News Page
EHS wrestlers face Woodward, Kingfisher
www.enidnews.com 1/24/06
Enid’s wrestlers will try to build on Saturday’s second-place finish at the Piedmont Tournament when the Plainsmen face Woodward and Kingfisher in a triangular dual at Woodward today.
EHS will wrestle Woodward at 4 and Kingfisher at 5:15.
The Plainsmen will go with a lineup of Brice Benge at 112, J.B. Stuart at 119, T.L. Layne at 125, Zac Layne or Jorge Maciel at 130, Kia Castor at 135, Brayden Daniels at 140, Dakota Druse or Alan Hessley at 145, Trey Wheeler at 152, Lane Singer at 160, Jake Keeling at 171, Cody Roberts at 189, Shane Perosi at 215 and Justin Glenn at heavyweight.
Glenn was named the outstanding wrestler at Piedmont while Stuart won the 112-pound title. T.L. Layne, Castor, Daniels and Perosi took seconds while Wheeler was third.
“They are wound up,’’ Kerr said. “It was a great Saturday. I know they will give me a good practice today. I know we will wrestle hard tomorrow.’’
Kingfisher beat Enid 49-12 in a dual last season while Woodward beat the Plainsmen 55-15. Woodward features Joey Miller, the first girl ever to place at the state wrestling tournament.
“Both of those teams are smaller schools than we are, but they always have good teams,’’ Kerr said.
The Plainsmen, 1-4 in duals, will wrestle Owasso and Bartlesville at Owasso Thursday and compete in the Big Four Tournament Friday and Saturday.
Kerr estimates all of his wrestlers will be competing anywhere from 10 to 15 matches this week.
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Terri McNutt wins her way to Gold in a Spectacular five point wrestling throw
Photo by: - Ray Takahashi
Mustang - Terri McNutt pins past mustang star, Belinda Chou, now of the Guelph
Wrestling Club in the 51 kg final from a Head-and-Arm Throw
London, Ontario, CANADA - Monday, January 23, 2006
Terri McNutt of UWO (University of Western Ontario) won the prestigious Guelph Open on Saturday, January 21, pinning SFU (Simon Fraser University) rival, Sarah White in the 51 kg women’s final in front of some 500 spectators. The mustang women's captain used a head-and-arm throw in the first minute that led to the pinning hold. "As soon as White was on her back, I knew Terri would get the pin," remarked UWO head coach Ray Takahashi. "Terri’s a pinner and knows how to capitalize on the opportunity."
McNutt, a graduate nursing student in her final year of eligibility has met White many times over the past few years. McNutt defeated White for the bronze medal at the 2005 CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport) championships, but lost to White the gold in the CIS final in 2004. This time it was quite different matter, McNutt tied up White and waited for an attack. "She locked up with me and tried to throw me," said McNutt, "that gave me the opportunity to counter and use my attack."
The Guelph Open Tournament is considered to be the most competitive on the Canadian national domestic schedule as it is used to acquire national team carding points for wrestlers that wish to be on the Canadian National Wrestling Team. Included in this years Guelph Open competition were top teams from across Canada and a number of teams from USA, including the wrestlers from New York Athletic Club. This was one of toughest and most competitive tournaments thus far this wrestling season.
McNutt, earned her way to the finals by beating former Western (UWO) star, Belinda Chou, now of Guelph W.C., also by the same head and arm throw to a pinning hold. "Terri knew her strategy was to control Belinda with tie-ups to take away her leg attacks," said coach Takahashi.
In a preliminary match, McNutt threw a spectacular 5-point back-salto throw over Constance Tweedie (Halifax Metro W.C.) to win the match. This was the only 5 point throw in women's wrestling and was appreciated by the thunderous applause from the spectators. McNutt did the similar throw at the 2005 Canadian National Wrestling Championships. " Terri is one of the few women in North America that can execute this type of a throw ( back salto) " stated Josip Mrkoci , UWO Assistant wrestling coach.
The UWO mustang women placed second overall in team standings. Brock University took the team tittle. Mustang teammate and first year standout, Kirby Steinhoff, took silver at 72 kg losing to Brock’s Jocelyn Dresser who won the gold. Third year mustang and King’s student, Jill McCallum won bronze at 67 kg defeating Guelph’s, Megan Wilton in a hard fought match.
The mustang men were shut out of the medals. Top mustang men were engineering students, Vi Nguyen-Huu who won 3 matches at 84 kg and Keenan Miller (74 kg) who won two matches. King’s student, Stewart Petrie (74 kg) and Ian Patton (120 kg) also recorded match wins for the men's mustangs.
The UWO women's and men's teams will be on the road Jan 27-29 when they compete in the Ontario Junior Provincial Championships in the city of Ottawa (National Capital) and the Queen’s Open at the Queen's University campus in Kingston. "The junior competition for men and women wrestlers will be an important tournament for our younger team members," remarked Assistant Coach, Josip Mrkoci. "We will use the results of the competition to select our team to the Canadian Junior Nationals scheduled in Fredericton, New Brunswick in mid-March."
The mustangs men and women will host the - Western Open Tournament - at Alumni Hall, Saturday February 4, covered by Rogers Television and be shown across the Province of Ontario. "It should be an excellent event," says Takahashi. We will have all OUA (Ontario University Athletics) teams attending as well as out-of-province teams and a few from the USA. We’ve already received women team confirmations from USA, Kentucky and Missouri." The information regarding the WESTERN OPEN can be obtained via the Internet on the UWO wrestling team web site - http://groups.msn.com/UWO-Wrestling .
2006 Guelph Open - Women's Results
Team Standings
1 Brock - 45
2 Western - 25
3 Calgary - 24
4 Guelph - 23
5 Regina - 21
6 MacMaster -14
6 SFU -14
48 kg
1 Lindsay Rushton - GWC
2 Angela Mott - SFU
3 Alana King - Brock
4 Hajar Ashtaini - Regina
5 Miranda Dick - SFU
6 Monique Simard - Regina
51 kg
1 Terri McNutt - Western
2 Sarah White - SFU
3 Belinda Chou - GWC
4 Constance Tweedie - MAWC
5 Liz Martindale - Brock
6
55 kg
1 Tonya Verbeek - Brock
2 Brit Laverdure - Calgary
3 Sarah Peasley - Wisconsin
4 Meghan King - Regina
5 Andrea Ross - Calgary
6 Holly Stranch - Regina
59 kg
1 Breanne Graham - Calgary
2 Ellen Marco - MacMaster
3 Amy Dyck - SWC
4 Nicole Darrow - Michigan
5 Jazzy Baker - Calgary
6 Michelle Fazzari - Brock
63 kg
1 Megan Dolan - Brock
2 Justin Bouchard - Calgary
3 Therresa Bakker - Winnipeg
4 Sarah Gill - Western
5 Jenna Astrope - Regina
67 kg
1 Martine Dugrenier - Montreal
2 Steph Howorun - MacMaster
3 Jill McCallum - Western
4 Meaghan Wilton - Guelph
5 Jessica Fitzgerald - Western
6 Samantha Johnson - Guelph
72 kg
1 Jocelyn Dresser - Brock
2 Kirby Steinhoff - Western
3 Kristy Ferguson - Guelph
4 Ali Bernard - Regina
82 kg
1 Carissa Holinat - Regina
2 Jen Hanson - Brock
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Six Articles on Terri McNutt from Ontario, Canada:
http://www.gazette.uwo.ca/2003/February/19/sports3.htm 2003
http://www.canoe.ca/Slam030707/oth_wre1-sun.html 2003??
http://www.gazette.uwo.ca/2004/January/16/sports2.asp 2004
http://www.canoe.ca/Slam030704/oth_wre-sun.html 2004??
http://communications.uwo.ca/western_news/profile.html?listing_id=18787 2005
http://communications.uwo.ca/sports/mustang_athletics/story.html?sports_stories::listing_id=18841
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Somers girl earns respect on the mat
CHUCK SLATER
FOR THE PATENT TRADER
(Original publication: January 12, 2006)
It is a first for Dennis DiSanto, the knowledgeable, well-respected coach at Somers High School. In his 21st season, with more than 200 varsity victories under his belt, he has a girl wrestler on his squad.
"We've wrestled against girls quite a few times," DiSanto said, "but not one had ever been on my team."
Meghan Raniolo has changed that. The junior competes regularly on the Tuskers' junior varsity, wrestling at either 130 or 135 pounds. Shortly before the holiday break, she registered her first victory on the mat, beating a male opponent.
"A couple of guys on the squad said she'd spoken to them about trying out," DiSanto said of his first inkling that things were going to be a little different this year. "Then there she was."
Raniolo is 5-foot-5, brown-haired and athletic looking but far richer in determination than experience.
"She had never really wrestled before," DiSanto said. "She said she had done it in junior high school and liked it."
Junior high school and junior year in high school are countless hours of training removed from each other. So why now?
"It was a fun idea," said Raniolo, an A-minus student taking advanced placement courses. "I thought I'd go for it. I really like it."
Said DiSanto: "The first few days were awkward. But after she toughed out the first week and was still there, the guys started helping her. Now, really, it's not like having a girl on the team. She just fits in.
"She's got a good work ethic, and if anyone comes into the room willing to work, I'll coach them."
Awkward is also a good word for Raniolo's revelation of the new sport she had chosen to her parents.
"I said 'You must be kidding,'" her mother, Debbie, said. "I asked if she was serious. When she said 'yes,' well, I trust her judgment. We supported her."
"We" includes her husband, Robert, a surgeon at Phelps Memorial Hospital who also serves as a team doctor for Sleepy Hollow High School.
"I wasn't an athlete, that comes from her mother," he said. "I was a grease monkey, into hot rods. I asked Meghan why she wanted to wrestle. Did she feel she had something to prove? Was there some ulterior motive? She said, 'Dad, why would you question me? Just because I'm a girl?'
"So we said OK. And there's no question wrestling has been good for her."
Said Meghan: "I have lost a few pounds. I was 138 when I went out for the team. But more than losing weight, I've gained muscle."
"She's trying real hard to get better," said Anthony Mancini, a 119-pound freshman who is Raniolo's practice partner. "In workouts, she'll run faster than anyone else. She's strong-willed; she'll do anything that's fair to win."
Mancini volunteered to work out with the girl on the team.
"I didn't feel that uncomfortable," he said. "I think we've learned from each other."
Raniolo, who was a captain of the JV softball team last spring, is a big fan of the Philadelphia Eagles and Ashley Simpson. But she is so into wrestling that she hopes to compete again in her senior year.
On the varsity?
"That would really be a challenge," she said. "But I'd love to if I'm good enough."
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Napa High wrestlers place at CIF Girls Regional Tournament
By MARTY JAMES, Executive Sports Editor
Monday, January 23, 2006 1:04 AM PST
NOTES AND QUOTES for a Monday in the Napa Valley:
Napa High School’s Lauren Philipps took first place in the 138-pound division and Devery Mitchell was third at 165 pounds at the first-ever CIF Girls Regional Wrestling Tournament, which was held at Whitney High-Rocklin Saturday.
The CIF-sponsored event drew over 200 wrestlers from throughout Northern California, and is part of a two-year pilot by the CIF to gauge the popularity of this fast growing sport.
Philipps placed first in a bracket of 22 wrestlers, recording a 4-0 record with four pins and improving to 10-1 on the year with 10 pins. Philipps, the No. 1 seed, beat Lauren Knight, the No. 2 seed from Vallejo, in the finals.
“Lauren is a real warrior,” said Napa assistant coach Jaret Newton. “She showed a lot of heart in the finals, fighting off her back for almost the entire first period, before getting the pin in the second.”
Mitchell had a 4-1 record with three pins in a bracket of 12 wrestlers.
“Devery is incredibly athletic, which helps when going against far more experienced wrestlers,” said Newton. “She improves in every match and I’m excited to see how she does in the next tournament.”
Both Philipps and Mitchell qualified for the California Girls Invitational Tournament, Feb. 3-4 at Hanford West High.
Added Newton: “It’s great to see our hard work pay off.”
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thereporter.com1/23/06
The Will C. Wood High School team had five of nine wrestlers place at the Puma Classic at Maria Carrillo High School in Santa Rosa on Saturday.
Also, Wildcat Amberly Safreno placed at the first ever CIF Girls Wrestling Northern California Regional Tournament at Whitney High in Rocklin. Safreno went 5-2 with four pins, taking fifth among 32 girls in her 138 pound weight class. The top eight wrestlers in each class medaled.
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Five local girls pin down titles
By John Honell Correspondent 1/23/06
WEST COVINA - San Gabriel Valley wrestlers dominated the inaugural State CIF-Southern Regional Championships at South Hills High School on Saturday.
Five local girls won individual championships, including Sierra Vista senior Vanessa Nordstrom at 98 pounds. Nordstrom beat Aidett Sanchez of Diamond Ranch, 10-1, in the first-ever State CIF-recognized girls championship match.
Nordstrom, whose actual weight is 92 pounds, has qualified for the CIF-Southern Section boys championships for two consecutive years with third-place finishes in the Montview League finals at 103 pounds.
"It feels great to be the first," Nordstrom said. "I didn't expect it. I had lost to another girl last week (Cynthia Zamora of Northview), so I was seeded second. She got taken out by the girl I beat in the finals."
South Hills won the unofficial team title with 257 points, far ahead of second-place Escondido Charter.
The Huskies picked up 10 medals (in 14 weight classes), but had only one champion.
Sophomore Alex Jacobo completed an undefeated season at 165 pounds with the fastest pin in the finals, 1:22 over Jessica Rojas of Escondido Charter.
Jacobo has a 15-0 season record, pinning all of her opponents.
"It is so amazing," Jacobo said. "I just love wrestling, it is really fun. I saw that South Hills had a girls wrestling team and I decided to go."
The Huskies, with 18 wrestlers, have the largest girls wrestling team in the Southern region.
"The San Gabriel Valley is the mecca for girls wrestling in Southern California," CIF State representative Sheri Ross said. "We are really happy
with the tournament and the backing of all the fans."
Ninety schools were represented by 230 wrestlers and their coaching staffs. The tournament attracted approximately 500 paid admissions.
West Covina was the only school in the meet with more than one champion. Cousins Samantha and Stephanie Lopez won their matches at 108 and 114 pounds, respectively.
Samantha had dislocated her elbow in practice three days earlier. She pinned Erica Alonzo of Martin Luther King (Riverside) at the 5:29 mark. She had three pins and a 19-1 technical fall in her four matches.
"You can't keep away from this," she said. "In our workout room, we're trained to keep on going at it. We don't give up."
Lopez, a senior, earned the attention of college coaches in attendance with her 9-1 decision over Caroline Williams of Redlands.
"That girl was real tough, but she got tired," Lopez said. "That was my superman move. No one is ever ready for that."
Defending State and national champion Tatiana Padilla of Northview won the 126-pound title with a pin of Christine Cunningham of Torrey Pines at the 2:26 mark.
"This is just the beginning," West Covina coach Donnie Stephens said. "When parents see how easy it is for girls to get (college) scholarships, there is going to be a huge influx of girls."
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By RUSS CHARPENTIER
STAFF WRITER 1/20/06
HYANNIS - Senior wrestler Gonzalo Sanz was fourth in the state as a junior, earning him Barnstable High's Red Raider Award as the school's top winter athlete. The Lima, Peru, native received the honor on the same day he was sworn in as a citizen of the United States.
Junior Alex Glenn, the first Barnstable grappler to come through the town's outstanding youth program, is being recruited by Buffalo and Cal-Poly, with Lehigh University also indicating interest.
Sophomore Thiago Hoffman is called the most improved wrestler on the team by coach Mike Magner after spending seven weeks last summer at a wrestling camp at Lehigh. He's 22-7 this season competing 130 pounds.
The sky's the limit for freshman Alejandro Sanz, according to Magner and opposing coaches and wrestlers. Alejandro is Gonzalo's brother and they take their battles home to a basement mat.
These are just four of 18 Barnstable High wrestlers who have pushed the Red Raiders to a 7-5 overall record in just their third year of varsity action.
The team is school-funded for the first time, and has been impressive in tournament showings this winter. Last Saturday, the Raiders finished third in the Northeast Challenge, a 20-team tourney in Hudson.
On Saturday, Jan. 28, Barnstable hosts the two other Cape schools with wrestling programs, Nauset and Sandwich, in a 10 a.m. match.
The Red Raiders' most significant win this season was an upset of 20th-ranked Bridgewater-Raynham. Prior to the match former U.S. Olympic coach and current Lehigh coach, Greg Strobel, stopped by to offer a few words of encouragement to the team.
''We have made huge strides since last year,'' said Magner. ''Everyone has improved. Some dramatically.''
Gonzalo Sanz, competing at 140 pounds, has been the face of the program for three years. He moved into Barnstable at the end of his freshman year, after wrestling at Weymouth.
''I like the competition,'' he said. ''You don't count on anybody else but yourself. When I lose, it's because of me and no one else.''
Sanz doesn't lose often, compiling a 20-3 record this season. He has his eyes set solely on winning the All-State championship in his weight class. He also won a big tournament at North Quincy earlier this season, and took second at Marshfield's tourney, which Magner and his team call the toughest competition they've faced this year.
The cat-quick Sanz has blossomed at Barnstable. He is being heavily pursued by Bridgewater State, which wants him to wrestle at 149 pounds.
What excites Magner is the quality of young wrestlers that are following Sanz. ''We get kids who are highly disciplined and hard-working,'' said the coach.
To illustrate their commitment, Magner points to the 84.5 cumulative miles run, 1,305 sit-ups and 1,585 push-ups team members have endured before practice this season.
Barnstable often wrestles short-handed, not having a heavyweight, which means it forfeits six points before the match even begins. ''It's like fielding a baseball team with eight players,'' Magner said.
Enter Glenn, who has, at times, moved up from his 215-pound class into the heavyweight division. Glenn, who weighs 205, beat a 270-pounder in Barnstable's upset of Bridgewater-Raynham.
Glenn is 20-4 this season, 76-38 in his career and so far the shining star of Barnstable's town youth program. That program is coached by 1992 Canadian Olympic wrestler Rob Dawson and should continue to produce talent for the high school team.
''I was in seventh grade when I started,'' Glenn said. ''I wanted to do a sport and stay busy. Wrestling was the only option. I didn't like basketball and I couldn't afford hockey.
''Win or lose, you can't blame anyone else (in wrestling),'' said Glenn. ''How much hard work you put in practicing determines how you will do.''
After faring well in state and national tournaments during the summer, Glenn played junior varsity football (with one varsity start) in the fall before going back to the mat this winter. He took seconds at the Northeast Challenge, Marshfield and North Quincy tourneys.
Magner said both Sanz and Glenn have a chance to win state titles.
Alejandro Sanz weighs 127 pounds but competes at 135. He's strong and quick, like his big brother. Alejandro won the state youth championship last year as an eighth-grader, and as a freshman has humbled a few seniors this season.
''Other coaches and wrestlers have told me he'll be one of the best in the state,'' Magner said.
''I got interested because of my brother,'' Alejandro said. ''He brought me in one time to try it out. Rob Dawson has taught me a few things.''
Now Alejandro wrestles against the former Olympian in practice. ''That surely has made me a lot better,'' he said.
Barnstable senior Pete Loumiotis was a football player who came late to wrestling, much to his regret.
''I've played football for 10 years, but I've really grown to like wrestling,'' said Loumiotis, who is in his third year in the sport and competes at 189 pounds. ''I wish I had been doing it longer. It gets you in really good shape.''
Like Glenn, sophomore Richie Joyal (119) came up through the youth program and has had a stellar season. Junior Mike Amick, freshman Kyle Cocozza, junior Ryan Callanan, junior Jason Corman, sophomore Nick Barretto, freshman Bobby Blache and freshman Tom Greer also wrestle varsity.
And a female, sophomore Patricia ''P.J.'' Hooton, wrestles on the junior varsity. Hooton said she hasn't caught any grief from opposing boys.
''I played field hockey in the fall. I was looking for a different sport this winter,'' she said. ''I'd been swimming since I was five. Katie Kidd (team manager) told me to come out for wrestling.''
One day Hooton hopes to wrestle at the varsity level, but there's a lot of work ahead. Magner knows the feeling after building the program from scratch.
''It's coming into its own,'' he said. ''I'm hoping to mimic (volleyball coach) Tom Turco (who has a very strong feeder system for his high school powerhouse). He's our mentor.
''We'll be better next year,'' Magner promises. ''Almost everyone is back, with experience. And we have some good youth wrestlers coming up.''
At Barnstable, it's full speed ahead for the wrestling program.
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In all shapes and sizes
Wrestlers prove that big talent outweighs small stature
Published: Jan 23, 2006 12:30 AM
Edward G. Robinson III, Staff Writer
'Most people think the bigger you are, the better. In wrestling, it doesn't always work that way.'
Based on appearance, Leesville Road's Billy Edwards doesn't strike you as a competitive high school wrestler. Perhaps it's his silver braces or his pine-needle frame.
He wrestles at 125 pounds and some people assume smaller guys -- and girls -- are weak.
They might not expect Edwards to bench press 140 pounds, take third in last season's N.C. High School Athletic Association individual 4-A state championship or be 48-3 this season.
"Most people think the bigger you are, the better," Edwards said. "In wrestling, it doesn't always work that way."
In high school wrestling, competitors face opponents of the same weight class. The smaller of these are the 103-, 112-, 119-, 125-, 130- and 135-pound classes.
Some area coaches say parents, especially those of freshmen new to the sport, do not realize that these are strict weight requirements and are hesitant to let their youngsters try out.
Many parents, coaches say, fear their child might get hurt because of their body type. Coaches try to correct that misconception as they recruit wrestlers to fill lower weight classes.
This season several Triangle teams have had to forfeit matches in lower weight classes, which can cost their teams points in tournaments. It isn't considered a widespread problem, but it's an issue some coaches face.
Durham Jordan's Phil Davanzo is always on the lookout for good prospects. He invites freshmen to watch practices and hopes they catch the bug.
Senior Jack Coman signed on as a sophomore. A 5-foot-2, 103-pounder, he has maintained his weight and his interest and is 24-7 this season.
Davanzo had freshman Erica Lyons join the team this season. She came in with experience wrestling at Githens Middle School.
Lyons also had a mother, Kimberly Jones, who was afraid her 4-foot-8, 103-pound daughter would be crushed. Initially she was against the idea but eventually realized "it has nothing to with their size but what they learn."
Lyons turned to wrestling after failing to make the varsity basketball team. People automatically discouraged her, saying, "You're too small" and "You'll get hurt."
And, yes, sometimes she fears passing out or breaking bones. She's most afraid when an opponent pulls her arm behind her back. Several times she has held her breath while caught in a headlock. Yet she persists because she enjoys participating.
Davanzo said Lyons, who has 1-2 record in varsity matches, is one of the hardest workers on the team.
"Wrestling can teach those smaller kids or less confident kids how to be confident," he said.
Leesville Road coach Jason Wyss believes anyone can wrestle and sells the sport to students who aren't very successful in basketball or football.
Wyss tells some of those students enamored with basketball, "Honestly, you're 5-4. Unless you can touch the rim, there's nothing there for you."
So he offers wrestling, a sport where speed and proper technique can neutralize size. In the past, he said, Leesville has had success with wrestlers from lower weight classes.
This season the Pride has two wrestlers on its roster at 103 pounds, including freshman starter Kevin Boggs (25-18).
Every team isn't that fortunate. Boggs has received several forfeits this season, including two in Cap Seven conference competition.
Leesville's Edwards sometimes struts around the hallway in his blue letterman jacket, the one with a white C indicating he is a captain. He's certainly grown from that "scrawny" 112-pound freshman.
"There's a little more respect for me since I wrestle, than if I didn't," he said.