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Powerful Dinos crush Cougars

CAMPUS ROUNDUP

The Dinos women's wrestling squad is bringing another banner back to the Calgary campus. For the third time in five years, the Dinos are Canada West Conference champs.

Washington

Canada

2/16/08

Canada

Canadian Press

7/26/2007 9:39:15 PM

Carol Huynh of Hazelton, B.C., led Canada's wrestling team, defeating Ingrid Medrano of El Salvador to win gold in the 48-kilogram category.

''A few countries are starting to pay attention to women's wrestling,'' said Huynh. ''In Canada, the women's wrestling started to evolve about 15 years ago.''

Ohenewa Akuffo of Brampton, Ont., took silver in the 72-kilogram class, losing to American Kristie Marano in the gold-medal bout.

Tonya Verbeek, a native of Beamsville, Ont., defeated Tahamara Barron of Mexico to win a bronze medal in the 65-kilogram category. Verbeek, a silver medallist at the 2004 Athens Olympics, had earlier lost to American Marcie Vandusen in the semifinals of the women's 55-kilogram wrestling division.

''I am not very happy with my performance in the Games,'' Verbeek said. ''For a moment I lost my focus. When I tried to get back into the fight again, I couldn't do it. You have to learn from your mistakes and move ahead.''

Megan Dolan of St. Catharines, Ont., collected bronze with a win over Cuba's Candida de Armas

Vollaro Has Nose For Victory

By TOMMY HINE |Courant Staff Writer

February 17, 2008

In an unprecedented finish in the 103-pound class, Montville's Jessica Bennett placed fifth to become the first girl to medal at a Class S championship and only the second in any class in state history. Windham's Jenn Ottiano finished fifth at 112 pounds in the Class L championship 16 years ago.

"Wrestling is a tough sport no matter who you face," said Bennett, who outpointed Thomaston's Alan Sanford in the fifth-place match, 10-8. "I've had tough matches against other women. I've had tough matches against guys.

"I'm not displeased. I wrestled fairly well, personally. I made a couple mistakes in an earlier match, and the other athlete capitalized on them. That's wrestling."

"She had more confidence," Berg said. "I was really nervous. She got a burst of energy and ended it."

Notes

• Hoquiam junior Kelsey Klein defended her title at 125 with an 8-7 win over Yelm senior Danielle Curlis in four overtimes.

• La Center senior Christina Cox defended her title at 130.

• Other repeat winners included Mount Baker senior Ashlee Phy at 145 and Kelso sophomore Alisha Beach at 285.

Sunday, February 17, 2008
By Somer Breeze and Paul Valencia, Columbian Staff Writers

It’s the second state crown for La Center wrestler

Photos by Ingrid Barretine/For the Columbian Melissa Watkins of Camas, top, puts a hold on Sarah Rowen of Columbia River during Watkins' win in the state-title match. Christina Cox also won a state title in the girls wrestling when it was an exhibition.

TACOMA — Melissa Watkins has aspired to be like her big brother since she was 6 years old.

PREP WRESTLING

MAT CLASSIC XX: Baker girls best in state

Phy’s pin has Mountaineers celebrating title

JOE SUNNEN 2/17/08
THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

DANNY GAWLOWSKI THE BELLINGHAM HERALD Mount Baker girls’ wrestlers Kristen Fogg, left, Ashlee Phy, Alex Lepper and Katie Newgard celebrate a team title at Mat Classic XX on Saturday at the Tacoma Dome.

TACOMA — More than anything, Mount Baker senior Ashlee Phy wanted to leave something behind for the rest of the wrestlers in the Mountaineers’ girls’ wrestling program to aspire to. Well, how about greatness.

The Mountaineers won the school’s first girls’ wrestling team state title on Saturday, using Phy’s first-round pin of Skyline’s Alexis Willcher in the 145-pound championship match to edge Hoquiam 77-76 in total points at Mat Classic XX.

It was part of a mostly triumphant night for Whatcom County wrestlers at the state wrestling tournament that included three individual state champions, three runner-up finishes, and 21 top-eight placers.

“I wanted to help leave something for the girls to live up to,” Phy said. “I feel like I did that.”

Trailing the Grizzlies 76-71 in team points with only Phy left to wrestler, Mount Baker needed a pin to wrap up the team title or a technical fall victory to tie. The Mountaineer standout delivered, stopping Willcher in 35 seconds to set off a Mount Baker celebration filled with tears and cheers as the team claimed its first title at the second annual girls’ state wrestling tournament.

It’s the second state team title for the program in the last eight years. The girls’ team joins the 2000 boys’ team in the Mount Baker record books.

“I told her before the match there wasn’t anyone else I would want out there,” Mount Baker coach Ron Lepper said. “She’s our best girl. She’s only

had one match that she didn’t win by pin. She asked me before the match what she had to do. I told she just had to keep doing what she’s been doing.”

Phy’s pin was a culminating point for the young Mountaineers girls’ program. Started in part three years ago by Lepper’s daughter, Alex Lepper, after she watched girls compete in an exhibition tournament at Mat Classic XIIIV, Mount Baker has quickly become one the top programs in the state. The Mountaineers finished third last season and

brought eight girls to state this year. Senior Katie Newgard was a runner-up at 130 pounds

and Kristen Fogg finished sixth at 119 pounds.

“When we first started we didn’t know what we were going to have,” Alex Lepper said. “This year we really worked hard. We never really put winning a team title into words as a goal, but it was there, the expectation. When we got down here, we knew we wanted it.”

In some ways the state tournament’s competition among the girls’ programs, both for the team title as well as individual titles, helped solidify a developing sport in its second year with state-sanctioned championship. All eyes in the Tacoma Dome were watching the girls’ 125-pound championship as it reached its third overtime in a match that would have won the team title for Hoquiam had the Grizzlies won. And the cheers for Mount Baker’s girls’ team were just as loud as anyone else.

“I hope this is good for the sport,” Lepper said. “We’re to the point now where we don’t have one or two girls that just come out and whip everybody’s butts. It was a close race like the boys’ (Class) 3A race was close and the boys’ (Class) 4A was close. If we can keep building on this it would be great.”

Washington

DAILY WORLD / DAVID SANDLER Jerry Martin picks up his daughter Megan in celebration after she beat Antonia Navejas of Kentwood to win the girls 119-pound championship.

New York

Class D thriller

Well, I’m settling down Saturday night at my computer at home, drinking some apple juice, the Food Network on television in the background (”Iron Chef America”), having finished my Class D tournament story a little while ago — and the whole thing is still spinning in my head.

What a fantastic finish! Duanesburg barely pulled out its third straight Class D sectional wrestling championship, by one-half point over Whitehall in a battle of the two most loaded teams in Class D.

103 — Warrensburg sophomore Abby Roth looked impressive, defeating Maple Hill eighth-grader Ron Radley by decision, 6-4. I have never had a problem with female wrestlers — they’re wrestlers like anyone else, and the diminutive Roth is as tough as they come. She racked up a 6-1 lead on Radley until the closing moments.

“It feels real good,” Roth said of her first Class D title. “I blew it for myself last year in the semifinals, so this feels good. I definitely could have wrestled better, though.”

112 — A much-anticipated rematch between Whitehall soph Curt Thompson and Duanesburg senior Amy Whitbeck, a two-time Section II champ. Thompson beat Whitbeck by technical fall at the Amsterdam Duals in December. It was much closer this time around, as Thompson won 4-0, scoring a takedown with five seconds left in the first period, and a reversal in the second. Other than that, Thompson couldn’t do much else with Whitbeck, who countered him every time he tried to move her.

“She didn’t want to turn — she got a lot tougher since the last time,” Thompson said.

Oh, and that head-to-head win made it Railroaders 226, Duanesburg 205 1/2.

Washington

Girls Wrestling | Highline's Siri Berg has traveled far

By Stephen A. Norris

Special to The Seattle Times

Canada

Twins double trouble on the wrestling mat; Curtis and Patrick Sobchak take turns winning matches

Posted By BERNIE PUCHALSKI

Posted 2/15/08

Identical twins Curtis and Patrick Sobchak have a unique way of determining who will prevail when they battle on the wrestling mat.

"Whoever wins Rock, Paper, Scissors gets to choose if they want to win or lose. If he wants to win this tournament, I get to win the next one," Patrick said.

Because Curtis won the match between the two at the SOSSA novice championships last week, it was Patrick's turn to capture the 38-kilogram gold at the Zone 3 and 4 championships Thursday at Denis Morris. Next Wednesday at the SOSSA championships in Hagersville, it will be Curtis's turn to emerge victorious.

"We kind of let each other get certain moves and we let the one who is going to win try certain moves so they can get better," Patrick said, of their on-mat meetings.

But the 14-year-old siblings make sure the matches are entertaining. "We like to do nice moves and stuff so people will say, 'Ooh nice move.' But it's mainly practice," Curtis said.

Coach Heather Sweezey says everyone loves to watch the Grade 9 students at West Park wrestle.

"They're active and technically, they are very good."

The brothers fight often at home and they scrimmage every day with each other at the end of practice. That's why they're not so concerned about tournament results.

"We find at tournaments, especially important ones, that we don't need to waste our energy. We know each other's moves and what we like to do to each other so we basically go nowhere in matches," Curtis said.

The brothers alternating win philosophy will last until OFSAA. Then all bets are off.

"At OFSAA, if we have to fight each other, we're going to go full out. We know it's important," Curtis said.

Curtis possesses a mean streak on the mat and says he beats his brother six or seven times out of 10.

"Hopefully I will win OFSAA but it's not impossible for him to beat me," Curtis said.

Patrick feels his chances are better than what his brother projects. "I'd have to say it's pretty even. It's always a one-point difference."

Coach Heather Sweezey is hard-pressed to pick who's better.

"They're phenomenal little wrestlers but they just get out-sized," Sweezey said.

The Sobchaks were born one month premature and weighed less than five pounds at birth. They're still waiting for a growth spurt and both weigh 34 kilograms, four kilograms below most of their opponents.

"It's kind of nice that they will grow into 38 kilograms while most people grow out of 38," Sweezey said, with a laugh.

She feels a top six performance at OFSAA would be an excellent result for either brother. They are wrestling fulltime for the first year after starting in the Brock junior program.

They were introduced to the sport by their father Dennis, an OFSAA champion at Laura Secord in Grade 10.

"I think they will win some matches at OFSAA. At (cadet) provincials, they didn't do so well because 42 kilograms was the lightest weight class," Sweezey said.

The Sobchaks hope to do well at OFSAA but they're also being realistic.

"It's mainly to gain experience. I know I'm under weight and it will be a lot harder at OFSAA. If I can gain weight, the experience will help me a lot next year," Curtis said.

The summer of 2007 is one Katie Hearn would rather forget.

"I had a sad summer and I didn't train at all," the 18-year-old said.

After wrestling for Beamsville at 67.5 kilograms the previous two seasons - winning SOSSA in Grade 11 and placing second in her first year of Grade 12 - she found herself wrestling at heavyweight (83-plus kilograms) this fall.

And while no teenage girl would say she enjoyed putting on weight, the added pounds have paid dividends on the wrestling meet.

Hearn has won several tournaments this season and has lost only two matches all year. Both setbacks were to Kernahan Park's Emmalee English, who has dropped down a weight class and won't be competing at heavyweight.

"It's a lot easier wrestling heavyweight. Everyone at 67.5 kilograms was so fast and so strong," she said.

Her technique has remained unchanged except she tries to stay on her feet instead of going down to her knees.

"She's technically very good. Some of the girls she wrestled at 67.5 kilograms weren't as good technically but very strong physically," Beamsville coach Dave Collie said.

And while the heavyweight girls are bigger, they're generally not stronger.

"Now her technique allows her to shine through. She's wrestling bigger girls but now she's able to catch them with her arm throws and leg attacks," Collie said.

Collie expects Hearn to be a strong contender for an OFSAA medal with her stiffest competition coming from last year's OFSAA silver medallist from Brampton.

Hearn says there's no pressure even though it's her last chance for OFSAA gold.

"I'm just hoping to do my best and come out with a medal," she said. This fall, she plans to attend Niagara College and study police foundations. She may continue to train at Brock.

Beamsville won the boys, girls and overall title.

bpuchalski@ stcatharinesstandard.ca

Montana

Wrestling

H.S. Wrestling: Killingly edges Montville for Class S title

Feb 17, 2008 @ 12:04 AM

By MATT STOUT

Norwich Bulletin

For the Bulletin John Narewski/ NorwichBulletin.com John Narewski/For the Norwich Bulletin Killingly's Tom Lombardi tries to take down Montville's Jessica Bennett Saturday in the Class S tournament Saturday at St. Bernard.

UNCASVILLE — Nick Herrick knew it was there.

Walking onto the center mat Saturday night at the Class S wrestling championships, it was up to the Killingly senior to decide the fate of a team, a school and a state title. Beat Montville’s Dustin Wilcox and the crown would be Killingly’s. Lose and it would go to the Indians.

Pressure perhaps doesn’t come in a more palpable form as it did on this evening at St. Bernard High School, and it sat squarely on Herrick’s shoulders.

Six tense minutes later, he rode off on those of his teammates.

In the final match of the day, Herrick secured Killingly its first Class S state title in school history, beating Wilcox, 9-4, in the 152-pound final, in turn becoming the most unlikely of individual champions. The victory pushed the Redmen to 143.5 points for the championship, enough to hold off the second-place Indians (137), who had overcome the loss of one of their key contributors just to be in position for the title.

“I knew (the pressure) was there,” said Herrick, who as the No. 6 seed was the lowest seeded champion on the day. “But I just had to put it in the back of mind because I knew I had to concentrate on the match more importantly. I knew it was a big thing and we all wanted it. … I just concentrated on the match, not the pressure.”

A good plan, though not an easy one. Killingly trailed Montville by 1.5 points entering the finals of each weight class, but looked to be in good position to sneak by.

Redmen junior Brandon Thuotte edged Somers’ Troy Zachary, 4-3, at 119 pounds to push his team ahead, and after Montville’s Josh Go fell, 11-1, to unbeaten Griswold 130-pounder Tyler Banks, Killingly needed just one more victory to sew up the championship and had two chances to do it.

But Killingly’s James Peek, seeded No. 1 at 140 pounds, lost, 5-3 to the meet’s eventual Outstanding Wrestler, Robert Butcher of Morgan, leaving the title to be decided between Herrick and the sophomore Wilcox.

Down 2-0 early, Herrick tied the match with a reverse right before the end of the first period and quickly went ahead in the second, never to trail again.

“It’s the most nerve-wracking tournament I’ve ever been in, in all my years of coaching,” said Killingly coach Rich Bowen. “We understand what the kids are going through so really when we bring them back in, we don’t put the pressure on the kids. The whole team has to do it. It came down to Nick but we could have 100 scenarios where it didn’t. … I never as a coach put it on one individual if we win or lose. It really doesn’t come down to that. It’s a full team effort.”

The title came after an odd twist in the 145 pound consolation finals. With his team heading into the finals with a meet-best 146 points, Derby’s Justin Parlow was called for flagrant misconduct for throwing an elbow into the chest of Killingly’s Juan Flores, costing the Red Raiders 23 points with his disqualification and him a chance to wrestle at next week’s State Open.

The move knocked Derby from contention, paving the way for Killingly-Montville showdown.

“I guess the other kid just get frustrated, threw a nasty elbow and put my kid on the mat for a while,” Bowen said. “The refs called it right. It’s just a shame that the kid got that upset.”

For Montville, the setback hurt, especially considering heavyweight Dustin Elie failed to show up for weigh-ins. Montville coach Gary Wilcox said he didn’t know why his wrestler didn’t show, but said he expected Elie to place.

But there were positives. Jessica Bennett became just the second female in state history to medal at a state championship when she placed fifth in the 103-pound weight class, and 112-pounder Jose Mendoza earned fastest fall with four pins in combined 9 minutes, 38 seconds.

“I’m pleased with the whole entire team,” Wilcox said. “I have nothing negative. The kids stepped up and we were still right at the top.”

Reach Matt Stout at 425-4250 or mstout@norwichbulletin.com

Washington

PREP WRESTLING

MAT CLASSIC XX FINALIST: Katie Newgard, Mount Baker

DANNY GAWLOWSKI THE BELLINGHAM HERALD Mount Baker’s Katie Newgard, right, tries to gain control against LaCenter’s Christina Cox during their championship match.

TACOMA — By any standard, Mount Baker senior Katie Newgard had a special weekend at Mat Classic XX. Her opponent in the girls’ 130-pound final, however, had no intention of letting Newgard out of the Tacoma Dome with a first-place medal.

LaCenter senior Christina Cox, one of the most impressive athletes in the building, seized control early and pinned Newgard in two minutes, 25 seconds to earn her second consecutive state championship.

In the final, Cox moved quickly, aggressively and effectively, earning near-fall points and reversals in rapid succession. Newgard managed two points in the first period, but she was in an 11-2 hole after the first two minutes, and Cox got the pin early in the second period.

“I knew it was going to be (Cox) in the finals,” said Newgard, who was sporting an alarmingly purple ring under her right eye, courtesy of a knee from Yelm’s Cassie Virgil, her semifinal opponent. “I was ready for the head-and-arm, but I slipped right into it.”

Newgard earned her second state medal; she finished fourth at 125 pounds a year ago.

“I was proud of her, the way she competed,” Mount Baker coach Ron Lepper said. “She gave herself an opportunity to score a couple of points, got some, and got kind of close on a couple other ones.”