BATTLING WITH BOYS

DAN MOONEY - The Oregonian

1/24/02

Tasha Umemoto, 14, has a gift that has made her one of the top
girl wrestlers in the nation

Na'Tasha Umemoto had a typical passion for a 6-year-old girl: She
collected Barbie dolls.

But she also liked to wrestle. Tasha, 47 pounds, enjoyed winning, and
if it meant beating boys, so be it.

Her father, Kent Umemoto, figured she would outgrow her wrestling
infatuation. Eight years later, Tasha still has the Barbies. And that
wrestling phase? It's not over. In fact, the David Douglas High School
freshman has developed into one of the finest girl wrestlers in the
United States. And her youthful wrestling resume isn't shabby against boys,
either.

When Wayne Snoderly was a high school wrestling star, battling girls
wasn't an issue. He won a state championship in 1974 as a David Douglas
junior. Snoderly, in his 10th year coaching David Douglas, said the girl-guy
thing has never taken up much of his time. He's had a few girls come out, but
none has stuck. Enter Na'Tasha Umemoto, bearing impeccable wrestling
credentials at age 14.

"In the room, there is a huge amount of respect for Tasha," Snoderly
said. "The guys know what kind of skill she brings to the program. They're
not above listening to her for help."

She's gotten off to a quick start, going 6-0 against junior varsity
competition. She's lost a number of close challenge matches to freshman
Brian Singhai, who has been the Scots' starter for most of the year at
112 pounds. Sincere and straightforward, Singhai has no problem losing his
spot to a girl -- if it happens.

"I just look at wrestling Tasha as a learning experience," Singhai
said. "She has eight years more experience than me, so anything I can gain by
wrestling her is great."

Snoderly said her teammates know they might lose to from time to time.
"It's going to happen," he said.

Umemoto got her first varsity action this past weekend in Dallas. She
pinned her first opponent before falling 6-5 and 15-0 at 112 pounds. The
one-point defeat came to McNary's Kacey McCallister, who gained national
attention by overcoming a tragic accident at age 6 and thriving in multiple sports.
McCallister was hit by a truck and lost his legs at the hip.

"I just tried to approach the match like it was any other," said
Umemoto of wrestling McCallister. "You couldn't do certain things, of course. Once
he got his hands on you, he was very strong."

Umemoto praises her teammates for their support. "I've never felt like
an outsider on this team," she said.

They are among her biggest cheerleaders.

"When I found out Tasha would be on our team, it was like, 'All right,
I can't wait to see her whoop up on boys,' " said Brandon Ely, a junior
teammate.

That Umemoto is taking the measure of opponents is hardly new. She
became enthralled with the sport at age 6, practicing moves with her brother
Michael, a wrestler and 1994 David Douglas graduate.

Start in Cobra Club

Umemoto got her start at the USA Cobra Wrestling Club in Northeast
Portland. Scott Revis has been at Cobra for 15 years, and Umemoto was the first
girl he coached.

"I was somewhat skeptical at first that she would keep coming," Revis
said. "But she just kept showing up every day."

Umemoto said she loved the sport from the start, especially the
competition.

Umemoto also found winning had a warm, fuzzy feel. In her first season
in 1994, she placed sixth out of 22 wrestlers in the 50-pound class at the
Northwest Collegiate Championships. Revis was sold.

"Tasha has turned out to be as dedicated to the sport as any boy I've
coached," Revis said.

Others weren't as amused at the thought of a girl wrestling -- and
beating -- boys. Kent Umemoto said he was criticized by some fathers who told
him that wrestling was a man's sport, and his daughter was ruining it.

Revis enjoyed Tasha's early success, but he felt for some of her
defeated boy opponents.

"Man, I wouldn't have wanted to be some of those kids driving home with
their fathers after losing to Tasha, especially some of them from
Eastern Oregon," Revis said.

Boys, girls, it doesn't matter to Umemoto. Her love of wrestling has
translated into hard work which has resulted in awards. Lots of awards.
A small glimpse at her honors reveals:

* At 10, Umemoto became the first girl to win a state title, taking the
65-pound division in Greco-Roman.

* She's been a two-time U.S. Girls Wrestling Association champion and
an AAU women's world champion.

* She is a five-time Oregon Women's Classic champion.

* In the latest U.S. Girls Wrestling Association high school rankings,
Umemoto was ranked No. 3 in the 118-pound class. Of the 112 girls
ranked, Umemoto was one of just five freshman listed.

At 14, it's no surprise Umemoto doesn't have the rest of her life
mapped out. But before she graduates from high school in 2005, Umemoto has a
host of her wrestling goals.

Two career goals

Against girls, she wants to make the U.S. team when wrestling becomes a
sport for women in 2004 Olympics at Athens. "That would be so sweet to
go to the first Olympics for women," she said. "I can really imagine going."

Against boys, she wants to be the first girl to place in the top six of
the Oregon Class 4A high school state meet.

Revis thinks Umemoto can achieve both.

"If she keeps working hard at the sport, which I think she will, Tasha
can definitely place at the Oregon meet and go to the Olympics," Revis
said.

Most think the high school goal will be tougher to earn.

Last year, Shoni Plagmann of Lebanon and Lacey Crabb of Estacada became
the first girls ever to qualify for the state championships at the 4A and
3A levels, respectively. The seniors went 0-2 at the state.

"It's likely not going to happen this year," said Umemoto of placing at
the state. "But in the future? I think I can do it."

Most observers think reaching such lofty status will largely depend on
two things: Umemoto improving her strength and keeping her weight down.

"She's not the normal girl you see trying to wrestle boys," said
Gresham coach Randy Williams. "She has so much technical ability. Beating her
in the future will become a big deal for other wrestlers."

Sound skills, father says On her feet, Umemoto can compete and thrive
against most high school boys in the state.

"She has as sound of wrestling skills as any kid you will find in high
school," said Kent Umemoto.

A contractor, Umemoto has coached and officiated wrestling. He is also
the director of the Oregon Women's Wrestling Division. Umemoto knows what
pitfalls await his daughter wrestling boys at the high school level.

"Strength is a big issue and will become more so if she grows much,"
said Kent Umemoto.

Wrestling experts agree that the heavier the weight class, the more the
discrepancy between boy and girl wrestlers grows. Lacey Crabb (103) and
Shoni Plagmann (112) shook up the state last year in the two lightest
weight classes.

Tualatin sophomore Sammi Lang is the No. 1 ranked girl high school
wrestler in the country at 165 pounds. She holds the same goals as Umemoto:
making the first Olympic team for women and placing at the state meet against
boys.

"Tasha better hurry up and place at the state, because I'm going to
beat her to it," said Lang.

Beating girls is one thing, but defeating top-notch boy opponents is
another. Earlier this season, Ely, Tasha's David Douglas teammate,
thumped Lang 20-8.

"Before the match, Tasha told me I was wrestling a girl," said Ely, who
placed second at the 92-team Reno Tournament in December. "She was
pretty tough. I was impressed."

But in the same breath, Ely acknowledged, "It would be pretty tough to
lose to a girl."

That's the rub. While Umemoto, Lang and other standout girl wrestlers
are trying to make history, boys are often just trying to save face.

"They (boys) have nothing to gain by wrestling Tasha," Kent Umemoto
said. "It might always be that way."

Bob Lee has dealt with the girl-boy scenario at the middle school
level. Parkrose High School's wrestling coach has great respect for Umemoto's
skill, but to make the situation right, he said, "We need a like
program at the high school level for girls."

Whatever inroads she makes against boy wrestlers, it probably will end
once Umemoto graduates from high school. Umemoto wants to wrestle in
college, where 15 schools currently offer women's programs, including Pacific
University in Forest Grove.

To Na'Tasha Umemoto, it's not a boy-girl issue. It's just about the
sport.

"Every match, whether it's against a guy or a girl, I just go out and
wrestle," Umemoto said. "I'm just out on the mat to take care of
business."

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