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Faces in the Crowd

Sports Illustrated 1/12/04

Ashlynn Babb, TULSA
Wrestling
Ashlynn , a fifth-grader at Wright Elementary and the only girl on the 60-member Team Thlsa, has pinned 13 opponents, earn- ing a 15-3 record in the 70- and 73-pound weight classes of Di- vision IV this season. All of her matches have been against boys.

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Mattawan matmen bring down Maroons

Friday, January 9, 2004

GAZETTE STAFF REPORTS

MATTAWAN -- Kalamazoo Central was strong in the light weights and light in the heavier weights in Thursday night's SMAC Central Division wrestling match against Mattawan.

K-Central won four of the five lighter weights before Mattawan took over and won all but one of the heavier weights on the way to a 42-22 victory.

Coach Ryan Brown's Mattawan grapplers won the last five weight classes, including forfeit wins at 215 and 275 pounds.

Dan Krasinski (160), Kalem Wilcox (171) and Aaron Jellies (189) all recorded victories, while Matt Craig (215) and Josh LaPine (275) were forfeit victors.

Trevor Ferris (119), Josh Perk (135) and Jellies all won via pins, while Julius Pietras had the closest match of the evening, decisioning Theodore Amundsen, 3-2, at 140 pounds.

Luis Castillo, a 6-4 winner at 145 pounds, also produced a key victory.

"Pietras and Castillo just wrestled their hearts out and that was probably the difference for us," Brown said.

"It was a lot closer than the score indicated," Brown said. "It was a tremendous match."

PORTAGE CENTRAL 58, PORTAGE NORTHERN 21: It was a pinfest at Portage Central's gym Thursday night as 11 of the 14 bouts never went the distance.

Portage Central had nine of the pins, including sweeping the 171- through 275-pound matches by the fall route.

Highly regarded Jordan Sherrod (215) and Kevin Peterson (145) were among those recording pins for the Mustangs. Also pinning for P-Central were Mike Vogel (112), Jeremy Trinkle (119), Jeff Klimp (125), Dave Mannebach (140), Steve Russell (171), Kyle Higgs (189) and Andy Thorton (275).

ALLEGAN 62, GULL LAKE 18: Allegan, the state's No. 6-ranked Division 2 team, racked up nine pin wins in an easy Wolverine Conference victory.

Greg Courtney (125), Cameron Simaz (130), Clayton Butcher (135), Aaron Castenada (145), Brandon Rhodes (152), Russell Blackball (160), Dan Craig (171), Eric Simaz (189) and Chad Corbett (215) all recorded falls for the Tigers.

PLAINWELL 34, THREE RIVERS 30: Plainwell won the first four weight classes and came back to win at 189 and 215 and edge Three Rivers in a Wolverine Conference match.

Pins by Drew Cool (103), Jason Thompson (125) and Ryan Dennis (135) put Plainwell in front, but it took decision victories by Larry Barlow (189) and Dustin McNeese (215) to clinch the victory.

DELTON 45, BATTLE CREEK PENNFIELD 33; DELTON 54, SCHOOLCRAFT 21: Delton doubled its fun Thursday night, winning a Kalamazoo Valley Association match against Pennfield and defeating Schoolcraft in a non-league match.

Delton won the last five matches to down Pennfield as Clay Drewyer (160), Corey Bourdo (171), Jim Sweat (189), Eric Ryan (215) and Dustin Morgan all pinned their opponents.

MARTIN 75, LAWRENCE 3; MARTIN 66, LAWTON 6: Martin showed why it's ranked No. 1 in the state in Division 4 as it rolled to a pair of lopsided Southwestern Athletic Conference wins.

Scoring a pair of pin wins for the Clippers were Seth Conley (135), Clay Balka (152), Aaron Fitzpatrick (189), Chris Nichols (215) and Andrew Lambert (275).

Female wrestler Amy Berridge (103) won one match by forfeit and pinned her opponent in 15 seconds in the other.

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WRESTLING: I.E. girls' tourney set Jan. 24

By ANDRES CARDENAS / The Press-Enterprise January 8, 2004

Rialto Eisenhower will host the second Inland Empire Girls' Championships on the Jan. 24. There will be 14 weight classes, starting at 98 pounds.

Eagles coach Joe Paluba said he expects 150 wrestlers to attend. Medals
will be awarded for the top four wrestlers per weight class.

A week later, El Cajon Valhalla will host the Region 4 -- schools from
Los Angeles, San Diego and Southern Section -- championships with the top
five placers advancing to the two-day California Girls' State Championships
in Vallejo starting Feb. 6.

For more information on the Inland Empire Girls' Championships contact
Paluba at (909) 820-0777.