Beatty's photo

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LCC assistant coach will not be paid for services rendered

By Christin Marchbanks
Staff Writer, December 23

A seemingly mundane agenda item had college faculty and union officials seeing red at the Lassen Community College Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 13.

The controversial recommendation addressed the monetary compensation owed to women's wrestling competition coach Paul Gomez for services rendered from Aug. 29 through Dec. 22.

According to LCC President Homer Cissell, the college hired Gomez after a law requiring schools to offer equal opportunities in all men and women's sports was passed.

The college employed Gomez for the sole purpose of accompanying the girl's wrestling team to collegiate competitions.

However, because Gomez did not also hold an instructional position or receive an instructional contract from LCC, he would not receive instructional compensation. Instead Gomez was told he would be paid a stipend of $17,000.

Discussion in the board room became heated when LCFA negotiator Ross Stevens disputed the stipend amount claiming it was way too much and not even close to being in accordance with negotiations.

Previously, he said, the district and the LCFA agreed "part-time faculty assigned coaching positions other than as a head coach shall receive a stipend, for performing coaching duties, of $1,000 per each sport."

He then pointed out the severity of a non-negotiated contract and the negative impact retaliation from the union would have on the institution.

"We will be forced to file an unfair labor practice lawsuit for you have gone ahead and financed something you told us you weren't going to finance," Stevens said. "The district has an obligation to bargain in good faith and the unfortunate part is you're going to pay more than $17,000. You're going to have to pay the legal costs for dealing with the unfair labor practice."

When it was clear a consensus between the board and faculty would not be reached, Board President Rocky Deal called for a vote.

The majority of the vote was against the resolution and payment to Gomez for the work he had done.

Board members Jay Dow, Sophia Wages, Tom Holybee and Christopher Click voted no on the recommendation while Dan Rickert, Doc Blevins and Rocky Deal voted in favor of paying Gomez the stipend.

"The no's have it," Deal said. "We're going to have to pay him some other way."
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Yamamoto regains natl mat crown

Ken Marantz Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter 12/23/05

Any doubts that Seiko Yamamoto can become a force again in Japanese women's wrestling were put to rest when she won her first national title in four years Thursday.

And beating the reigning world champion in the final put the icing on the cake of her comeback.

Yamamoto had little trouble in defeating Ayako Shoda 2-0 in the final of the women's 59-kilogram class at the All-Japan Wrestling Championships at Tokyo's Yoyogi No. 2 Gym.

"I didn't limit myself to just coming back," Yamamoto said. "This was the culmination of day after day of hard work."

Meanwhile, Hitomi Sakamoto, another of Japan's four gold medalists from this year's world championships in Budapest, defended her 51-kg title with a one-sided 2-0 victory over Sachiko Akasaka.

Yamamoto, a four-time world champion from 1999 to 2003, was coming back from a knee injury when she lost to Shoda at the Queen's Cup last spring. That earned Shoda the berth on Japan's team to Budapest, where she won a gold medal.

But she was no match this time for the 25-year-old Yamamoto, who won national titles in 2000 and 2001 in the then-56-kg class.

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'ONE OF THE GUYS'
Sue Ellen Lyons has stepped into the male-dominated sport of wrestling as the head coach at Holy Cross, a move that likely saved the team's season in the wake of Katrina

Friday, December 23, 2005
By Jim DerryStaff writer

Holy Cross' wrestling program isn't like any other in the state.

No, it's not because the Tigers are practicing in a Metairie warehouse that's owned by a Jesuit alum. It's nothing special that the wrestlers arrive by 7 a.m., work out until 9 then head to school at Cabrini by 2:30 p.m. And they don't seem to mind that they are just weeks away from going to class in trailers that will sit adjacent to their condemned 9th Ward campus.

Nah, that's all normal in these post-Katrina days.

So what is it that's different?

Meet Sue Ellen Lyons, former cheerleading moderator and Louisiana's first female head wrestling coach.

A fixture at Holy Cross for 28 years, Lyons took over for Frank Barbire, who had the job just two weeks before evacuating to his home state of Pennsylvania.

"When we were talking at the faculty coffee watering hole, we were really hurting for a wrestling coach, and she laughed and said, 'I'll do it,' " Athletic Director Greg Battistella said. "So she helped out a lot in doing that, and I hired her on the spot."

The school hopes it has Barbire back next season. But if he doesn't return, Battistella will look for a permanent coach. For now, he is grateful that Lyons was able to help keep the program going.

"The alumni would have probably had my head if we wouldn't have had wrestling this year," he said.

The 'den mother'

Lyons bleeds blue and gold, and she'll do anything she thinks will help the boys. What some might think is an awkward situation is nothing of the kind. The wrestlers look up to her and appreciate the fact that they have salvaged a season.

"More than being a coach, I feel like the den mother, and I've always loved wrestling," Lyons said. "I've followed it for most of my 28 years at Holy Cross, and this is a great group of kids. They deserve better than what they're getting, but we were determined not to let the devastation of Katrina destroy their season."

She became enthralled with this male-dominated sport from the first match she saw, although it took persuasion to even get her to attend. Just the thought of her students being slammed to the mat and tossed over the top of the ropes was just too much for her to bear.

What? This isn't World Wrestling Entertainment?

"The first year that I taught at Holy Cross (1978), I had a ninth-grader who wrestled," Lyons said. "And I went to football games, I went to basketball games, I've always loved sports. . . . So this one particular student I had wrestled, and he kept asking me to come see him wrestle, and I thought it was like the (WWE). I kept making excuses and kind of putting him off, and one day he says, 'Mrs. Lyons, it's not fair. You went to every football game we had, and you go to every basketball game. Why don't you come see me wrestle?'

"I said, 'Vincent, I just couldn't stand to see somebody throwing you around and beating up on you. I couldn't take that.' He gave me a strange look, and told me it wasn't like that. He said, 'Come to one wrestling meet, and if you don't like it, I'll never, never ask you again.'

"Well, I went to one dual meet, and I was hooked."

And her students are hooked on her. Just ask them.

Wrestlers Edwin Mathews and David Dalton couldn't care less whether they have a female coach. It's all about wrestling to them, and they were thrilled that their senior season was not taken from them.

They say why not Lyons? She understands the sport; she has been working at the scorer's table since before they were born.

"I love her," said Dalton, who spent the first couple of months at St. Charles before deciding to return to Holy Cross. "I didn't even know if I was going to come back. When I got here, I was just happy that I was with them. . . . If they weren't going to have wrestling, I was going to stay where I was.

"Without her, where would we be? We wouldn't have a program."

She knows the rules

Battistella chose a person who understood the rules of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association. As the faculty moderator, it is part of Lyons' job.

But she's not doing it by herself. She has help from non-faculty coaches, and things are running smoothly.

"Mrs. Lyons is just another one of the adults, just another one of the coaches," Mathews said. "We have a good base of alumni that come help us, and Mrs. Lyons is there, too. She's just one of them. It's really not that different. Everything just kind of flows."

It was never a question for Battistella, Principal Joe Murry or Headmaster Charles DiGange that Lyons could handle the job, and they weren't concerned that a female might not command respect.

"If there's any woman in the world who can do this, Mrs. Lyons certainly can," Battistella said. "She's a veteran at Holy Cross, and she's been at every wrestling match there's been since then. That's why it's such a natural fit. Not only does she know all the moves and all the rules, but she knows all the referees and all the coaches in the whole state."

Since their campus was wiped out by Hurricane Katrina, the odd seems ordinary at Holy Cross, as it does at many other campuses across the metro area. This was just another chance for Lyons to prove that she can do the things a man can do.

"It's sort of nice," she said. "It is a novelty in Louisiana. They do have girls wrestling in other places. As far as (coaching), I'm used to existing in a man's world. Being at Holy Cross all these years, I don't see myself as female, I just see myself as one of the guys. I like it when the kids treat me that way.

"I'm not a scary person, I'm not intimidated, and I'll go toe-to-toe with anybody. It's not like I welcome any kind of confrontation, but I certainly don't back down from one. And I will defend Holy Cross School and these kids until the death."

As she has adjusted to her added responsibility, the wrestlers have accepted her as their coach. These days, the only awkward moments between coach and wrestler come when it's time to wipe down the mat.

"This morning, me and (Mathews) got in a tussle over the mop. They try to keep me from mopping the mat. They're like, 'No Mrs. Lyons, don't touch the mop.' But I like to mop, and I can do it much better and much faster than they can."

Always remembering his manners, Mathews said, "While she's our coach, she's still a lady, and we still have to be gentlemen around her."

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C.C. native Mike Duroe named to coach 2006 USA Wrestling Freestyle World Team

12/23/05

USA Wrestling has made its choice for the world team coaches in freestyle that will participate in the World Championships in Guangzhou, China, Sept. 26 - Oct. 1.

Selected to join USA Wrestling National Freestyle Coach Kevin Jackson, of Colorado Springs, Colo., as world team coaches in freestyle wrestling are Cornell College Head Coach Mike Duroe, of Iowa City and formally of Charles City, and Lou Rosselli of Edinboro, Pa.

These coaches, as well as all of the coaching assignments in freestyle for the year, were made by the Freestyle Coach Selection Committee and approved by USA Wrestling’s Executive Committee.

Duroe was a coach for the 2005 U.S. Freestyle World Team, which placed eighth in the standings and featured two medalists. Duroe has served on the staff of numerous U.S. World and Olympic teams, both in men’s freestyle and women’s freestyle wrestling. He worked at USA Wrestling in two positions, as freestyle resident coach and freestyle developmental coach. As a volunteer, he coached three U.S. Women’s World Teams.

He is currently coach of Cornell College in Iowa. He was previously coach of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club and the administrative assistant for the Univ. of Iowa. Duroe served as head coach at Northern Michigan University, and had assistant coaching stints at Northern Michigan, Northwestern and the University of Pennsylvania. He was also a successful prep coach at New Trier High School in Illinois.

“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to work with the team again. We didn’t achieve our goals last year, based upon the potential this team has. Looking at the top athletes in our country, I feel very strongly that we should be a contender for a World Team championship. There is a lot of work and commitment that goes into that from the national team athletes and national coaching staff.”

Duroe was named as the head wrestling coach at Cornell College this year, a Division III school in Iowa. He was previously the coach of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club and the administrative assistant for the University of Iowa wrestling program. He has extensive coaching experience on the high school, college and international levels.

Duroe served in two professional coaching positions for USA Wrestling, the national governing body. From 1998-2000, he was USA Wrestling’s Freestyle Developmental Coach. In 2001, Duroe served as USA Wrestling’s freestyle resident coach, working with the elite men’s freestyle wrestlers at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

As national developmental coach, Duroe was responsible for the responsible for developing age-group freestyle wrestlers. He also managed USA Wrestling’s women’s wrestling programs, including serving as the head women’s national coach.

Under Duroe’s leadership, the United States was successful in age-group world championships in freestyle wrestling. The highlight of his efforts with the women’s program came in 1999, when the United States won the world team title in women’s wrestling.

Prior to joining USA Wrestling’s national staff, he coached U.S. teams on the national and international level in men’s and women’s wrestling. He served as the head coach of three U.S. Women’s World Teams (1995-97). Duroe served as head coach of the women’s team at the 1997 Pan American Championships. He also was an assistant coach for the 1996 Pan American Championships men’s team. Duroe was also the head coach of the 1995 Cadet World Team. He also served as a coach at four U.S. Olympic Festivals (1989-90, 1993-94).

Duroe served as head coach at Northern Michigan University from 1980-85, and assistant coach from 1978-80. During his tenure at Northern Michigan, he tutored 27 All-Americans and three national champions. Duroe was also the coach for the Wildcat Wrestling Club at Northwestern University from 1985-86 and an assistant wrestling coach for the University of Pennsylvania from 2001-2003.

Duroe served as the head coach at New Trier High School in Illinois from 1986-98, where he led his team to four conference and five regional team titles.

As an athlete, Duroe was a two-time regional champion for Drake University. He served as captain of Drake’s team for three years and has been inducted into the Drake University Wrestling Hall of Fame. Duroe competed on the national level in freestyle in the early 1980s. He was a three-time national freestyle placewinner, and was the 1983 AAU national champion.

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Wrestling Preview: Mat world turns on two axes
Dual meets tell just half of the story

By MICHAEL MCLAUGHLIN 12/15/05
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

OK, let's get this straight.

When talking about wrestling teams, there are several levels of success. There are league dual meets that count toward division standings, but the best dual-meet teams aren't necessarily the best tournament teams. And when it comes to success at the state tournament, that's a different story in itself.

What?

"Winning leagues and winning state are two different entities," said Tahoma coach Chris Feist. "A good dual-meet team needs consistency throughout the 14-man lineup. Gauging a tournament team might be tougher because it depends on the level of competition and what tournaments you compete in. The teams that win at state usually have at least 5-7 quality athletes that can advance and score points."

It's also the reason some teams may not enjoy perfect records, or even win their league titles, but will outscore the same teams that topped them in the regular season at the state tournament.

One team that seems to enjoy success at the league and state levels on a consistent basis is Lake Stevens. Coach Brent Barnes' Vikings haven't lost a home dual since 1992 and have won 16 consecutive Wesco North Division titles.

Lake Stevens jumped from 3A to 4A in 2002, but that hardly affected its state success. In the past seven seasons, Lake Stevens won three state crowns (2000, 2001, 2003), captured two seconds (1999, 2004), a third (1998) and an eighth-place (2002) finish at state.

Last year, the Vikes became only the second 4A school to have three individual state champs on one team. Two of those champs -- Lester Brown and Clint Osborn -- have graduated, but junior Kelly Kubec, the state champ at 112 pounds, is back and now competing at 130.

"Kelly (Kubec) is a leader in the practice room," Barnes said. "He's one of the hardest workers we've had here, and the other kids see that, plus they realize he's a state champ and he knows what it takes to get there."

Despite the loss of two state champs, Barnes likes his team's chances for success, along with defending 4A champ University, Battle Ground and Auburn.

Other teams to watch in Wesco are Stanwood, Everett, Cascade and Kamiak.

Most SPSL coaches will argue they have the toughest overall 4A wrestling league in the state. The SPSL had five teams finish in the top 15 at state last year with Auburn taking third, Tahoma finishing 12 points behind the Trojans for fourth, Emerald Ridge sixth, Rogers (Puyallup) ninth and Kentwood 15th.

Auburn returns a solid group that includes senior Kurt Swartz, the defending 4A champ at 140 who likely will compete at 171 this season.

The Trojans also bring back Tyler Roshau, who has two runner-up finishes at state, and Shane Onufer, who placed second at state at 145 and will wrestle at 160.

"Look at the caliber of teams in the SPSL and the state representation," Feist said. "Last year when we faced Auburn in a dual meet, there were seven state finalists competing. That speaks volumes.

"We (Tahoma) lost four league dual meets but still took fourth at state. That's how tough this league is."

Tahoma is the only 4A school returning two individual state champs in Andrew Johnson and Kevin Kooyman. Johnson was undefeated at 145 last year and moves up to 152, while Kooyman, also being recruited to play football, returns to defend his 215 title.

Watch out for Enumclaw despite its loss of junior All-American Chase Smith until possibly late January following knee surgery. Smith finished third at state at 103.

Auburn Riverside and Kentwood will be solid as well. Inglemoor and Eastlake should be the top teams in 4A KingCo.

The 3A state team title hasn't left Sedro-Woolley for four seasons and might not leave this year, either. The Cubs return three state champs and a runner-up, but expect a tough challenge from Kelso.

Locally, White River is relatively young but should still be a top-10 state placer.

The KingCo 3A conference appears wide open with Mount Si rebuilding after placing 12th at state in 2004.

At 160 pounds, O'Dea senior Jalonn Wilkins is the best early season bet for a Metro League placer at state after finishing fourth at 152 last year.

10 WRESTLERS TO WATCH

Some of the state's top wrestlers, from lightest to heaviest:

Whitney Conder, Puyallup, 103: Became first female to place at 4A state, taking sixth last year as a junior.

Michael Mangrum, Auburn Riverside, 125: State runner-up at 112 as a frosh will be the favorite at 125.

Kelly Kubec, Lake Stevens, 130: 4A state champ at 112 moving up to 130 for his junior season.

Patrick O'Neil, Sedro-Woolley, 135: Two-time state champ on the top 3A team for the past four seasons.

Andrew Johnson, Tahoma, 152: Unbeaten last year as a sophomore en route to state title at 145.

Tyler Roshau, Auburn, 152: Senior finished second at state at 152 last year and at 135 as a sophomore.

Brandon Sitch, Kelso, 160: Ranks in top 10 nationally by Wrestling USA and Amateur Wrestling News.

Kurt Swartz, Auburn, 171: State champ at 140 as a junior can handle making a big jump to 171.

Brent Chriswell, South Kitsap, 189: Ranks in top three by Wrestling USA and Amateur Wrestling News.

Kevin Kooyman, Tahoma, 215: Defending state champ at 215 looking for back-to-back titles.

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