Jason Redmond/Star staff
Four-time women's world wrestling champion Tricia Saunders, left, demonstrates a few moves with Amantha Hordagoda during a wrestling clinic Saturday at Thousand Oaks High School.
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They're Jills in Jack's sport
Girls starting to make an impact in wrestling, albeit, slowly
By Loren Ledin, ledin@insidevc.com
January 12, 2003
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Jason Redmond/Star staff Four-time women's world wrestling champion Tricia Saunders, left, demonstrates a few moves with Amantha Hordagoda during a wrestling clinic Saturday at Thousand Oaks High School. |
Just three scant years ago, neither Christen Santschi nor Megan Say could have envisioned doing this:
Donning head gear, crawling onto a mat and grappling with a strong, determined opponent over six exhausting minutes. After being tested to the max, both physically and mentally, doing it again -- sometimes as much as five or six times in an afternoon.
The kicker? Sometimes the foe is a boy, stronger for sure, invariably mortified at the mere thought of losing to a girl.
"If you would have told me that three years ago, I'd say, 'no way,' " said Santschi, a Thousand Oaks High junior. "I never would have seen myself doing this."
Santschi, teammate Say and more than 120 girls hit the wrestling mats at Thousand Oaks High on Saturday, offering further proof that high school wrestling is no longer an exclusive male bastion.
"We're making progress," says Shannon Williams-Yancey, a four-time national women's wrestling champion and now the girls' wrestling coach at Thousand Oaks High. "More girls are interested, the talent is better. There are more and more opportunities. We're growing, but we're not there yet."
Williams-Yancey does her part. Not only is she the girls' coach at Thousand Oaks High, creating the only all-girls wrestling club in Ventura County, she four years ago launched the Williams Cup girls' wrestling tournament. Today, it's the largest all-girls' wrestling event in Southern California and a must-attend stop for female wrestlers throughout California.
"It's pretty encouraging when you see an event like this in place," said Dennis Solis, the coach from Castro Valley High. "It's not something you would have seen 10 years ago."
Making piecemeal progress, bounding forward in fits and starts, the sport offers increased opportunities for females. Continuing obstacles, too.
The Williams Cup is one of a series of all-girls' wrestling tournaments held during the high school season, stretching from San Diego to the Napa Valley. The California Interscholastic Federation, the largest high school organization in California, reports 752 girls comprising 281 teams competed in the CIF state-wide during 2000-01. The boys' figures were 24,326 athletes and 749 teams.
As a ground-breaker, the CIF plans to include girls' wrestling, albeit as "exhibitions," during the state wrestling championships in Stockton this May.
More dramatic news for girls' wrestling comes from the top. For the first time, women's wrestlers will compete for medals at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
"We're expecting a big boon for girls' wrestling to come from that," said Gary Abbott, the director of communications for USA Wrestling. "We feel like we're in good shape at the top of our sport. Now we hope to get a boost at the grassroots' level.
On the national scene, the numbers are encouraging to the sport's advocates. In 1985-86, the National Federation of State High School Associations reported there was but one girl involved in high school wrestling. As late of 1994-95, the number was 804 girls and 204 schools.
For the 2001-2002 school year, the figures grew to 3,405 athletes and 798 schools.
Still, elements are missing.
No high school federation in California offers a sanctioned high school championship for girls. Just a smattering of all girls' high school teams exist, including Thousand Oaks, Granada Hills and Eisenhower highs in Southern California. In the United States, only Texas and Hawaii stage high school state championships in girls' wrestling.
The good news? Many schools include at least one or two or more girls on their squads, including local schools Agoura, Westlake and Santa Paula Highs.
"Nine times out of 10, every dual meet I do now includes at least one girl on the team," said referee Kianti Murphy. "I'm seeing some pretty good wrestlers in that group too."
The bad news? Girls' wrestling proponents said some barriers are steadfast.
Tricia Saunders, a four-time women's World Champion as a USA National team member and now an active coach at the national and prep level, made the trek from Arizona to Thousand Oaks for Saturday's tournament. She said problems still exist.
"The saddest thing for me is that many girls are still facing the same prejudice I did 25 years ago," she said. "There are still plenty of high school wrestling programs that want nothing to do with the girls. They consider them troublemakers and don't want them out for programs.
"It's all so sad. Would a girl be denied her right to learn history or mathematics. At some schools, a girl can't learn the lessons of teamwork and discipline and competition because they aren't wanted on the wrestling teams."
Lee Allen, the coach of the girls' wrestling program at Menlo College, echoes that sentiment.
"It can be frustrating," Allen said. "We're seeing great improvement among girls' wrestlers. Every year it seems like the level of competition is better and better. But it's tough that so many of the girls in our state have to wrestle against boys because those are the only teams that exist.
"The hope was that we'd be seeing more girls' teams by now."
There's one place where progress is undeniable. That's on the mats.
As more girls take up the sport, the level of expertise increases. With more girls involved, coaches notice a common bond: No athlete they've encountered is more dedicated than a girls' wrestler.
"The commitment and dedication is amazing," said Williams-Yancey. "It has to be. These girls are facing obstacles, particularly when they have to wrestle the bigger and stronger boys, that no other athlete has to deal with."
The girls who compete say it's a sport that changes lives.
"It's given me so much confidence in other things I do," said Ashley Mo, a junior at Agoura High. "I feel like if I can do this, I can do anything."
Teammate Rebecca Wahlgren, also a junior at Agoura, concurred.
"It's is very tough, especially when you're wrestling the boys," she said. "But I feel like it's a victory for me, whether I win or whether I lose. Just knowing I've done something that is real hard is a big boost to me."
Thousand Oaks' Say, a sophomore, said she's already made personal progress in two years.
"Before, I was a bully," she said. "I've stopped doing that. I know what I can do, and that's given me confidence."
Most wrestling coaches bemoan the idea of girls wrestling boys.
Said Menlo College's Allen: "The difference in strength makes it very difficult for a girl to compete or improve. I've done studies that show the boys have about 40 percent more strength. I compare it to a man wrestling a gorilla. How fair would that be?"
Still, the girls aren't so certain.
"There's no better feeling than when you beat a boy," said Crystal Karr, a former Agoura High wrestler and now a parttime coach. "I actually think it can help make you better by competing against the boys."
Thousand Oaks' Santschi agrees.
"It's the most fun going up against the best wrestlers," he said. "That what happens when you're matched with a boy."
Murphy, the referee, said he doesn't much distinguish between boys and girls at matches.
"I think it's better when the girls go against the girls, but there are some girls who really hold their own with the boys," he said. "I take into account that girls are more flexible than guys, and they might get out of some holds that boys can't. But I referee a girls' match exactly like I would a boys' match."
At the bottom line, wrestlers appreciate the comfort of an all-girls' tournament.
"In a way, it's tougher because you expect yourself to win," said Wahlgren. "If you go against the boys, you have nothing to lose. Here, you get mad if you lose. But it's fun. You find out about yourself."
Parents watching the tournament Saturday were impressed.
"When my daughter told me she wanted to wrestle, I thought, 'Wow, of all the sports you want to try,'" said Dianne Bartlow of Granada Hills, whose daughter, Yazmin, competes for Granada Hills High. "But it's been so great for her. I'm impressed with how the athletes treat each other.
"She's gotten to know the girls from Thousand Oaks, and they're all friendly. It's great to see."
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Half Moon Bay Review 1/2/03
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After finishing second in two tournaments, Katherine Fulp-Allen of Half Moon Bay High School came away with the top spot at the San Mateo High School Lady Bearcat Invitational Wrestling Tournament held on Dec. 21.
Fulp-Allen, a freshman, picked up two pins to claim the 99-pound title.
She had placed second this year at the Fourth Annual North Coast Girls' Classic on Dec. 7, and at the Roger Briones Girls' Open in San Leandro on Dec. 14.
Her win at San Mateo helped the Cougars finish fourth with 28 points. San Leandro won with 46 points, with Vintage second (40) and Hogan third (31).
Audrey Asche, who placed second at the Briones Open at 131 pounds, was second at San Mateo. She won her first match by pin, and the second by decision. She eventually lost in the finals.
Leah Walsh (136) was also second. She went the same route as Asche did, winning her first match by pin and second by decision.
Camille Kelley placed fourth at 114 pounds. After winning her first match by pin, she dropped her second match to Maika Watanabe of Vintage, a nationally ranked wrestler.
Kelley pinned her next opponent, but lost in the third/fourth-place match.
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January 12, 2003 www.insidevc.com
A look at girls' high school wrestling numbers:
CALIFORNIA: For the 2000-2001 school year: 752 athletes, 281 teams.
NATIONAL (TOP 5): 1. Texas 941, 2. California 752, 3. Hawaii 267, 4. Florida 200, 5. Michigan 180.
THROUGH THE YEARS (NATIONAL NUMBERS FOR GIRLS'): 1985-86, 1; 1990-91, 112; 1994-95, 804; 1998-99, 2,361; 2000-01, 3,032; 2001-02, 3,405.
BOYS' COMPARISON: In California, for 2000-01, 24,326 athletes; Nationally, for 2001-02, 244, 637 athletes. It's a slight decline from 2000-01, when there were 244, 984 participants.
Participation difficult to pin down
Consistent numbers don't tell the whole story when it comes to male wrestlers
By Loren Ledin, ledin@insidevc.com
January 12, 2003
Steady as it goes?
The numbers suggest that interest and participation in high school wrestling among male student-athletes remains consistent and steadfast, both statewide and across the nation. Longtime area coaches say the reality is a tad more complicated.
While the sport checks in among high schools -- both in California and across the United States -- at a solid No. 6 for male participants, Ventura County coaches concede there are rough spots.
Paul Clementi, who developed the Ventura High program into a regional powerhouse, coached the Cougars for 25 years before resigning last spring. He said that it indeed has become more difficult to fill a roster.
"My feeling is that it's not as easy as it once was to get kids into the program," he said. "We still get outstanding kids, the ones who are dedicated and willing to make the commitment, but it seems to me there are a few less as you go from year to year.
"I know there are lot more things to do today if you're a high school kid, things like skateboarding and surfing and snowboarding. I don't know if it's that, or if kids aren't as willing to make the commitments they once were."
Guy Greene, Simi Valley High's 25-year wrestling coach, says the sport may run in cycles.
"I've always thought of wrestling as a pendulum sport," he said. "My numbers can be a little down some years, but it seems like it swings around and you get all kind of interest."
For the 2000-2001 school year, the California Interscholastic Federation reports that 24,326 boys competed for their high school programs. That's well below the 98,827 student-athletes who participated in football, the No. 1 participation sport, and the 38,053 boys who played soccer, No. 5 on the list. It easily exceeds the 19,593 males who competed in cross country, No. 7 among high school sports.
The National Federation of State High School Associations posts similar figures for 2001-2002.
Wrestling is No. 6 among male participants with 244,637. It stands No. 8 nationally among schools offering wrestling programs, or 9,578 schools. Football stands No. 1 with 1,023,712 participants throughout the country.
Across the years, the number of male participants in high school wrestling has remained wholly consistent.
The 244,637 high school wrestlers last year is less than the 244,984 who competed in 2000-2001, but more than any year since 1987-88 (246,771). The high-water mark for high school wrestling nationally came in 1972-73, with 319,048 athletes competing.
Among local schools, the focus is always on attracting high-quality athletes. In some cases, there are holes.
Buena High put up a good battle against Channel League power Dos Pueblos last week, but ultimately gave up three bouts by forfeit. Channel Islands fielded four varsity athletes for its league match with Camarillo last week.
"That can be a little frustrating," said Clementi. "Sometimes it is tough for programs to get enough kids to come out. That's one of the things I thought about when I decided to leave coaching."
Ron Wilson, Camarillo's 11-year head coach, said recruiting is always a constant for a wrestling coach.
"You've got to find athletes on your campus to come out," he said. "I'm always surprised that more kids from other sports don't want to take up wrestling. It's such a great sport to help with your footwork. But it's such hard work, I know. A lot of kids don't want to put in that kind of commitment."
"It helps when you've got coaches on your campus who encourage their kids to come out for wrestling," said Clementi. "I always enjoyed that kind of cooperation from (former football coach) Phil McCune."
The sport's own demands may be a double-edged sword.
Top wrestlers thrive on the work ethic and dedication needed to excel in the sport. Others stay away for the same factors.
"There are physical challenges and mental demands it takes to really be successful in this sport," said Greene. "I've had to learn through the years that not everyone wants to put in that kind of commitment. They want to have fun, or want to stay in shape. I've learned that's OK, too."
Paul Keysaw, who coaches Moorpark College's community college powerhouse program, said he has a high regard for high school wrestling in Ventura County.
He cites two key factors in keeping interest at a high level -- coaching and feeder programs.
"It's tough when you see coaches like Paul Clementi leave," said Keysaw. "That consistency and dedication is so important in maintaining a strong program. Then we need stronger youth programs. We're getting wrestlers at our school who only took up the sport in the past two or three years.
"There are so many athletes who would be great wrestlers, but never tried it when they were kids. So they've gone on to other sports."
For the high school wrestler, there may be downside to future opportunities, too.
The area where participation has slid dramatically is at the college level. The reason? Title IX ramifications and budget woes have forced many NCAA to slice wrestling from the curriculum.
In 1984-85, there were 4,190 wrestlers competing in Division I NCAA programs, and 136 schools.
By 2001-01, there were just 87 Division I programs and 2,662 athletes. Among Pacific-10 schools, neither UCLA or UCLA currently offer wrestling.
"The elite wrestlers are always going to find schools," said Keysaw. "But when you consider there are over 700 high schools and 23 JCs that have wrestling programs, and less than 30 colleges in the state that have programs, it's a tough formula. A lot of kids who want to wrestle in college won't have the chance."
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Girls wrestling honors Briones
The Oakland Tribune 1.12.03
Aweek ago, the San Leandro Pirates girls wrestling team sponsored the first Roger Briones Women's Invitational at San Leandro High School. More than 65 girls from 20 high schools, some as far away as Half Moon Bay and Vallejo, participated. The Pirates team took first in the tournament.
Girls wrestling has really gained momentum in the past few years. The Hayward Area Athletic League has two schools with complete girls teams, San Leandro and Castro Valley.
Roger Briones, who died in April, was an avid supporter of the Pirates sports program and very active in the San Leandro High Boosters Club. His daughter, Madeline, was voted outstanding wrestler of the tournament and is ranked No. 2 in the nation in women's wrestling.
