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Prep Wrestling
No. 1 Braves down No. 2 WHS

By CRAIG REMSBURG
Senior Sports Writer 1/16/02

ISHPEMING — It was a wrestling match that lived up to its advance billing, only it didn’t end the way Westwood High School wanted it to here Tuesday night.
The Patriots, hosting unbeaten and No. 1-ranked Gladstone in their most important dual meet of the season and perhaps school history, came up short in a 37-23 loss to the Braves (18-0).
Despite a pin by Ben Kelto at 189 pounds to improve to 21-0 this season and some spirited performances by his teammates, the No. 2-ranked WHS grapplers still suffered their first loss in 12 decisions this season.
“They’re a great team and came ready to wrestle,” WHS coach David Bleau (pronounced blue) said of the victorious Braves. “They showed us they know how to do it.
“They did a great job of staying off their backs and not getting pinned. That was a big difference in the scoring, And they scored (three) pins on us. That makes a big difference in a match.”
Gladstone got pins from Brad Sutter at 275 pounds, Jonas Olson at 135 and Tim Vallier at 160 to take the inside track at claiming the 2001-2002 Ray Mariucci Trophy as the top prep wrestling squad in the Upper Peninsula.
“We don’t worry about stuff like that,” Braves coach Mark Nelsen said. “We’ve got a lot of wrestling and matches yet. We just take them one at a time.
“We figured it would be real close.”
“The kids did what they had to do.”

The meet was a see-saw affair, with Westwood holding an early 9-3 lead, Gladstone charging back for a 16-9 advantage and the Patriots rallying for a 20 -16 lead on the strength of major decisions by Hilary Lucarelli at 119 pounds and Jim Bleau at 125, to go with a decision by Tim Bleau at 135.
“ We wrestled tough,” Lucarelli said, “but there were a few spots we could have stepped up and gotten some pins. We’re pretty much even with them (the Braves), but they have a couple of more seniors. That makes a difference.”
Lucarelli said she tried to get a pin, but the Braves’ Allen Kirkpatrick hung tough.
“I tried, but I just couldn’t. I wrestled pretty aggressively tonight (though). I wrestled OK, but didn’t wrestle my best.”
Olson turned the tide for Gladstone by pinning Joe Steele in 1:11, which started a Braves’ surge interrupted only by a 7-0 decision by Patriot Lee Marana over Casey Sovey at 152.
“I had a few takedowns and just rode him out,” Marana said. “I wanted a pin, but it just didn’t work out.
With Westwood trailing but 25-20, 145-pounder David Korpi had his head slammed on the wood floor just off the mat late in his match with Jesse Clark.
Korpi, trailing just 8-5 at the time, had to leave on an injury default. He’s being treated for a concussion while awaiting more tests today, WHS athletic director Bill Slough said this morning.
“That was unfortunate,” David Bleau said of Korpi’s injury. “That was a great match.”
171 — Travis Rolstad (G) dec. David Ruppel, 10-5
189 — Ben Kelto (W) pinned Chad Walker, 2:46
215 — John Robinson (W) dec. over Jacques Soumis, 7-2
275 — Brad Sutter (G) pinned T.J. Sandstrom, 1:31
103 — Brad Robinson (G) major dec. over Chris Dix, 12-3
112 — Bill Larson (G) dec. Steve Kivela, 4-2
119 — Hilary Lucarelli (W) major dec. over Allen Kirkpatrick, 15-7
125 — Jim Bleau (W) major dec. over Cody Cosby, 13-4
130 — Tim Bleau (W) dec. Dustin Hughes, 7-0
135 — Jonas Olson (G) pinned Joe Steele, 1:11
140 — Erick Lindahl (G) dec. Wil Rankinen, 6-2
145 — Jesse Clark (G) injury default over David Korpi
152 — Lee Marana (W) dec. Casey Sovey, 7-0
160 — Tim Vallier (G) pinned Aaron Frisk, 1:36

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AROUND KENTUCKIANA
Lady Patriots top wrestling poll

From Special Dispatches 1/15/03

The Cumberland College women's wrestling team is ranked No. 1 in TheMat.com poll.

This marks the first time the Patriots have earned the honor. Also, team members Sarah Hayes (112 pounds), Alaina Berube (138.5) Toccara Montgomery (158.5) are ranked No. 1 in their weight classes.

The Patriots recently won the UMMorris Women's Open and had a solid performance at the Brock Invitational in Canada.

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women's wrestling: Grappling for gold at worlds

Scott Wright, Sports Editor 9/23/02

Walk down the stairway from the change rooms underneath Chancellor's gymnasium and you enter a very dark, and like much of the SFU campus, very grey hallway. Any sort of natural light is a mere fantasy. Instantly a distinct aroma greets you. Follow it and you happen upon the training facility for one of the most successful programs in SFU athletic history. You have found the home of SFU wrestling. As for that scent, a windowless room where athletes sweat profusely isn't going to remind anyone of a dewy meadow.

Carol Huynh is in training. The 5th year psychology major from Hazelton, B.C., who is also working on a kinesiology minor and a certificate of health and fitness, is set to embark on what promises to be quite a year of wrestling.

As both North American University champion and three-time Canadian senior national champion, Huynh has both a university team season and a trip to the world championships in Greece in November on the agenda.

The SFU women's team is competing in the Canadian Inter-university Sport (CIS) this season, marking the first time that they will have regular competition and the chance to compete for a national team title.

Huynh is delighted about the opportunity to wrestle in the CIS.

"There is definitely a lot more excitement about this coming year as our first in the CIS," said Huynh. "I believe we have a strong team and that we will definitely be contenders to bring home the banner. I'm glad that our women's wrestling team will finally get some of the recognition it deserves at this school. We work hard and nobody at SFU has really acknowledged that."

Clan coach Mike Jones is optimistic about his team's prospects.

"We should be in the hunt for a team title," said Jones. "Our numbers have increased and we have some very good young wrestlers. We will count on Carol and national team member Emily Richardson to lead the team this year."

Wrestling in the 48 kilogram class, the smallest international women's weight, Huynh is hoping for her best ever finish at the world championships. Having placed third in 2000 and second in 2001, she has her sights set on the top of the medal podium.

"I will definitely be ready for world champs. I have been training hard and I've been wrestling well in the practice room," she said. "A lot of people have high expectations of what I can do at the championships, but I've just got to remember to take each match I wrestle, and each point I score, one at a time. I have to focus on the fact that I'm doing this for me and not for anybody else, so I don't worry myself to death or have an anxiety attack. I think that's the key: to deal with the pressure of the expectations of everyone who cares about me and even of those I don't even know. Having placed third two years ago and then second last year, a lot of pressure is on me to complete the entire set."

Jones is confident in Huynh's abilities at the international level.

"Carol is extremely quick and strong for the weight and possesses a keen sense knowing when to let go," he explained. "I think she is experienced and, if she gets a good start in her initial two rounds, will again challenge for the world title. Canada has only had one other person win the senior world championship, and I am sure that Carol has all the tools to become the second."

Huynh will not be alone at the world's. Richardson will be making her debut with the Canadian world's team and former teammate Shannon Samler will also be competing for Canada.

While the men's program has received little attention other than the achievements of Daniel Igali, the women's team has been off the radar screen. This year will mark their first as a recognised varsity sport with the move to the CIS.

Women's wrestling is a relatively new sport, first introduced to Canada at Simon Fraser University in 1990. The sport has grown rapidly through the high schools and now at the collegiate level. Canada has been one of the top three nations at international competitions over the past few years. The sport will make its debut at the 2004 summer Olympics in Athens.

With the remarkable success of wrestlers like Carol Huynh, it is only a matter of time before wrestling, both men's and women's, garners more attention. And maybe even a partially ventilated place to train.

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Wrestling Team in Rebuilding Phase

Kathleen Gamble 11/7/02
Assistant Sports Editor

The McMaster varsity wrestling team tends to attract serious athletes interested in achieving personal success and who love to compete in one-on-one events. For the last 21 years head coach Nick Cipriano has overseen the development of many fine athletes and has been a key factor in the program's exponential growth.

"We offer both men's and women's wrestling. The men and the women practice together. We share the same facilities and we share the same coaching staff. While the men and women do train together, they compete separately," said Cipriano.

"For the most part it is a very intense sport and has a tendency to attract very serious, more introverted-type athletes who like to train rigorously and alone. It's a one-on-one competition. So the kids that stay with it are really special and want to excel personally."

Cipriano has lead McMaster to two national championship titles (1984 and 1994) and four provincial championships. Outside of university athletics, Cipriano has been involved with wrestling at an international level and has been a coach for the Olympic team three times, the Pan American games twice and the Commonwealth games once.

McMaster's 2002 season opened two weekends ago at the Concordia Invitational and top finishers were Ellen Macro who placed first and Joe Boyd and Dave Rennalls who finished third. Overall, the women's team finished in sixth place and the men's in fourth.

Wrestling is referred, in Ontario University Athletics, as a championship sport. What this means is that there are only invitational events leading up to the OUA championship tournament that is held annually in February. One Marauder team member, per weight class, qualifies for the championship tournament and from there the top three finishers advance to the national championships.

Cipriano, along with assistant coaches John DiBenedetto, Rob Betz, and Doug Howard, runs a fairly intense and demanding program that requires athletes to make a long-term commitment.

"The practice schedule is typically that we are on the mat five days a week, two hours a day. Above that, the athletes are expected to train on their own, at least three to five times a week. The more serious athletes do anywhere from eight to ten training sessions per week, involving anything from running to swimming," said Cipriano.

This past weekend the Marauders hosted the annual Mac Invitational. This tournament has been around since 1980 and showcases athletes from across the country.

"It is a very intense tournament that is attended by schools from across Canada," said Cipriano. "This year was no exception. We had participants from Concordia, Lakehead, Toronto, Queen's, Alberta, Saskatoon, and Calgary. It is one of the most challenging tournaments in Canada and people who do well at this tournament usually end up doing well at the OUA championships."

Unfortunately, due to illness and injury, several of Mac's top wrestlers were unable to compete, including Ellen Macro, who was suffering from strep throat and Andrew Bourne who injured his ankle in last week's competition at Concordia. McMaster's top finishers were Lulu Bursztyn and Joshia Boyd, who finished second in their weight classes.

"The results were not great but that was because some of our top performers were not in competition," noted Cipriano. "Now they should be healthy for our tournament next week against the University of Toronto."

Also absent from competition was OUA all-star Pam Wilson, who is currently competing in the world championships. Wilson is ranked among the world's top eight and is expected to be a strong contender for the 2004 Olympic team.

"Women's wrestling is probably the most exciting thing that has happened in the last ten years. So more women are becoming actively involved and women's wrestling will even be a sport in the 2004 Olympic games," said Cipriano.

"We are in what I would consider a development phase. We have some very good talent in the younger years. In the past we have been successful. We have won the national championship twice and the OUA four times and we are definitely looking towards the future," finished Cipriano.

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Women's wrestling set to rumble in Busan

02 Oct 2002
Members of the fairer sex will invade the wrestling stage this week as women's wrestling makes its debut on Day 4.

Traditionally the sweaty rough-and-tumble domain of males, this is the first time women's wrestling is introduced to the Asian Games, ahead of its debut in the Athens Olympics.

Unlike male wrestling, female atheletes will only compete in freestyle events. The Greco-Roman style, which allows competitors to attack with the upper body only, is not included.

The women's programme will also feature only four of the seven weight divisions -- 48, 55, 63, 72kg.

Japanese set to bulldoze their way to gold

It will come as no surprise that world-beating Japan is ready to bulldoze its way to gold in women's wrestling.

The country has produced 16 women's world champions to date.

This time round, Japan fielded three wrestlers in the women's four-division competition, filling up the Asiad quota per nation. It will skip the 48kg division, which will have its preliminary bouts carried out on Day 4.

Busan will be a warm-up for the Japanese women who have set their sights on the sport's Olympic debut at the 2004 Athens Games. And they will be going all out in the competition ahead of the women's world championships in November.

Already, Japan's women have collected 33 gold medals, their takings from the past 14 world championships.

Women's wrestling No. 2 France trails at a distant second with 21 gold medals.

Japan women's wrestling favourites

One the daughter of a former national wrestling champion, the other is born to popular professional wrestler 'animal', it's hardly surprising that Sahori Yoshida and Kyoko Hamaguchi should excel in wrestling.

Two-time junior world champion Yoshida, 19, beat reigning world champion Seiko Yamamoto at national trials to challenge the 55kg event at the games.

Feared for her speed in attack, the university student is determined to shine in her first senior-class mission.

'Tackles are my stock in trade,' she said. 'I will attack any how and I want to win the gold medal.'

Unlike Yoshida, muscle-bound Kyoko Hamaguchi, 24, is no bright-eyed wrestling newbie.

In fact, Hamaguchi, who won the world heavyweight title for three years in a row from 1997 to 1999, is hoping to take advantage of rule changes for her comeback bid.

The heavyweight limit was lowered a year ago from 75 to 72kg, her current weight.

'I was at the rock bottom last year. I want to show that I am a different person,' said Hamaguchi, who finished third at the world championships in 2000 and fourth last year.

The third wrestler, Kaoru Ichou, may not have a wrestling father but it does not stop the 18-year-old from competing in the 63kg category.

Like Yoshida, Kaoru Ichou beat Yamamoto at the major national contest before stepping up to her present division.

She does not have any serious rivals at home but her coach Kazuto Sakae said she still needs to gain three kilograms in her weight.

'Then the Athens gold medal will be within her reach. She can compete at the world's top level for 10 years,' Kazuto Sakae predicted.

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USA WRESTING
JERSEY GIRLS WHO WRESTLE (JGWW)

USA Wrestling welcomes you to JGWW. Interest in girls' wrestling has
skyrocketed in the past few years. Colleges are creating women's teams,
girls are winning titles and women's wrestling will be an Olympic event in
2004!

In an effort to support and encourage our girl wrestlers, at USAW we have
created the JGWW Club. Through this JGWW link we will be able to cover the
issues that girl wrestlers confront; from just talking to other girl
wrestlers, to exchanging information on the best way to deal with the "hair
and headgear" issue. Additionally we hope to:

-Arrange to meet at New Jersey USAW competitions. Think about it, other
girl wrestlers at the same match. Wow!-Post information on girl-friendly summer camps and clubs.
-Create an email newsletter with articles and questions submitted by our
members.
-Educate our girls as to college wrestling opportunities and
scholarships.
(Note to college recruiters: Let us know about your programs.)
-Get to know each other with an end-of-year potluck.

This club is directed primarily at girls, but anyone in grades three through
twelve can join, and it's free! Fill out the form below so USAW can contact
you by email.

NAME:
ADDRESS:
EMAIL:
COUNTY:
WEIGHT:
PHONE:

************************************************************************
COACHES, let's brainstorm the women in wrestling issues. Send your thoughts,
questions, suggestions to: JgurlzWW@AOL.COM

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

1. Is this the kind of "wrestling" the kids watch on TV?
NO! USAW amateur wrestling has nothing in common the professional/WWF
style wrestling that you see on TV. It is a sport recognized by the Olympic
committee and has a long and revered history of being one of the oldest and
safest Olympic sports.

2. Isn't wrestling a dangerous sport?
Wrestling is a contact sport that, unlike football, soccer, lacrosse,
etc., does not include high-speed collisions. Furthermore, in amateur
wrestling matches, a referee is positioned within a few feet of the two
wrestlers to promote safety and proper technique.

3. My child is small for her age and has never wrestled before. Will she be
wrestling against bigger, more experienced kids?Wrestlers are matched up according to weight and skill levels.

4. Will my daughter wrestle boys?
Yes, she will wrestle boys and girls in her weight class and experience
level. As the girls get older there will be an emphasis for competition within the same sex.
However, practicing with the best is how we become better.

REMEMBER: COMPETITIVE SPORTS TEACH GIRLS STRATEGIC THINKING,
ACHIEVEMENT-ORIENTED BEHAVIOR, AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS THAT BUILD CHARACTER AND
INCREASE SELF-ESTEEM.

C. A. Van Osch
JGWW Team Leader
JGurlzWW@AOL.COM

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From the Advocacy Desk at the Women's Sports Foundation- Girls Want to Wrestle Too!

Jessica Post

“My daughter wants to wrestle on the boys’ wrestling team, but the coach won’t let her.” “My daughter is on the boys’ wrestling team, but when they compete all the boys forfeit against her.” These are common complaints that parents voice to the Women’s Sports Foundation.

Why do organizations (and sometimes schools) choose the hard route? Why has the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) sued the federal government seeking to weaken Title IX rather than deal with reality that girls deserve the same chance to play the sport of their choice as boys? Girls want to wrestle, yet enjoy limited opportunity. Wrestling coaches, through the NWCA, are primarily responsible for this resistance to expanding girls’ wrestling opportunities. The NWCA has decided to foot the bill for huge legal fees in an effort to take on the government to protect opportunities for boys to participate in wrestling rather than use that money to promote girls’ and women’s wrestling and supporting the expansion of wrestling programs for girls. The amazing thing is that boys’ wrestling does not need protection. At the high school level the number of male wrestlers increased from 229,176 participants in 1997-98 to 244,984 participants in 2000-01.
Currently, only 15 NCAA colleges feature women’s wrestling programs: a number that should continue to increase. For the 2000-2001 season, 3,032 girls participated on boys’ teams in high school. This number has increased from 1,907 girls in 1997-1998. And the growing popularity of women’s wrestling is not confined to America. It looks as though women’s wrestling will be a sport at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Unfortunately and unwisely, the NWCA does not look at Title IX as a chance to share their passion for wrestling with female athletes. They only see the need to protect opportunities for male wrestlers. The NWCA’s focus on male-only wrestling threatens to alienate the very base of fans on which the future of the sport of wrestling depends. For every call that the Women’s Sports Foundation receives from parents stating that the wrestling team at their daughter’s high school will not let her wrestle, wrestling seems to take one huge step backward in its effort to secure the sport’s popularity and future national support.

Under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution and under Title IX, when girls are underrepresented in the athletics program and a girl possesses the interest and ability to participate in a sport that is only provided for boys, a school is obliged to either provide a girls’ team, or to allow girls to participate on the boys’ team. It’s time to “get with the program!”