News page
Canadian medallists Dykstra, Martindale graduate from Beamsville with good futures
By Jim Wallace
Saturday, April 12, 2003 - 02:00
Staff photo by Bob Tymczyszyn Teammates Jody Dykstra, left, and Liz Martindale will be wrestling at different schools after graduating from Beamsville District Secondary School this year. Dykstra won a gold medal at the recent Canadian cadet-juvenile championships and Martindale took a silver. |
Local Sports - Jody Dykstra and Liz Martindale plan to continue their careers, but the Beamsville District Secondary School teammates won’t be wrestling together again in the near future.
The two 18-year-olds, who came away with medals at last weekend’s Canadian cadet-juvenile championships in Calgary, will move on to the post-secondary school level next season.
For Martindale, there’s no question about her allegiances.
“It’s Brock — end of story,” the 52-kilogram silver medallist said of her future.
And she can’t wait.
“I already train up there two or three times a week, and I’ve gone with them to tournaments,” she said of the perennial national wrestling powerhouse.
“They train twice a day, morning and afternoon, and I know I have to work more on my weight training.”
After a rough finish last year at the cadet-juvenile championships, Martindale was a little more prepared this time around.
“I (wrestled in) an age group above me before I went to the nationals last year and I was a little burned out.”
The silver medal this year was “kind of nice,” but the Ontario high school champion at 51 kilograms admits she’s still in awe at some of the major meets.
“The people you get to meet, like (Beamsville native) Tonya (Verbeek) who has been at the Pan Am Games and national tournaments.…”
Even though Martindale lost to Laura McDougall of Alberta in the final, coach Dave Collie said it was an excellent finish for the third-year wrestler.
“She was in, by far, the toughest weight class,” he said. “There were 24 competitors and five were (Ontario high school) medallists, some from weight classes above her.
“And there were two national medallists who didn’t even place in the top 10.”
Dykstra, a two-time OFSAA champion at 64 kg (she wrestled at 65 kg at the national level), isn’t sure what school she’ll attend next year.
“But I definitely want to continue wrestling. I’m planning my school around a place where I can still wrestle.”
Her schooling will have to cater to her hopes of working in police foundations, notably in the canine unit.
“I want to be in the canine part, working with the dogs.”
At present, Dykstra is looking towards a British Columbia school for both education and wrestling.
“Jody might be at the college level, which means she’ll have to go to a college near a university so she can train as a club member,” Collie explained.
“She can go to all the tournaments with them, except the provincial and Canadian university championships.”
Dykstra pinned Theresa Bakker of Manitoba to win gold after placing fourth last year.
“I was nervous because I had wrestled her earlier in the year and she had beaten me,” she said. “I wrestled her a couple of years before and won, but she beat me this year, which made me nervous.”
Still, Dykstra was confident going into the championships.
“I knew I was going to make the top three.”
As for improvement, Dykstra isn’t certain what’s involved, but will follow instruction.
“I usually do what the coach tells me, and that’s been working pretty well,” she said.
-------------------------------------------
Posted on Fri, Apr. 11, 2003
Sophomores Jera Summers and Lily Dorman competed in the US Girls Wrestling Association (USGWA) National Championships two weekends ago at Lake Orion High School, Lake Orion, Michigan. Summers earned 5th place and Dorman earned sixth place, making them both high school All-Americans. As All-Americans, the two are invited to train for a week at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Spring this summer.
------------------------------------------------
O'Donnell, Wong among stars to win titles at Women's University Nationals in St. Joseph, Minn.
4/13/2003
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling
Tela O’Donnell (Colorado Springs, Colo,/Dave Schultz WC) captured the 121-pound title and was named Outstanding Wrestler at the Women’s University National Championships in St. Joseph, Mo., April 13.
O’Donnell won all four of her bouts by technical fall, including a 13-3 victory in the gold-medal finals over Marcie Van Dusen (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 55 kg/121 lbs. Van Dusen is ranked No. 3 on the Senior WomenÕs National Team.
Also claiming a technical fall win in the finals was Jenny Wong (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), who stopped Belinda Chow (Cattown, Canada/U of Regina-Cattown), 11-0 at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. Wong won all three of her bouts by technical fall. Wong is ranked No. 1 in the nation at this weight class, while Chow is one of Canada's top college wrestlers.
One of the most exciting finals bouts was at 48 kg/112.25 pounds, where Clarissa Chun (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) scored a come-from-behind 11-6 win over Mary Kelly (Chanute, Kan./Neosho County). Kelly led the match early after turning Chun twice in the first period. Chun tied up the match with a headlock throw, then was able to turn Kelly to take the match. Chun also won the Most Falls award with two pins in 1:26.
The Gator WC won the team title with three individual champions, scoring 25 points, led by three champions. Missouri Valley College was second with 24 points. The Univ. of Regina/Cattown was third with 13 points, followed by UM-Morris with 11 points.
The other two individual champions from the Gator WC were Sally Roberts (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. and Satrinina Vernon (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 77 kg/169.5 lbs.
Roberts scored a 4-0 decision over Tori Adams (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) in the finals. Roberts also had a pin and a technical fall during the event.
Vernon won a four-athlete division, and scored three wins including a 12-3 decision over runner-up Donnell Bradley (Marshall, Mo./Missouri Valley). She also scored two technical falls.
Other U.S. individual champions were Katie Downing (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 67 kg/147.5 pounds and Toccara Montgomery (Williamsburg, Ky./Cumberland) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.
Downing won a tight 4-2 finals match against Kaci Lyle (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids), Montgomery won a three-athlete division, including an 11-1 technical fall win over runner-up Stephany Lee (Honolulu, Hawaii/Wahine WC).
The 130-pound champion was Canadian wrestler Korie Menegb o (Cattown, Canada/U of Regina-Cattown), who won three bouts on the way to gold. Her closest bout was an 8-7 win over runner-up Lindsay Owens (Atherton, Calif./Menlo College).
Six of the eight individual champion are full-time U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athletes, who train under National WomenÕs Coach Terry Steiner in Colorado Springs, Col,o.
There were no repeat champions from last year. The top American placewinner at each weight class have qualified for the World Team Trials in Indianapolis, Ind. June 20-22.
------------------------------------------------
Umemoto, Lang star at FILA Cadet Women’s Nationals in St. Joseph, Minn.
4/12/2003
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling
It was a good day for Oregon wrestling stars at the FILA Cadet Women’s Nationals in St. Joseph, Minn., April 12.
Winning the Outstanding Wrestler award was Na’Tasha Umemoto of Oregon, the champion at 56 kg/123.25 lbs. Claiming the Most Falls Trophy was Samantha Lang of Oregon, the champion at 78 kg/170 lbs.
Umemoto scored three technical falls on the way to her victory, including a 14-1 decision of Danyelle Hedin of Hawaii in the gold-medal finals. Umemoto was also a FILA Cadet National champion last year at 114.5 pounds.
Lang scored three falls in just 2:42 during the tournament. It was the second straight FILA Cadet National title for Lang. In addition, earlier in the day, Lang also won a gold medal at the FILA Junior National Championships.
There were two athletes that won both a FILA Cadet and FILA Junior national title today. Also claiming her second national title of the day was Ali Bernard of of the New Ulm Rolling Thunder club in Minnesota. Bernard won three matches by pin to claim the FILA Cadet title, including a 46 second pin over runner-up Melissa Simmons of Washington, who is with the USA Cobra club.
Four athletes won FILA Cadet National titles for the second straight year: Umemoto, Lang, Chelynne Pringle of Minnesota and Heather Martin of Ohio.
Pringle, who competes for the Minneapolis WC, claimed the 60 kg/132.25 lbs. title, with two pins and a technical fall. Pringle won a 14-3 technical fall over runner-up Erin Reagan of the Rez-Style Wrestling of North Carolina.
Martin was the champion of the 65 kg/143.25 lbs. class, with a pin and a technical fall. She defeated runner-up Brittany Shell of Alaska, 12-0.
Among the other champions in the field were Kelli Rasmussen of the Minnesota Storm at 46 kg/101.25 lbs., Caitlyn Chase of the Minnesota Storm at 49 kg/108 lbs. and Nicole Darrow of TNT club at 52 kg/114.5 lbs.
Rasmussen won three matches by technical fall, including a 13-3 win over runner-up Diana Acors of TNT in New York. Chase won two bouts by pin, including a 39 second fall over runner-up Chris Varland of Douglas WC in Wyoming. Darrow won four bouts, including a 8-0 win over runner-up Laine Orabana of North Carolina.
Two athletes won their weights uncontested, Nicole Woody of Maryland at 83.75 lbs. and Joey Miller of Oklahoma at 94.75 lbs.
-------------------------------------
4/12/2003
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling
Ali Bernard of the New Ulm Rolling Thunder club in Minnesota captured the major individual awards after winning the 67 kg/147.5 pounds at the FILA Junior National Championships in St. Joseph, Minn., April 12.
Bernard pinned Stephany Lee of the Wahine WC in Hawaii in 5:30 to claim the largest and most balanced weight division in the tournament. Bernard dominated the field, also earning the Most Falls award with four falls in 14:45.
Claiming the FILA Junior Nationals for the second straight time was Brandy Rosenbrock of Team Michigan, who scored a technical fall over Brooke Bogren of Cumberland College, 10-0 in 5:21 at 59 kg/130 lbs. Rosenbrock, a high school senior, is currently ranked No. 2 in the nation on the Senior level.
The winners in eight weight divisions qualified for the U.S. team for the Junior World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey in August. The U.S. team should be very talented and experienced, based upon the results of the competition.
Capturing the 44 kg/97 lbs. division was Erica Dye of West Virginia, who won a competitive division. Dye actually lost her match to runner-up Liz Short of UM-Morris. Short was defeated by Dhanujini Hordagoda of the Dave Schultz WC. Dye’s technical fall win over Hordagoda gave her enough points to win the roundrobin tie-breaker and make the U.S. team.
The champion at 48 kg/105.5 lbs was Mary Kelly of Neosho County CC, who dominated her weight class. She scored an 11-0 technical fall over runner-up Gina Heinzelmann of the Minnesota Storm.
Debbi Sakai of the Wahine WC in Hawaii dominated the 51 kg/112.25 lbs. class, winning both of her matches by technical fall. She clinched the win with a 14-2 win over runner-up Colleen McKenney of Cumberland College.
Cumberland College claimed two individual titles, with Jessi Shirley at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Alaina Berube at 63 kg/138.75 pounds
Shirley pinned Cathy Migita of the Wahine WC of Hawaii in 2:40 in the gold-medal match. Berube scored a 14-6 victory over Ashley Sword of the New York AC in the finals.
Capturing the 72 kg/158.5 lbs. class was Juanita Russell of the TNT club of New York, who won a best-of three series over Megan Goldsmith of UM-Morris. Russell won two tight bouts, 8-6 and 14-10.
The final champion was Samantha Lang of Oregon, who captured the 175-pound division with a two-match sweep over Alicia Mena of Neosho County College. Lang won by a 10-0 technical fall and a pin. This is not a FILA weight class, and does not qualify for the World Championships.