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The Daily Press 5/21/07

Alaina Berube

SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR — Alaina Berube picked up a special birthday present Saturday, a wrestling gold medal.

The Escanaba native won her second Pan American Women’s Wrestling Championship by beating four opponents in the event that draws participants from North, Central and South America.

Berube, who turned 23 Saturday, won the 63 kg (138.75) division. She beat Caroline De Lazer of Brazil and Yoselin Rojas of Venezuela to reach the semifinals, where she beat 2001 Junior World Champion Tara Hedican of Canada 1-0, 4-0.

In the finals she went a full three periods to beat C. Sardin De Armas of Cuba.

Berube, who also took the gold in 2004, won the only gold medal for the U.S. team. Elena Pirozhkov took silver (67 kg) and Sara Fulp-Allen and Ashley Sword earned bronze medals at 48 kg and 72 kg, respectively.

The four have now qualified for the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro in July.

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Hall of Honor picks 12

By Paul Honda 5/21/07
phonda@starbulletin.com

Nohara was a prolific, dominating force in wrestling as a four-time state champion. She also won the state gold in judo over the weekend, and was an All-State pick in softball. She'll play softball at UH-Hilo next season.

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Native girls invade the mat in the sport of wrestling

Mark Francis, Native Times Correspondent 5/21/2007

Wrestling has gone into another realm. Females like Victoria Kinsey of Sallisaw, Ok, has invaded the mat to take charge and pin males and females.
Kinsey, 13, Cherokee Indian, has won numerous awards and trophies in her six years in the sport, and intends to take her ability to the next level.
As the only female on her school’s wrestling team, Kinsey has traveled to several states to wrestle in female tournaments because area tournaments are usually geared toward males.
“I get to go everywhere, the boys tournaments are close but girl tournaments we have to travel to other states and the national tournaments too,” Kinsey said.
“I like wrestling, I'm good at it and I'm not as good in other sports. Boys are harder but wrestling the boys makes me better for wrestling girls.”
But as everyone who has a beginning to their career, Kinsey has her influence and began in her older brother’s example.
Stephen Kinsey Jr., 15, who is currently a six-time national champion and holder of several other titles coaches her at times and helps her develop the necessary skills.
In Nov. 2006, he was in a motor vehicle accident when a truck ran into his motorcycle while he was driving home. He was flown to Children's Hospital in Little Rock, Ark., and underwent a series of surgeries before moving to Sparks Health South Rehabilitation Hospital in Ft.Smith.
Kinsey’s mother, Holly, said Stephen is now walking again and continues to participate in outpatient rehabilitation.
“He may never get to wrestle again but he does his best to help give advice and coach his little sister,”
Holly Kinsey said. “He gives her all the support she needs and Victoria looks up to Stephen and his accomplishments.”
Kinsey said her choice of sport has gotten her plenty of friendships from opponents and coaches from colleges and universities across the nation although her activities has gathered some coaxing from females
from her school.
“I get along good with other girl wrestlers,” Kinsey said. “Regular girls think it’s dumb, or don't understand why I wrestle. But I have a lot of friends that think it's cool.”
Kinsey said some of her matches against males have been forfeited because they did not want to wrestler her, but her determination on the mat has garnered some attention from college coaches.
“The ones I do wrestle are nice after the match and we always shake hands, even the ones I beat,” Kinsey said. “Some boys give me a hard time and some are scared to wrestle me and some think I'm cool.”
Kinsey said she plans to wrestle in college preferably the University of the Cumberlands or Oklahoma City University.
Kip Flanik, University of the Cumberlands Women’s Wrestling coach, said Kinsey is making headlines after he witnessed a match in Colorado Springs recently.
“This is the second chance I have had to watch this young lady compete,” Flanik said. “And both times I have come away impressed. I think she is one of the
most promising young wrestlers I have seen and look forward to seeing her progress.”
However, in order for Kinsey to continue with the sport she is under strict rules to maintain good grades and keep her chores fulfilled.
Kinsey said Indian girls who have a goal, whether it’s stepping out of the mold and trying wrestling, or any other sport, they should give it their all and ignore the criticism. She said women wrestlers have an
advantage over men recently to earn scholarships due to its popularity.
“Now is the time to wrestle and do what you enjoy doing at heart,” Kinsey said. “Put up with the bull and show everyone you are just as capable as or better than the men. That goes for any sport.”
Kinsey's goal is to become a member of the United States Wrestling Team for the 2012 Olympic games.

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