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Oklahoma
Boomers
step up at Chickasha
Woodward News 1/29/08
The Boomer wrestlers seem to be hitting their
stride at the right time.
Woodward placed fourth in the team standings in the Class 4A heavy
Chickasha Tournament over the weekend.
“That’s the best we have wrestled all
year,” said head coach Bobby Cook. “It was an
outstanding performance.”
Three Boomer wrestlers reached the finals and Zach White won the
160-pound class in dominating fashion, rolling up a 13-0 lead before
getting a fall in the finals.
Matt White took a hard-luck second at 125 pounds. He was ahead 2-0 in
the finals but was called for an illegal slam and lost by injury
default when his opponent couldn’t continue.
“Matt looked the best I’ve ever seen him
look,” Cook said. “He pinned a state placer from
Chickasha in the semifinals and was ahead 12-0 when he did
it.”
Kevin Tapia was second at heavyweight, losing to a wrestler from
Duncan, 6-1. Tapia was caught with a five-point move at the start of
the match, then wrestled on even terms the rest of the
way.
Freshman Jesse Huff was second at 215 pounds, losing by fall in the
semifinals but pinning everyone else he faced.
Also placing for Woodward were Jon and Josh Rosborough, who shared
third place at 103 pounds, Joey Miller, fourth at 119 and Carlos
Aguirre, fifth at 145 pounds. Michael Hale missed placing by one match
at 125 pounds.
The Boomers will be off for a while before the Class 3A regional in
Tuttle on Feb. 15-16.
Cook said his team would use a few days to heal some bumps and bruises,
then go hard again later this week, through next week and the first
part of regional week before tapering off a day or two prior to the
meet.
The Boomers will be in the Tuttle regional and will found out the other
teams in the regional on Friday. The top four wrestlers at each weight
will advance to the 3A state tournament.
The state tournament is Feb. 22-23 at the Oklahoma City State Fair
Arena.
Article
Launched: 01/31/2008 11:16:51 PM MST
Area
wrestlers who've had successful seasons will have another chance
starting to reassert their dominance today and Saturday at district
wrestling meets. For those who have been just off the mark, it will be
a chance to rise in the ranks and perhaps gain a spot at regionals.
El Paso High senior Alessandra Norman, who won her weight
class last week at the Bowie Invitational, has her sights set on a
district title and team success.
"This year, El Paso High has a young team. I'm the only senior
on the team besides one other senior," she said. A win at Bowie "gives
you confidence going into regionals, there's no question, especially
for the guys. It's huge, but everybody tries to win district as a team
for the district title.
"I'm going to be wrestling the girl I wrestled for first place
at Bowie, and I know she's going to want it. I want to keep her beat,
that's basically what I'm going to be wrestling for."
For schools that have had team success this year, like Hanks,
whose boys took first at Bowie, the district meets are a chance to
solidify their seasons.
Americas head coach Ken Jury said the Trailblazers won't be
one of the favorites this year -- many of the wrestlers will be
competing in their first district meet, but his young club will gain
valuable experience wrestling against talented Montwood and El Dorado
teams.
"We know that for the first time in a long time we're the
underdog," Jury said. "Montwood and El Dorado have
show
themselves to
be the powerhouses
this year. We graduated eight seniors last year, and I think seven of
them were all-city selections, so we're really young this year.
"We always expect to win. You don't enter without those
expectations. We're hoping to bring home our sixth title this year, but
it's a tough road."
Matt Johnson may be reached at mjohnson@elpasotimes.com;
546-6166.
District
wrestling meets
District 1
When,
where: Today, Saturday at El Paso High.
Start time: 6 p.m.
Friday, 9 a.m. Saturday.
District 2
When, where: Today,
Saturday at El Paso High.
Start time: 6 p.m.
Friday, 9 a.m. Saturday.
District 3
When, where: Saturday
at Parkland High School.
Start time: Scheduled
to begin at 9 a.m.
District 4
When, where: Saturday
at Socorro High School.
Start time: Begins at
10 a.m., finals at 2 p.m.
Tennessee
posted February 2, 2008
At 11 a.m. (central) this morning, one wrestler from Soddy Daisy and
South Doyle will walk to center mat, shake hands and make history with
the first girls match in the girls state duals at Clarksville High
School.
In a round robin format, South Doyle also faces Science Hill at 3 p.m.,
while Soddy Daisy comes back to take on Science Hill at 5 p.m. If the
three teams are tied with 1-1 records, then a tie-breaker system will
establish the state champ.
Ten weight classes with each match consisting of three, one-minute
periods.
The weight classes: 105, 112, 119, 125, 130, 138, 148, 155, 165 and 185.
“If fans have not seen good high school girls wrestling, then
they are in for a treat on Saturday,’’ said Soddy
Daisy coach Steve Henry. “It’s good, exciting,
fast-paced wrestling.’’
“These three schools are making history and the Trojans are
glad to be here.’’
“This is a great opportunity for the girls from these three
teams and hopefully this tournament will create interest for next year
and bring in more schools,’’ said South Doyle coach
Weldon Smith.
Smith is running a junior varsity region tournament this weekend so
Yvette Jaquish-Krase, the girls team coordinator and her husband,
Alexander Reed-Krase, are handling the coaching duties in Clarksville.
Yvette wrestled in high school and college in Michigan.
Science Hill coach Jeff Price has a busy weekend as he is the only
coach at the Division I duals with both boys and girls teams in the
tournament.
“I have talked with more newspaper reporters this week than I
have maybe all season,’’ said Price, whose
Hilltopper boys start off his day at 11 a.m. in a consolation match
against Tullahoma.
The boys could wrestle three other times, including the consolation
final at 5 p.m. The Science Hill girls face South Doyle at 3 p.m., and
then wrestle Soddy Daisy at 5 p.m., giving coach Price the potential
for a hectic, and possibly rewarding afternoon.
Team Notes:
* Science Hill: The Hilltoppers are led by twin sisters, Sarah (165)
and Hannah (185) Austin … Price notes that the Austin
sisters are sweet in kind in AP English class, but just the opposite on
the mat … He got the idea to recruit soccer players for his
team from Soddy Daisy coach Steve Henry … Hilltopper
130-pounder Janie Goldstein has a brother, Steven (103), on the boys
team …Steven won both of his matches on Friday night
… Scorekeepers for the boys team, Deanna Persons (155) and
Danielle Mirada (148), also are on the girls team.
* Soddy Daisy: Eight of the Trojans also play soccer … Many
of the wrestlers are also part of the Little Sisters, working as
scorekeepers and handling the video for the boys matches …
The only senior is captain Taylor Lewis … She plans to
attend Tennessee at Chattanooga in the fall and study physical therapy
… Soddy defeated Red Bank, 69-23, in a match on November 15
... Soddy and Red Bank have wrestled once a season since 1998 as a
successful fund raiser for the boys wrestling program.
“We are making history this weekend,’’
said Lewis. “We have trained hard and this tournament is very
important to us.’’
* South Doyle: This is a co-op team with “three
warriors’’ from South Doyle and a girl from
Tullahoma (Emily Gessler who wrestled twice on Friday for the Tullahoma
boys), Hendersonville and West Greene ... South Doyle 103-pounder is
senior Brittany Heatherly who also wrestles for the boys team ... Her
teammates comprising the ‘‘three
warriors’’ are Chelsea Love (130) and Blakley
Graves (138) … Heatherly’s brother, Andrew, is a
former tqwo-time region runner-up for South Doyle … She also
hopes to wrestle for the College of the Cumberlands (Ky.) girls team
next year and possibly some national girls tournaments later this
semester.
CANADA
Young wrestlers
hone their skills; Ontario
juvenile, cadet championship at Brock this weekend
Posted By BERNIE PUCHALSKI - The Standard
Posted - Saturday, February 2, 2008
Emmalee
English didn't have to look far to find
her own personal trainer.
ST.
CATHERINES, Ontario, CANADA - Wrestling in
the 90-kilogram
division at this weekend's Ontario
cadet and juvenile championships at Brock
University,
the Grade 12 student at Kernahan Park has set her sights on getting
down to the
83- or even 77-kilogram weight classes in time for the OFSAA
championships.
To reach that goal, she has enlisted the services of her father Bob.
"He
has always been a big part of my wrestling. He keeps me going," the
17-year-old St. Catharines native said.
Bob drives her to the YMCA every day and takes her through her paces on
an
exercise bicycle, the track, doing sit-ups and work with a medicine
ball, and,
finally, making her run the stairs.
On the stairs, Emmalee is told to run up and down for two minutes to
simulate a
wrestling round and then gets a 30-second rest before having to do it
all over
again.
"Then he pretends I lost the first or second round so I have to do
another
two minutes of running. And then he pretends it's a tie and the match
is going
to a clinch (overtime), so I have to run another 30 seconds."
Whew! It's enough to make a girl collapse.
"He's going to be the death of me, but I appreciate him so much," she
said, with a laugh.
Kernahan Park coach Kathryn Nuyten figures the strenuous regime is just
what
the former Ontario and
Canadian cadet wrestling champion
requires.
"She needed to do that because she has looked a little gassed
at the
end of some of her matches," Nuyten said.
But a lack of gas hasn't stopped English, last year's OFSAA bronze
medallist,
this season.
"She hasn't lost a match yet this year and she has won at
least six
tournaments," Nuyten said.
English would like to add to that winning streak this weekend.
"I won provincials in my second year of cadet and now it's my second
year
of juveniles."
Her goals are a top three finish at OFSAA and at the nationals, but she
would
like more - a lot more.
"Top three would be nice but I would really like to win," she said.
To do so, she will have to overcome a bout with mononucleosis; an
illness that
struck about three weeks ago.
"I'm really tired but the good thing is I never can't fall asleep,"
she said.
English plans to return to Kernahan Park for her high school victory
lap next
season. After that, she hopes to attend Humber College which will allow
her to
wrestle for the University of Guelph. Away from the mat, she wants to
one day
become a police officer. In that regard, she's well on her way already
to acing
the fitness testing. "It will be a breeze if my dad is training me for
it," she said, with a laugh.
There is a never-ending discussion going on right now in the Brock
Wrestling
Club room between head coach Marty Calder and aspiring wrestler Josh
Hipperson.
"He
has got a ton of natural ability but he has not yet convinced himself
he wants to be an elite wrestler. He certainly has the physical tools
to be
one," Calder said.
Hipperson, a talented football linebacker for the Denis Morris Redmen
and the
Niagara Spears, is trying to convince Calder he aspires to succeed as a
wrestler.
"He tells me that a lot and I tell him that I want it. He wants me to
prove it by coming to practice and working hard," Hipperson said. The
17-year-old had decided to put his wrestling singlet where his mouth is
and has
started to train at Brock every day. Earlier in the season, he was
training
once a week.
"I realized if I kept at the routine I was at before, I wasn't going to
win OFSAA."
The Grade 12 student is planning to return to high school next year and
an
OFSAA triumph this season is the first step in reaching his goals.
"I kind of want to win OFSAA twice. And I want to get as good as I can,
as
soon as possible."
Hipperson won a silver medal at the cadet provincials in Grade 9 and
has
similar ambitions competing this weekend in the 83-kilogram juvenile
division.
"I want to finish in the top three and I've been training a lot harder
in
the last month or so."
He has already finished first in five or six tournaments this season
and his
improved performance has certainly caught the eye of Calder. "I think
if
he decides to get serious about it and come up here, he could be a
great asset
to our program."
Hipperson would love nothing better than to earn a spot on the Brock University
squad. Training up at Brock with current team members will help him
achieve
that goal.
"It's a lot more variety. They show me a lot of different techniques
and
they push me harder."
bpuchalski@stcatharinesstandard.ca
Saturday - February 02, 2008 - 02:03 PM
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California
By Cassie
Bryant/Appeal-Democrat
Jan 27, 2008
10:52 pm
Bruises
and an occasional black eye show one's
dedication to a sport. Certain sports have that "it-factor" for
athletes.
Once it elevates to a size two, 16-year-old former
cheerleader-turned-wrestler
chipping her hipbone, it's more than dedication. It has to be love.
"It's a family thing," Green said.
Growing up in a family of wrestlers and wrestling fans, it's hard for
anyone to
not question what is so intriguing about the sport. Ariel Green's
brother,
Beau, wrestled, and according to Green, she "just decided to try it."
Her older sister, Chelsie, takes stats for the teams at Sutter High,
and her
father helps coach Green's girls team.
Green began wrestling when she was in fifth grade, and hasn't let up by
choice
since.
The Meridian teen already has been to the State Championship once. Her
match
didn't end quite the way she had wanted, but she is determined this
year will
be a different story.
Green, a junior at Sutter High, is currently the No. 1 girl wrestler at
118
pounds in California. Her record is 25-2 wrestling both girls and boys.
She
will compete at the girls State Championship on Friday at Hanford West
High in
Hanford. It concludes Saturday.
Five years of constant bumps, bruises and the occasional black eye
don't
compare to the gruesome pain of dislocating a shoulder.
During her freshman year, Green dislocated her right shoulder in the
Michigan
Nationals. Green was protecting her left shoulder that was already
hurt.
"I was just letting her pull on my right shoulder so I wouldn't hurt my
left one even more," said Green.
Despite the pain, a dislocated shoulder is usually minor in the
wrestling world
and happens quite often, but in Green's case, it wasn't the
circumstance.
Normally, the dislocated bone pops back into the joint, and coaches
have the
athlete coddle it for a period of time. In Green's case, the ligaments
were
damaged, and as a result, her shoulder will never fit back in to the
socket
correctly.
Green couldn't fully extend her arm and was unable to wrestle during
her
sophomore year - the 2006-07 season. Her doctor presented a workout
program that
would help get better and keep her active.
"My dad bought me the weights people wear around their wrists so I
could
run with them and straighten my arm," Green said.
Getting back on the mat after a missed period of time was intimidating
for
Green.
"I felt like everyone else got more mat time than me," Green
explained. "It's like I had to catch up."
It wasn't the first injury Green has had while wrestling. In sixth
grade, Green
was wrestling in the championship match at a freestyle tournament. She
was up
by one point when she was flipped over and landed on her elbow wrong,
breaking
it.
Green didn't know it was broken, so she kept wrestling until the
referee forced
her to stop. It had swollen too much to continue. She had to forfeit
the match
and the championship title.
Also, Green chipped her hipbone while trying to do a sprawl. Needless
to say,
Green is more than dedicated to the sport.
The typical high school girl isn't interested in sweating to the point
that her
hair looks like she just got out of the shower. Running an "oak tree
run" of about three miles isn't appealing to most.
"I lose about three pounds of sweat at practice everyday," Green
said.
Eating, or lack thereof, is another issue that all wrestlers deal with
on a
day-to-day basis. Green doesn't cut weight like many wrestlers do, but
what and
how much she eats and drinks is constantly on her mind.
She cannot indulge in teenage pig-outs with friends. In fact, according
to
Green, "The only time I get to hang out with my friends is at lunch."
Green gets out of school at 2:51 p.m. Practice starts at 3:20 p.m. and
ends at
5:30 p.m. In order to maintain her grades - mostly As and Bs - she goes
home
after practice, does homework and is so tired she goes quickly to
sleep.
That schedule isn't for just a typical school wrestling season. Green
starts
her season in November and gets done with her freestyle league in July,
but
there is no rest for the devoted.
Green took up cross country to stay in shape for wrestling.
To some, all the effort and work Green puts in may seem overwhelming,
but it
definitely has its upsides. Memories are made everyday.
The girls she practices with in her girls league have become her best
friends.
Her different sets of coaches are a support system that many would be
lucky to
have. Bonds have been made with her coaches and teammates.
"Practice is serious, so there isn't time to goof around," Green
admits, but just because practice is serious doesn't mean that
unforgettable
memories haven't been made.
Rob Lanterman, a coach for Vintage High in Napa, helps coach in the
United
States Girls' Wrestling Association (USGWA).
"We all do tricks on each other. One time when we were at the hotel, he
[Lanterman] threw a bag of M&Ms, hit me in the forehead, and
bruised
it," Green noted. "Also he was announcing me at a tournament and said
I like to run cross country and go cow-tipping."
In a sport dominated by males, Green is limited to only five
universities to
choose from that have a girls wrestling program. Even though she has
one year
of high school left, Green has spoken with each of them, but is unsure
where
she will attend. Green is certain she will wrestle in college.
Despite overwhelming thoughts about the championship, Green's focus
hasn't
altered in the least. Her practice routine hasn't changed.
When envisioning her match, Green will get pumped up the same way as
the past.
"I put on my iPod, run around the gym a few times, and practice putting
myself in positions," Green said.
She envisions not wasting time in a drawn-out match, and, of course,
winning.
Wrestling has given her another family, and a whole different lifestyle
than
most athletes don't get to experience. Hard work and dedication have
gotten
Green this far.
Her
backbone of supporters
help immensely, and according to Green, "seeing how it will pay off
afterwards is the best part."
Contact Appeal-Democrat sports reporter Cassie Bryant at
749-4797 or
cbryant@appealdemocrat.com.
California
By
Jeremy Luchau 2/2/08
HANFORD --California girls love their
wrestling, too.
When it was announced that the California Invitational held at Hanford
West High’s Event Center was the largest girls wrestling
tournament in the nation, the crowd gave an ovation to remember.
The tournament drew 346 wrestlers to the 2-day tournament, which is the
unofficial state championships. This year’s total is 80 plus
more than last season.
“Girls wrestling is really starting to pick up and get
noticed,” Tournament Director Allen Blanchard said.
“This is the largest tournament in the nation.”
Hanford schools brought seven wrestlers and four are alive for the
second day.
Hanford High’s Justine
Neves was 2-0 and in the 122-pound quarterfinals and teammate Marina
Castillo was 0-1 and alive in the consolations at 189. Ashley Huerta
(108) was 0-2 and eliminated and Jammie Domingo (126) was 1-2 and
eliminated.
“The tournament is going well,” Neves said.
Hanford West’s Gabby Corona-Zamarripa advanced to the
quarterfinals at 146 with a pair of wins and Mayra Zamora (122) was 1-1
and stayed alive in the consolations. Heather Roy went 1-2 at 114 and
was eliminated.
“I think the tournament is big and major for our
town,” Corona-Zamarripa said. “There’s a
lot of girls here today and this is the largest tournament in the
nation.”
Girls wrestling is taking off with some teams at the event nearly
fielding a full lineup.
But unlike the boys wrestling, the girls seem to share a better
sportsmanship and bond. After most matches the girls would embrace and
congratulate each other.
“We’re not like the boys, we all kind of root for
each other,” Corona-Zamarripa said. “Our team is
really close with the Hanford High team. We kind of wrestle as one
team.”
Wrestling resumes this morning at 9 a.m.
UTAH
Utah's Workman wins first two matches at 103
By Kyle
Ringo (Contact)
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Photo
LAFAYETTE -- The Centaurus High School cheerleaders were
mesmerized.
They weren't alone.
In a steamy gymnasium on a frigid Friday evening hundreds of
prep wrestlers from four states went at each other on five different
mats in what has become the best wrestling tournament Colorado has to
offer outside of the state bracket in February.
And this year the only girl in the largest field in the
tournament's history has advanced to the quarterfinals of the 103-pound
weight class.
Candace Workman is no stranger to the sort of success she is
enjoying at the prestigious Top of the Rockies tournament at Centaurus
High School. She became the first female wrestler in Utah state history
to qualify for the state tournament last season as a sophomore at
Uintah High School in Vernal, Utah.
When she won her qualifying match, she cried, and no one held
it against her because many of them were crying, too. She placed sixth
at state.
She hopes to better that result by five spots this year, and
she is off to a good start with a 30-6 overall record heading into
today's action. Workman won her first- and second-round matches Friday
becoming the first female to advance to the quarterfinal round of this
12-year-old event.
Her second-round opponent was Centaurus freshman LeRoy
Delgado, who had easily dispatched his first-round foe. He struggled
with Workman, who came back in the third 2-minute period to win 11- 7.
She did it with a good chunk of the 1,327 in attendance watching,
including a group of cheerleaders who didn't seem to know what to make
the of the show.
Workman also defeated Tim Mooney of Legacy High School by
major decision 14-1.
"She's pretty good," Delgard said. "She's going to train with
the Olympic team."
Her father, Jason, serves on the Uintah coaching staff and was
a high school wrestler, too. Candace fell in love with her father's
stories about the sport when she was young and she often wrestled with
dad in the family livingroom when she was small.
Jason Workman said his daughter went through several years
when she wanted nothing to do with wrestling, but came home from second
grade one day with a permission slip. A career was born and it could
lead to a scholarship to Northern Michigan where she would train for
the Olympics with 19 other girls from around the country.
Her teammates call her "Superstar" because she is often asked
for interviews. She is not a fan of the nickname because she doesn't
want to be treated any differently than her teammates, who number at
least 30 at the varsity and junior varsity levels. At first, she was a
curiosity to many, but there is little doubt she has earned the
attention.
"When I first got into high school, a lot of kids didn't know
me and you could hear them talking before," she said. "They were
usually thinking it was going to be an easy match.
"I guess I earned their respect."
As she stood in a hallway Friday after advancing to the
semifinals, respect was evident. Other wrestlers repeatedly patted her
on the back and gave congratulations. Many of these wrestlers are
members of ranked teams and hold individual rankings themselves.
Longmont coach Ty Tatham has brought his team to this
tournament every year since its inception.
"I don't know if it has been any tougher than this year,"
Tatham said. "I tell my kids it's a measuring stick. You don't win the
state championship here, but if you want to be the best, you have to
wrestle the best."
Today, the best at 103 pounds might be a feisty female who has
suffered her fair share of fat lips and black eyes along the way. They
are the hazards of the sport.
"Some girls don't like it because they think I'm just in it
for the attention because I'm the only girl," Workman said. "Some don't
think it's right that a girl is wrestling boys. A lot of girls come up
to me and say how cool they think it is."
Shayne McKee is the father of Jessy McKee, who wrestles at 140
pounds for Uintah. He has witnessed most of the highs and lows Workman
has experienced over the past three seasons in the very male wrestling
world.
"She's all girl when she ain't wrestling," he said.
McKee said each year Workman is credited with a handful of
victories because her male opponents refuse to wrestle her and forfeit.
It breaks his heart.
McKee said he has heard and coaches of her opponents justify
forfeiting on religious grounds. Others say they're worried about
Workman being hurt. Some say it is inappropriate for boys and girls to
engage in a competition, where no areas of the anatomy are off limits
to contact.
McKee said some wrestlers take a match against Workman to the
opposite extreme. He believes they might go a little harder, rake an
arm across her face with bad intentions. Stuff like that.
"You can't break her spirit with it," he said. "She takes it
and keeps coming."
USOEC pushes 4 to finals
(Updated)
Shannyn
J. Gillespie USOEC Freestyle
Saturday
February 2, 2008
Calgary,
Alberta, Canada Feb. 2, 2008 -- U.S. States
Olympic Education Center (USOEC) freestyle wrestlers Beth Johnson 55kg,
Whitney
Conder 55kg, Nikki Darrow 59kg, and Schuyler Brown 63kg all made the
championship finals at the Nordhagen Jr. Classic (20 and under), held
at the
Kinesiology Complex of the University of Calgary campus Saturday
February 2,
2008.
Four
of seven USOEC wrestlers made the gold medal round and two,
Johnson and Conder, battled for the championship title.
Jr.
World Champion (2007) Conder was named the international
Outstanding Wrestler by stopping Johnson 2-2, 5-2 in the gold medal
round.
Johnson,
who won a silver medal, is a high school senior at
Marquette Senior High School.
Silver
medalist Darrow, a Northern Michigan University junior
who underwent neck surgery last summer, competed in her first
competition of
the 2007-2008 season, also won a silver medal at the 2007 edition of
the
Nordhagen Jr. Classic lost to Canadian Outstanding Wrestler Heidi Erdle
(UCWC)
0-2, 1-3.
Nordhagen
Jr. Classic Champion Brown, a USOEC resident athlete
who is also a high school senior at Marquette Senior High School,
pinned
Danielle Lappage (Olds) in the second period of the 63kg final.
USOEC
freestyle wrestlers Amber Miracle 59kg and Katie Crouch
72kg both placed sixth and fourth respectively.
Marquette
Senior High School senior, Elizabeth DeAngelo 59kg
also competed in the Nordhagen Jr. Classic and lost two bouts.
USOEC
Results
Beth
Johnson 55kg Silver medalist
Win
– L. Wilson (Burnaby)
Win
– G. Carpenter (Burnaby)
Loss
– Whitney Conder (USOEC)
Whitney
Conder 55kg Champion & OW
Win
– L. Gordon (Burnaby)
Win
– T. Chase (Salisbury)
Nikki
Darrow 59kg Silver medalist
Win
– C. Rodriques (Brock W.C.)
Win
– A. Doyle (Nova Scotia)
Win
– K. Kent (Huskies)
Loss
– Heidi Erdle (UCWC)
Elizabeth
DeAngelo 59kg
Loss
– H. Erdle (UCWC)
Loss
– A. Miracle (USOEC)
Amber
Miracle 59kg 6th
Loss
– R. Dickenson (Burnaby)
Win
– C. Rodriques (Brock W.C.)
Win
– Elizabeth DeAngelo (USOEC)
Loss
– K. Kent (Huskies)
Loss
– R. Dickenson (Burnaby)
Schuyler
Brown 63kg Champion
Win
– D. Brose (Huskies)
Win
– M Terhart (Bears)
Win
– Danielle Lappage (Olds)
Katie
Crouch 72kg 4th
Loss
– E. Wiebe (UCWC)
Win
– M. Connell (NI)
Loss
– D. Jehu (Brock)
California
Neither
Hogan High girls wrestling coach Ric Manibusan nor Vallejo coach Carl
Lastrella stuck around long enough to wait for officials to sort out
the team standings after the first day of the California Inviational
Tournament, the unofficial state meet for girls wrestlers.
All they know right now is that it's a matter of numbers - as
in how many wrestlers each team still had in the tournament after
Friday.
The breakdown: Hogan 9, Vallejo 6. Which means ...
"I expect (Hogan) to be in front by maybe 20-25 points,"
Lastrella said. "We'd probably be second or third."
The Spartans head into today's action with Christine Alcantara
(98), Ariana Reyes (103), Alice Hoover (114), Samantha Hoover (118),
Monica Gonzalez (154), Chantel White (165), Dominique Carter (189), and
Cardellen Parker (235) all still alive in the quarterfinals. Angela
Manibusan (138) remains alive in consolation.
Vallejo, meanwhile, has four wrestlers still in the
quarterfinals - Mary Jane Fernandez (98), Sabrina Ross (103), Jennifer
Fernandez (108), and Jennifer Avelino (114). Jasmine Dalangin (126) and
Johanna Knight (138) are also still alive in consolation.
And so today, the Apaches find themselves in an unfamiliar
role up against Hogan as they try
to win their fourth consecutive state championship.
"We're underdogs," Lastrella said, "but hey man, we're going
to fight 'til the bitter end."
Lastrella had to tip his hat to Hogan's first-day performance,
but not without acknowledging the numbers game and how things could
still shake out in Vallejo's favor.
"They looked impressive. They were getting a lot of pins,"
Lastrella said. "Here's the deal breaker: Can their girls push through
the semis? And after that, can they make it to the finals? I think
we've got a good draw with our girls."
Manibusan was pleased with how the Spartans wrestled on the
first day but remained cautiously optimistic about today.
"We're looking OK right now, but we're going to see the meat
and potatoes (today)," Manibusan said.
In other news, Bethel freshman Camille Bordon beat a state
placer from last year to advance to the quarterfinals at 118 pounds,
and St. Patrick-St. Vincent's Katrina Gillus is in the quarterfinals at
138.
The CIF has yet to sanction a girls state tournament, leaving
this meet with the unoffical disclaimer.
Tennessee
Soddy-Daisy Girls Claim Mat Title
posted February 3,
2008
Soddy Daisy girls wrestling coach Steve Henry looked all week
for a cure for his flu and then lack of sleep on Friday.
The remedy came
Saturday afternoon just prior to dinner (approx. 5:30 p.m.) in the form of a
girls state wrestling championship given to him by his Trojan team.
The
inaugural girls state tournament was held in conjunction with the TSSAA boys
Division I AAA and A/AA state duals this weekend at Clarksville High
School.
"We wrestled well tonight and to win the first one is special,"
said Henry
who had a smile for the first time this week."
Soddy
trailed only once in the 10-weight finals and defeated Science Hill,
36-12.
"This is a good story," said TSSAA executive director Ronnie
Carter with a look of satisfaction in post match discussion. "It's girls
wrestling's
version of "A league of their own."
The Trojans struck
with lightening quickness in the opening match at 155 pounds as Laura Lee Clark
(155) scored a takedown in two seconds and pinned Deanna Persons 20 seconds
later for a 6-0 team lead.
"I had to wrestle about 30 pounds above my
normal weight in our practice dual with Science Hill in January and was pinned
twice," said Clark. "But I was determined to win tonight and I had to show I
could do really well and I did," she said with a look of
satisfaction.
Science Hill took its only lead at 9-6 on a 4-1 decision by
Sarah Austin (165), while twin sister, Hannah Austin (185) followed with a
forfeit win.
Melissa Downs countered with a Trojan forfeit triumph at 112
and the Trojans wrestling in navy blue singlets had the lead for good at
12-9.
The Trojans then ran away and hid with three pins by Brooke Hensley
(112), Taylor Lewis (119) and Hayley Moreno (125) for an insurmountable 30-9
advantage.
Moreno¹s pin of Audie Lacy in 1:49 secured the title as
Science Hill could only score a maximum 18 points in the final three
matches.
"I am sad that wrestling is over for me," said Trojan senior
captain Lewis, wearing a gold medal around her neck. "I hope I left a good
example of hard work and dedication (6-0 in four years) work for those returning
next year.
It was great to be part of history." Standing near a
post-tournament group photo with approximately 30 girls from the three competing
teams, Carter said, "You can tell this is important to them."
The Future:
"This tournament now gives girls a chance to wrestle on their own team and
not with boys," said Steve Henry. "People have to have a backbone and have some
heart and form a girls wrestling team at many high schools across the state," he
said with conviction in his voice.
"This (girls high school wrestling)
is coming, so you better get on board. It's the answer to Title IX
issues."
Girls State Finals:
Soddy Daisy 36, Science Hill
12
155 Laura Lee Clark (SD) pinned Deanna Persons, :22; 165 Sarah
Austin
(SH) dec. Dakota Johnson, 4-1; 185 Hannah Austin (SH) forfeit win;
105
Melissa Downs (SD) forfeit win; 112 Brooke Hensley (SD) pinned
Katherine
Lilly, 2:29; 119 Taylor Lewis (SD) pinned Sarah Kenney, :46; 125
Haylay
Moreno (SD) pinned Audie lacy, 1:49; 130 Janie Goldstein (SH) dec.
Madison
Murray, 8-2; 138 Shelby Garren (SD) dec. Rachel Calloway, 8-5; 148
Clair
Lanter (SD) dec. Danielle Miranda, 8-3.
State Records:
Fastest Takedown: Laura Lee Clark (SD), :02
First Takedown: Laura Lee
Clark (SD)
Fastest Pin: Laura Lee Clark (SD), :22
First Pin: Laura Lee
Clark (SD)
First Escape: Dakota Johnson (SD)
First Reverse: Sarah Austin
(SH)
First Win By Forfeit: Hannah Austin (SH)
First 2-Point Near Fall:
Brooke Hensley (SD)
First 3-Point Near Fall: Brooke Hensley (SD)
Most
Escapes, One Match: Clair Lanter (SD), 2
Most Reverses, One Match: 1, nine
different wrestlers
Most Near Falls, One Match: Brooke Hensley (SD),
2
Most Takedowns, One Match: Janie Goldstein (SH), 3
Most Pins, Team: SD
4
Consecutive Pins, Team: SD 3
Most Decisions, Team: SD- 2
Most
Forfeit Wins, Team: SH - 1, SD - 1
Tennessee
By Douglas Fritz 2/1/08
Press Sports Writer
dfritz@johnsoncitypress.com
Discuss This Article
in Our Forums
Katheryn Lilly (left) and Jennifer
Arnett do some one-on-one during a Science Hill practice. (Tony Duncan / Johnson
City Press)
|
Science Hill is on the
cutting edge of a new girls’ high school sport.
The Hilltoppers fielded a girls’ wrestling team, and 14 competitors will
compete in a state invitational tournament Saturday. Only three other schools in
Tennessee — Soddy Daisy, Cleveland and South Doyle — have programs that will
compete in the event.
There are several reasons why wrestling coach Jeff Price wanted Science Hill
to be involved.
“I thought if it happened I wanted to be in on the ground floor,” said Price.
“Plus, college programs are picking it up, so it can be a scholarship avenue. I
think Title IX has been driving a lot of it. I think it’s coming.
“As long as it is girls wrestling girls, I think it’s great. I’ve been
opposed to girls wrestling with guys because it’s a question of chivalry. You
can’t teach a guy to respect a girl and then tell him to go kick the crap out of
her.”
Price tried to get things started by mentioning the program during class. He
said the response was quick.
“I talked about it in first period, and then in fourth period I had girls
tell me there were 24 girls who wanted to do it,” said Price. “That’s when I
thought it might be feasible. But I’m not real surprised. With the amount of
athletes we have in our school, I figured we could fill the weight classes.
“And there are probably a lot of girls walking around our school wishing they
had done it. Some girls have asked about doing it next year.”
When they first started, Price said there were about 20 girls who came out
for the team. Fourteen of them remain, including senior twins Sarah Austin and
Hannah Austin.
Both Sarah and Hannah were enthusiastic when Price told them of the plan.
“When I first heard about it, I thought it was a great thing,” said Sarah. “I
had never thought about wrestling, but it sounded like a lot of fun. And I had
Coach Price as a teacher and I knew he wouldn’t sign me up for something I would
hate.”
Hannah also said she thought wrestling would be a fun thing.
“It has been great and it has been so much fun, but it is hard work,” said
Hannah. “Some people thought it was like a joke at first. But when we had our
first home tournament, a lot of people realized we weren’t kidding and they took
it more seriously.”
The twins haven’t held much back when they are on the mat.
“They are really nice sweet kids,” said Price. “But when they come into
practice, we try to keep them separated. One of them beat the other one in a
match, and afterwards one rode home with her parents and the other rode the bus.
“One thing about our girls, they get after it. They get after it from the
get-go.”
Members of the team (with weight class in parentheses) are: Katie Greatti
(105), Jenny Arnett (112), Kathryn Lilly (112), Sarah Kenney (112), Ryann
Williams (119), Audie Lacy (125), Jamie Goldstein (130), Rachel Callaway (138),
Danielle Miranda (148), Deanna Powers (155), Sarah Austin (165), Rachel Shirley
(165), Jamie Walker (185), and Hannah Austin (185).
Price said next season things could get even more serious for the girls.
“When things get full-blown, we will take the same approach as the guys,”
said Price. “We haven’t taught them as much this year. We’re trying to teach a
slimmed-down version of our system, just the bare-bones stuff.”
Tennessee
Girls-only tournament may lead to state event
By JEFF LOCKRIDGE • Staff Writer • January 31,
2008
JOHN A . GILLIS / GANNETT TENNESSEE
Emily Gessler, a freshman wrestler at Tullahoma, says boys are usually
uncomfortable when facing her in a match.
|
Emily Gessler is a wrestler. She is also a 14-year-old girl.
Her male opponents acknowledge the first part, and they cannot ignore the
second.
The wrestling mat can be a controversial and compelling venue in Tennessee
high schools, where conventional boundaries of how teenage girls and boys should
touch and behave are blurred.
In a macho sport of grabbing, awkward positions and constant injuries, mixing
genders has long been a topic of debate.
"Most girls are afraid," said Gessler, a Tullahoma freshman. "Guys I wrestle
usually feel uncomfortable wrestling me. They think they're going to hurt me.
They find out real soon they're not going to."
When it comes to girls wrestling boys, Tennessee is in the majority. Only
four states — Hawaii, Oregon, Texas and Washington — offer girls-only wrestling
as a state-sanctioned sport.
But the potential for change, in Tennessee at least, is on the horizon.
Saturday could signify the first of many necessary steps for girls wrestling
to become a sanctioned sport by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic
Association.
Three girls teams from East Tennessee are set to compete in a separate
exhibition tournament during the state duals in Clarksville, which decide the
high school team champions. In these matches, girls will wrestle girls.
That opportunity is not usually afforded in Middle Tennessee, where no girls
teams have been established.
"Girls are still under-represented in sports," said Marjorie Snyder, co-CEO
of the Women's Sports Foundation. "They make up about half of the student
population but only 40-41 percent of all sports opportunities, evident by the
fact they don't have other wrestling programs.
"It would probably be a better situation (for girls to wrestle girls). … In
the meantime, girls still deserve the opportunity to participate."
Public perception
Whether it is healthy or hazardous, girls require nerve and ambition to
challenge boys of the same weight.
"In high school, it's gotten harder because guys don't want to get beaten by
a girl," Hendersonville sophomore Emilii Russell said. "I had some forfeits in
middle school. Sometimes their moms wouldn't let them wrestle me. My parents
really didn't think I was going to last long. I've always been real aggressive
and stuff. I didn't ever like cheerleading."
Once girls get past any fears, they still have the burden of essentially
being on their own.
"When a girl is on a boys team, it's not as supportive as it probably needs
to be," said Brentwood freshman April Alonzo, who has agreed to wrestle for
South Doyle's team at Saturday's tournament.
"I've always tried to encourage other girls to wrestle. Most of them say,
'Oh, that sounds cool.' Then I say, 'Well if it's cool, you should do it.' But
then they say they have other things to do."
Kip Flanik, women's wrestling coach at University of the Cumberlands in
Williamsburg, Ky., warns against sexual stereotypes.
"Girls aren't out there trying to get a cheap thrill," said Flanik, whose
school is one of seven U.S. colleges that offer women's wrestling as an official
sport. "If it's uncomfortable for a guy to touch a girl in some area, wouldn't
it be just as uncomfortable for a guy to touch another guy in the same
area?"
Building a future
Title IX, the landmark legislation passed in 1972, paved the way for gender
equity in school athletics. Colleges are giving scholarships to female
wrestlers. On top of that, in 2004 women's wrestling became an Olympic
sport.
The changes have not gone unnoticed. More than 5,000 girls wrestled at U.S.
high schools last year — up from 112 in 1990, according to the National
Federation of State High School Associations.
By Snyder's calculations, about 8,500 girls are currently competing in
wrestling — up from 800 a decade ago.
"It's on the brink of taking off," said Steve Henry, who has coached
wrestling at Soddy-Daisy since 1982.
"Girls wrestling is really going to save the boys. The National Federation
was fighting Title IX for years, has since rethought it and is now pushing for
girls wrestling to get started. I think they saw you can go in a positive
direction and kill two birds with one stone."
Rival schools Soddy-Daisy and Red Bank planted the seed for Saturday's
exhibition in the 1990s. While enjoying a summer day on the lake, the coaches
agreed to hold an annual girls dual match as a fund-raiser for the programs.
Last year, Ronnie Carter, the state association's executive director, floated
the idea of a girls tournament before the wrestling coaches. They liked it.
"It remains to be seen whether it's the start of something bigger," Carter
said. "Most of our sports have to start at the trench level — schools fielding
teams, interest builds, and then it becomes a sanctioned sport. We're just sort
of giving it a platform or stage."
Obstacles remain
Growing wrestling in Tennessee — girls or boys — is no easy task outside of
Chattanooga, where interest in the sport has always been strongest.
It takes a special commitment, like the one given at Johnson City's Science
Hill High.
One of the three schools with a girls team wrestling Saturday, Science Hill
has secured a coaching stipend to go toward a girls coach next season. Jeff
Price, who coaches both teams this year, said it was the right move.
"For coaches, it's just going to be the time (constraints)," Price said. "We
waited till January to start, when the guys kind of tail off and practices are
shorter."
Gessler and Russell say they need competition with boys during the school
year to prepare for the United State Girls' Wrestling Association National
Championships every March.
"Boys the same weight as you are typically stronger," Gessler said. "I'm
trying to keep up, but they kind of do have an advantage. I don't worry about
that. I feel like I'm wrestling somebody, and they should feel like they're
wrestling any other person."
Girls can wrestle too Video
Japan
By Gary Abbott 2/2/08
USA
Wrestling/Themat.com
gabbott@usawrestling.org
Is it possible for an international wrestler to complete a
career undefeated? Is it possible for any wrestler to complete a career without
a loss?
At the 2000 Olympics, the undefeated three-time Olympic champion
Alexander Kareline was upset in the Olympic finals in Sydney, Australia by an
unknown American farm boy named Rulon Gardner. That victory was the most
important story from the Sydney Games, and thrust Rulon Gardner into celebrity
status on the international scene.
What Kareline achieved in wrestling was amazing. Starting in
1985, when he won a gold medal at the Espoir World Championships held in
Colorado Springs, Colo., Kareline won a gold medal in every international event
he entered, winning every single match. This Siberian superman racked up three
Olympic golds, nine World titles, 12 European championships and many other open
international tournaments. Athletes feared to wrestle Kareline, some even
rolling over for him rather than facing his amazing reverse lift throw.
Yet, even Alexander Kareline could be beaten. In fact, any
wrestler can, and most probably will, get defeated if they stay in the sport
very long.
This past week, within women’s freestyle wrestling, an upset
victory that can be compared with the Kareline loss occurred. Again, a little
known American named Marcie Van Dusen spoiled the attempt of Japanese superstar
Saori Yoshida from completing her international career undefeated.
Yoshida came onto the international scene in 1998, winning a
Cadet World title. Since then, she has won a gold medal in every international
tournament she entered. Included was a 2004 Olympic gold medal, five World
Championships, two Asian Games titles, three Asian Championships golds, two
World University titles and four World Cup gold medals. According to the
Japanese media, she had a 119 match victory streak on her record.
Yoshida was featured in a Sports Illustrated story in December
talking about how it was her goal to win the Olympics in Beijing, China this
summer and retire undefeated.
That all changed in Taiyuan, China, at the Women’s World Cup on
January 19. Van Dusen, who was 10th in the 2007 World Championships in her only
World appearance, defeated Yoshida 4-1, 2-2 in the dual meet between the USA and
Japan. Van Dusen’s win helped the USA to upset Japan in that match.
This was big news in Japan, which takes a special pride in the
success of its women’s wrestling program. Here in the USA, in both the general
public and the wrestling community, the news has not gotten out there.
Yoshida’s over-confidence may have played a factor in her losing
this match.
"It went wrong because I thought I could surely win and took it
easy," Yoshida said to the wire service AFP. "The biggest shock is that I was
beaten for the first time in an international meet."
Another reason that it happened is because Van Dusen believed
that she could win the match. Just like Gardner before her, the American spirit
in Van Dusen gave her the courage to beat an unbeatable foe.
“She’s a great opponent, but I expected to win,” Van Dusen said
in an interview with USA Wrestling’s Elizabeth Wiley. “It is nice to know that
everybody is beatable. It’s nice to have that in my pocket, to take it out and
look at it. I also know there are a lot of tough international wrestlers out
there, and I feel like I can take them on.”
Van Dusen grew up in California, where she was a successful
age-group wrestler. After taking a little time away from the sport, she wrestled
in college for a season. Her next move was to the U.S. Olympic Training Center,
where she has been training and competing full-time. For a number of years, Van
Dusen toiled behind two-time World silver medalist Tina George. She lost one
season to a severe knee injury. Many believe that Van Dusen is coming into her
own as an athlete now. But very few would have predicted that she was going to
be THE ONE who beat Yoshida.
Consider some of the other famous wrestlers who pursued an
undefeated career.
Everybody points at Cael Sanderson of Iowa State, and his
undefeated four-time Div. I NCAA career as one of the biggest moments in college
athletics. Cael’s amazing achievement caught the imagination of the nation, a
feat that propelled wrestling into the headlines and Sanderson into sports
history. However, many remember that Sanderson lost a match while a redshirt
freshman in an open tournament.
Kareline, with all of his international gold medals and winning
streak prior to the loss to Gardner, was not undefeated during his entire life.
He had lost a match in Russia to 1987 World champion Igor Rostorosky.
Yoshida also had an unbeaten streak going against foreign
competitors, but had a loss on her home soil to four-time World champion Seiko
Yamamoto at a Japanese national championship in 2001.
American wrestling fans remember the long winning streak that
Dan Gable had in high school and in college, before he was upset in his final
college match against Larry Owings of Washington. Gable went on to win a World
and Olympic gold, becoming a national wrestling hero along the way. Just in case
you didn’t know, Gable lost some freestyle matches, too.
When wrestlers try to go undefeated, there is a target on them.
Everybody wants to be the person to beat the unbeaten star. The pressure is on
the wrestler who has never lost. All of the opponents have nothing to lose. In
many cases, that pressure becomes too great and the undefeated wrestler slips up
. At other times, an amazing performance by a worthy opponent is what breaks the
winning streak.
Congratulations go out to Marcie Van Dusen for proving once
again that anybody can be beaten, and for having the skill and confidence to do
it.
Congratulations also go to Saori Yoshida, who like many other
great wrestlers before her, tried to do something great under tremendous
pressure.
Both of these amazing wrestlers deserve credit and applause.
Gary Abbott is the Director of Communications and
Special Projects for USA Wrestling and is a founder of the National Wrestling
Media Association and is a 2005 recipient of the NWCA Meritorious Service
Award.
Florida
Story Created: Jan 28, 2008 at 9:52 PM EST
Story Updated: Jan 28, 2008 at 9:52 PM EST
Three SW Florida high school girls carpooled to Vero Beach
on Saturday and competed in the Florida State Girls Wrestling Championships, two
Brought home Gold! Kathy Harcourt 16, of Barron Collier High swept the
competition in the 105 lbs weight class, Carolyn Beneli, 15, of Palmetto Ridge
High hammered the competition in the 130 lbs weight class for a first place
medal, and Erica Cruz 16, of Immokalee High, aggressively competed in the 114
Ibs weight class. All three girls wrestle on their High School boys’ teams
during regular season to train for the Girls State Championships. They are often
misunderstood and chastised by their classmates and families who have trouble
understanding why they choose to compete against boys. Female wrestling is now
an Olympic Sport and the girls hope that their victory at State will win them
some hard earned respect from their detractors and some high dollar scholarships
from top division 1 Universities who are now eager to build winning female
wrestling teams of their own.
Florida
By ROGER LALONDE (Contact)
Sunday,
December 2, 2007
It was a wrestling bonanza at the Lely Wrestling Duals on Saturday at Lely
High.
There were some very close matches as 13 teams wrestled dual meets, rotating
teams in Pool A or B.
After four rounds, Fort Myers and North Fort Myers, in Pool A and Cape
Coral-Mariner, in Pool B, were undefeated.
Following a draw to match up the best teams in the two pools, Fort Myers
edged Mariner to finish 5-0 and North Fort Myers finished a perfect day by
downing Ida Baker, who had been second in Pool B.
Mariner finished, 4-1. Lely, Barron Collier, Ida Baker and South Fort Myers
were 3-2, Cypress Lake and Miami Bay Point, 1-3 and East Lee, 0-4.
Overall, Fort Myers had nine wrestlers finish in the top two, while North
Fort Myers, Ida Baker and Lely had seven.
"The day was a good chance to give a lot of our younger kids experience,"
said Barron Collier coach Jeff Mustari.
Tige Thompson, Lely's coach and duals coordinator, said there was some very
close matches, with Fort Myers edging Mariner, 39-37, to keep its perfect
slate.
"There were 24 wrestlers who went 5-0 today, against some really good
competition, he said.
Lely’s David Isme, 140 pounds, had a good shot of going 5-0, but chose to
wrestle up to the next weight class to battle Robinson Merci of North Fort
Myers, who defeated him a year ago, keeping Isme from going to state.
"Isme lost 9-7, but he set a good example for our wrestlers by facing a big
challenge," Thompson said.
Lely’s Louis Gonzalez, 215, won all five matches to raise his record to 8-0
on the season."My big match is to come in two weeks at Manatee (Invitational)
where I get to go up against Richard Cunningham who finished second in the state
last year," he said.
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