News
Page
Tim Switzer, The Leader-Post
Published: Monday, January 28,
2008
When University of Regina Cougars head wrestling coach Leo McGee talks about
Inga Van Vliet, he likes to discuss the Regina product's courage in taking up a
new sport.
But that courage extends well beyond what she is doing in wrestling.
Van Vliet is a lineman (she runs telephone line and other telecom work) in
the Canadian Forces Reserves 734 Communication Squadron and plans to do a tour
of duty in Afghanistan sometime after she completes her geography degree at the
U of R.
"The amount of good we're accomplishing (in Afghanistan) makes it worth the
risk," said Van Vliet, a fifth-year U of R student. "The (soldier) losses are
very unfortunate, they're horrible, they're tragic, but we are accomplishing
something. We were asked to be there by the Afghan government so we're not an
invading force. We're a helping force that's working to create and maintain
peace so I think that's worthwhile."
The Luther High School grad doesn't plan to make a career out of the forces,
but spends much of her time with her unit when she's not in school or wrestling.
She works one night a week in the reserves and any weekend she can. She also
spends her summer training in Kingston, Ont.
The training for that part of her life has been coming in handy in her
sporting life.
"It helps you get used to working through adverse conditions so instead of
quitting, you suck it up a little bit more," said Van Vliet. "You're trained to
be more mentally tough."
Van Vliet only took up the sport in 2006 when McGee suggested it would be
good offseason training for rugby. Van Vliet is a forward with Saskatchewan's
provincial team.
After a quiet first season with the Cougars, Van Vliet has come into her own
this year. She has a pair of second-place finishes and one third-pace finish at
major Canada West meets this season. Her most recent silver medal came Sunday at
the Cougar Open at the Centre for Kinesiology, Health and Sport.
"Last fall I was a fish out of water, but this year things have started to
come together," said Van Vliet. "I started to win some matches and feel more
confident in what I was doing. The first time I got a silver, I was like, 'Holy
crap! This one is for me? Wow!' "
Her only loss Sunday in the 67-kilogram weight class came at the hands of
ex-University of Saskatchewan Huskies grappler Megan Buydens, a former member of
the Canadian national team.
Given that result, Van Vliet is confident she can place in the top three at
the conference championships, to be held in Regina on Feb. 15-16, and qualify
for the Canadian Interuniversity Sport championships.
"She capable of making big, big jumps," said McGee. "I see people on national
teams now and they're no more athletic than she is -- they just had an earlier
start. I'm looking forward to (Van Vliet's future). We're going to seek out the
ones with the track records -- they're the ones we want to compete against.
After the national championships, I think she'll start closing the gaps very
quickly."
Overall at the Cougar Open, the U of R men's and women's teams finished
second behind the Huskies. On the women's side, Kelly Rasmussen (51 kg), Meghan
King (59 kg) and Carissa Holinaty (72 kg) all finished in second place. For the
men, Cory Horsburgh (61 kg) and Jeff Jones (65 kg) were first, Kyle Bershatsky
(65 kg), Peter De La Cruz (72 kg) and Jarret Coels (76 kg) were second and John
Sprague (76 kg) was third.
Other Cougars wrestlers competed under the Cattown club banner which was second
behind the Saskatoon Wrestling Club in the men's and women's club divisions.
Finishing in the Top 3 for Cattown among women were Hajar Ashtiani (first, 48
kg), Jasmine Slinn (second, 48 kg) and Ali Bernard (first, 82 kg). For the men,
Kirk Ackerman (second, 54 kg), Jesse Loffler (third, 68 kg) and Calvin Daum
(third, 82 kg) finished in the medals
Article Launched: 01/27/2008 12:03:20 AM
MST
The Hanks High School boys and the
Chapin High School girls wrestling teams came away victorious Saturday at the
Bowie Invitational, marking a solid introduction to the tournament for
first-year Huskies coach Angel Nevarez.
The Chapin boys finished third in the event, while Eastwood came in second.
"The glory goes to God first of all, and the hard work these kids put in.
They really did an outstanding job," Nevarez said. The girls "were expected to
win, so it's a lot more pressure, but they did end up pulling it out. We did
have an injury -- we didn't go with a heavyweight, that's why it was so close."
Chapin junior Crystal Romero won the 185-pound weight class for her team,
which edged Andress in points, 112-108.
"I'm so proud of them. To be the best in El Paso is pretty sweet. It takes a
lot," Romero said.
The tournament, in its 28th year, featured 32 schools and about 500
wrestlers.
"I exceeded myself," Romero said of her expectations for the competition. "I
didn't expect to win this at all. Just pinning (second-place finisher Andrea
Acosta from Andress) in the championship match, just pinning her. It was cool."
The tournament offers schools in the area a chance to prepare for district
meets, which are next weekend.
"It's a historical tournament," Nevarez said. "I wrestled in it, and it means
a lot to me. And it just really lets you see the competitiveness that goes on in
El Paso wrestling. ... I always tell my kids that if you place at Bowie, then
you can probably place at state."
A handful of schools from New Mexico also participated, giving wrestlers a
chance to see athletes with whom they don't normally compete.
"It's been really good. This has been the toughest tournament we've been to,"
said Gadsden's David Najera II, who finished fourth in the 145-pound weight
class. "Wrestling with a bad knee, getting fourth is pretty good. I was hoping
for top three."
Najera said his team already has participated in a district duals tournament,
putting them right in the middle of the postseason.
"It was a pretty good experience overall, and it makes it a little bit
better," Najera said of the timing of the event. "You get a little bit more
practice on your technique, and you get to see where you're at. And El Paso
schools are a little tougher."
Nevarez said the quality of wrestlers at the tournament shows the strength of
the area's wrestling scene.
"I think it's getting stronger. There's been some history here. Burges has
won 10 state championships, Irvin won a state championship back in the 70s. It
used to be stronger, but we want to get it back up there," he said. "We're on
the upswing. And girls wrestling is getting bigger, and that's exciting -- the
girls are getting after it."
Matt Johnson may be reached at mjohnson@elpasotimes.com; 546-6166.
Restults
Bowie Invitational
Girls team
results
PlaceScoreSchool
1112Chapin
2108Andress
384El
Dorado
468.5Del Valle
567Eastwood
658Irvin
753Hanks
8
(t)44Bowie
44Coronado
1040Burges
11 (t)39El Paso
High
39Franklin
1334Bel
Air
1433Ysleta
1530.5Americas
1627Canutillo
17
(t)18Moriarty
18Socorro
1911Parkland
209Extra Team 1
217Austin
22
(t)4Montwood
4Santa Teresa
240San Elizario
Girls place
winners
Place: name, school
Weight: 95
1: Danisa Garcia, Bowie
2:
Brittany Carter, Chapin
3: Akira Peña, El Dorado
4: Denise Salazar, Bel
Air
Weight: 102
1: Alba Mendoza, Franklin
2: Blue Celeste Montoya,
Chapin
3: Nallely Carrillo, El Dorado
4: Charlotte Holguin, Andress
5:
Ashley Melero, Eastwood
6: Nicole Silva, Hanks
Weight: 110
1: Delialah
Perez, Ysleta
2: Jordan Diaz, Hanks
3: Elizabeth Salinas, El Dorado
4:
Brenda Villela, Chapin
Weight: 119
1: Marissa Tasker, Coronado
2: Erica
Salcido, Andress
3: Mar Lopez, Moriarty
4: Darlene Fernandez,
Hanks
Weight: 128
1: Stephanie Han, Irvin
2: Da Yanida Najera, Del
Valle
3: Terry Navar, Eastwood
4: Jessica Porras, El Dorado
Weight:
138
1: Lorraine Herrera, Andress
2: Sophia Casas, Americas
3: Lorena
Garcia, Burges
4: Jo Ann Quiñonez, Del Valle
Weight: 148
1: Alessandra
Norman, El Paso High
2: Byelka Soto, Irvin
3: Betty Gay, El Dorado
4:
Brandy Saenz, Coronado
Weight: 165
1: Arlene Alvarez, Eastwood
2: Terry
Quiñonez, Del Valle
3: Gloria Guerra, Bel Air
4: Amoretta Parra,
Chapin
Weight: 185
1: Crystal Romero, Chapin
2: Andrea Acosta,
Andress
3: Alishia Carter, Eastwood
4: Teresoa Carreon, Socorro
Weight:
215
1: Vanessa Rodriguez, Burges
2: Vanessa Jimenez, Canutillo
3:
Adeline Goodloe, Bowie
4: Briana Hernandez, Andress
GIRLS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Lauren Hall, Seabreeze
wrestling
www.news-journalonline.com 2/24/08
Hall, a senior competing in the 103-pound weight class at the Five Star
wrestling championships Saturday, defeated two opponents and reached the finals
before losing to Flagler Palm Coast’s Christian Sanborn by pinfall in the second
round. Hall is the first female to make a Five Star final. For the season, she
has gone 13-3.
How did it feel Saturday to be wrestling for a Five Star
championship?
It was definitely an honor. I hadn’t wrestled in that
tournament before, so it was a little nerve-wracking at first. But after I got
the first couple matches out of the way, I was OK.
What were your expectations going into the meet?
I definitely
wanted to make it to the championship round. By making it there, I accomplished
that goal. I had never wrestled that kid (Sanborn) before. He was definitely the
toughest 103-pound guy I ever wrestled. He was definitely stronger than I was.
After you pinned the first guy so quickly (18 seconds), did he say
anything to you?
No, he didn’t say anything to me. His coach
congratulated me. They coached him on what he could’ve done different. That
first pin was the fastest on our team all season, so that was pretty exciting.
Did you get the sense the crowd was cheering for you to win, and are
crowds usually behind you?
Definitely. It’s always really encouraging to
hear the fans support you. My whole team was definitely behind me, yelling for
me. I try to make friends with everyone at the meets.
You’ve been wrestling for a few years now. Has it gotten easier for
you?
I think it’s getting easier, because I’ve gotten a lot more focused
on it. Now that my teammates realize I’m serious about wrestling, they’re a lot
more supportive. There are some girls who don’t take it really seriously. That’s
one of the problems some guys have with girls wrestling.
When you have a team forfeit your match because the boy doesn’t want to
wrestle a girl, how does that make you feel?
I have been having some
forfeits, unfortunately (three of Hall’s wins have been by forfeit). Some
coaches have freshmen at the 103-pound level, and they feel that if the freshman
loses to a girl, it might break his confidence. It’s disappointing, definitely.
I want to wrestle every time we compete.
Are guys at Seabreeze intimidated by you, because they know you could
probably take them down?
Actually, a lot of guys think it’s awesome that
I wrestle. The football coaches, they’ll rag on their players, saying stuff like
they need to walk around with me as their bodyguards!
What is the worst trash talk another wrestler has ever said to
you?
The worst is that I’m just a little girly-girl, and I’ll be an easy
match. It’s gotten a lot better over the years. Some of the guys who’ve been in
the 103-pound class for a while, they see that if they lose to me, it’s not so
bad. It’s not as traumatizing to them as it used to be.
What music are you listening to these days?
I like a little bit of
everything. I like Taylor Swift; she’s a good country singer. I like Lil’ Wayne,
and some other rap stuff.
Do you want to try to wrestle in college?
That’s something I’ve
been talking about a lot with my coach and my parents. I don’t have any real
decision yet.
What would you say to other girls who might want to try
wrestling?
I would definitely say to stick with it. Girls have to realize
that they’re going to get criticized, and it’s going to be harsh at first. You
have to really, really want it, and stay focused on it, or you’re not going to
make it.
— Michael Lewis
By
Corey Roepken
The Daily News
Published January 27, 2008
FRIENDSWOOD — If you think dual-sport athletes are common,
Ashley Prendergast has a tale for you. The Friendswood High School junior is a
cheerleader and a wrestler.
The same girl who decorates signs and throws
pom-poms on Friday nights in the fall straps on headgear and a singlet and tries
to muscle her way onto an opponent on Saturday mornings in the
winter.
“Most people think its weird when I tell them,” Prendergast said.
“Usually their jaws drop.”
Prendergast was looking for a way to stay in
shape after football season her sophomore year, so her boyfriend, Shane
Lockridge, suggested she join the wrestling team. She said she was lost during
the first practice, but quickly took a liking to her new sport.
She
discovered it takes strength, endurance and agility — three things she learned
in cheering.
That wasn’t the only aspect of cheerleading that helped her
on the mat. It is nearly impossible for any of her wrestling opponents to pin
her by using a cradle — where the offensive wrestler has her opponent’s head and
one of her legs encircled, usually with her arms — because she is so
flexible.
It also helps that it is not an uncomfortable position for her.
Sometimes, she said, she teases her opponents by letting them think they have
her locked in a cradle before slipping out of it. That gives her the mental
edge.
“They get so mad when I do that, and when you get frustrated, it
hinders your performance, because you’re not focused on what you should be
doing,” she said. “You’re focusing on what just happened.”
When her high
school days are over, Prendergast will turn her focus to cheering. She has
competed for University Cheer Air Force in Pasadena for five years and hopes to
use her skills to make one of the cheerleading squads at the University of Notre
Dame — her father’s alma mater.
Until then, however, she’ll have a chance
to make a name for herself as more than just the girl who fancies bright lime
green-colored wrestling shoes. She could become one of the best female wrestlers
in Friendswood history. Prendergast excelled so much as a sophomore that she won
the 119-pound district title and won two matches at the regional tournament.
She’ll be one of the favorites at this year’s district tournament on
Saturday.
She said it doesn’t matter where she finishes this year or
next. Places and medals don’t mean as much to her as knowing she did all she
could.
“Beginner’s luck or not, I was blown away that I had this
seemingly foreign ability,” she said. “But really, cheering has helped me so
much in understanding wrestling and performing my best.”
STAR-BANNER STAFF 1/27/08
OCALA - Marion County has a new state wrestling
champion, and her name is Ashley Helsel.
Helsel and three other area
athletes made a successful trip to the girls state wrestling tournament on
Saturday.
Helsel, a sophomore from Belleview High School, took first
place in the 119-pound weight class, earning the praise of Belleview head coach
Clint Sawyer.
"There is not enough bragging I can do about Ashley,"
Sawyer said. "She has taken to wrestling phenomenally. She is a tremendous
student athlete."
West Port's Rachel Kreiser is the state runner-up in
the 140-pound weight class, exceeding expectations after initially being seeded
third.
Vanguard's Eharti Ramesh placed seventh in the 103-pound weight
class, as she battled hard all throughout the day.
The Wolf Pack's Laura
Gerhart also made a good showing at the tournament, competing in the 112-pound
weight division.
"We are just ecstatic. Each of these girls is so
talented, and they represented our area extremely well," added Sawyer.
|
PREP WRESTLING NORTHWEST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
Borderites finish second; 12 local wrestlers finish first
The Mount Baker girls’ team continued its dominance of the Northwest
Conference, taking home the team title as well as five individual titles. The
Mountaineers won the final five weight classes after sending 10 wrestlers to the
finals to score 182 points.
The match of the tournament might have belonged to Ferndale’s JJ Reiser and
Sedro-Woolley’s Shane Hunt. The two state placers wrestled to a 2-2 tie through
two rounds before Hunt scored a late takedown. The match drew cheers and brought
fans to their feet in solute as the two left the mat.
Morton Ranch wins dual wrestling
tournament
Cy Ridge girls take title with six
champions; Smith goes 5-0 for Cy-Fair
The Cy Ridge girls won six of 10 weights in round-robin
action to outpace second-place Morton Ranch, the host.
Terry
Carter: For the Chronicle
By TERRY CARTER
For The
Chronicle 1/27/08
Host Morton Ranch won the first Maverick Stampede boys duals in the 10-team
tournament on Saturday, defeating Cy-Fair 46-26 in the finals with five
pins.
After finishing first in morning pool A action ahead of runner-up Cy Ridge,
the Mavericks dualed Cy-Fair, which downed Cy Springs in pool B. Cy Springs
earned third with a 52-26 victory over Cy Ridge.
Despite wins by Cy-Fair Bobcat standouts Jake Ekster at 119 pounds and pins
by John Demis at 189, Cy-Fair's comeback stopped after Ekster's win when Morton
Ranch led 28-26 with four matches remaining.
The Mavericks' Cyrus Brown earned a late reversal to score a 6-4 win at 125
pounds in the next bout when the Bobcats could have taken the team lead if Zach
Cooper had defeated Brown in the competitive battle.
Morton Ranch closed out the championship with a 10-9 victory by Harold Duncan
and pins by Corey Barron and Austin Roche.
In the girls' tournament, Cy Ridge won six of 10 weights in round-robin
action to capture the girls' team title over runner-up Morton Ranch.
In a key bout, Cy Ridge senior Jessica Nguyen pinned Morton Ranch's Ashley
Campos in the second period of a 95-pound match between state veterans during
their first meeting. Campos recovered to finish 4-1.
The Lady Rams captured six of the first seven weights. Nguyen dominated at 95
pounds, Gwendolyn Haley won at 102, Ashby Michaca at 110, Kathy Evans at 128,
Kristen Edwards at 138 and Kendra Lewis at 148 all finished unbeaten for Cy
Ridge.
Cy-Fair's Julie Smith posted a 5-0 mark at 119 pounds, and Lady Bobcat
teammate Danielle Vernier won at 215 pounds.
projectjustchillin.org
By WILLIAM WILKERSON
SPECIAL TO
THE STAR-TELEGRAM
Looking
ahead at this week’s boys and girls high school sports action
Girls wrestling
Athlon wrestling with target on back. For someone who questioned whether
or not she’d continue to wrestle during her freshman year, Arlington’s Amanda
Athon seems to have made the right choice. How good of a decision? She’s the
defending state champion in the 215-pound class. “Her freshman season she was
actually a backup to another young lady on our team and was just kind of raw,”
coach Chris Scroggins said. “She wasn’t even sure if she was going to stick
with it her freshman year. “Her sophomore year she had a little bit of success
but not a lot. The end of that year she ended up going to the district
tournament and ended up beating the top two girls for the district
championship. That’s where her career turned around.” Athon, a senior, is
finding the road toward repeating a lot tougher. She’s lost three times, more
than all of last season. Scroggins isn’t worried about her desire anymore, but
he is wary of the strength at 215. “She’s definitely hungry for it,” he said.
"The weight class is a lot tougher than it has been in years past. This
year she has had a target on her back. Girls put more effort into wrestling
her.” Being the best wrestler in this area might be good enough to repeat. Area
wrestlers took first, second and fourth at state last year. Scroggins hopes the
entire team can come together and capture its fifth District 8-5A title at the
district meet, held at Sam Houston, on Feb. 2 at 10 a.m. The Lady Colts won
last year. “It’s been a race every year,” Scroggins said. “We had eight girls
in the district tournament last year, the first time we didn’t have every
weight class covered. We are still looking (this year). There are a couple of
classes we need.” As for those schools that figure to give Arlington a tussle?
“(Arlington Martin) is going to have four or five girls that have the ability
to be district champs,” Scroggins said. “Lamar is strong again and Bowie has
some strength that people don’t realize.”
