Video Bridgette Larson wins Bronze at state for the Saber Cats
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Vallejo girl wrestlers fall, but leave a historic mark
By John Parker - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PST Saturday, February 24, 2007
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C2
STOCKTON --Krystalle Alcantara and Jennifer Fernandez didn't win their matches at the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Wrestling Tournament on Friday but were nonetheless victorious.
They were the first girls to qualify for the masters or advance as far as they did in the Section's history.
The Sac-Joaquin Section has always allowed girls to participate in its postseason wrestling events, but in 50 years, a girl had not reached what was the section finals (now known as the masters).
"I think I've changed minds," said Fernandez, a Vallejo High School junior. "I think it helps other girls to see that wrestling boys isn't scary."
In order to qualify for the masters, Fernandez and Alcantara, a senior at Vallejo's Hogan High, had to place in the top four in the Solano County Athletic Conference and then in the top five at the section Division III tournament last week. Fernandez was third, and Alcantara fifth in the divisional. Both wrestle at 103 pounds.
Fernandez said that although she doesn't feel uncomfortable wrestling boys, there is still a noticeable difference in strength, technique and intensity.
"I think (boys) try harder against girls," Fernandez said. "If they lose, people get on them."
The California Interscholastic Federation does not sanction a state championship for girls, though there are two regional tournaments for Northern and Southern California and a separate state tournament not recognized by the CIF.
Fernandez competed in the NorCal regional and said seeing 200 girls competing was encouraging, but that the sport isn't quite there yet.
"I would really like for the CIF to hold a (girls) state championship," Fernandez said. "I hope it's soon."
There is some opposition to girls wrestling against boys -- safety and psychological implications are the most common objections -- but Sac-Joaquin Section assistant commissioner John Williams wonders if it is the only way girls wrestling can grow.
"None of us like the idea of boys wrestling against girls," Williams said. "But would (not allowing girls in the postseason) that kill the sport?
"It's certainly taken hold and is growing."
As for wrestling boys, Fernandez doesn't mind for now. She's proved her point, not only competing in a sport dominated by males, but beating them as well -- even making a few cry along the way.
"It's a tough sport, mentally and physically," Fernandez said. "Only the strong survive."
Opening day action
Ponderosa's Justin Danz, ranked No. 1 in the state at 171 pounds, was dominant. He scored three pins in a combined 5 minutes, 38 seconds. He and No. 2-ranked Louis Bland of Modesto's Central Catholic are on opposite sides of the bracket.
In the ultra-competitive 125- pound class, Ponderosa's Justin Durham and Vacaville's Kody Klaus could meet in the final as. Klaus is second in the state, Durham fifth.
Vacaville and Ponderosa, respectively, lead the team standings after the first day and are the only schools with representatives in all 14 weight classes.
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State B Wrestling Tournament Notebook: Mixs in mix at 103 for Kingsbury County
The Kingsbury County wrestling team had siblings at 103 pounds this season.
Posted on Sat, Feb. 24, 2007
Seventh-grader Sarara Mix backed up her eighth-grade brother, Yuya Mix, in that weight class. Yuya is wrestling for Kingsbury County this weekend in the State B Tournament in Aberdeen. He had a 27-19 record coming into this weekend while Sarara was 6-12 in varsity competition and 18-9 in junior varsity competition.
Few girls in South Dakota have wrestled at the high school varsity or junior varsity level. Brookings had a girl who wrestled on the junior varsity team this season, and Sioux Falls Lincoln had a girl on its junior varsity a few years ago.
"It was a great season," said Sarara, who attends school in Arlington. "It was an exciting and fun year."
Mix, 13, said she was involved in youth wrestling before joining the high school team this season. "I got started in wrestling when my brother started a few years ago. It looked like fun."
Mix said she wrestled against her brother a lot in practice. Next year, she thinks her brother will move up, but she will stay at 103 pounds. "My brother is really tough to wrestle against. I am really excited for him and the other wrestlers on our team who got here. We have a lot of good wrestlers."
Mix said her brother making it to the state tournament cost her some money. "I told him I would give him 20 bucks if he made it, so I guess I owe him $20. But I am happy to pay it."
- Sports editor John Papendick
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Stevens Dominating At Wrestling Regionals
By Marcus Helton,Posted 2007-02-24
Stevens was one of a handful of Valley District representatives to make it through Friday unscathed, though several more are alive in the consolation bracket. Action resumes at 10 a.m. today.
Among the latter group is HHS 103-pounder Valerie Avellaneda, who became the first female in district history to reach the Region II tourney by placing third in last weekend’s Valley championship.
Avellaneda lost her first match Friday, and was trailing 4-0 in the second period of her consolation bout with Park View’s Merson Naidoo before battling back. She closed the gap to 4-3 heading into the third period, tied the score at 4-4 on an escape and took a 6-4 lead on a takedown before pinning Naidoo with 21.2 seconds remaining.
"I lost my first match, so if I would have lost this one I wouldn’t be able to wrestle anymore," she said. "It would have been the end of my season, so I was really motivated."
Despite her appearance in the tournament, Avellaneda said she’s aware that some people still aren’t taking her seriously. Several Park View fans pointed and laughed when she took the mat.
"I know that people don’t really expect me to be here," she said, "so it’s really different for them, I guess. Some people who have been wrestling for a while, I guess they figure, how could I be here, or why would I be here? …. It means [a lot] I got this far. I mean, even if I don’t win, at least I know I put a lot of work into it."
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UIL Girls Wrestling: Caprock in contention for another state title
Click here for photos from the meet
By Jeremy Heath 2/24/07
jeremy.heath@amarillo.com
AUSTIN - With senior Maci Alvarado clinging to a 6-4 lead in the third period of a 165-pound quarterfinal, Caprock head coach Scott Tankersley jumped out of his chair and started screaming "Hand control! Hand control!" at Alvarado.
Since Alvarado was one of two Lady Longhorns on the championship side of the bracket, Tankersley knew Alvarado had to win to keep the team's hopes of a fourth straight state title alive.
Heeding her coach's warnings that her much heavier opponent, Seguin's Erica McClendon, was going to reach and grab at Alvarado's hands in an attempt to take advantage of the weight differential, Alvarado was able to stave off McClendon's attempts at control and win, 13-8, at the Delco Center.
"I was scared I was going to lose," Alvarado said. "Then Coach told me to keep wrist control because she was going to try to put me in the snake. She was strong, and, man, she was tall."
Alvarado's win kept the three-time defending state champions in second place with 28 points, 2.5 behind leader Katy.
Alvarado and Lisa Martinez (102) are still alive on the championship side of the bracket for the Lady Longhorns, and Jennifer Williams (119) and Stephanea Hignight (128) are still alive on the consolation side.
Katy has two wrestlers alive on the championship side and three on the consolation side. Hignight, who won her first-round match before getting pinned by Coppell's Tessa Plana in the quarterfinals, said she and Williams need to make mental adjustments to continue scoring points on the back side of the bracket.
"I think we need to get angry," Hignight said. "But we still have to wrestle smart."
Martinez pinned Katy's Jessica Benavides in the first round and Arlington Bowie's Britney Fernandez in the quarterfinals. She will face Rio Grande City's Krystal Montalvo in today's semifinals. Alvarado will face Katy's Alana Jimenez.
"This is one of the toughest state tournaments I've seen," Tankersley said. "Everybody's good. Maci's semifinal head to head against Katy is going to be a huge match for us."
Tascosa, which is in 14th place with 15 points, has two wrestlers alive.
Marissa Schrepel (185) will face Keller Central's Trisha Jenkins in the semifinals. Schrepel pinned Pharr San Juan Alamo's Claudia Pena in the first round and Katy Taylor's Venus Barron in the quarterfinals.
Breena Maul (148) is alive on the consolation side after winning her first-round match and losing in the quarterfinals. River Road's Ashly Underwood will face Austin Crockett's Megan Huerta in the semifinals.
Underwood pinned Friendswood's Elizabeth Hawk in the first round and Pflugerville's Alison Esquivel in the quarterfinals.
Hereford's Kirsten Iruegas will face Akins' Megan Wade in the semifinals.
Iruegas scored an 8-1 decision against Frisco's Alannah Griego in the first round and pinned Cypress Ridge's Kenrda Lewis in the quarterfinals.
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Highland Park third after first round
02/24/2007
Associated Press
Meanwhile, three-time defending girls wrestling team state champion Amarillo Caprock trailed 2006 runner-up Katy by 2 1/2 points after the first day of girls competition.
Caprock has won four of the nine titles awarded since 1999.
Frisco Centennial was in third with 24.5 points, while Arlington Lamar was fourth with 24 points.
Competition continues Saturday.
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07:51 AM PST on Saturday, February 24, 2007
By PAUL SILVI / KING 5 News
For the first time in state history, the girls competed for state championships.
And Hoquiam will go down as the first team state champion.
The Grizzlies had the most wrestlers, and the most state champs, starting with Kelsey Klein at 125. Klein defeated Termae Rowshan of Camas, 5-4.
At 135, Alex White wins the state title, defeating Summer Steenberg of Sequim, 5-2.
At 112, Antonia Navejas of Kentwood defeats Lucky Saengchan of River Ridge. Navejas rolls to the title, 11-1.
At 160, Kylee Bishop of Washington, comes out strong against Oak Harbor's Sydney Nelson. Bishop wins the title, 9-1.
And the wrestler who goes down as the first-ever girls state champ, is 103-pounder, Sarah Rowen of Columbia River. She defeats Tara Miller of Jackson, 3-2.
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Two stay in state wrestling competition
The Monitor
February 24, 2007 - 9:15AM
AUSTIN — The Rio Grande Valley’s boys wrestlers had a tough go of it on the first day of the 2007 UIL State Wrestling Championships at the Austin ISD Delco Center, but two girls still are in the hunt for state gold.
Rio Grande City 95-pounder Jenny Garza and 102-pounder Krystal Montalvo won their first two matches Friday to advance to the championship semifinals, which begin at 9 a.m. today.
“Last year, Krystal came up here and lost her first match, won her second and lost her third, so she was done the first day,” RGC coach Ronald Pratt said. “This time I told her she had the experience and both doubted if they belonged at state, but they’ve already proven they do.”
Back-to-back regional champion Jennifer Gonzalez (95) and 215-pound regional champ Cassie Rangel of PSJA Memorial each rebounded from second-round losses to win late Friday night and advance in the consolation championship bracket today. Mission Veterans Memorial’s Olga Betancourt also won her third match after losing her second to stay alive.
All other RGV girls finished their state tournament runs Friday.
On the boys side, no one from the RGV made it through the first two rounds unscathed, but the two 215-pounders, Mission Veterans’ Raymond Rodriguez and Weslaco High’s Nick Garza, both rebounded from second-round losses to win Friday evening and stay in the hunt for bronze.
“It was a tough day of competition, that’s all I can say,” Mission Veterans Memorial coach Ben Yzaguirre said. “At state it’s the cream of the crop. We’re taking our bruises, but we’re not taking things lightly. We’re still battling.”
The boys consolation championships begin at 10 a.m. today. All other RGV boys, including regional champion Randall Rodriguez of McAllen Rowe, lost out Friday.
The boys state finals matches are expected to begin at 3 p.m. today, and the girls finals are scheduled to start at 6 p.m.
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When the Gender Police Attack: Tulsa's Girl Wrestler Overcomes the Odds
2/24/07
Remember when cultural conservatives were more interested in personal freedom and individual initiative than in formulating rules for the rest of us to follow?
If you—like us—have a hard time recalling those days, here's a quick reminder of how some right-wingers use their narrow ideology to impose restrictions on folks who stray from the gospel of right-thinking.
Witness the case of a Tulsa high school senior who this week signed a wrestling scholarship at Oklahoma City University. The deal will help the student pay for college.
But wait—the student is, heaven forbid, a girl! A girl who wrestles! Who ever heard of such a thing? Turns out, OCU is one of a handful of schools that now sponsor women's wrestling as a varsity sport. (Canada has 16 colleges that sponsor women wrestlers. Who knew our northern neighbors were Godless heathens?)
Indeed, our East Central High School student, loves to wrestle. It's her passion. The Tulsa World reports that Cheyenne Stokes got her first taste of the sport as a mere 5-year-old when she watched another girl wrestle at a tournament in New Mexico. Her dad was unenthusiastic, but Cheyenne persevered and is now ranked as one of the top female prep wrestlers in America.
But leave it to our friends on the right to see this success as an affront to proper femininity. Women, we are assured, must be modest and stay away from pastimes that are rough, sweaty, or otherwise unbiblical.
At least that's the view of a conservative Oklahoma City activist and blogger, who this week criticized women's wrestling and OCU for straying from the gospel. (Those dang college-educated, libertine Methodists—never know what they'll do next!)
We admit: we don't know God's mind on the issue of women's wrestling. We don't think the critics do either. But we can argue with some confidence that notions of femininity are culturally determined and dynamic, not locked in place, and certainly not locked in the ancient world. It wasn't that long ago, after all, that women right in the the good ole USA were told they couldn't be doctors, lawyers, architects, ministers, journalists, and so on. Those notions of "proper" femininity were wrong.
We support Cheyenne. She pursued her passion and showed initiative. She overcame obstacles. She succeeded. All this seems wonderfully and powerfully American to us.
Posted by Alternative Tulsa at 12:16 PM
Labels: Alternative Reading, Civil liberties, Tulsa times
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U.S. wins four medals on day one of Kiev International in Ukraine
Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
02/24/2007
KIEV, UKRAINE – Four U.S. freestyle wrestlers won medals on the first day of competition at the Kiev International on Feb. 24
The U.S. had three silver medalists, Marcie Van Dusen (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) and Iris Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Navy) in the women’s division and Andy Hrovat (Ann Arbor, Mich./New York AC) in the men’s division.
Smith, a 2005 World champion, was defeated in the gold medal finals by two-time World bronze medalist Elena Perepolkina of Russia. Smith opened with victories over Saomala of Tunisia and Monika of Poland. In the semifinals, Smith defeated 2003 World bronze medalist Svetlana Saienko of Ukraine.
“Iris looked good,” said National Women’s Coach Terry Steiner. “She lost the first period to Perepolkina. The second period went to the clinch and they hit Iris for a point and a caution for blocking on the clinch. We had her on the ropes. Iris wrestled a good match, but not good enough to win.”
Van Dusen, a 2004 University World champion, had an impressive 4-1 record in the tournament, losing only to 2004 Olympian Olga Smirnova of Kazakhstan.
On the way to the finals, Van Dusen defeated Bavdyk of Ukraine, Blahinya of Ukraine, Dumbayeva of Kazakhstan and Synyshyn of Ukraine.
“She had some tough matches in the quarterfinals and the semifinals and she wrestled very well,” said Steiner. “In the finals, she had Olga Smirnova of Kazakhstan, who wrestled in the Olympics for Russia. Smirnova had beaten Russia’ Nataliya Golts in the semifinals. Marcie looked good, but we still have things to work on.”
Hrovat, a member of the 2006 U.S. World Team, reached the gold-medal finals, where he was defeated by 2005 World bronze medalist Taras Danko of Ukraine, 2-3, 4-4.
“Andy had an awesome semifinal match. He did a great job to win that bout. In the finals, there were some questionable calls. Overall, he looked very tough,” said Steiner.
The other medalist for the United States was Randi Miller (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC), who captured a bronze medal at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. in the women’s division.
After an opening win, Miller lost to eventual runner-up Oxana Shalikova of Ukraine. She won her first wrestleback match, stopping Kulikova of Russia. In the bronze medal round, Miller won by forfeit over 2005 World silver medalist Martine Dugrenier of Canada.
Two U.S. wrestlers were fifth in their weight classes after losing in the bronze-medal round: Henry Cejudo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 55 kg/121 lbs. in the men’s division and Mary Kelly (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. in the women’s division. Both finished with 3-2 records, winning their first three bouts, then losing their final two contests.
Cejudo had three strong wins, before losing to 2006 World champion Radoslav Velikov in the semifinals, 0-2, 0-4. In the bronze-medal match, he was beaten by Namig Sevdimov of Azerbaijan, 1-2, 7-8. Cejudo was a 2006 Junior World silver medalist.
Kelly, a 2006 U.S. World Team member, won her first three bouts, including a quarterfinal win over U.S. teammate Clarissa Chun (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids). Kelly lost to Alexandra Englehart of Germany in the semifinals, then dropped a bronze-medal match to Jyldyz Eshimova-Turtbaeva of Kazakhstan.
The Kiev International completes on Sunday, with competition in women’s freestyle at 51 kg/112.25 lbs., 59 kg/130 lbs. and 67 kg/147.5 lbs. and men’s competition at 60 kg/132 lbs., 74 kg/163 lbs. and 96 kg/211.5 lbs.
KIEV INTERNATIONAL
At Kiev, Ukraine, Feb. 24
Women’s medalists
48 kg/105.5 lbs.
Gold – Larisa Oorzhak (Russia)
Silver – Alexandra Englehart (Germany)
Bronze – Anne Catherine Delunsch (France)
Bronze – Jyldyz Eshimova-Turtbaeva (Kazakhstan)
55 kg/121 lbs.
Gold – Olga Smirnova (Kazakhstan)
Silver – Marcie Van Dusen (United States)
Bronze – Nataliya Golts (Russia)
Bronze – Nataliya Synyshyn (Ukraine)
63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Gold – Anna Polovneva (Russia)
Silver – Oxana Shalikova (Ukraine)
Bronze – Randi Miller (United States)
Bronze – Lise Legrand (France)
72 kg/158.5 lbs.
Gold – Elena Perepolkina (Russia)
Silver – Iris Smith (United States)
Bronze – Svitlana Saienko (Ukraine)
Bronze – Agnieszka Wieszczek (Poland)
U.S. women’s results
(match scores not currently available)
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Mary Kelly, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 5th
WIN Shishkina (Russia)
WIN Kaufman (Germany)
WIN Clarissa Chun (USA)
LOSS Englehart (Germany)
LOSS Eshimova-Turtbaeva (Kazakhstan)
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Clarissa Chun, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), dnp
WIN Omalisik (Poland)
WIN Polkovska (Ukraine)
LOSS Mary Kelly (USA)
55 kg/121 lbs. – Marcie Van Dusen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 2nd
WIN Bavdyk (Ukraine)
WIN Blahinya (Ukraine)
WIN Dumbayeva (Kazakhstan)
WIN Synyshyn (Ukraine)
LOSS Smirnova (Kazakhstan)
55 kg/121 lbs. – Sharon Jacobson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC), dnp
WIN Mikalova (Belarus)
LOSS Khariv (Ukraine)
55 kg/121 lbs. – Chelynne Pringle, Hugo, Minn. (Minnesota Storm), dnp
LOSS Bechtel (Germany)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Randi Miller, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC), 3rd
WIN Arystamova (Russia)
LOSS Shalikova (Ukraine)
WIN Kulikova (Russia)
WIN Dugrenier (Canada), forfeit
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Vanessa Oswalt, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC), dnp
LOSS Kartesheva (Russia)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 2nd
WIN Saoumala (Tunisia)
WIN Monika (Poland)
WIN Saienko (Ukraine)
LOSS Perepolkina (Russia)
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Video Bridgette Larson wins Bronze at state for the Saber Cats
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