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By Tobias Xavier Lopez 1/4/04
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
GRAND PRAIRIE - Before Crystal Molinar's championship match at the Lone Star Duals, most of the advice the South Grand Prairie wrestler got was to just try to keep it competitive.
After all, Molinar was facing the No. 1 nationally ranked 112-pound wrestler, Candace Pellerin from Florida.
Instead of just keeping it respectable, Molinar went on to grab the gold with a gritty 2-1 victory.
"A lot of people said just keep it close; just stick in there," Molinar said. "But I went in with a different attitude. I just wanted to stay solid and not give up."
Pellerin, a three-time national place winner at the United States Girls Wrestling Association tournament, tore through Saturday's matches with three straight victories by pinfall -- none lasted more than 1:23.
Molinar took an early 2-1 lead and then held on for the entire third round from the defensive position for the tournament title.
In the 121-pound class, South Grand Prairie's Deseree Cazeres trailed 4-1 but scored a second-round fall to improve to 17-0 this season.
L.D. Bell senior Jessica Suratt captured gold in the 187-pound division.
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Testa is champion in 98-pound class
Democrat Sports Staff 1/4/04
STOCKTON - Woodland High School senior Karissa Testa won the 98-pound division at the Lady Viking wrestling tournament.
Testa won four straight matches.
"I think in that 98-pound division she's going to dominate," Wolves coach Oscar Romero Sr. said. "The girl she had in the finals today was a freshman. She was tough for a freshman but can't compete against Karissa."
Romero thinks that Testa will probably meet Sovana Iniquez of Coxico in the state finals.
"I have friends in the girls' circles telling me that she's the one girl (Testa) has to worry about," Romero said.
Junior Kelly Nardiello also wrestled, going 2-2 in the 132-pound division, losing to the eventual third-placer.
Romero said Nardiello accidentally pinned herself in that match.
"She was beating this girl by eight or nine points and she decides to try (a splits)," said Romero, referring to a move where a wrestler attempts to pin her opponent by stretching out the opponents' legs.
"When they called the pin, I thought we got the pin. She leaned back too far and got called for a pin. It messed her up for the rest of the day. It kind of threw a wrench into everything."
Woodland's wrestlers will compete at 9 a.m. Saturday, the varsity at the Cardinal Classic in Laguna Creek and jayvees at the Last Man Standing Tourney in Lodi.
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2003 NYAC International Day 1, Women's Galley
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New York Athletic Club Christmas International
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