JUAN GARCIA/DMN
Vanessa Epps, who earned the nickname 'Headlock Queen,' works on other moves with Allannah Griego.
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KEITH WHITMIRE / The Dallas Morning News 11/09/06
GIRLS
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JUAN GARCIA/DMN |
Already best, Frisco senior works to be better Frisco's Vanessa Epps owns a state title and a sparkling record, but she says there's always room for improvement.
"This year I am trying to expand my repertoire of wrestling moves," Epps said. "I know how to do everything; now it's time to perfect it."
Epps was 45-0 last season with 40 pins on her way to the 138-pound state title. She is 110-15 in her high school career and is 10 pins away from 100. None of her matches last season went to the third period.
However, Epps said she's aware of critics who say she has just one move: the headlock. The senior plans to have "Headlock Queen" stitched on the back of her letter jacket.
"Everyone has a certain thing they're known for; I made my name on a headlock," Epps said. "If I prove I can do more than that, I'll be a more complete wrestler."
She will have to wait to prove her point. After surgery last week, she won't return to the mat until late December or early January. And when she does return, her opponents had better be ready.
"I'm building up anticipation," she said. "I can't wait to get out there. I'm going to get on the mat the first time and go crazy."
When she comes back, Epps will still have to deal with the asthma that has nagged her all through her wrestling career. She said opponents have tried to use her asthma against her, but she's not afraid to use injury time to get a dose from her inhaler.
"They try to last as long as they can," Epps said. "Every second they can last with me, that's one more second they can try to break me down."
Her success could work against her, Frisco coach Chuck Brown said.
"Every girl's going to know who she is, and every coach knows who she is," Brown said. "There is going to be a target on her back."
Epps also knows this, which gives her more motivation.
"I'm human. I'm not invincible. I can be beaten," Epps said. "I don't have everything, trust me."
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Kodiak tops SkyHi, wins Nikiski Duals
By MATTHEW CARROLL
Peninsula Clarion 11/5/06
Pat Costello didn’t care about winning.
His team obviously felt otherwise.
The Kodiak wrestling coach entered the Nikiski Duals just hoping to watch his team wrestle as many matches as they could this early in the season, but ended up leaving town with the title.
Kodiak recorded four pins en route to defeating a depleted Skyview team, 51-18, Saturday at Nikiski High School.
“We came over here to wrestle,” Costello said. “They were tired. But they worked pretty hard.”
In other matches, Seward downed Soldotna, 42-25, to earn third place and Nikiski/Cook Inlet Academy edged Voznesenka/Ninilchik, 33-27, to take fifth.
With only four seniors on the Skyview squad, coach Neldon Gardner was pleased with his team’s second-place finish.
“We have a young team and Kodiak’s got a little more experience than us right now. We’re missing a few weight classes,” he explained. “We were hoping to pick it up a little bit. But for opening week, I’m not real disappointed.”
The 189-pound weight class featured the match of the afternoon when Skyview’s Eddie Buffington and Kodiak’s Al Cratty squared off.
Buffington jumped ahead early in the first with a takedown and allowed Cratty to escape midway through the second period, making it 2-1 entering the final frame.
After Cratty knotted the match at 2-2, Buffington easily escaped for a 3-2 advantage. But with 39.4 seconds remaining, Cratty earned a hard-fought takedown on the fringe of the circle to jump ahead 4-3.
Another Buffington escape tied it at 4-4 with 25 seconds to go and with under five seconds to play, Buffington seemed to have picked up two points for a takedown, but the referees didn’t view it that way.
Both men then started on their feet and Cratty managed a takedown and two back points at the buzzer to earn an 8-4 victory.
“Eddie Buffington placed in state before and lost to the Kodiak kid on the controversial takedown at the end. But that’s what it’s all about,” Gardner said.
Skyview’s Michaela Hutchison dominated Nick VanMetre to the tune of an 8-1 decision in the 119-pound weight class.
“She’s wrestling exceptionally well,” Gardner said.
In the 125-pound class, Alex Janorschke held a slim 2-0 lead over Kodiak’s Colton Cubbedge until he picked up violation and escape points in the final 20 seconds for a 4-0 decision.
Kodiak’s Lucas Fried (135 pounds) pinned Luke Morse in 1:22 and Skyview’s Fred Pollard in 1:27 at 152.
At 160 pounds, Kodiak’s Jeremiah Caswell decisioned David Duncan, 7-1.
Patrick Sheridan (170) of Skyview had his hands full through two rounds with Mario Peterson before cruising to a 9-2 victory, nearly pinning Peterson throughout the final minute.
The Bears’ David Gilbert (215) had little trouble with Adam Byrne, pinning him in 2:20, and Russ Bacon (HWT) decisioned Jacob Long of Skyview, 4-2.
NIKISKI DUALS
At Nikiski
Friday-Saturday
CHAMPIONSHIP DUAL Ð KODIAK 51, SKYVIEW 18
103 — M. Cawette, Kod, won by forfeit
112 — Danny Marciariello, Sky, won by forfeit
119 — Michaela Hutchison, Sky, dec. Nick VanMetre, 8-1
125 — Tyler Janorschke, Sky, dec. Colton Cubbedge, 4-0
130 — Jimmy Eggemeyer, Kod, won by forfeit
135 — Lucas Fried, Kod, p. Luke Morse, 1:22
140 — Derrick Burlison, Sky, won by forfeit
145 — Marlin Branson, Kod, won by forfeit
152 — S. Olsen, Kod, p. Fred Pollard, 1:27
160 — Jeremiah Caswell, Kod, p. David Duncan, 3:18
171 — Patrick Sheridan, Sky, dec. Mario Peterson, 9-2
189 — Al Cratty, Kod, dec. Eddie Buffington, 8-4
215 — David Gilbert, Kod, p. Adam Byrne, 2:20
HWT — Russ Bacon, Sky, dec. Jacob Long, 4-2
THIRD PLACE, SEWARD 42, SOLDOTNA 25
103 — S. Douglas, Sew, p. Meg Pruitt, 0:28
112 — OPEN
119 — OPEN
125 — K. Campbell, Sew, p. Z. Kooly, 1:06
130 — J. Carlson, SoHi, dec. M. Zweifel, 8-1
135 — R. Hanley/D. Leavitt, SoHi, won by forfeit
140 — R. Hanley, SoHi, maj. dec. K. Backlund, 12-3
145 — M. Nyholm, Sew, p. J. Elson, 3:05
152 — D. Beck, Sew, p. J. Oleson, 2:52
160 — E. Morris, SoHi, p. W. Clock, 1:41
171 — W. Chisholm, Sew, p. C. Jenson, 2:50
189 — A. Logan, Sew, p. J. Chumley, 2:27
215 — B. O’Brikis, Sew, p. M. Streiby, 1:40
HWT — L. Baker, SoHi, p. I. Filbert, 0:20
EXHIBITION
112 — Danny Marciariello, Sky, dec. Chloe Ivanoff, 10-5
130 — Jimmy Eggemeyer, Kod, p. Jared Thomas, 1:22
140 — Derrick Burlison, Sky, p. David Rounsaville, 0:29
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Redding: Town is honoring its veterans on Friday
by SUSAN WOLF 11/9/06
pilot@acorn-online.com
Gina Knapp, senior at the New York Military Academy, where she holds the rank of Lt. Colonel, is one of the speakers at the town's Veterans Day ceremony. |
The speakers at this year’s Veterans Day ceremony mark both ends of the age spectrum — one is a veteran of World War II; the other is a senior at a military academy who wants to pursue a career in the military.
Willard Lindsay, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, and Gina Knapp, an honor student at the New York Military Academy, will share the stage at this Friday’s Veterans Day Ceremony. All veterans and the public are invited to attend the 10 a.m. observance on Nov. 10 at the Community Center. The public is also invited to bring their tattered flags for proper disposal by members of Boy Scout Troop 15, who will conduct a flag retirement ceremony. The scouts additionally coordinate the effort to recognize veterans in attendance at the ceremony.
First Selectman Natalie Ketcham said Tom Collins, Georgetown VFW commander, “will try to gather as many veterans as possible” for the ceremony.
Local Girl Scouts, from Daisy Scouts to older scouts, will offer a combined presentation to honor the veterans. Tom Kirk of Redding will play bagpipes and be accompanied by Den 9 Cub Scouts to the ceremony.
An octet from Joel Barlow High School will perform along with some of Tom Cruciani’s middle school instrumental students.
Gina Knapp
Cadet Knapp, the daughter of Ed and Lydia Knapp of Redding, is First Captain of the Corps of Cadets. She is the fifth female to hold this position since the academy admitted females in 1975.
She has won numerous awards in academics, sports and JROTC (Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps). In academics, she was awarded the Superintendent’s Award (Grades 9, 10, 11) and the Distinguished Cadet Award for School Honors (Grades 9, 10, 11).
In sports, Cadet Knapp was awarded the Superintendent’s Award for Athletics and the Team Award for volleyball, softball, wrestling and drill (Grade 10 and 11). This is her second year as captain of the volleyball team and she is looking forward to another year as captain of the softball team. She was the first female to join and compete on the academy’s wrestling team and the first female to command the drill team to a fourth place win in national competition.
She was awarded the Superior Cadet Award for Leadership, Education and Training (Grades 9, 10, 11), the U.S. Army Recruiting Command Leadership Award and the Good Conduct Medal. These are among a few of the more than 40 awards, medals and ribbons she has received.
Cadet Knapp is currently secretary of the National Honor Society, an officer of the Leo’s Club, a member of the Academic Team, Debate Team and Drama Club and an honorary member of the 101st Airborne Division Association.
The cadet has applied for admission to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapollis, Md. and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London. Cadet Knapp plans on pursuing a lifetime career in the military in aviation, intelligence or law.