Women's Wrestling: Olympic wrestler Yoshida eager for rebound
02/11/2008
BY KIM HAN IL, STAFF WRITERAfter America's Marcie Van Dusen brought her 119-match winning streak to a screeching halt in January, a crestfallen Saori Yoshida said she was backing out of the women's wrestling Asian championships in March.
The Athens gold medalist in the 55-kilogram category had already secured a berth to Beijing to defend her title, so no one could blame her.
"After the loss, I was too shocked to sort out my feelings," Yoshida said Saturday of her rash decision to skip the continental championships. "My father (former national champion Eikatsu Yoshida) said I better have an opportunity to fight with foreign wrestlers before the Beijing Games, but I made the final decision by myself."
That decision was to hit the mats at the March 18-23 Asian championships in Cheju, South Korea, after all.
"I decided this morning I'll take part in the Asian meet," Yoshida said after a 140-minute training session Saturday afternoon in Tokyo.
With six months to go before the Opening Ceremony of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, the women's national wrestling team convened at Tokyo's newly opened National Training Center on Friday for the first day of a four-day training session.
During Saturday's session, six-time national champion Yoshida and head coach Kazuhito Sakae checked her form on video after she attempted a tackle. In her losing bout to Van Dusen, Yoshida lost points when the American did reversals to counter her tackles. The wrestling area in the new state-of-the-art National Training Center has eight video cameras--two in the ceiling and six in the walls--that enables grapplers to study and analyze their forms from a multitude of angles.
"It's the first time I've been able to watch video taken from above," Yoshida said. "I realized clearly that I have a bad habit whenever I attempt to tackle."
Knowing she would be facing the dominant Yoshida in January's World Cup competition in China, Van Dusen enlisted a Japanese coach in the United States who had her practice the reverse move over and over. It was the key to Yoshida's stunning loss, and the Athens gold medalist is determined it will not happen again.
"I have to fix it up by Beijing, Yoshida said. "But I have a lot of time to improve."
Sakae is glad Yoshida will fight in the Asian championships and added that he is confident she will bounce back from her January defeat.
"Participating in the Asian meet will be her real comeback," Sakae said. "She must not forget her aggressiveness by being nervous on reversals."
The National Training Center, in Tokyo's Kita Ward, opened on Jan. 21, and the wrestling team's four-day session was their visit to the center.
"The rooms are as luxurious as those of a hotel and the bathroom is so big that we could spar in there," said a laughing Yoshida. "It's a wonderful facility."
Japan's women wrestlers dominated the Athens Games in 2004, earning four medals in all four categories. Yoshida and Kaori Icho of the 63kg class won golds; Chiharu Icho, elder sister of Kaori, grabbed the 48kg-class silver medal; and Kyoko Hamaguchi won the bronze in the 72kg class. The Icho sisters have already earned berths to Beijing, but Hamaguchi has yet to qualify for the Beijing Games.(IHT/Asahi: February 11,2008)
Eagles win wrestling crown
Posted 8 hours ago 2/11/08Sir James Dunn edged Korah by a single point, 72-21, Thursday to win the boys team title in the annual City High School Wrestling Championships at White Pines.
After winning consecutive boys championships from 1999 through 2005, the victory was the Dunn's first in three years.
Meantime, Central Algoma Secondary School secured its second straight girls championship. The Desbarats school finished with 55 points, 15 more than SJD.
CASS was third in boys competition while Korah was third on the girls side.
The Dunn had five individual boys champions, including: Mitch Fera (47.5 kilograms), Josh Fryia (51k), Rob Larkin (61k), Dom Graf (72k) and Tim Kwon (95k).
Korah grapplers Greg Charrette (57.5k), Wylie Middleton (64k), Adam Morin (67.5k), Mike Casagrande (89k) and Travis Zorzit (heavyweight) also grabbed first-place finishes.
Jerritte Menard (38k), Logan McKinnon (44k) and Kyle Chalifoux (83k) paced CASS with first-place efforts.
St. Basil also had a pair of individual champions: Joe Delbasso (54k) and Shawn Sullivan (77k).
In girls action, CASS was led by the first-place performances of Nichole Kinzel (47.5k), Karly MacLeod (54k) and Lindsey Armstrong (72k).
Sydney Mitchell (57.5k), Hillary Pristol (61k), Christina Carter (67.5k) and Reyanna Sangestino (77k) led the Eagles with first-place efforts.
Korah's Sam Stewart (64k), Rebecca Sidwall (44k) of White Pines and Bawating's Sam Boyer (51k) also captured individual titles.
The Diamond High School wrestling program might not have quantity at this
point of the season, but quality is something they sure seem to
have.
With a roster down to only seven wrestlers for various reasons, the
team traveled to the Warsaw Duals Saturday and brought home six
medals.
Diamond finished fifth as a team with 83 points, following behind
— in the team standings — Willard, Adrian, Centralia and Warsaw. Other teams
competing were Butler, Jefferson City Blair Oaks, Versailles, Lone Jack, Holden,
Sherwood and Tipton.
Sophomore Craig Van Lue (103 pounds) won his first
tournament championship ever, going 3-0 on the day. He picked up a pin over
Adrian’s Brant McMillan at the 1:27 mark and concluded a day where he has three
first-period pins. Van Lue is now 20-3 on the season.
Curtis Russell
(152) took second place on the day, falling to Willard’s Garrett Mayfield, 8-1,
in the title match. Russell went 2-1 on the day and stands at 15-7 on the
season.
Kendall Crosswhite (112) placed third on the day, winning his
third-place match over Warsaw’s Chris Younkins, who had to injury default.
Crosswhite was 3-1 on the day and stands with a 16-7 mark on the
season.
Diamond had three wrestlers finish fourth on the
day.
Jayde King (119) went 2-2 and fell to Mason Clark of Willard in the
third-place match.
King has already set the Diamond High School record for
pins in a season with 16 and is now 16-7 on the year.
Korey Griffin (140)
was 2-2 on the day and lost to Adrian’s Luke Hough. Griffin (17-6) and Hough
were tied at 14-14 in the third period, before Hough got the pin for the
victory.
Cody Grant (145) went 2-2 in the tournament, falling to Chris
Glasco of Lone Jack, 14-8, in the third-place match. Grant improves his record
to 7-16 on the season.
The Wildcats are idle this week and will dual with
Seneca next Monday, with a location to be determined later this week, starting
at 6 p.m.
Despite a roster of only seven wrestlers, the Diamond High School wrestling
team stood out in a big way Saturday afternoon.
The Wildcats had five
wrestlers advance to this week’s 78th Annual MSHSAA Wrestling Championships
thanks to top four finishes at the Class 1 District 2 wrestling tournament in
Knob Noster.
As a team, Diamond finished seventh overall with 97 points.
Knob Noster claimed first place, followed by Fatima.
Despite the low
numbers, Diamond competed well and coach Gary Pendergraft is pleased with the
results of the two-day tournament.
“Everyone of the kids wrestled at the
top of their game,” said Pendergraft. “I talked about it with my assistant
coaches, that all five of the wrestlers that are going to state wrestled their
best match of the year. That is what you want. You want your kids to be
wrestling their best late in the season and to peak at the right time. They all
wrestled at a great level.”
The performance was historic on several
levels for Diamond High School. The five state qualifiers broke the school
record set last year when four wrestlers moved on to Columbia. Diamond also had
a pair of district champions in Craig VanLue and Curtis Russell. Prior to
Saturday, Diamond had only one district champion in the program’s
history.
VanLue (103 pounds) went 3-0 on the weekend and improved his
record to 35-3 after claiming the championship. VanLue got a forfeit victory and
then pinned Sam Stifferman of Fatima in the first period in the semifinals. In
the championship tilt, VanLue — a sophomore — pinned Adrian’s Brant McMillen at
the 2:38 mark.
Russell (152) had perhaps the biggest weekend for Diamond as
the senior dominanted the competition. Russell didn’t allow a single point in
the tournament and picked up a pair of pins in his three
victories.
Russell opened with a 17-0 win over Tipton’s Zach Lynn. In the
semifinals he pinned Holden’s Jacob Reimann at the 2:57 mark. In the
championship match, Russell pinned Fatima’s Tim Troesser at the 3:42 mark. In
the latter two matches, Russell held a 10-0 lead over both opponents before
getting the win.
Russell, who finished sixth at state last year, is now
28-9 on the season.
Diamond also had a pair of third place finishers in
Kendall Crosswhite and Jayde King.
Crosswhite (112) bounced back from a loss
to Knob Noster’s Kurt Luzano, the No. 1 ranked wrestler in Class 1, by getting a
thrilling win in the third place match.
Crosswhite picked up a 7-5
victory over Warsaw’s Chris Younkers in overtime, getting a takedown to secure
the win.
King, one of the few female wrestlers in this area, went 3-1 in
the tournament to clinch her spot in Columbia. King (119) lost to the No. 1
ranked wrestler in the bracket, Fatima’s Aaron Strobe, in the semifinals but
came back to medal. In her third place match, King trailed 6-0 in the second
period, before pinning Warsaw’s Erica Poe with 15 seconds left in an all-female
match up in the consolation finals.
King, now 25-17 on the season, has
recorded 19 pins.
Korey Griffin (140) punched his first trip to state by
going 2-2 and placing fourth.
Griffin opened with a pin over Tipton’s
Casey Kirby, before falling to Knob Noster’s Jacob Hoagland, the No. 1 ranked
wrestler in state in this weight class.
Griffin bounced back by pinning
Sherwood’s Justin Watson 11 seconds into the second period. Griffin, however,
lost his final match. Adrian’s Luke Hough got the victory by a
pin.
Diamond will wrestle starting at 10 a.m. Thursday at Mizzou
Arena.
2008 Dave Schultz Memorial - Womens Freestyle Finals 48/55/63/72kg
Elizabeth Wiley and Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
02/10/2008
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Women’s freestyle
Sara Fulp-Allen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
“It was definitely an exciting day. I took a peek at the brackets, and I felt I had a good draw. I had to wrestle the Polish girl. I had wrestled her in practice a few times. I felt confident. I knew I had to be patient. When I won that, and after Stephanie (Murata) lost, I felt I could win it all.
“Clarissa (Chun) is someone I have had trouble with. She likes to scramble. Instead of letting her dance around, I started wrestling. It was wide open. I was excited during the match. I wasn’t tired and I wasn’t mentally stressed. There was so much scoring going on. I knew at any moment in the match, I could get more points.”
55 kg/121 lbs. – Women’s freestyle
Sally Roberts, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
“I feel it went well. You know, I’m not much about watching video and scouting my opponents. The way I wrestle, I just want to do my style. I probably should have done some scouting in the semifinals when I was thrown for three. But it made me wrestle and made me adjust.
(about her new weight class)
“It is a lot of fun down here. It’s new. There is no pressure. I am having fun. I can give it my all out there. I felt really good. I was so excited to be wrestling and not injured anymore. Even if I am not feeling too well, I don’t care. As long as it isn’t surgery, I am going to be out there wrestling. After this, I am going to meet with my coaches and set a game plan for this year.”
(about the Olympic year ahead)
“It is not on my mind at all. I am out there, having fun. That is a reason that an athlete can be so lethal. I am just out there wrestling.”
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Women's freestyle
Alaina Berube, River Falls, Wis. (New York AC)
“I had a couple of good weeks of training here after I came back from Russia. I felt prepared and ready to put in a good performance. I felt like all the hard work is paying off and I am starting to see the results. I have been concentrating on few things and making adjustments.”
(about the pin in the finals)
“I wasn’t looking for it. I fell into it. I was looking to get a point and to end that period. The half nelson was right there.”
(about her new training situation in Wisconsin)
“It is going well so far. I like it there. (Coach) Kevin Black is working with me and is slowly, surely changing my style and getting me to where I need to be.”
(about the Olympic year ahead)
“I’ll take it one tournament at a time. I’ll keep taking small steps. The ultimate goal is making the Olympic team.”
84 kg/185 lbs. – Men’s freestyle
Jake Herbert, Wexford, Pa. (New York AC)
(On how important this win was)
“It was a big win. Davyd Bichinashvili of Germany beat a lot of tough guys. There were a lot of good Americans in this weight and I was glad to come out on top. Really, it’s more training for the Olymipcs. That’s more important than just getting this win.”
(On the disputed calls)
“The German coaches thought the points were more his than they were mine. They thought he initiated a move that I initiated, and that’s where you get a lot of the disputes.”
(On adjusting after losing the second period)
“I stepped it up mentally after I kind of let down in the second. I was getting a little tired but so was he. I just tried to stay aggressive.”
96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Men’s freestyle
Sean Stender, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)
(On getting this win)
“It feels good to get some international competition in. It has been while for me. I haven’t wrestled since the World Team Trials last year and it’s great to get this win headed towards the Olympic Trials.”
(On his strategy going in)
“I didn’t really have a plan. I didn’t know a lot about the guy. I had heard that he threw a lot, and he tried to. I just stayed solid on my feet and stayed aggressive.”
(On what this win means headed towards the Olympics)
“It’s nice to win at the Schultz. It’s on of the biggest meets in the U.S. in terms of foreign wrestlers. There is some really tough competition. The win feels good now and hopefully it turns out the same way in June.”
120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Men’s freestyle
Steve Mocco, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
“I looked at this tournament as preparation for the World Cup first, and the U.S. Nationals and the Olympic Trials. I knew we were leaving Tuesday for the World Cup and I wanted to get matches in. There is nothing like the competition feel. I got a good blow, my lungs and my heart are working well. I’ll be ready for next week.”
Record six girls taking part in Far East wrestling tournament
By Dave Ornauer, Stars and StripesPacific edition, Wednesday, February 13, 2008
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan — Alyssa Rodriguez usually spends her winters counting
down the days to soccer practice. Not this year. Not since she discovered what she says has become a passion
for her — wrestling. The Edgren junior 101-pounder and her freshman 108-pound teammate Champagne
Tatman will help make history at this week’s Far East High School Wrestling
Tournament at Okinawa’s Camp Foster. The two will join three girls from Osan American, including Far East veteran
108-pounder Emily Albonetti, and Kadena senior 101-pounder Shelby Gillas in the
four-day meet that begins Wednesday at the Foster Field House. Six female wrestlers tops the old mark of three set in the 2006 Far East
tournament. And teammates, opponents and coaches firmly believe that this group
of girls will be competitive. No girl has won a single match in the 32-year history of Far East
tournaments. Edgren’s fourth-year coach Justin Edmonds believes that could
change this week. “They’ve shown they’re competitive. They’re out there to wrestle,” Edmonds
said. “It’s an excellent thing. It provides a whole new perspective and
energy.” “They’re going to turn some heads,” Kinnick coach Nico Hindie said. “Girls are just as good as guys,” said Rodriguez, who has won two bouts in
DODDS-Japan tournaments this season. “The times are changing.” “I don’t see it as just a male sport,” said Tatman. She pinned Kinnick’s Tyler Campbell in an exhibition bout at last month’s
“Beast of the Far East” tournament at Yokosuka Naval Base. “That was fun, knowing I got my first pin. That felt pretty cool,” Tatman
said. “If anybody can do it, I can, too.” What got the two Eagles girls interested? Rodriguez saw wrestling as a way to keep in shape for soccer; Tatman says she
hangs out with boys anyway, “I’m used to playing rough, so I thought I’d try
it.” “I’ve fallen in love with the sport,” Rodriguez said, citing wrestling’s
“intensity, knowing it’s only you out there. You can’t blame anybody else. It
was a revelation and a good thing.” “We’re really excited they came out,” said Edgren’s senior 180-pounder Andrew
Blankenship. “We needed a 101 and a 108. These two have shown as much dedication
and inspiration to the sport as I’ve seen in my four years here.” Albonetti competed in the 2006 tournament when she dominated the second
period of a 101-pound bout against Kinnick’s Byron Stipe; she eventually got
pinned in the third period. After sitting out all of last season with a knee injury, Albonetti returned
to win six of her 12 bouts this season. She’ll be joined by teammates Jordan
Phillippe and Sofia Hemmer at Far East. “Once she’s out on the mat, any opponent better be wary,” coach David Hemmer
said of Albonetti. “Emily brings one of the most tenacious takedowns I’ve ever
seen. Couple that with her intensity and that’s … a lethal combination that
opponents have found tough to beat.” Gillas spent much of this season recovering from a shoulder injury but has
been cleared to wrestle, coach Steve Schrock said. “Her shoulder’s fine,” he said. “She’s ready to go.” And there’s a side benefit for Kadena: “We have a full lineup for only the
second time in Kadena wrestling history,” Schrock said.
Dates: Feb. 13-16. Host school: Kubasaki High School, Camp Foster, Okinawa. Site: Foster Field House, Foster Athletics Complex, Camp Foster,
Okinawa. Participating teams: Seoul American Falcons (defending dual-meet and
individual team champion); Kadena Panthers, Okinawa; Kubasaki Dragons, Okinawa;
Guam High Panthers, Asan, Guam; Robert D. Edgren Eagles, Misawa Air Base, Japan;
Nile C. Kinnick Red Devils, Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan; Yokota Panthers, Yokota
Air Base, Japan; Osan American Cougars, Osan Air Base, South Korea; E.J. King
Cobras, Sasebo Naval Base, Japan; Zama American Trojans, Camp Zama, Japan; Daegu
American Warriors, Camp George, South Korea. Returning Far East champions: Scott Wood, 108 pounds, Kubasaki; Chris
Hoshaw, 122 pounds, Kadena; David Heitstuman, 135 pounds, E.J. King; Jacob
Bloom, 148 pounds, Kadena; Justin Stokes, 180 pounds, Seoul American. Format: Individual round-robin for seeding purposes on first day.
Double-elimination individual tournament on second and third days. Dual-meet
tournament on fourth day. Schedule of events: Wrestling begins at 9 a.m. all four days.
Approximate time of individual finals, 4 p.m. Friday. Approximate time of
dual-meet final, 5 p.m. Saturday. Awards: Team awards to top six finishers in individual and dual-meet
tournaments. Individual awards to top six finishers in each of 13 weight
classes. Team scoring is in a 10-7-5-3-2-1 point system. Outstanding Wrestler
award as voted on by coaches. Team championship leaders: Kubasaki Dragons, Okinawa, 20; Nile C.
Kinnick Red Devils, Japan, 6; St. Mary's International Titans, Japan, 6;
American School In Japan Mustangs, 4; Seoul American Falcons, South Korea, 3;
Zama American Trojans, Japan, 2; Yokota Panthers, Japan, 2; Kadena Panthers,
Okinawa, 2.