Gonzalez: Already a repeat All-American in freestyle wrestling
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Woody, Chase win third career titles at ASICS/Vaughan Women’s Junior Nationals
Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
07/25/2006
FARGO, N.D. –A pair of wrestlers claimed their third career Junior Nationals title with victories at the ASICS/Vaughan Junior Women’s National Championships on Tuesday at the Fargodome.
Winning third career Junior Nationals titles were Nicole Woody of Maryland at 102 pounds and Caitlyn Chase of Illinois at 110 pounds.
Woody defeated Victoria Anthony of California, by technical fall, 6-0, 9-3.Woody won the first period with a 6-0 technical fall. Anthony hit a three-point move in the second period to get a 3-1 lead, but Woody responded with a three point throw and a five point throw to end the match. Woody was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament for her outstanding performance.
Chase won a two-period match over Alyssa Lampe of Wisconsin, 6-0, 3-2. She earned a technical fall in the first period, but emerged in a close battle in the second period for the win.
California won the Acordia Cup, presented to the team champions, with 77 points, led by three individual champions. Texas was second with 63 points, followed by Hawaii in third with 26 points, Illinois in fourth with 22 points and Michigan in fifth with 20 points.
Winning their second straight titles were Tatiana Padilla of California at 128 pounds and Desiree Memea of Hawaii at 175 pounds
Padilla won a very competitive two-period match against Cheyenne Stokes of Oklahoma, 3-0, 5-0. Stokes was unable to score during the bout. A leg lace late which led to two exposures in the second period gave Padilla the margin of victory.
Memea defeated Dallas Monriel-Berner of Illinois in the title bout, which took three periods, 1-0, 0-1, 1-0. Memea won the first period, scoring the only takedown, but Monriel-Berner took the second with a score off the leg clinch. In the deciding third period, Memea scored a leg attack takedown with just 20 seconds to go to win the match.
Jackie Cataline of California won her first Junior Nationals title, pinning Veronica Carlson of Illinois in the second period at 138 pounds, 6-0, 1:19. Cataline was second at the 2006 U.S. Senior Nationals and third at the U.S. Women’s World Team Trials.
Cataline scored numberous leg attack takedowns in the first period. Carlson scored two points in the second period on a front headlock, but Cataline lifted Carlson on a double leg takedown and took her down directly to her back for the pin.
Earlier in the day, Cataline was named 2006 TheMat.com/ASICS High School Girls Wrestler of the Year.
Michaela Hutchison of Alaska won her first Junior Nationals title, defeating Leanne Barney of Texas at 119 pounds in two straight periods, 4-0, 5-1. Hutchison was second at the Junior Nationals last year.
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Hutchison became the first girl who won a state high school title competing against boys when she captured the Alaska state title this year. She has also won two FILA Cadet National titles.
At 95 pounds, C.C. Weber of Michigan defeated Keiko Akamine of Hawaii by pin in the second period, 5-0, 1:13. Weber won the first period with dominance.The second period was much more wide open, with many flurries of scoring. The score tied at 3-3 when Weber was able to lock up and pin Akamine with 47 seconds left in the period.
At 148 pounds, Erin Clodgo of Connecticut edged Paige Rife of Michigan, 1-0, 1-0. Clodgo scored on spin behind takedowns in both periods.
At 160 pounds, in an all-California finals, it took three periods for 2005 Junior Nationals runner-up Amy Havens to defeat her teammate Monica Gonzalez, 0-1, 1-0, 1-0. Gonzales won the first period, but Havens tied it up with a takedown off the leg clinch in the second period. In the deciding third period, Havens scored the only point for the close victory.
In a battle of two athletes who won Junior National silver medals last year, Brittany Delgado of South Carolina defeated Paloma Basulto of Hawaii by fall. Delgado was the runnerup at 195 pounds last year, while Basulto was second last year at 220 pounds.
Sara Lewis of Texas won the title at 220 pounds, winning both of her round robin matches by fall. She pinned returning national champion Lakia Henderson of Florida in 1:59, then put away Andrea Saldana of Pennsylvania in 1:10.
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California beats Texas in finals of the Women’s Junior National Duals
Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
07/26/2006
FARGO, N.D. – With clutch wins in key matches, California defeated Texas, 30-22, to capture the team title at the Women’s National Junior Dual Meet Championships in the Fargodome on Wednesday.
It was a rematch of the 2005 Women’s Junior National Duals finals, won by Texas.
In the Championship bout, California won five matches by pin and also scored a technical fall, gaining key bonus points where they most needed it.
California winners in the lightweights included Victoria Anthony (102), Samantha Lopez (110), Trinity Plessinger (128) and Junior Nationals champion Jackie Cataline (138).
After Lindsey Brooks of Texas scored a pin at 148 pounds, California won three straight matches to secure the victory.
At 160 pounds, Monica Gonzalez of California edged Toni Rogers in a three-period battle, 1-0, 3-1, 1-0. Junior Nationals champion Amy Havens of California, moving up a weight class from where she won her national title, pinned Erica McClendon in 1:50.
The clincher came at 195 pounds. Angela Vyborny of California, who was third at the Junior Nationals at 195 pounds, faced off with Carrie Clark of Texas, who was third in the Junior Nationals at 175 pounds. Vyborny tossed Clark with a wicked lateral drop and secured the pin at 1:50, igniting a celebration on the California sideline.
“I am so proud of them,” said California women’s coach Julie Gonzalez. “They worked hard. They pulled it together. They knew it was our goal, to win it all. We came back from last year. I am so proud. We couldn’t ask for more.”
In the third place match, Hawaii stopped Florida, 32-21. Junior Nationals champion Desiree Memea won her bout over Shandanee Todd of Florida, 5-0,6-0 at 175 pounds. Other wins for Hawaii were turned in by Kylah Saballa-Olaes at 110 pounds and Cherae Pascua at 119 pounds.
In the semifinals, California defeated Hawaii 38-9, winning seven straight matches in the middle weights. Scoring pins for California in the dual were Michelle Jimenez (102), Samantha Lopez (110), Jackie Cataline (138) and Megan Agajanian (148).
Texas dominated Florida in the other semifinal, scoring a 46-6 win. Pins by Suzanne Baker (110), Tessa Plana (138) and Carrie Clark (195), plus technical falls by LeAnne Barney (119) and Toni Rogers (160) were keys to the win.
Three developmental teams were included in the Women’s National Duals this year, organized by Maryland, New Jersey and Connecticut. These teams included some wrestlers from other states who were not participating in the National Duals. These teams are not eligible to place in the final standings. A number of matches including these teams were wrestled as exhibition bouts.
WOMEN’S NATIONAL JUNIOR DUALS
At Fargo, N.D., July 26
Team Standings
1st - California
2nd – Texas
3rd – Hawaii
4th - Florida
5th - Ohio
Not eligible for placement
Maryland Developmental
New Jersey Developmental
Connecticut Developmental
First Place
California 30, Texas 22
95 - Lene Wood (Texas) won by forfeit
102 - Victoria Anthony (California) over Awbrey Lowe (Texas) Pin 1:02
110 - Samantha Lopez (California) over Emily Martin (Texas) Dec 3-3,7-0
119 - LeAnn Barney (Texas) over Jazzy Green (California) Pin 1:01
128 - Trinity Plessinger (California) over Avery Eshenroder (Texas) Pin 1:50
138 - Jackie Cataline (California) over Tessa Plana (Texas) TF 8-0,6-0
148 - Lindsey Brooks (Texas) over Megan Agajanian (California) Pin 1-10,0:26
160 - Monica Gonzalez (California) over Toni Rogers (Texas) Dec 1-0,1-3,1-0
175 - Amy Havens (California) over Erica McClendon (Texas) Pin 1:50
195 - Angela Vyborny (California) over Carrie Clark (Texas) Pin 1:50
220 - Sarah Lewis (Texas) won by forfeit
Third Place
Hawaii 32, Florida 21
95 - Keiko Akamine (Hawaii) won by forfeit
102 - Kelsie Mita (Hawaii) won by forfeit
110 - Kylah Saballa-Olaes (Hawaii) over Tara Bone (Florida) Pin 4-4,1:06
119 - Cherae Pascua (Hawaii) over Audrey Shockley (Florida) TF 8-1,6-0
128 - Kiana Parilla (Hawaii) won by forfeit
138 - Kara Takasaki (Hawaii) won by forfeit
148 - Kassie Kohn (Florida) won by forfeit
160 - Katie Crouch (Florida) won by forfeit
175 - Desiree Memea (Hawaii) over Shandanee Todd (Florida) Dec 5-0,6-0
195 - Jana Ivey (Florida) won by forfeit
220 - Lakia Henderson (Florida) won by forfeit
Championship Semifinals
California 38, Hawaii 9
95 - Keiko Akamine (Hawaii) won by forfeit
102 - Michelle Jimenez (California) over Kelsie Mita (Hawaii) Pin 9-0,1:12
110 - Samantha Lopez (California) over Kylah Saballa-Olaes (Hawaii) Pin 6-0,1:22
119 - Trinity Plessinger (California) over Shaelyn Tan (Hawaii) TF 6-0,7-0
128 - Christine Cunningham (California) over Kuuipo Badayos (Hawaii) Dec 1-1,3-2
138 - Jackie Cataline (California) over Kara Takasaki (Hawaii) Pin 1:59
148 - Megan Agajanian (California) over Piikea Kalalau (Hawaii) Pin 2-1,0:41
160 - Monica Gonzalez (California) won by forfeit
175 - Desiree Memea (Hawaii) over Amy Havens (California) Dec 3-0,0-3,5-0
195 - Angela Vyborny (California) won by forfeit
220 – No match
Texas 46, Florida 6
95 - Lene Wood (Texas) won by forfeit
102 - Awbrey Lowe (Texas) won by forfeit
110 - Suzanne Baker (Texas) over Tara Bone (Florida) Pin 7-0,0:55
119 - LeAnn Barney (Texas) over Audrey Shockley (Florida) TF 8-0,8-0
128 - Angie Murray (Texas) won by forfeit
138 - Tessa Plana (Texas) over Kassie Kohn (Florida) Pin 1:13
148 - Lindsey Brooks (Texas) won by forfeit
160 - Toni Rogers (Texas) over Katie Crouch (Florida) TF 8-0,6-0
175 - Lauren Birks (Texas) over Shandanee Todd (Florida) Dec 7-3,1-0
195 - Carrie Clark (Texas) over Jana Ivey (Florida) Pin 6-0,0:24
220 - Lakia Henderson (Florida) over Sarah Lewis (Texas) Pin 1:46
POOL A
Pool Records
California, 3-0
Florida, 2-1
Connecticut Developmental, 1-2
Ohio, 1-2
Round 3
California 40, Florida 7
95 – No match
102 - Victoria Anthony (California) over Lauren Hall (Florida) by forfeit
110 - Jazzy Green (California) over Tara Bone (Florida) Pin 1:59
119 - Trinity Plessinger (California) over Audrey Shockley (Florida) TF 6-0,6-0
128 - Christine Cunningham (California) won by forfeit
138 - Marina Piccollotti (California) over Kassie Kohn (Florida) Dec 6-2,4-0
148 - Megan Agajanian (California) won by forfeit
160 - Katrina Wilborn (California) over Katie Crouch (Florida) Dec 3-0,1-2,1-0
175 - Amy Havens (California) over Shandanee Todd (Florida) Pin 0:34
195 - Angela Vyborny (California) over Jana Ivey (Florida) Pin 0:19
220 - Lakia Henderson (Florida) over Paloma Basulto (California) Pin 1:42
Ohio 28, Connecticut Developmental 11
95 – No match
102 - Amanda Fayak (Ohio) won by forfeit
110 - Casey Moulton (Connecticut) won by forfeit
119 - Erica Bowling (Ohio) over Dyami Souza (Connecticut) Pin 0:43
128 - Katy Yoder (Ohio) over Jes Hayden (Connecticut) Pin 1:45
138 - Chelsea Yoder (Ohio) over Megan Corden (Connecticut) Dec 3-0,2-1
148 - Erin Clodgo (Connecticut) over Sara English (Ohio) Pin 0:46
160 - Jessica Varney (Ohio) won by forfeit
175 - Qadriyah Simmons (Ohio) won by forfeit
195 - No match
220 - No match
POOL B
Pool Records
Texas, 3-0
Maryland Developmental, 2-1
Hawaii, 1-2
New Jersey Developmental, 0-3
Round Three
Texas 32, Hawaii 17
95 - Lene Wood (Texas) over Kelsie Mita (Hawaii) Dec 3-0,3-0
102 - Awbrey Lowe (Texas) over Keiko Akamine (Hawaii) 2-1,Inj
110 - Emily Martin (Texas) over Kylah Saballa-Olaes (Hawaii) Pin 6-3,0:25
119 - Cherae Pascua (Hawaii) over Avery Eshenroder (Texas) Pin 6-0,1:36
128 - Angie Murray (Texas) over Kiana Parilla (Hawaii) Dec 1-1,4-2
138 - Piikea Kalalau (Hawaii) over Tessa Plana (Texas) Dec 4-0,2-2
148 - Kara Takasaki (Hawaii) over Lauren Marsolek (Texas) Dec 2-0,6-0
160 - Toni Rogers (Texas) won by forfeit
175 - Desiree Memea (Hawaii) over Erica McClendon (Texas) Pin 1:44
195 - Carrie Clark (Texas) won by forfeit
220 - Sarah Lewis (Texas) won by forfeit
Maryland Developmental 34, New Jersey Developmental 8
95 - CC Weber (Maryland) over Krista Camarillo (New Jersey) Pin 0:13
102 - Nicole Woody (Maryland) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf 0 5.00
110 - Joey Miller (New Jersey) over Helen Maralis (Maryland) Dec 2-1,0-1,2-0
119 - Schuyler Brown (Maryland) over Irka Pearce- Drance (New Jersey) TF 6-0,6-0
128 - Brandy Price (New Jersey) over Rosemary Scott (Maryland) Pin 0-5,0:49
138 - Raquel Alton (Maryland) over Jessi Mast (New Jersey) Pin 0:43
148 - Nikita Netjes (Maryland) won by forfeit
160 - No match
175 - Dallas Berner (Maryland) won by forfeit
195 - Brittany Delgado (Maryland) over Grace Tien (New Jersey) TF 7-0,6-0
220 - No match
Exhibition Matches
Ohio 29, New Jersey Developmental 19
95 - Krista Camarillo (New Jersey) won by forfeit
102 - Amanda Fayak (Ohio) won by forfeit
110 - Joey Miller (New Jersey) won by forfeit
119 - Erica Bowling (Ohio) over Irka Pearce- Drance (New Jersey) TF 6-0,8-2
128 - Brandy Price (New Jersey) over Katy Yoder (Ohio) Dec 3-1,6-0
138 - Ashley White (Ohio) over Jessi Mast (New Jersey) TF 6-0,7-0 4
148 - Sara English (Ohio) won by forfeit
160 - Jessica Varney (Ohio) won by forfeit
175 - Qadriyah Simmons (Ohio) won by forfeit
195 - Grace Tien (New Jersey) won by forfeit
220 - No match
Hawaii 34, Connecticut Developmental 3
95 - Kelsie Mita (Hawaii) won by forfeit
102 - Keiko Akamine (Hawaii) won by forfeit
110 - Kylah Saballa-Olaes (Hawaii) over Tracy Walsh (Connecticut) Pin 2-1,1:21
119 - Shaelyn Tan (Hawaii) over Dyami Souza (Connecticut) Dec 1-0,4-0 0
128 - Kuuipo Badayos (Hawaii) over Megan Corden (Connecticut) Pin 2-0,1:21
138 - Piikea Kalalau (Hawaii) over Jes Hayden (Connecticut) Pin 1:04
148 - Erin Clodgo (Connecticut) over Kara Takasaki (Hawaii) Dec 0-1,1-1,2-0
160 - No Match
175 - Desiree Memea (Hawaii) won by forfeit
195 - No match
220 - No match
Maryland Developmental 28, California 26
95 - CC Weber (Maryland) won by forfeit
102 - Nicole Woody (Maryland) over Michelle Jimenez (California) Pin 7-0,1-1,1:07
110 - Helen Maralis (Maryland) over Katherine Fulf-Allen (California) Dec 0-3,2-0,4-0
119 - Schuyler Brown (Maryland) over Trinity Plessinger (California) Pin 5-2,0:22
128 - Rosemary Scott (Maryland) over Christine Cunningham (California) Pin 1:09
138 - Jackie Cataline (California) over Raquel Alton (Maryland) Pin 0:53
148 - Sheila McCabe (California) over Nikita Netjes (Maryland) Pin 1:21
160 - Monica Gonzalez (California) won by forfeit
175 - Amy Havens (California) over Dallas Berner (Maryland) Pin 1:47
195 - Brittany Delgado (Maryland) over Angela Vyborny (California) Pin 1:37
220 - Paloma Basulto (California) won by forfeit
Texas 26, Maryland Developmental 24
95 - CC Weber (Maryland) over Lene Wood (Texas) Dec 4-0,4-0
102 - Nicole Woody (Maryland) over Awbrey Lowe (Texas) Pin 1:02
110 - Helen Maralis (Maryland) over Emily Martin (Texas) Dec 6-0,6-1
119 - LeAnn Barney (Texas) over Schuyler Brown (Maryland) Pin 1:20
128 - Rosemary Scott (Maryland) over Angie Murray (Texas) 6-0,Injury default
138 - Tessa Plana (Texas) over Raquel Alton (Maryland) Pin 1:44
148 - Lindsey Brooks (Texas) over Nikita Netjes (Maryland) Pin 1:13
160 - Toni Rogers (Texas) won by forfeit
175 - Dallas Berner (Maryland) over Erica McClendon (Texas) Dec 4-0,5-0
195 - Brittany Delgado (Maryland) over Carrie Clark (Texas) Pin 1:46
220 - Sarah Lewis (Texas) won by forfeit
Ohio 32, Hawaii 9
95 - Keiko Akamine (Hawaii) won by forfeit
102 - Kelsie Mita (Hawaii) over Amanda Fayak (Ohio) TF 6-0,6-0
110 - Kylah Saballa-Olaes (Hawaii) won by forfeit
119 - Cherae Pascua (Hawaii) over Gabrielle Henry (Ohio) Dec 5-2,8-0
128 - India Walker (Ohio) over Kiana Parilla (Hawaii) Dec 2-0,1-0
138 - Piikea Kalalau (Hawaii) over Ashley White (Ohio) Pin 1:25
148 - Kara Takasaki (Hawaii) over Sara English (Ohio) Pin 0:42
160 - Jessica Varney (Ohio) won by forfeit
175 - Desiree Memea (Hawaii) won by forfeit
195 - No match
220 - No match
New Jersey Developmental 24, Connecticut Developmental 9
95 - Krista Camarillo (New Jersey) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf 5.00 0
102 - No match
110 - Joey Miller (New Jersey) over Casey Moulton (Connecticut) Pin 6-0,1:06
119 - Dyami Souza (Connecticut) over Irka Pearce- Drance (New Jersey) Dec 5-2,5-1
128 - Brandy Price (New Jersey) over Megan Corden (Connecticut) Dec 2-0,3-4,1-0
138- Jessi Mast (New Jersey) won by forfeit
148 - Erin Clodgo (Connecticut) won by forfeit
160 - No match
175 - No match
195 - Grace Tien (New Jersey) won by forfeit
220 - No match
California 43, Florida 5
95 – No match
102 - Victoria Anthony (California) won by forfeit
110 - Samantha Lopez (California) over Tara Bone (Florida) Pin 0:36
119 - Trinity Plessinger (California) over Audrey Shockley (Florida) Dec 2-0,1-0
128 - Christine Cunningham (California) won by forfeit
138 - Jackie Cataline (California) over Kassie Kohn (Florida) Pin 6-0,0:20
148 - Sheila McCabe (California) won by forfeit
160 - Monica Gonzalez (California) over Katie Crouch (Florida) Pin 4-5,0:21
175 - Amy Havens (California) over Shandanee Todd (Florida) Pin 1:28
195 - Angela Vyborny (California) over Jana Ivey (Florida) Pin 1:05 5
220 - Lakia Henderson (Florida) won by forfeit
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Empire State Games update: Qby wrestlers grab gold, silver
By GREG BROWNELL, brownell@poststar.com
Saturday, July 29, 2006 8:23 AM EDT
Also Friday, Sarah Anderson of Schuylerville, the first female wrestler in Empire State Games history, scored a comeback win at 98 pounds to claim fifth place. Kolbi Seeley, a Glens Falls High School wrestler, placed sixth at 132.
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Published: Thursday, July 27, 2006
By Mike Donoghue
Free Press Staff Writer
Richmond wrestler Erin Clodgo has captured her second national title by winning the U.S. Women's Freestyle Championship in the 148 pound division in Fargo, N.D.
Clodgo, 15, posted a pair of 1-0 decisions in the first two rounds in the national title match to beat nationally ranked Paige Rifle of Fowlerville, Mich., a three-time state champion, Tuesday. Rifle, who will be a senior, is a reigning national champion in folkstyle wrestling at 144 pounds.
"I was really nervous for my match. I was going crazy," said Clodgo, who wrapped up her sophomore year at Mount Mansfield Union High School in June.
Her coach told her to relax and wrestle her own way.
"He said, 'Don't do anything crazy.' It was pretty intense," she said.
Clodgo went 5-0 including four pins in the individual tournament at the Fargodome. She then participated with Team Connecticut to post five more wins in the duals, which finished Wednesday.
Casey Moulton of Harwood Union High School was the only other Vermonter to participate, but failed to place in the highly competitive 110-pound class.
Clodgo made it to the finals by posting four pins against stiff competition from big states. She picked up her first win by pinning a California wrestler five seconds into the second round. The second win came with a pin against a Texan 30 seconds into the second round.
After a third-round bye, Clodgo needed four seconds of the second period to pin her next opponent, another California wrestler who was a first-team All-American. Clodgo then pinned her next foe, another Texan, 14 seconds into the second period to advance to the championship match
Two years ago Clodgo took first place in the middle school-age division at the United States Girls Wrestling Association National Championship in Lake Orion, Mich.
Clodgo is being courted by the Northern Michigan Olympic Education Center, according to her mother, Donna Clodgo, and Mount Mansfield wrestling coach Harley Brown. That could give Clodgo a shot at the Olympic team in 2008 or 2012.
She spent two weeks at the center before the tournament and the family planned to stop there again as they returned to Vermont.
"She is seriously thinking about it. She likes the coaches," her mother said.
The teenager would attend Northern Marquette High School when not training, her mother said.
Brown said the move could benefit her because she would always be wrestling girls and could further develop her style. At Mount Mansfield, Clodgo wrestles almost exclusively against boys and her style changes to more of a defensive effort.
"I'm excited; this is my first national champion," Brown said. "She has been on a roll; she has been working hard."
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Siblings from Alaska in wrestling spotlight
JUNIOR NATIONALS: Last year's losses spur Hutchisons, who capture age-group titles.
By VAN WILLIAMS
Anchorage Daily News Published: July 26, 2006
Last Modified: July 26, 2006 at 02:05 AM
The Hutchison family is again making history on the wrestling mat. Except this time, siblings Michaela and Eli made headlines together.
Michaela and Eli Hutchison of Soldotna each captured age-group titles Tuesday at the USA Wrestling Junior National Championships in Fargo, N.D., to become the first brother-sister duo to win titles at the event.
Michaela, 16, won the 119-pound girls freestyle crown and Eli, 19, won the 135-pound boys Greco-Roman title. They were the only Alaska champions from a group of 21 wrestlers from the state.
At last year's junior nationals, the Hutchisons were the first pair of siblings to make it to the finals before both of them lost. This year, not only did they get back to the finals -- they won.
"My brother has taught me everything I know," Michaela told USA Wrestling this week. "It was fun to win something like that with him."
The Hutchisons have long been considered one of Alaska's most successful wrestling families, turning out three state champions at Skyview High.
At the Class 4A state championships in February, they cemented their place in history when Michaela, a sophomore, won at 103 -- becoming the first girl in U.S. prep history to win a title against the boys -- and Eli, a senior, won at 135 to cap an undefeated in-state career and collect his fourth straight title.
He became just the fifth Alaska wrestler to win four consecutive state titles.
Eli, who is bound for Boise State in the fall, finished with a 192-5 high school mark, with his only losses coming against wrestlers outside the state. Yet Eli's incredible career achievements were overshadowed by his sister's historic win, which drew national attention, including Sports Illustrated and Jay Leno.
"Sometimes it's difficult to see one kid get recognized more than the other," said their dad, Mike Hutchison. "I understood it was a historic event for Michaela, but so was Eli's fourth state title."
On Tuesday, the Hutchison siblings enjoyed their moment in the spotlight as a family. They have won national age-group titles before, but never side by side at junior nationals.
First, Michaela beat Leanne Barney of Round Rock, Texas, 9-1. Then Eli knocked off former national champion Austin Enoch of Oregon 13-1.
Mike Hutchison has helped coach his children throughout their wrestling careers and said they are driven to be the best. After losing in the finals of last year's junior nationals, Michaela and Eli were both determined to leave Fargo as champions this time around.
"Nobody at this tournament is happy with second. It is not something they dwell on. They make it a motivator," he said. "My kids don't spend a lot of time feeling sorry for themselves."
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Wrestler from Skyview beat the boys to win a state title.
By BRIAN SINGLER Anchorage Daily News Published: June 18, 2006
Ring. Ring.
That's the sound Michaela Hutchison has heard over and over since she became the first American high school girl to win a state wrestling championship against boys four months ago.
The phone at the 12-person Hutchison house in Kasilof has been ringing off the hook since.
Was it David Letterman? Jay Leno? MSNBC? Sports Illustrated? USA Today? The Anchorage Daily News announcing she's the 2006 Anchorage Daily News Girls Prep Athlete of the Year?
Answer: all of the above and more. Big brother Eli never even bothers asking who the calls are for anymore.
"It was always Michaela," he said. "It just feels normal now."
The historic day came Feb. 4, when the 103-pound Skyview sophomore wrestled Colony's Aaron Boss to a 1-0 win at Chugiak High. A crowd of 2,000 people witnessed the historic event that sent ripples through the wrestling world from coast to coast.
"The crowd at the state tournament gave her a standing ovation," Skyview head coach Neldon Gardner said. "I haven't seen that in 23 years of coaching"
No female wrestler has ever won Prep Athlete of the Year, an award that began in 1989. The only wrestler to win it was Wasilla's Jake Wade in 2004.
And the impact of that day, changed Michaela's life.
"I was just the wrestler on the mat," Michaela said. "Everybody's making a big deal out of this because I'm a girl."
"Everybody" is apt.
The sports nation loved the story. Mat.com, the official Web site of USA Wrestling, named her athlete of the week. She did a two-minute satellite interview with the ESPN morning show "Cold Pizza." Sports Illustrated called.
Then, add the girl-power factor: Women's Health magazine, Elle Girl, The Oprah Magazine.
Google her name and you get 193,000 hits.
"She had a notebook full of people to call back," Eli said.
It means a lot more that than just the 526 people who live in Kasilof know the name Michaela Hutchison.
"Midwest, East Coast everyone was saying that they heard Alaska on the news," Gardner said. "People were always coming up to me at the grocery store and the post office."
Publicity came with a price.
"They called me at 6 in the morning," Michaela said, her face indicating what a 16-year-old thinks about that. "After about three phone calls, I was in a bad mood."
Eli never lost a wrestling match in Alaska during his four-year career and joins only two other wrestlers in Alaska history to win state every year. But the phone calls went like this:
"They'd say 'congratulations. Can I talk to Michaela now?' "
Not that an older brother wouldn't milk that for all it's worth.
"I teased her about all the people calling," he said. "I told them 'I'm Michaela's secretary.' "
But the teasing bounced back to him.
"People would tell me, 'Hey you're famous all because of your sister,' " Eli said.
"IT DOESN'T MATTER"
She may be famous, but Hutchison really doesn't care.
She thinks her brother Eli and his undefeated career merit as much attention. She's tired of the phone calls. Tired of being recognized for "beating the boys."
"It doesn't matter to me," Hutchison said. "I would rather not have this much attention."
It's not her style. She talks on the mat.
"She didn't want to bask in the glory," Gardner said. "She'd tell people, "I did pretty good this year.
"She was so humble with it, as much as it was a big deal. She plays it down so much, didn't want to be spotlighted that much and as a coach, I've kept her wishes."
The attitude comes from Hutchison's family, a close-knit bunch that home schools their children and has turned each one into a wrestler.
"Dad (Mike) was a little protective," Gardner said. "He didn't want it to be a huge you're-out-there-beating-up-on-the-boys kind of thing."
Eli said the family was definitely happy, but with 10 kids, it's a little hard to dwell on any one person's accomplishments.
"They were happy, they cheered and were there for that weekend," Gardner said. "Then's it's back to normal at the Hutchisons and there's so many you can't focus on one thing for too long."
Normal for the Hutchisons means state championships. Three of them already have at least one and Michaela plans to get two more before she graduates.
"Obviously," said Michaela's mother, Mary. "You are going to get one good wrestler out of the bunch."
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Daily News reporter Brian Singler can be reached at bsingler@adn.com.
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ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
2006 Michaela Hutchison, Skyview
Justin Ore, Dimond
2005 Lillian Bullock, Service
Justin Schwartzbauer, Colony
2004 ZeeZee Young, Dimond
Jed Wade, Wasilla
2003 Kris Smith, West
Zack Bowman, Bartlett
2002 Kris Smith, West
Joe Chirhart, Dimond
2001 Kikkan Randall, East
Tui Alailefaleula, Bartlett
2000 Kikkan Randall, East
Eric Strabel, Colony
1999 Jessica Moore, Colony
Eric Strabel, Colony
1998 Laura Ingham, East
Brandon Drumm, Service
1997 Annie Berdahl, Nikiski
Wilbur Hooks, Dimond
1996 Annie Berdahl, Nikiski
Sam Hill, Nikiski
1995 Bev Krupa, West Valley
Jeremy Teela, Service
1994 Brit Jacobson, Chugiak
Trajan Langdon, East
1993 Brit Jacobson, Chugiak
Trajan Langdon, East
1992 Stacia Rustad, Kenai
Norm Rousey, Palmer
1991 Beth Ladd, Homer
Eric Toney, West Valley
1990 Beth Ladd, Homer
David Killpatrick, West
1989 Gretchen Pfisterer, Dimond
Phil Engebretsen, Homer
SELECTION PROCESS: The winners were selected by a vote of the Daily News sports staff. Selections are based solely on athletic accomplishment -- either overwhelming excellence in a single sport or superior performance in more than one sport.
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Local reaches national final
Vallejo's Gonzalez seeks freestyle title
By Times-Herald staff 7/29/06
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Gonzalez: Already a repeat All-American in freestyle wrestling |
Monica Gonzalez is hoping a little trickery will help her out today.
Gonzalez, a Vallejo High wrestler heading into her junior year, is competing at the USAW Junior National championship for freestyle wrestling in Fargo, N.D., and enters the final in the 160-pound bracket today.
But her opponent, Amy Havens from Paradise, has some ownage on Gonzalez by defeating the Apache in each of their four lifetime matchups, whether high school or post-season tournament - including a second-round pin at the west region qualifying tournament for this nationals meet.
Gonzalez can take solace that she won the first round of that match on points, 6-2. Gonzalez, too, said she's got a few tricks up her sleeve today for Havens, whom she described as muscular and strong.
"I'm going to switch up my technique a little bit, not too much, but just enough so that I can beat her," said Gonzalez, reached by phone Monday night. " I've got some moves she doesn't I have."
Gonzalez, who went 24-3 in the fall school season and helped lead the Vallejo girls to another state title, landed in the final in Fargo after a good bit of wrestling - she gave herself a "9" on the 1-to-10 scale (with 1 being low).
In her first match, she toppled Gladys Barrientos
(Texas) with a first-round pin in 30 seconds; her second match was a second-round pin against Florida's Katie Crouch after a 6-0 first round. Gonzalez's third match ended after she shut out Oregon's Laura Gourley 2-0 in each of the first two rounds (note: at this freestyle tournament, wrestlers must win two of three rounds).
"I'm doing good," Gonzalez said, adding of the final, "Excited. I can't wait."
No matter today's outcome, Gonzalez has improved on her result from this meet last year, when she took sixth (top eight earn All-American status).
In the fall high school season, Gonzalez was the Northern California 158-pound champion, claimed an individual state title and led the Apaches to a second straight state banner. She was also seventh at the USGWA national meet, earning All-American status there in the Greco-Roman wrestling featured in the school season.