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Meadows is moving up in wrestling; Area girl off to big match

GLENN SATTELL, Houston Chronicle correspondent 7/26/2001

ONE of the great things about athletics is it provides an opportunity for
its competitors to experience events they might never get the chance to
otherwise.

Katy High School senior Linse Meadows is in Warsaw, Poland, this week to
represent a team from the U.S.A. at the International Women's Open Wrestling
Tournament. International competition begins Saturday.

"I really don't know much about it," confesses Meadows. "We'll be doing some
dual matches against France and Poland and another country, I think. At the
end of the week, we'll have individual tournaments."

Meadows, who finished second at the freestyle nationals in Dayton, Ohio, and
was also second at the UIL High School Tournament in Austin, will be
competing against senior-level girls (ages 21 and older). Meadows competed
in the 128-pound division in high school but will compete in the 132-pound
class in freestyle.

In her first trip overseas, Meadows said she is just looking to take it all
in.

"I'm looking forward just to see what other countries are like," she said.
"I don't know what to expect."

A quick learner, Meadows has compiled a 46-5 record in her two short years
of competition.

"I guess it's kind of natural to me, that's what my coach told me," Meadows
said.

Her only losses have come at state and national tournaments. She is the 2001
United States Girls Wrestling Association Texas Tournament champion. Meadows
finished second at the UIL State Wrestling Tournament in 2001 after placing
third the year before.

She is a two-time district and regional champion, and placed fifth in the
2001 USGWA High School National Championships in Michigan.

Her goals are very clear for next season.

"I really want to win state and I want to do better at (high school)
nationals," she said.

Meadows said she became interested in wrestling through Katy High School
coach Tim Ripperger.

"He goes to my church and so all the guys at my church were wrestling," she
recalled. "I would work out with them sometimes. I'd go up to the school and
they'd be playing basketball and they would teach me some wrestling stuff. I
liked it a lot and wanted to try it during the year."

Meadows went to Texas Christian School her freshman year of high school
before transferring to Katy High School to compete in wrestling.

With women's wrestling becoming an Olympic sport in the 2004 Games in
Greece, Meadows said it gives her something to contemplate.

"I'm thinking about it," she said. "I haven't done much more than think
about it. That's something I might look into."

Still fairly new to the sport, Meadows said she simply wants to learn and
improve, especially in the freestyle arena.

"I've only (competed) at nationals and then one other tournament," she said,
"so I just want to get some experience in Poland."