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Name: Dany Hedin
Hometown: Kailua, Hawaii
Sport: freestyle wrestling
Weight: 55 kilograms
Years at USOEC: three
Class standing: sophomore
Major: physical education
Q: What has been your best and worst sports moment in
your athletic career?
A: My best moment was winning silver at the FILA-Junior World Competition in Lithuania. My worst moment was when I
hurt my shoulder. I was wearing my shoulder down from wrestling for so long that I had to
have surgery. I was out for eight months.
Q: Do you have any superstitions prior to competing?
A: I wear the same pair of socks for tournaments. I will wear them for as long as the tournament lasts so one to two days
at most. I've done this ever since high school and I have had the pair I'm currently
wearing for three years. Before every match, I will also listen to two of Garth Brooks songs:Ain't Goin Down and Fever.
Q: What is your favorite class and who is your favorite professor?
A: My favorite professor is William Connor, who is in the health, physical education and recreation department. I have
had him for a lot of my classes, but currently I have him for Adapted PE. Bill brings a lot of experience to the classroom since he has taught
all over the country at all different levels. He really cares about his students and how they are doing. He was also a wrestling coach, so
we get along in that aspect as well. I have two favorite classes. The first is Adapted PE because I get to work with autistic children in the
pool. I also like Consumer Health because I have learned so much information about the truths and myths of health issues.
Q: Where has been your favorite place to travel and why?
A: My favorite place that I have traveled to is Lithuania. I went there in 2005 for the Junior World Championships. It was an
amazing trip. It was a nice place to travel as it had a good mix of strip malls to shop at and historical sites to visit. Plus, I performed
well while I was there, so that makes it nice too.
Q: What do you miss the most about your hometown?
A: I miss being able to walk to the beach any time or any day that I wanted. If I wanted, I could go to the beach today back home. I also
miss my family. I am the oldest of six children: Katie (18), M.J. (17), Alex (14), Perry (2) and Brady (10 months).
Q: When you have time between training, classes and studying, what do you like to do in Marquette?
A: I like being outdoors. I like to hike and fish. I'm thinking about hunting and snow shoeing this year. I also like to go
to deer camp out in Republic with my boyfriend when I have time.
Q: What goal are you striving to reach this year?
A: I want to continue to do well at tournaments. I'd like to be in the top three at each tournament. I'd also like to make the national team
at the senior level.
Q: What is something about yourself that no one knows or would be surprised to know?
A: Growing up, I lived in nine different places: Gaston, Ore.; Beaver, Ore.; Sequim, Wash.; Port Angeles, Wash.; Forks, Wash.; Bellingham, Wash.; Kaneohe, Hawaii; Kailua, Hawaii and Marquette, Mich. I have to say Oregon is my favorite place that I have lived because I love the
environment around there. Like up here, Oregon has a lot of woods and things to do outdoors, but my family lives there. Marquette is my
second favorite place that I've lived. I love it up here; there is so much stuff that I can do, well at least outdoors. I love being able to
go hiking or fishing. It is an overall great place and the community is amazing too.
Q: What do you listen to on your iPod to relax?
A: To relax, I listen to country or Jazz. I like Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong or anything big band. Most of the time, I'm listening to
country. But don't get me wrong, I listen to everything besides, maybe, the heavy rap stuff. *laughs* It all depends on the mood I'm in.
Q: What do you listen to get pumped up or psyched for competition?
A: I listen to a lot of music. To get pumped up, I like to listen to lassic rock, like AC/DC and Lynard Skynard.
Q: If you were not wrestling at the USOEC, what would you be doing?
A: If I wasn't wrestling with the USOEC, I'd still be attending school to become a teacher. I'm not sure where though. I
like it here (in Marquette) but I don't know if I would have known about Marquette without coming to the USOEC
For more stories:
http://www.leaguelineup.com/miscinfo.asp?menuid=32&cmenuid=32&url=tempsite&sid=1041355297
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Girls wrestling shows its muscle at Hanford event
Nick Giannandrea / The Fresno Bee01/28/07 05:59:54
HANFORD — They came from as far north as Lassen and as far south as San Diego.
They wore shirts that said "I make boys cry" and "It's not just for boys anymore." And they were grappling, literally, to help put their sport on the map.
More than 300 competitors converged on Hanford West High for the California Girls Wrestling Championships, which crowned 14 champions Saturday to conclude two days of all-girls wrestling.
The tournament is one of approximately 20 across the state each year designed for girls only, most of them being smaller regional events. With 302 wrestlers this year, the California Girls Championships is the state's biggest girls-only tournament.
"It's getting to be pretty awesome," said tournament director Alan Blanchard of Hanford West, which hosted the tournament for the second straight year. "The girls are coming out and wrestling phenomenally."
Only two states in the nation — Hawaii and Texas — offer girls wrestling as a separate sport. Many in the stands at Hanford West want California to become the third.
Boosters passed out fliers to the participants, coaches and parents, encouraging them to write letters to the California Interscholastic Federation in hopes the state's governing body for high school sports will continue efforts to make girls wrestling a separate sport.
Momentum continues to build for a sport that features 1,163 female wrestlers around the state, including 49 in the Central Section.
"I like wrestling the girls," Hanford 122-pounder Justine Neves said. "It's more of an equal match for us."
Neves is one of five section wrestlers to place in the 302-competitor tournament that featured 132 schools.
The best effort was turned in by Farmersville's Araceli Olea, who finished second at 98 pounds. She dropped a 6-1 decision to Maria Henriquez of Northview-Covina in the final.
"I just tried my best," said Olea, a sophomore who did not place at this tournament last year.
Henriquez scored a two-point takedown 45 seconds into the match and a three-point near fall 17 seconds later to take command. Olea scored an escape before the end of the first round, but was shut out the rest of the way.
"I'm pretty proud of her taking it this far," said Angel Olea, Araceli's coach, older brother and a three-time state qualifier himself. "I hope she keeps training to take first in this tournament next year."
Neves finished third, Farmersville's Isabel Becerra was fourth at 165 pounds, Hanford West's Gabrielle Corona placed sixth at 138 pounds and Hanford West's Norma Garcia finished seventh at 235 pounds.
Neves beat Lindsey Noble of Torrance 6-1 in the third-place match, bettering her eighth-place finish last year as a freshman.
Becerra was pinned by San Leandro's Stevie Ratto in the third-place match. Becerra finished fifth at last weekend's Southern California Regional.
Vallejo, with one champion among six medalists, won the team title with 160.5 points, ahead of crosstown rival Hogan-Vallejo (146.5) and South Hills-West Covina (138). Farmersville had the best finish from the section, coming in 15th with 57 points.
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Vallejo girls wrestle away 3rd straight title
Hogan 2nd; Apaches' Miller tops in 138s
Article Launched: 01/28/2007 09:03:33 AM PST
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Led by a wrestler who capped a near-flawless season and a pair of sisters overcoming flu-like symptoms, the Vallejo High girls wrestling team made it a three-peat on Saturday in Hanford, claiming the team title at the California State Tournament for the third straight time.
Though the CIF doesn't yet sanction a girls wrestling state tournament, this meet - held since 2000 and hosted by Vallejo until last year - is recognized by everyone as the state-level championship.
The Apaches tallied 160.5 points, 20 ahead of cross-town rival Hogan, the Northern California regional champions from a week ago.
"Exceptionally pleased," exclaimed Vallejo coach Mike Minahen. "Could not be more pleased with the girls."
Vallejo's Angie Miller claimed the 138-pound title, completing a perfect season for the junior in that weight class. Miller's only loss was earlier this winter at 144 pounds to the nation's second-ranked wrestler in that division. At state Miller went a perfect 4-0, capped by a 5-4 decision in the final over previously-undefeated Jade Anderson (Royal-Simi Valley).
"Very good," summed up Minahen of Miller. "(There was) one mistake in the final that scared us, but she was able to get away. She was very good."
Minahen saved equal amounts of pride for the Fernandez sisters, who battled sickness to take second (junior Jennifer at 105 pounds) and third (sophomore Mary Jane at 98). Jennifer, who weighed just 98 pounds, went 3-1 and lost a 6-1 decision in the final against Marina's Vicky Anthony, whom Minahen considers the state's best wrestler in any division; Mary Jane nearly vomited in the semis, but went 6-1 to claim crucial team points.
"I'm very pleased and impressed with them ... not at 100 percent strength and still battled like champions," Minahen said. "It was huge. Without them, we're not even close ... and to have a champion on top of it (Miller), makes it even sweeter."
The Apaches also received a key contribution from junior Jennifer Avelino, who went 5-1 with five pins for third place at 144 pounds. Sophomore Jennifer Steele (seventh, 154 pounds) and sophomore Sabrina Ross (eighth, 98) also placed and collected points.
"We have no seniors," Minahen noted, "so we're looking for No. 4 next year."
Hogan, meanwhile, was led by a second-place effort from Monica Gonzalez in the 154-pound class, where she lost a 5-3 decision in the final to Teri Melkof (El Monte). Also placing for the Spartans were Krystalle Alcantara (third, 103), Marcela Games (sixth, 132) and Kristen Alcantara (seventh, 98). Coach Ric Manibusan said it was "definitely" a good year for the Hogan girls.
"We had some tight matches that could've gone either way, but unfortunately didn't go our way," he said.
Hogan won the regional championship thanks to a large contingent of good young wrestlers, but Vallejo's more veteran grapplers were able to move further through the state bracket.
Still, Manibusan said he had an over-achieving Hogan bunch this winter.
"I got more out of them than I expected," he said.
Rounding out the top five in the 140-team field were South Hills (138 points), San Leandro (125) and Sacramento (119).
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Wrestling: Yoshida beats Sakamoto to win 5th straight title
Kyodo News 1/28/07
(Kyodo) _ Athens Olympic gold medalist Saori Yoshida dominated Hitomi Sakamoto to win the final of the women's 55-kilogram class, claiming her fifth straight crown at the national championships on Sunday.
Yoshida outclassed the reigning world champion at 51 kg in nearly every aspect, tackling Sakamoto several times in the first period before finishing off her opponent for a convincing 2-0 win at Komazawa gymnasium. Yoshida extended her winning streak to 103.