Utah

OREM - Uintah junior Candace Workman spent about 15 minutes Saturday evening behind the bleachers of the McKay Events Center crying and trying to get a hold of her emotions before she gave interviews.
    Moments earlier, she failed to make history.
    But that distinction wasn't something she thought a lot about during her three days at the Class 3A championships. Workman instead wanted to accomplish her goal of being a state champ, but failed against Delta junior Chasen Tolbert in the 103-pound final.
    Workman was pinned with one second left in the second period. Before then, Tolbert, who had beaten Workman twice before, was up 7-1 and had her in position for a fall for almostan entire minute.
    "You work your whole season - the blood, sweat, tears and everything - and getting that close to your goal and not winning in the finals, it kind of sucks," said Workman, who finished the season 36-10. "To be that close, it hurts."
    Workman will have a better shot next season at becoming just the second female wrestler ever to win a state title because Tolbert will likely move up a weight class or two. 

    Last season, Workman placed sixth.
    csun@sltrib.com

Utah

Journey to the Top :
High school sports with Maggie Thach, Chhun Sun and Tony Jones

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Wrestling: Girl's run puts Utes in spotlight

Whenever a news photographer is circling Uintah High junior Candace Workman, her wrestling teammates like to play a little game of "Who's that guy?" That activity is when you see a developed picture of you and your friends and in the background stands a random person, looking so out of place.

    A couple of Uintah wrestlers did that when a Salt Lake Tribune photographer was taking shots of Workman before her historic semifinal match against Cedar's Dallas Gale in the 103-pound division at the Class 3A championship on Friday afternoon. One Ute wrestler tried to stay behind her wherever she went on the mat, hoping to steal just a fraction of the spotlight.

    But the boys are mostly joking and just playing along with the attention surrounding her historic run.

    "They all know that I don't like it," said Workman, who is just one win away from being the second female wrestler in the nation to win a state title. "I don't think they're jealous of me. They mess around and think they're funny."

    It seems like almost every time a media member asks a Uintah wrestler the whereabouts of Workman, he would point her out and then say, "Are you going to interview me?" Again, they're probably just joking -- maybe the gesture is their unique take on the hoopla about Workman, with them thinking the whole thing is not a big deal since she's just one of the guys.

    The thing is, she's not just one of the guys.

    Last season, Workman became the first female wrestler in Utah history to qualify for the state tournament. So everything she did -- a win, a pin, a takedown or an escape -- was history-making. The then-sophomore placed sixth. For a girl from the school in Vernal, Workman said, the attention was overwhelming. The cameras followed her every move, the reporters seeked long interviews with her and her coach, Gregg Stensgard, knew any time he was approached for an interview he had a good idea what it was for.

    Workman is used to all that now.

    Surprisingly, there wasn't a lot of media coverage for Workman's semifinal match -- one in which she won with a 5-4 decision. Maybe there will be more coverage in today's state final showdown against Delta's Chasen Tolbert, a very confident wrestler who has beaten Workman twice this season.

    Though she'd rather not be in the spotlight, she knows the significance of her every step forward in the state tournament. That is, if you keep asking her what this all means and what kind of example she thinks she's setting for other girls in one of the most conservative states in America.

    That's when she appreciates the spotlight, when she realizes she's doing something very important.

    "Not many women have done this before," Workman said. "So it'd be a pretty big deal. Especially in Utah, it's a lot more conservative in the state. Hopefully by winning the championship, maybe that will influence a lot of other girls to try it."

Workman's match
Class 3A
103-pound final
Today, 4 p.m.
At UVSC's McKay Events Center, Orem
Candace Workman, Uintah vs. Chasen Tolbert, Delta

Wisconsin

Eagles grapple to second

By Mark Nesbitt/Sauk Prairie Eagle

MIDDLETON —  The Sauk Prairie wrestling team qualified 10 wrestlers for the WIAA Division 1 Waunakee sectional.

DeForest won the WIAA Division 1 Middleton regional outdistancing runner-up Sauk Prairie 242.5- 205.5 Feb. 9. Baraboo (205) finished third.

Sauk Prairie junior Amber Mefford (103) finished second after Madison Edgewood- Monona Grove's Kris Neumann pinned her in 1 minute, 39 seconds. Mefford still has a chance to become only the second girl in WIAA history to qualify for the individual state tournament joining Tomahawk's Alyssa Lampe.

Connecticut

ECC Teams Favorites For Class M Meet

By LORI RILEY |Courant Staff Writer

February 15, 2008

Griswold, with two undefeated wrestlers in Tyler Banks (130 pounds) and Brock Coutu (135), is the defending Class S champion. Senior Jessica Bennett of Montville is seeded third at 103 and could become the second girl to place in the top six in a state championship in Connecticut. Bennett had a 25-7 record this season.

Missouri

Jerry Jarrell photo Dexter's Brittney Waldner grimaces during her match against Sikeston's Jacob Murphy during action Thursday at Dexter. The Bearcats opened the season with a win over the visiting Bulldogs.

Oregon

SH girls in state wrestling finals

Published: February 13, 2008

New york

Robbie Flores vs Amy Whitbeck

After the first round of wrestling, the Bruins started once again with Annie Dumyahn, who lost to Lisle’s Brian Reese 9-2, eliminating herself from the quarterfinals. Once again, the Bruins made up for this loss with Mason winning 14-2 over Joseph Henderson of Chicago Douglas. This win was later followed by Daniel Uher, who lost his second match to Plano’s Geraldo Garcia by being pined in the third period.

The next day, the Bruins had only one wrestler left in the 171-weight bracket, Mason, who went on to lose to Tom Fritz in triple overtime by a pin. Following this match, Mason defeated Eric Barker 4-0 and then later lost to Plano’s Luis Alvarado 5-3.     

That night, on their way back to St. Bed, the wrestlers and coaches commented on what had happened that day, that season and what they plan on happening in the future.

Said Mike Mason, “We didn’t do what we wanted to do.” But this was put into perspective with coach Dave Rucinski’s comment, “Who would have thought two years ago, when we first started this program, that we would’ve sent four kids to Sectionals?”

Although the Bruin's wrestling season is over, the Lady Bruin wrestlers will continue on for six more weeks, starting this Sunday, at Kenosha, Wis., for the chance to compete in the USGWA girl’s nationals.

Utah

Girl in a boys’ sport

By Jason Turner

Utah

Grizzlies roll on Senior Night

Lorena Rivera was all smiles after Thursday night’s wrestling match, as well she should have been.

Not only was it Senior Night for her and her fellow Logan wrestlers, but it also happened to be the night where she recorded her first varsity pin, and just her second win of the season. The pin was one of nine for the Grizzlies as they coasted to beat the Grantsville Cowboys 69-9 at Crimson Gym.

Rivera defeated Grantsville Corey Gunderson by fall in the third period. The finishing move came a little unexpectedly, catching everyone off guard, including Gunderson. She, however, credits her match winning move to some good advice from her coach.

“I had him there, and I guess if I drive I will be able to pin him,” Rivera said. “I heard the coaches yelling to lift his head. I guess listening to coaches helps.”

Despite being behind in points, Rivera got the pin and was rewarded by a raucous cheer from the crowd.

“Great Senior Night,” Logan coach Bo Roundy said. “We didn’t win all of our senior matches, but we had some big wins. To have Loreena, working as hard as she did, get a pin on her Senior Night (was great). She works really hard. ... She hasn’t won a lot of matches this year, but she works hard.”

Rivera hopes the win will help her going into region, and maybe give her some confidence.

“It’s really big,” Rivera said. “He weighed 114 at weigh-ins. I only weighed 105, so I thought, ‘This kid’s huge and I’m not going to be able to take him.’ To get a pin on Senior Night, it’s pretty big.

“I know I can take kids bigger than me now.”

Rivera was not the only senior to have a good final night. Brett Kendrick had a big win at 189 pounds, finally getting the win in the third round, notwithstanding having several near falls against his opponent.

Senior Koddy Thigpen also won by fall, pinning his opponent in the first round. Josh Thatcher, another senior, won by injury default, and Sergio Mendez won by forfeit.

Roundy was happy with his seniors’ ability to “focus” with all the distractions.

“To be a senior it means it’s your last opportunity,” Roundy said. “... They focused well.”

Most of the Grizzlies had little problem dispatching of their opponents, with nine of the 14 matches of the night ending in pins.

The Grizzlies only have one more dual left before the Region 11 Tournament starts, and Roundy is excited about the direction his team is headed.

“I’m excited about the team’s determination,” Roundy said. “... One thing you can’t tell by the score is our boys are tired. We’re looking to peak at region. We’ve pushed them very, very hard this week. They haven’t had a lot of time to recover. ... To see how well they wrestled when they are physically tied, imagine how well they’ll wrestle when they’re recovered.”

Logan has its eyes set on the league title, something the Grizzlies have not been able to accomplish in 22 years. With that mush history against her team, Rivera says that getting the region championship would be like “breaking a curse.”

A curse they would love to end.

Indians 39, Eagles 32

At Preston, the Indians won a sparse meet, in which five of the matches were won by forfeit, and two others were double forfeit.

“Wasn’t much of a dual, lot of forfeits,” Preston coach Jesse Long. “It’s tough to really judge how well we wrestled.”

The win was a good one for the Indians, however, as they prepare to head to Minico today to compete in a two-day, 27-team tournament.

“It should be a really good tournament,” Long said. “We’re in good enough shape. We’re in as good of shape as anybody we wrestle. ... It just gets our kids’ bodies used to wrestling consecutive days.”

Tyson Alder, Justin Hatch and Nick Bowles all defeated their opponents for the Tribe.

Washington

PREP WRESTLING MAT CLASSIC XX

PREP GIRLS' WRESTLING: Phy nearly unstoppable

Mount Baker senior wrestler enters Mat Classic XX in search for a second title

JOSIE LIMING THE BELLINGHAM HERALD Mount Baker’s Ashlee Phy is the lone returning state wrestling champion in Whatcom County and is favored to win another title this weekend in Tacoma.

DEMING — Mount Baker senior Ashlee Phy is doing her best to deflect the notion she’ll be considered an untouchable wrestler when the girls’ state wrestling tournament starts today.

As Whatcom County’s only returning state champion at any weight or classification, it’s a label she’s had to contend with for most of the season. It won’t change in Tacoma.

Phy enters Mat Classic XX as the favorite to win a girls’ title at 145 pounds. She’s one of 54 wrestlers, boys and girls, heading to the Tacoma Dome from Whatcom County for two days, and more than 2,000 mostly grueling and always emotional wrestling matches.

Every one of them wants to be where Phy was last season come Saturday night, standing atop the medals podium.

“I think I’m a little more nervous this season because it’s my senior year and everything is on the line,” Phy said. “If I mess up I can’t go back and change it.”

Messing up is something Phy hasn’t done often on the mat this season. She’s put together a 29-1 record with 29 pins, winning sub-regional and regional titles, while helping the Mountaineers become one of the most feared girls’ programs in the state.

“She’s definitely got some talent in this sport,” Mount Baker coach Ron Lepper said. “I think it’s a sport that she fell in love with as soon as she got involved. She’s a physical girl and doesn’t mind that aspect of it and that’s helped her.”

Phy hasn’t lost to a girl from Washington in over a year.

“I wish some of my matches had gone a little longer so I could get a little more experience and a little more mat time,” Phy said. “If it’s a new wrestler I might try to work some more moves and get some practice in. But if someone is on their back I don’t want to be rude.”

Phy is an elite wrestler at this level and she knows it. It’s a success she seems to appreciate, but struggles not to overestimate. She’s worked hard to get here, and despite wrestling more matches this season than ever before, her record remains sterling.

“I don’t want to be cocky,” Phy said. “There are a lot of people out there that I don’t want to let down, but a big part of that is not letting myself down. I want to prove to people that I’m a good wrestler because I try my hardest.”

In the fairly new sport of girls’ high school wrestling there are few her equal at this point. The handfuls that are grew up around mats and started wrestling boys early on. It’s a lofty perch for any athlete, and Phy hasn’t been impervious to letting it get the best of her.

Her only loss, against a wrestler from Idaho at the girls’ Dream Duals in Spokane in January, was a product of overconfidence and poor preparation, she said. It was a hard lesson to learn, but an important one about remaining humble that could help her reach a second state title.

“I learned that I have to wrestle to my ability,” Phy said. “I think I got a little hot-headed and started thinking I didn’t need a game plan for that match. It was a reality check. I’m human and I can’t get too ahead of myself. There are other girls out there that are good, too. I had to take a step back and make sure I wasn’t slacking because I thought I was better than I am.”

Should Phy win a title on Saturday she’ll join a short list of wrestlers from Whatcom County that have won at least two state wrestling championships. The list includes such area high school wrestling luminaries as Ferndale’s Jason Muggy and Chet Slevin, Blaine’s Tony Harriman, and Sehome’s Graham Morin.

Like any senior high school wrestler, that final match, whenever it might come, will be a bittersweet one. Maybe even more so for Phy, the headline grabber for a girls’ program that started from nothing a few years ago and is now a contender for a state team title.

Phy just hopes the girls’ wrestling buzz she and teammates helped start over the last two seasons will continue to grow throughout Whatcom County and the state.

There are other schools with girl wrestlers around, like at Ferndale and Nooksack Valley, but it hasn’t taken hold like it has at Mount Baker. Her fear is that interest could wain, that the sport she loves will, in time, die.

“Once state is over wrestling is basically gone for me,” Phy said. “It’s my last shot. It will probably hit me more, but I’m starting to feel it a little bit now. It’s sad because I’m so close to all the girls, especially the new ones coming in. I’ve tried to teach them a lot. They’re part of the family now and I have to say good-bye even though I just met them.”

Beating girl doesn't set well well Cushing's Patterson

In the 119-pound final at the 3A wrestling regional, Cushing junior Jarrod Patterson, a two-time state champion, pinned the only girl in the tournament, Woodward senior Joey Miller, in one minute and 30 seconds

"I feel bad,” Patterson said after raising his season record to 42-0 with 38 falls, two major decisions and two decisions. "I feel a little bad, beating a girl.”

The girl felt worse, even though she will take a 21-6 record and regional runner-up finish to the state tournament.

"I was nervous,” Miller said. "I usually get nervous, but I think I got too nervous to wrestle good. I'm embarrassed. I don't like to lose. I'd like to wrestle him again. I'd just like to do better against him.”

In the team race, Tuttle won with 225.5 points, ahead of runner-up Clinton (225.5) and third-place Cushing (191). State dual champion Cushing had four individual champions, Tuttle three. Each team qualified eight for state.

Patterson took down Miller (21-6) seven seconds into the match, let her escape, then took her down again, getting a three-point near fall before the pin — his third in three regional matches.

"It was like any other match,” Patterson said. "I just wrestled my style, and then the pin comes.”

Obviously, Patterson has had some good coaching — by his father, Cushing coach Barry Patterson, who praised Miller after the bout.

"Joey's a pretty tough competitor,” coach Patterson said. "She's been around for a long time, and she's beaten a lot of boys.”

Miller said Patterson and Cody Rowell of Class 4A Duncan are the best wrestlers she's faced.

"He (Patterson) is just a really good wrestler. He's all-around one of the best in the state,” said Miller, who decisioned Patterson the only other time they wrestled, as seventh-graders in the 37-pound division at a Tulsa tournament.

Patterson now has a chance to win his third state title this year – then try for a fourth next year.

"He's got a chance. He doesn't talk about it much at all,” coach Patterson said. "We don't talk wrestling at home. We just don't. We never have.”