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Female wrestler proves tough foe
BY ALAN DELL 2/28/06
CORRESPONDENT
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ENGLEWOOD - For all the guys out there who believe they're tough, Audrey Shockley has a message.
If you are going to step out on the wrestling mat with her, be prepared for a tough match.
The Lemon Bay High 112-pound sophomore won 26 matches, finished second at the district meet and was one win away from qualifying for the state meet.
"I made about seven guys cry and another quit during the match," Audrey said. "I had 15 pins. It feels amazing, just out of this world when you pin a guy."
If Audrey sounds as if she's on a mission, well, she is. She wants to prove girls are as tough as guys, while maintaining her femininity and promoting girls wrestling.
The 5-foot-3 Shockley is undefeated against girls and has won two girls state championships. The last one came this past weekend, when she won the United State Girls Wrestling Association (USGA) state crown with two pins and a technical fall.
At the boys high school region tournament this year, she pinned her first opponent, but then lost two matches and failed to qualify for state. It's something she still hasn't forgotten.
"I hate losing, and next year, I want to be the first girl ever to place at state in Florida," Audrey said. "I want to go down to 103 pounds.
"I feel I can win at that weight because there are not a lot of experienced wrestlers there."
Though wrestling is her passion, Audrey is certainly not a one-dimensional person.
The 16-year-old is president of her sophomore class and a JV cheerleader. She used to compete on the cross country, track and field and weightlifting teams, but gave those sports up this year to concentrate on wrestling.
"I want to be strong and tough, but I don't want to have 30-inch-around arms. I don't want to be a body builder," Audrey said.
The next big event for Shockley is the girls national tournament in April, when she will wrestle in the 110-pound class. She got roughed up pretty bad last year in the tournament, but is much-improved this year, which is a reason she was so successful against the boys.
Audrey says nearly every guy she wrestles is stronger than her, but that she uses her intelligence and technique to beat them.
"I outsmart them and outthink them," she said. "I use some muscle, but not as much as them. When I beat a guy, they are amazed because they see a girl and think it's going to be easy."
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Beltz Makes History at MSHSAA Championships
By Bill Battle, Missourian Sports Editor
02/22/2006
St. Clair freshman wrestler Randi Beltz never intended to become a trailblazer. But she did. Beltz accomplished something no other female wrestler had ever done at the MSHSAA Wrestling Championships by placing fifth in the Class 2 103-pound weight class.
She was recognized with a standing ovation when she was presented her state medal by St. Clair Head Coach Brian Robbins. Afterwards, she was congratulated by the wrestling officials as she walked off the Mizzou Sports Arena floor.
"I didn't realize how big this was until I stopped to look around when I got my medal and they took pictures," said Beltz. "This is awesome."
Beltz was just the fourth different girl to qualify for the state meet since 1998, but when Lafayette's Ashley Hudson was knocked out in the Class 4 103-pound wrestlebacks, Beltz was the only girl left in this year's tournament.
Hudson nearly made the Class 4 medal rounds last year, but the honor of becoming the first girl to medal went to Beltz.
"Randi is the first girl to medal," said Robbins. "I didn't coach Randi so much as I just sat in a chair. It's a tribute to Randi and her parents. She comes from a good wrestling family. It's an honor to be around her. She's turned some heads this weekend. People have been very complimentary of her. People have been surprised and impressed with how well she wrestled. She beat some very good kids. She finished fifth in state as a freshman. No matter if it's a boy or a girl, that's something to be proud of."
Just getting to the medal stand wasn't enough for Beltz.
"I was hoping to get all the way to the finals," said Beltz. "That's what I want to do next year."
Being a girl in what traditionally has been a boys sport has led to some awkward situations over the years, especially when she has beaten the boys.
"Some opponents get ticked off," Beltz said. "Some parents get ticked off. A couple of boys have cried."
Randi got started when her family lived in the southwest part of the state, coming through the Seneca youth wrestling system.
"I started wrestling when I was five or six," Randi said. "I came from Seneca, which has a good wrestling tradition. We moved a lot when I was younger. We're going to stay in St. Clair at least until my younger brother (Ryan) makes it through high school."
Randi sees big things for her younger brother.
"Ryan is in seventh grade," said Beltz. "He'll be a champion. He's the better wrestler."
Beltz gives a lot of credit to her parents.
"My parents are very supportive," said Beltz. "The whole St. Clair team has been supportive."
While some have been hostile toward the incursion of girls in a sport dominated by boys, Beltz said her teammates at St. Clair welcomed her with open arms.
"This year hasn't been real tough," said Beltz. "The St. Clair boys are the nicest I've ever met."
Beltz described the St. Clair team as a big family.
"I think it helps the team a lot," said Beltz. "It's like one big family. Tyler Gordon is the leader of the team. He's like a big brother to all of us."
Beltz recognized others as leaders as well, such as E.J. Wagner and Nathan Johnson.
"Ryan Marler is humorous." said Randi. "He's always doing something funny. He makes us laugh."
Randi drew praise from her teammates as well.
"I'm real glad Randi did so well," said freshman E.J. Wagner, who placed fifth at 130 pounds. "She's been working real hard all year long."
Randi is thankful for her teammates.
"I've got to thank the St. Clair team for acting like a family," she said.
Beltz opened the tournament against a Seneca wrestler, Connor Sarwinski, winning by a 4-2 decision. That was a historic moment as she became the first female to win a first-round match. None of the other three, Julie Tucker of Pleasant Hill, Ashley Larson of Warsaw and Ashley Hudson of Lafayette, had ever done that.
She continued with an 11-5 victory over Cyle Kelly of Kirksville in the quarterfinals. Kelly recovered to place fourth.
Randi's run in the winners' bracket came to a halt with a 54-second loss to Zach Bintliff of Buffalo. Bintliff lost in the championship match in added time.
Michael Merritt of Monett, the third-place wrestler, pinned Beltz in 29 seconds in the final wrestleback round.
But Randi went out with a victory, earning a commanding 11-1 major decision over Sean Griffin of MICDS in the fifth-place match.
Beltz had a rough stretch during the middle part of the match, but was able to make it through without surrendering any points and keeping control of her bout.
The 103-pound division was a tough one just around the area. In Class 2, Sullivan's Brandon Rose won one match at the state tournament. In Class 3, Pacific junior Jesse Knott placed third in his class.
Beltz and Knott did not get to wrestle this year as Beltz was hurt when St. Clair and Pacific had their dual match. That didn't keep either from wishing the match would have taken place.
"It would be a very interesting match," said Beltz. "He's so good. It would be awesome to wrestle him."
Knott wouldn't mind getting on the mat against Beltz.
"I didn't get to wrestle Randi," Knott said. "She was injured when we had our dual meet. It would be pretty good match. Randi wrestled pretty good this season."
Randi is pondering playing other sports at St. Clair, but wants to make sure she is ready for her sophomore season. Camps and weight training will help her with her quest.
Beltz is happy to be the first female medalist at the MSHSAA Championships. But she wants to take it a step further. She wants to be the first MSHSAA female state champion.
*103 Randi Beltz, FR, 32-6
Fifth Place-FIRST MISSOURI FEMALE STATE MEDALIST
Won vs. Connor Sarwinski, Seneca, 4-2
Won vs. Cyle Kelly, Kirksville, 11-5
Lost vs. Zach Bintliff, Buffalo :54
Lost vs. Michael Merritt, Monett, :29
Won vs. Sean Griffin, MICDS, 11-1.
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Post-Dispatch Athletes of the Week
2/28/06
Randi Beltz
St. Clair wrestling
The freshman became the first female in the history of Missouri wrestling to earn a medal at the state tournament. Beltz won three matches at state and finished fifth in Class 2 at 103. She was also the first girl to win a district and first-round, second-round and quarterfinal matches at the state tournament. Beltz (35-6) won tournaments at Park Hills and De Soto and finished second at Farmington.
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More (different) Lampe article:
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WRESTLING INSIDERSenior makes good in her final match
By HEIDI PEDERSONStar-Telegram Staff Writer 2/28/06
Arlington senior Sasha McElroy closed out her high school career in strong fashion at this past weekend's state wrestling meet, defeating Austin LBJ's Katie Brackin 11-6 for the bronze medal in the in the 148-pound division.
"I'm always nervous when I wrestle -- cautious-nervous," McElroy said. "But I wanted to make it a good last match."
The only match McElroy lost in Austin was in the semifinals to eventual champion Lindsey Brooks of Klein.
Youngster stayed positive
Carroll sophomore Robert Prigmore came back strong after he lost his 189-pound semifinal bout.
"You've just got to forget about it and get onto the next match," he said. "I can't let it eat at me."
He obviously didn't. Prigmore won his next two matches to earn a bronze medal.
Difficult loss
Arlington Seguin's Erica McClendon lost the girls 165-pound final when she was called for a penalty in the final seconds.
The score was tied at 5 with seconds remaining, and McClendon had control of Coppell's Toni Rogers, when one of the mat officials called McClendon for locked hands. Rogers was given a point for the penalty, and also was subsequently ruled to have escaped control because of the penalty, for a 7-5 win.
Chipping in
The UIL awards medals for the top three places at the state tournament. However, this year the wrestlers who finished fourth through sixth also received medals. The medals were purchased by the Texas High School Wrestling Coaches Association.
Senior falls in final
Carroll senior Tiffany Larriba lost in the 102-pound girls final to defending champion Awbrey Lowe of El Paso Hanks. Larriba got the first takedown in the match, but Lowe got a takedown and near-fall in the third period to win 5-2.
It was the first time Larriba had medaled in the meet, but she was not satisfied with silver.
"I've never been this far before," Larriba said. "But it's kind of hard to look at it that way, because I was beating her."
Junior comes back strong
Trimble Tech junior Ian Aguirre had hopes of winning the 119-pound title, but those hopes were crushed when he was beaten 11-10 by Klein's Matt Castro in the second round.
Aguirre came back from the loss to finish third and avenged the earlier loss to Castro in the process. The two met again in the third-place match, where Aguirre dominated 7-1.
Aguirre finished third at 112 last year.
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Editorial: You go, girl: Area girls pin down golden wrestling legacy in Austin
Web-posted Tuesday, February 28, 2006
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If Caprock High School didn't already have a dynasty in girls' wrestling, the Lady Longhorns officially pinned down that distinction this past weekend.
Caprock captured its fourth state title since 2000, cementing its legacy in a sport that may be new to some, but is old hat to the Lady Longhorns.
When it comes to girls' prep sports in the Texas Panhandle, hoops hardware has long been the gold standard, but wrestling is making a name for itself.
Success will do that.
The Lady Longhorns had wrapped up the state title, mathematically speaking, before Saturday's final matches.
Individually, Tascosa High School's Angel Diaz won her third state title and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler. Diaz is the first three-time champion in the eight-year history of the tournament, making her the Brandon Slay of her day.
The ladies, however, weren't the only ones coming back from Austin toting gold.
Dumas' Taylor Torisk won the boys' 152-pound state title.
Congratulations to the Panhandle's state champs, who have started a tradition that will benefit their sport for years to come.
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Athlete of the Week: Angel Diaz, Tascosa
SPORT: Wrestling 2/28/06
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ON THE MAT: Diaz became the first wrestler to win three state titles in the eight-year history of the girls tournament and was named the state meet's Most Outstanding Wrestler. Diaz, a senior, won her first two matches with pins, both in under a minute, then beat Austin Crockett's Alicia Sherrill 16-2 in the semifinal and Hereford's Georgette Villejas 19-4 for the state championship in her final high school match.
TASCOSA COACH JOHNNY COBB: "To say I'm proud of her is such a huge understatement, she's the reason that coaches coach."
DIAZ: "It feels good to be known for winning state three times, I've been working hard all year for it."
BESIDES ATHLETICS: Likes to play in the park with her daughter.
FAVORITE ATHLETE: Michael Jordan.
LIFETIME GOAL: "I'd like to make it to the Olympics, then be a wrestling coach and be able to coach my daughter."
BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW: "I was a troublemaker growing up."
PARENTS: Dino and Estella Diaz.
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Ray's Stiles demands respect on mat
Texan senior making 2nd appearance at state meet
By Javier Becerra Caller-Times
February 24, 2006
The lack of respect is something with which Jackie Stiles has never had an issue.
That much is obvious as the Ray senior wrestler prepares for today's first round of the University Interscholastic League state championships at the Delco Center in Austin.
"I think female wrestlers get respect even though a lot of people don't think they do," said Stiles (24-2), who opens the competition against Keller Central's Courtney Ware (4-2).
"It seems like there's some controversy about that, but I feel like I get enough respect," she said. "That happens when you work hard at something."
One of six area wrestlers to qualify for state, Stiles, who wrestles in the 128-pound class, pinned Beeville's Maribel Cano in 1 minute, 35 seconds to win the 128-pound title at the District 30-5A tournament earlier this month. After receiving a first-round bye at the regional meet, she pinned her first two opponents in under a minute to advance to the finals.
San Antonio Lee's Danielle Walker took Stiles the full six minutes, but Stiles prevailed with a 7-3 decision.
"The biggest thing for her is that she is mentally tough," Ray coach Ed Arvin said. "She works hard and is just tough. She doesn't let stuff mess with her, stays focused and gets after it. That's something she developed more and more over the last four years."
Stiles made that evident by advancing to state last year, an experience she plans to put behind her this year.
Two quick losses on the first day ended Stiles' run in the tournament. This time, however, Stiles plans on surviving until Saturday.
"The big thing is handling the atmosphere," Stiles said. "If you get anxious then you don't do things right. Coach taught me how to cope with it and that it's just like any other tournament. This is my last chance to shine, only now I know what to expect."
Arvin thinks the experience last year at state might be the only motivation Stiles needs.
"She went to state last year with real high hopes and left there kind of disappointed in her own performance," Arvin said. "She really pushed herself this year to work hard so that she can make up for it."
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Wrestling titles for 4 girls in NCS
By PRESS DEMOCRAT NEWS SERVICES2/28/06
Sonoma senior Jasimine Diaz won the 103-pound title, Rancho Cotate sophomore Briona Hendren won at 108 pounds, junior Jacquelyn Davis of Santa Rosa won at 114 pounds and Montgomery senior Josie Kraus won at 132 pounds.
Diaz won three matches and pinned San Leandro's Jenny Ho at the end of the second round in the final.
Hendren, who lost just two matches to girls this season and was 5-2 at 112 pounds against boys in the North Bay League, won three matches, including a third-round pin of South Fork's Hallie Boldt in the final.
Davis won three matches, edging Lauren Neves of Amador Valley, 5-4, in the semis and Alexandria Tolero of St. Patrick-St. Vincent, also 5-4, in the final.
Kraus won two matches. She decisioned Camille Marzan, 9-3, in the semis and decisioned Kim Secoquian of James Logan, 7-1, in the final.
Third place finishers from the Empire included Antonia Tremblay of Rancho Cotate at 108 and Lauren Rusert of Windsor at 146.
Four Empire girls won North Coast Section wrestling championships last weekend at Freedom High in Oakley.
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Women's History Month to begin March 1 at Marshall Hab Center
Monday, February 27, 2006
Marshall Habilitation Center's Women's History Month events begin Wednesday, March 1. The theme this year is "Women: Builder's of Communities and Dreams." Linda Schlotzhauer, Women's History Month Committee chairman, announced the following schedule:
-- Marshall Mayor Connie Latimer will be at MHC Wednesday to sign the Women's History Month proclamation.
-- Members of Missouri Valley College women's wrestling team and Coach Carl Murphree will offer a presentation and demonstration at 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 7, in the Spainhower gym. Also, Ken Mason and female members of the MVC rodeo ream will present a program and roping demonstration with audience participation. The public is invited to attend.
-- There will be a craft-hobby display, tea-tasting and pie contest for MHC staff Thursday, March 16.
-- A panel presentation Tuesday, March 21, at 1:30 p.m. in the Spainhower conference room will focus on the Women's History Month theme. Speakers include Latimer, Pam Sebastian of Habitat for Humanity and Debbie Wallace of Lighthouse Shelter. The public is invited to attend.
-- Mica Newman will present "Women's Health Issues" Friday, March 31, at 11 a.m. in the Spainhower conference room. The public is invited to attend.
