Courtesy photo / Pacific University The Pacific women’s wrestling team has changed its affiliation this year, but will still aim for a national championship.

If there is one constant in life it is change, and the Pacific women’s wrestling team will be experiencing quite a bit of change in the 2007-08 season.

The first change comes in the lineup. Although 10 wrestlers return from last season, the Boxers will need to fill holes left by three All-Americans. Kapua Torres graduated after four years as an All-American. Titilope Lawani and Erin Zimmerman also departed after completing standout careers.

The second change comes in affiliation and wrestling style. For the third time in the program’s seven-year history, the Boxers are changing their national affiliation. After three years competing as a member of a consortium of collegiate women’s wrestling programs, Pacific is joining the newly created women’s division of the National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA).

Along with the change in affiliation comes a change in style. After years of competing exclusively in freestyle, the Boxers will wrestle both freestyle and folkstyle this year. The NCWA will wrestle their national championship in March using the folkstyle used by every college men’s program.

Change, in this case, should be a very good thing.

“It’s difficult for our returners because, quite frankly, they’ve forgotten how to wrestle folkstyle,” Pacific head coach Scott Miller said. “It’s exciting for our younger kids because they are coming from collegiate-style backgrounds.”

No matter what the style, however, the goal for the Boxers is still the same. After a string of third- and fourth-place finishes in national meets, including third at the 2007 nationals, the Boxers want to be a national champion. To do that, however, it will take some toughening up for a relatively young roster to be mentally prepared for the close matches.

“We looked at last year’s national and we lost 11 matches where we had the lead in the final 30 seconds,” Miller said. “That’s the difference between being national champions and finishing third. Obviously, that’s an aspect that we have worked really hard on.”

And when the Boxers can win those matches, Miller believes Pacific can win that national title, no matter what style they wrestle.

“The first half of the year we are wrestling almost entirely freestyle,” he said. “Yet when we are training it has almost been all folkstyle. I have been real pleased with their progress so far.

“They’re a good group. I think that by the second half of the season they will be a real good team.”

48 kilograms
Pacific’s most experienced wrestler will anchor the team’s lightest weight class. Senior Valerie Prise surged to win 22 matches her junior year and just missed All-American honors with a fifth-place finish at nationals. Despite her success, Prise is still looking for her first tournament title as a collegiate wrestler.

“Valerie has been knocking on the door of being an All-American for the last three years,” Miller said. “We feel that this year she will bust through. She just steps on to the mat and wins. She seems to improve consistently as the year goes on.”

Sophomore Candace Sakamoto will also figure into the mix. Sakamoto performed well in tournament settings last year, winning seven matches and placing third at both the Portland State Open and the Northwest Open. Miller hopes that her speed and experience can translate into wins.

51 kilograms
The departure of Torres opens up a position for senior Teresa Ayala at 51 kg. Ayala will have a chance to prove herself after missing much of the 2006-07 season due to injuries. Ayala wrestled just seven matches last year, but won 18 matches as a sophomore and finished fifth at the national championships.

As Ayala finishes out her career, freshman Jazzy Green brings an air of excitement in her first year with the Boxers. Green put together a solid high school career, winning the California state championships three times. She finished third at the 2007 United States Girls Wrestling Association Junior Nationals and, in 2006, advanced to the second day of the California state boys’ meet.

“Jazzy has already made a statement,” Miller said. “She’s an outstanding wrestler who we expect big things from over the next four years.”

55 kilograms
Pacific returns a pair of wrestlers with significant experience at 55 kg. Junior Summer Scott transferred to Pacific last year from the now defunct Lassen Community College program and did not skip a beat. Scott won 23 matches — the second most on the team — but just missed All-American honors when she finished fifth at the national meet for the second straight season.

Junior Alenna Nilsen experienced some difficulties last season, dropping to 13 wins from 19 as a freshman. She started the season quite strong, however, placing second at both the Mike Clock Open and the Oregon Classic.

Miller believes that experience will be the difference for the pair.

“They are both tough as nails,” Miller said. “I feel real good about this weight just because of the number of wins we have.”

59 kilograms
The Boxers will go young again at 59 kg. Freshman Summer Steenberg was a Washington state placer her senior season, winning a regional championship at 135 pounds. Steenberg will have some adjustment as the season progresses. While quite experienced at folkstyle, Steenberg has never wrestled freestyle.

Fellow freshman Ariella Ing will also see action at the weight after a successful high school career in Hawaii.

“She is probably one of the toughest girls that we have,” Miller said. “She just gets in there and battles.”

63 kilograms
Freshman Samantha Stych appears to be headed to the starting role at 67 kg. Another wrestler with significant experience in the California high school ranks, Miller believes that Stych can be a team-builder.

“She works hard to make the team better,” he said. “She has had a lot of success prior to coming here. She’s also had a lot of good coaching along the way.”

67 kilograms
The third-highest weight will be anchored by a pair of experienced newcomers. Freshman Jade Anderson brings a significant amount of high school experience in both the folkstyle and freestyle disciplines. Anderson was a California state champion in both disciplines in 2007 and earned All-American honors at the USGWA Freestyle Nationals.

Junior Andrea Hale returns to the mat after a year away from competition. Hale, like teammate Summer Scott, comes to Pacific from the defunct Lassen Community College program. She was a Collegiate All-Academic selection in 2006 and earned All-America honors in both 2005 and 2006.

72/80 kilograms
The Boxers should benefit from a wealth of depth in the two heaviest weight classes. The Boxers return three wrestlers with experience in both classes in sophomore Kisha Milfort, junior Megan Richardson and senior Ashley Truchan. Milfort earned All-American honors last year at 72 kg., placing third at the national meet, while Richardson finished fourth in the tournament’s 80 kg. class.

Freshman Rebecca Hoffman will add additional depth to the weight. Hoffman captured seventh place at the California state championships and was her high school team’s most valuable wrestler.

Cupboards are not bare for Petoskey wrestling team

by Andy Sneddon News-Review sports writer

Story updated: Tuesday, November 27, 2007 12:05 PM EST

Jeffrey Lowman / THE STATE PRESS  TAKE DOWN: Sophomore Kelsey Campbell gets the upper hand during practice Tuesday. Campbell has aspirations to one day be in the Olympics.