Deanna Rix, left, of Marshwood, and Lake Region's Liam Macleod face off in the WMC meet. Rix won at 119 pounds.
News Page
Opinion columnist's view unfair to female high school wrestler, win or lose
2/6/03
I would like to quote a Times Leader opinion columnist from his January 22 article. Jerry Kellar, when discussing the topic of girls competing on varsity levels with boys, mainly in wrestling, said, "... The young lady hasn't shown the ability to compete with the boys at this level. That's really the larger picture here, isn't it? These kids simply can't compete."
Well, Mr. Kellar, why don't we just assess the value of every single high school athlete? Get rid of those scrawnier boys who go out for the football team. Kick off the baseball players that strike out. And for heaven's sake, don't support anyone unless they win a wrestling match.
Granted, some attention from the Times Leader may have been uncalled for and unearned, since the female wrestler in discussion hasn't legitimately wrestled a match and emerged victorious yet. But I wonder if Mr. Kellar would have put down a first-year boy wrestler in such a blunt and condescending manner? I doubt it. The girl is not seeking this publicity. She is earning it by breaking new ground in high school sports. So what if she hasn't won? I know male wrestlers who haven't won a match in their first two years, so I don't see why her getting pinned a few times her first weeks on the mat is such a big deal.
Yet, Mr. Kellar goes on to contradict himself and say, "What teenage male can risk being the first wrestler in the conference to give up points to a female opponent, let alone lose to her?"
If a woman can't wrestle, why would she ever win?
The way I see it, the larger picture is that when a woman loses a few matches, Mr. Kellar makes fun of her, exaggerating her failures and ignoring her successes. But if a man were to hypothetically lose to her, then Kellar would pity him to the point of requesting the girl not be allowed to compete. "That's really the larger picture here, isn't it?"
How does his insightful article end? "It's called common sense." Funny, I thought it was called sexism.
Mia Iseman
Meyers High School senior
Wilkes-Barre
Here is the Article
Let's call a timeout on this charade
TimesLeader.com 1/22/03
About a dozen or so years ago, a female - her name is not important - went out for the Wyoming Valley West varsity football team.The aspiring placekicker caused quite a stir in the community, not to mention a few logistical problems for the athletic administration. Yet, every provision was made to ease the situation and make the young lady comfortable.
There was just one teensy weensy problem. The kid couldn't kick - a lick.
That didn't stop her from wasting the rest of the team's valuable practice time going through the motions. Of course, she was allowed to stay on the team. Realizing he was in a potentially flammable situation and refusing to compound an already unnecessary headache, then-Spartan coach Bill Chase wisely let the kid finish out the season. And that was that.
Which brings us to the current times at Wyoming Area High School.
A 16-year-old, determined to prove that girls can do anything guys can, goes out for the Warriors wrestling team and causes a stir, including a sports front profile in Sunday's Times Leader.
Disregard, for a moment, that her only victories have come by forfeit, and that she has been pinned every time she's taken the mat against a live opponent, including a 17-second clamping on Saturday.
Like her football counterpart at Valley West so many years ago, the young lady hasn't shown the ability to compete with the boys at this level. That's really the larger picture here, isn't it? These kids simply can't compete.
For heaven's sake, even the founder of the United States Girls Wrestling Association said as much in these pages on Sunday.
Because of the obvious physical nature of the sport, it's unfair to put a male wrestler in such a precarious, no-win situation. Didn't we learn at an early age that boys parts are different than girls parts?
What teenage male can risk being the first wrestler in the conference to give up points to a female opponent, let alone lose to her?
And what happens when some overzealous youth, fearing the taunts of his schoolmates, inadvertently causes a serious injury while applying one of the sport's many potentially dangerous moves?
Does anybody honestly doubt this is a tragedy waiting to happen?
What's the point?
A few years ago, a Wyoming Valley Conference field hockey team played a postseason game against a squad that included a very capable male player. At game's end, the local team complained loud and long that they feared for their safety during shots on goal because the boy was so much stronger and skilled.
Know what? They were right. He had no business playing on that team.
And, in case you're wondering, that freshman coed who attempted to walk on at Penn State as a place-kicker last summer? She gave up the dream one day after watching the scholarship kickers practice.
It's called common sense.
Reach Kellar at 829-7243 or jkellar@leader.net
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Wrestling has a hold on her ; Marshwood has a female wrestler with eyes
on a title
Portland Press Herald; Portland, Me.; Feb 7, 2003; PAUL BETIT
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Deanna Rix, left, of Marshwood, and Lake Region's Liam Macleod face off in the WMC meet. Rix won at 119 pounds. |
H.S. WRESTLING What: State championships in Class A, B and C When:
Saturday - wrestling starts at 9:30 a.m. with championship finals tentatively
scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Where: Augusta Civic Center; "My next goal is
to win the states by the time I am a senior." DeeDee Rix, Marshwood wrestler
"(Boys) usually try to muscle me because they know I'm not strong. I
try to use my technique to get around them." DeeDee Rix, Marshwood wrestler
DeeDee Rix has been going to the state wrestling tournament to root for
Marshwood High School since she was a toddler. She'll spend this
Saturday at the Class A state meet in the Augusta Civic Center. But Rix won't just
root for the Hawks. She'll wrestle for them.
Last Saturday, Rix became only the second girl to qualify for the Class
A state wrestling meet by finishing third in the 119-pound weight class
at a regional meet in North Berwick.
"I'm really excited," she said. "It's a really big step to go from the
regionals to the states."
A 15-year-old sophomore, Rix comes from a wrestling family.
Her father, Matt Rix, has coached Marshwood for 20 years. Older sister,
Brittany, a senior at the South Berwick school, stopped wrestling when
she got to high school, and younger brother, Matty, a seventh-grader,
wrestles in a junior high league.
"I just grew up with it," she said. "I wrestled at home a lot. With my
dad; with my little brother."
Rix went to her dad's practices and even traveled on the team bus to
wrestling meets.
"I looked up to the wrestlers a lot," she said, "and I wanted to do
what they were doing. People like Dan Whelan were my heroes." Whelan, a
three-time state champion from Marshwood, now wrestles at Norwich
University, where he is a sophomore.
Rix made her wrestling debut when she was 4 at a tournament in New
Jersey. She competed in the 46-pound bracket for the Southern Maine Trappers, a
pee-wee wrestling team.
"We didn't have anybody in that weight class, so my dad asked me to
fill in," she said. "I lost."
Since then, Rix hasn't lost much.
She's currently ranked first nationally at 118 pounds by the United
States Girls Wrestling Association. Last March, she finished third among 32
girls in that division in the USGWA's national tournament in Lake Orion,
Mich.
Last summer, Rix traveled to China to compete in an international
tournament after finishing first in her weight class at the Cadet World Team
Trials in Chattanooga, Tenn.
"As far as the high school season is concerned, it's just for her to
keep in shape," Matt Rix said.
"There aren't many girls around who are wrestling, so I wrestle the
boys," she said.
This winter Rix has compiled a 26-7 high school record while competing
exclusively against boys. Against in-state competition, she is 20-3.
"They usually try to muscle me because they know I'm not strong," she
said. "I try to use my technique to get around them. I try to take advantage
of their mistakes."
Matt Rix says that his daughter's knowledge of the sport is what makes
her successful.
"She can't afford to have someone pull her in and overpower her," Matt
Rix said. "Boys are naturally stronger than girls, so she has to make up
for it with technique and speed."
Rix admits to being a little nervous when his daughter is on the mat.
"I have a big sigh of relief after each match," he said.
Still, he is proud of his daughter for wrestling. "It's given us
something in common, something to we can spend time together on."
Rix isn't the first girl to wrestle in a Class A meet, nor will she be
the only girl competing in a state meet at the Augusta Civic Center on
Saturday.
Jen Wormwood of Oxford Hills became the first girl to compete in a
Class A state meet in 2001 when she finished third in the 135- pound division
at the Eastern regional. Wormwood now wrestles for the girls' team at American
International College in Springfield, Mass.
On Saturday, Jessica Fox, a senior from Monmouth Academy, will make her
second consecutive appearance at the Class C state meet. Fox finished
second in the 119-pound division in the Western regional at Rumford last week.
While Rix may not be the first girl to advance to the state tournament,
she does want to do something neither Fox nor Wormwood have done.
"My next goal is to win the states by the time I am a senior," she said.
---------------------------------------------------
GIRLS STATE WRESTLING MEET Series: WRESTLING REPORT
St. Petersburg Times; St. Petersburg, Fla.; Feb 6, 2003; JAMAL THALJI
WHO: Barron Collier, Bloomingdale, Orlando Cypress Creek, Deland,
Gateway,
Hudson, Jacksonville Lee, Key West, Lake Mary, Land O'Lakes, Lely,
Lemon
Bay, Merritt Island, Ocala Forest, Okeechobee, Orlando Olympia,
Kissimmee
Osceola, Oviedo, Pine Ridge, Spanish River, Kissimmee St. Cloud,
Stoneman
Douglas, Terry Parker, University, Vero Beach and Ocala West Port.
WHERE: Gateway High.
WHEN: Saturday.
SCHEDULE: Weigh-ins start at 8 a.m.; competition begins at 10; finals
start
at 8 p.m.
ADMISSION: $5 for first session; $5 for finals.
AT STAKE: Trophies will be awarded to the first, second and third-
place
teams. Individual medals will be awarded to the top three wrestlers in
each
weight class, and ribbons will be given for wrestlers finishing in
fourth,
fifth and sixth place.
FORMAT: The brackets in each weight class will be determined by the
number
of competitors. The weight classes are: 102 pounds, 107, 112, 116, 120,
124,
128, 132, 136, 140, 146, 154, 167 and 167- unlimited.
LOCAL COMPETITORS: Hudson - Patrica Conner (102), Tania Trentacosta
(120),
Star Verosic (140); Land O'Lakes - Elizabeth Lewis (102), Dana Kearney
(122), Jessica Worthington (130), Vanessa Tyson (134).
OUTLOOK: This is the fourth annual girls state tournament, and it's
growing every year. Gateway coach Mike Glassburn, who is organizing the meet,
said more than 120 girls have registered and he expects more by the time
weigh-ins begin Saturday. In a short time, the field of competition has
grown significantly, all the way from returning 112-pound state
champion Candice Pellerin of Gateway, who has lost just two matches in two years
and was ninth in the nation last year, to Okeechobee freshman 128-pounder
Cory Ann Jablonski, who is expected to make a splash in her first year.
Pasco County will be well-represented with the Tampa Bay area's biggest (and
nearly only) contingent, led by two of the state's best: Land O'Lakes'
two-time state champion Dana Kearney (122) and defending state champ
Jessica Worthington (130). Both have garnered state- wide attention and respect
but have battled their share of injuries this season. Kearney has had an
injured hip; Worthington an injured elbow. Both are expected to win their
weight classes nonetheless in the seniors' last trip to the state tournament.
--------------------------------------------------------
Rebels struggle on opening day
By John Kaltefleiter 2/8/03
jkaltefleiter@amarillonet.com
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|
Maybe Johnny Cobb should've stayed in bed Friday morning.
After his 180-pound contender was booted from the squad less than a month ago, and seeing his heavyweight suffer a season-ending knee injury at the District 5 meet a week ago, the last thing the Tascosa head wrestling coach needed was another setback heading into the Region I wrestling championships this weekend.
But Cobb wasn't so fortunate.
Senior Kirk Robinson, the Rebels' main threat in the 189-pound division, was disqualified for arriving late for Friday morning's weigh-in at the Caprock Activity Center. Then, 140-pounder Devin Walker was cited for unsportsmanlike conduct during his second-round match against El Paso Americas' Kris Jury, costing the Rebels one team point.
The bright side for Tascosa was the Rebels placed four wrestlers in today's semifinals, including Pancho Ruiz (103 pounds), Mike Costas (130), Derrick Thomas (135) and defending state champ Sean Kelley (171).
"It's one of those situations where we had such high hopes," said Cobb, whose team, barring a miracle, is out of the hunt for a team state title. When you lose some of your top point-getters before a tournament like this, it's going to hurt."
Though the Rebels struggled in the opening rounds, they made up for it during the consolations, which landed them sixth in team points heading into today's final matches.
El Paso Hanks came out on top after the first day with 65.5 points, followed by an inspired Hereford squad (51.5), Dumas (49), Fabens (49) and Borger rounding out the top five. The second session begins at at 10 a.m. with the championships matches slated to begin at 4:30 p.m.
With the exception of Hanks, the most impressive team performance of the day was arguably put in by the Whitefaces, who placed five wrestlers in the semifinals, including undefeated and No. 2-ranked Luis Perez in the 119-pound class and upstart Juan Alvarez (135).
Borger fared just as well as the Bulldogs placed a tournament-high six wrestlers within a win or two of heading to the state tournament in two weeks in Austin.
Leading the way for the Bulldogs were the Cooper twins, Chad and Clay. Chad Cooper disposed of Lubbock Coronado's Toby Dellatorre in the quarterfinals in 35 seconds, while Clay Cooper pinned El Paso Franklin's Steve Taylor in 1:45.
The Bulldogs' District 6 cohort, the Dumas Demons, managed to shake off a series of second-round hiccups and sent three into the semifinals.
The Demons blasted out of the gate to start the tournament, but saw 112-pounder Adrian Aguilar lose 11-10 to El Paso Americas' Kevin Jury and watched Chad Ollinger get pinned by Amarillo High's 189-pounder Adam Baker in Round 2.
Regardless, the Demons' ninth-ranked Ivan Graves (160), Kyle Cambern (180) and No. 6-ranked Michael Keisling reached the semifinals. Keisling's match against Kelley is likely to be one of the tournament's best.
"I've been looking forward to this match for a long time," said Keisling, who pinned Albert Rivera of Lubbock Monterey to advance to the semifinals.
"He stuck me for the first time in six years last December and it hit me right in the heart. For a long time I've been training extremely hard for this match. This isn't the end of the road, but this match is very important to me."
One of the biggest upsets of the day on the boys side was compliments of Amarillo High's Taylor Nipp. The 145-pounder edged No. 10-ranked Jesse Sanchez of Borger 6-5 to earn a spot in the semifinals. Nipp's third-period takedown was just enough to fend off Sanchez, who was outscored 4-1 in the second by Nipp.
Meanwhile on the girls side, El Paso Hanks' Kim Quinonez knocked off No.1-ranked Hope Jones in the pair's 121-pound semifinal match. Quinonez, whose win-loss record has just one blemish, beat Caprock's main threat 3-1.
Though Jones' loss was discouraging for the Lady Longhorns, Crystal Valdez (97 pounds) and Amenda Howland (130) took up the slack and barged into today's finals with decisive semifinal wins.
However, Palo Duro was the one to watch on Friday night. The Lady Dons landed four girls in the finals. Lauren Lindsey, Shaleb Bowie, Stormy Greer and Brittany Owens all punched their finals tickets, and each sit one win away from a berth in the state tournament.
Also impressive was Hereford's Astrid Gomez. Ranked No. 1 in the state, the junior 140-pounder stayed undefeated with pins of 39 seconds and 1:06 in her quarterfinal and semifinal matches, respectively.
----------------------------------------------
Waller pins high hopes on girls
Houston Chronicle; Houston, Tex.; Feb 7, 2003; NIKI HERBERT;
When Waller coach Jeff Berosky started the wrestling program five years
ago, he had nine students approach him. Among them was Erica Coburn, who won
back-to-back state titles and finished fourth at girls high school
nationals in 2000.
Before this season, 55 students wanted to join Waller's wrestling team.
Eight of them qualified for today's Region III meet in Allen.
Of those eight, six are girls. Three are on a "be like Erica" mission.
Tasha Muellar (128 pounds), Jenifer Martin (165) and Amber Hicks (185) all
won their respective weight classes in last week's District 23 meet. The
Bulldogs won the girls side of the meet with 72.2 points. Klein placed
second with 57 points.
"Those Klein schools are very good and deep in wrestling," Berosky
said. "But we're proud of what we do at Waller. The success we've had over
the years has drawn more numbers."
Waller has had a girl state representative each year. Last year, it was
Hicks.
The boys finished fifth at district this season, highlighted by Scott
Roark winning the 145-pound weight class. Roark and Scott Powers (112) are
the two Waller boys at today's meet, which begins at 9 a.m.
While many wrestlers depend on the strength of their body and mind to
carry them through this weekend, Berosky has warned his wrestlers against
that.
"I still try to emphasize technique and drill them even late in the
season," the former meteorologist said. "It makes them better all-around to keep
working on their technique. In wrestling, power and strength only go so
far. I have to keep telling the boys and girls that. A good technical
wrestler can beat a strong wrestler any day."
When Coburn went to nationals in 2000, she wrestled against girls from
other states who had competed solely against boys all year.
Berosky does not have to worry about his girls having ample competition
because Klein ISD, Katy ISD and Houston ISD are surrounding districts
that also boast girls programs.
"I expect my girls to do well this weekend," Berosky said. "I hope
three can move on to state this year. Tasha's been on a mission because she broke
her arm last year. She wants to prove she belongs.
"And we keep referring to Erica in everything we do. That is who we
measure against to know how we're doing."
.egional wrestling meet
What: Region III wrestling meet.
When: 9 a.m. today and Saturday.
Where: Allen High School, Allen.
At stake: Top four boys and top two girls in each weight class advance
to state meet.
-------------------------------------------
PD grabs title
Lady Dons edge Caprock for Region I championship
By John Kaltefleiter 2/9/03
jkaltefleiter@amarillonet.com
|
|
The Dumas wrestling program has been a well-established entity for a number of years.
And Borger's? Well, it's program has turned a monumental corner.
After years of mediocrity and instability at the head coaching position - the Bulldogs, along with the Demons - made a decisive statement at the Region I Wrestling Championships Saturday at the Caprock Activity Center.
The Bulldogs, who finished 11 points behind the second place Demons and behind region champion El Paso Hanks (166 points), will send a school-record six wrestlers to the University Interscholastic League state wrestling tournament in two weeks in Austin. The Demons and their school-record six qualifiers will join them
On the girls' side, Palo Duro won the Region I title, edging rival Caprock 148-119.
PD, the 2001 state champion, which picked up first-place finishes from Brittany Owens (112 pounds), Lauren Lindsey (121) and Shaleb Bowie (187), took home the Region I title with 148 points. Caprock finished second with 119 points, while Tascosa (108 points) placed third and Amarillo High sixth (50 points).
Perhaps the most compelling performances of the finals were turned in by the Lady Longhorns' Crystal Valdez and PD's Stormy Grear in the 97-pound division. Valdez, who hadn't defeated Grear all season, used two reversals and a near fall move to beat her chief rival, 7-3.
The defending state champ Grear was visibly upset with the outcome and received a chorus of boos from the overflow crowd when she initially reneged on shaking Valdez's hand following the match. After some prodding from PD head coach Steve Nelson, she eventually capitulated and met her rival at the center of the mat
-----------------------------------------------
Katy girls coast to Region III crown
By TERRY CARTER 2/8/03
ALLEN -- The Katy girls dominated the Region III wrestling meet, sending all eight of their athletes to the state meet Feb. 20-21.
Katy coach Tim Ripperger wasn't sure if his team's feat had been accomplished previously.
"With four regional champions and four seconds, I don't know if that's been done before. The girls were well prepared, and they know the competition this year," Ripperger said. "They've competed against the (good) teams, and we are as ready as we've ever been. Our goal is to finish top three at state. We've proven we belong there. Now we have to prove it when it counts."
Katy got regional titles from Melissa Terry (95 pounds), Stephanie Haver (119), Teri Lopez (128) and Kacee Ravenburg (215).
Katy finished with 152 points. Katy Taylor captured second with regional champions at 102 and 138 pounds. The Woodlands, Mayde Creek, Oak Ridge, Cinco Ranch and Waller rounded out the top seven schools.
In boys action, Highland Park ran off with the team title early. The Woodlands tied Coppell tied for third, Cinco Ranch was fifth and Katy Taylor sixth.
"I know this is the toughest region in the state now. At (171 pounds), I think 5-of-the-7 top-ranked kids in the state are here and only four get to go to state," said Klein coach Mark Brooks said. "It was tough enough as it was before they got added."
The Woodlands' regional champions were Danny Ruiz at 103 pounds, Sean Glassel (125) and Brad Medchill (135).
"We're sending six boys and three girls to state. And our top boys ... pressure is no big deal for them. They like a challenge," Woodlands coach Patrick Dunn said.
In 112 pounds, Katy Taylor's Patrick Huff beat The Woodlands' Brent Smith in a close match to advance to the state meet for the fourth time.
Also, James Aston of Katy was a regional champion at 171 pounds
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2/8/03
Region III
Saturday's results at Allen Girls Individual
95: 1, Melissa Terry, Katy; 2, Ana Ramey, Langham Creek; 3, Dani Aming, Katy Taylor.
102: 1, Laurie Ashlay, Katy Taylor; 2, Gabriella Bruscianelli, Katy; 3, Lilliam Marques, Coppell.
119: 1, Stephanie Haver, Katy; 2, Kristin Williams, Woodlands; 3, Stephanie SParks, Mayde Creek.
128: 1, Teri Lopez, Katy; 2, Karen Howe, Woodlands; 3, Sara Cevallos, Mayde Creek.
138: 1, Diana Mato, Katy Taylor; 2, Felicia Woodall, Katy; 3, Melissa Prine, Klein Oak.
148: 1, Sarah Smith, Woodlands; 2, Mary Reddick, Katy; 3, Amee Lagowski, Cinco Ranch.
165: 1, Amy Dreman, Oak Ridge; 2, Ashley Weber, Katy; 3, Jennifer Martin, Waller.
185: 1, Katie Klammer, Richard Lake Highlands; 2, Amber Hicks, Waller; 3, Alicea McCoy, Plano East.
215: 1, Kacee Ravenburg, Katy; 2, Gesche Weiss, Katy Taylor; 3, Cassie Cruz, Quinlan Ford.
Team 1, Katy 152; 2, Katy Taylor 71.50; 3, Woodlands 61.50; 4, Mayde Creek 58; 5, Oak Ridge 44; 6, Cinco Ranch 42; 7, Waller 41; 8, Coppell 32; 9, Richard Lake Highlands 26; 10, Langham Creek 22.
Region IV
Saturday's results at San Antonio Girls Individual
95: 1. Jessica Godbold, Killeen Harker Heights; 2. Janelly Gallegos, CC Ray.
102: 1. Reyna Cruz, Houston Lee; 2. Danielle Roberts, Austin Crockett.
110: 1. Heather Amador, Austin Crockett; 2. LeAnn Barney, Austin Bowie.
119: 1. Sarah Macias, Austin Crockett; 2. Jade Prudent, Houston Lee.
128: 1. Rachel Billerbeck - Pflugerville; 2. Kim Hernandez, Converse Judson.
138: 1. Sarah Schumacher, SA Lee; 2. Jaclyn Cox, Austin McCallum.
148: 1. Ashley Woodruff, Austin LBJ; 2. Nina Loera, SA Lee.
165: 1. Christina Rodriguez, SA Lee; 2. Casey Atnip, Converse Judson.
185: 1. Lakeshia Wilson, Killeen Ellison; 2. Jayme Loving-Powell, Converse Judson.
215: 1. Lisa Obregon, SA Lee; 2. Rosea Grady, Killeen Shoemaker.
Team
1. Lee 133, 2. Austin Crockett 123, 3. SA Lee 105, 4. Pflugerville 78, 5. Converse Judson 66, 6. Killeen Shoemaker 65, 7. Killeen Ellison 54, 8. Austin McCallum 47, 9. Austin Bowie 42, 10. Austin Johnson 41
----------------------------------------------
By Heidi Pederson 2/8/03
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
GRAND PRAIRIE - L.D. Bell's Suekoilya Shelly, the top-ranked girls wrestler in the state at 128 pounds, won't have a chance to prove it.
Shelly, along with Bell's three other female wrestlers, arrived at South Grand Prarie High School on Friday for the Region II wrestling tournament, expecting only to cheer for their boys' team. Little did they know they were supposed to be on the mat that day too.
Shelly said the Blue Raiders had been told by coach Bo Medley that the girls would be wrestling only on Saturday. When they arrived and found out the girls wrestling started Friday, they had to call their homes and tell parents to bring their wrestling equipment. They didn't have time to cut weight, and three of the Blue Raiders were forced to wrestle a weight class higher.
Shelly, who was ranked first in the 128-pound girls class this season by Texas USA Wrestling, wrestled at 138 on Friday and won three matches. She is in today's 138-pound final against Sam Houston's Glory Dalton.
"That's the worst part of it. I've always wrestled at 128," Shelly said. "I've tried to keep my matches here short, so I don't know what kind of a difference this is going to make at state. I don't know if I still have a chance for a state title."
