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Ex-teammates stir wrestling drama
RYAN PYETTE , Sports Reporter -London Free Press ( February 22, 2004)
London, Ontario, CANADA -Western's Terri McNutt was upset, frustrated and disgusted -- and she won the provincial title. Lakehead's Rachel Dean was bloody, teary-eyed and wistful about the one that got away.
The two former Mustangs teammates clearly weren't happy but they provided the top drama in their women's 53-kilogram showdown at the Ontario university wrestling championships yesterday at Thames Hall.
Trailing 11-6 with under a minute to go in an intense match, McNutt executed a successful five-point throw and rallied to pin Dean for the win and her second straight Ontario title.
"I'm not pleased, I wrestled awful, I can wrestle 20 times better than that," said McNutt, a nursing student from Joyceville. "That head-and-arm throw's my bread and butter and I try not to use it because everybody knows it and tries to defend it.
"But there, I had to use it. I had no choice. There's a lot of work to be done between here and CIs (the Canadian university championships March 4-6 at Brock in St. Catharines)."
Dean, 24, a Woodstock Huron Park grad who wrestled for four years at Western before heading to Thunder Bay for a master's degree in kinesiology, lost three previous times to McNutt this season and felt she let her guard down at the worst possible time.
"I learned that I can never stop wrestling," she said. "I was leading and I thought I could just waste the clock. It's definitely a rivalry with her. Obviously, I'm disappointed.
"It was tough to hear all of my old teammates cheering for her. I understand why, but it's still tough."
Just before the break, Dean needed treatment for a bloody nose likely caused by an accidental blow from McNutt's elbow.
"I don't know how it happened and she probably doesn't, that's part of wrestling," McNutt said.
When the match resumed, Dean took control and the fifth-year wrestler looked poised for victory -- before McNutt's big throw.
"We were teammates my first year," McNutt said, "but I didn't practise much with her. I was up a weight class and I was with the younger girls and she wrestled with the more experienced ones."
McNutt's win was Western's lone individual title. Brock won its 10th straight men's crown and fourth women's championship (by four points over Western).
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Verbeek wins Special Wrestle-off at 55 kg for spot on Canada's women's Olympic team
2/20/2004
CAWA web page/
Due to a injury petition that was upheld by the CAWA Technical Committee, a special wrestle-off was scheduled for the women's 55 kilogram weight class on February 19 in Edmonton, Alberta.
The first match was between Erica Sharp (U of Calgary W.C., Whitehorse, Yukon) and Tonya Verbeek (Brock W.C., Beamsville, ON). Tonya Verbeek was the athlete with the successful injury petition and faced off against Erica Sharp, who was defending her number two position from the Canadian Olympic Wrestling Trials.
Result - Tonya Verbeek defeated Erica Sharp by decision, 5-3. Tonya scored all her points in the first round on two single leg attacks, a one point cross ankle tilt and a high gut wrench. Erica came back to score 3 points in the second round, all takedowns - single leg, double leg and a shuck off a front head and arm.
As a result of the victory, Tonya Verbeek received an opportunity to face off against Jennifer Ryz (Burnaby Mountain W.C., Burnaby, B.C.) who won the Canadian Olympic Wrestling Trials held this past December in Sherwood Park, Alberta. That wrestle-off is a best of three affair with Jennifer Ryz having a one match lead over Tonya Verbeek.
Result - Tonya Verbeek defeated Jennifer Ryz by a decision, 3-0 in extension time. Verbeek scored two points in the first period off a Olympic lift defensive counter to a high crotch. There was no scoring in the second period. It went to the clinch in extension with Ryz having to clinch first. She attempted a throw 45 seconds in extension that was unsuccessful. As a result, Verbeek was awarded the single point for the victory.
Result - Tonya Verbeek defeated Jennifer Ryz by a decision, 3-0. Verbeek scored on a single leg attack in the first period and a two point gut wrench in the second.
Tonya Verbeek wins the best of three wrestle off by a final score of 2-1. She will now attend the first Olympic qualifying event for women in Tunis, Tunisia, March 5-6. Athletes placing in the top three at this event, and the second qualifer in Spain two week later, will qualify their country to attend the Olympics Games.
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Girls Midwest Regional Championships
Lawrence, Kansas
February 29, 2004
We are committed to creating a USA sanctioned tournament designed with the intention of promoting girls wrestling and giving them a venue with only honorable intentions in mind. Our club is a non- profit organization like most clubs in USA wrestling. Furthermore, we are staffed with volunteers that have a love for the sport and children. Girls are being invited from the entire mid-western region to compete for custom-designed trophies. The trophies are being designed with girl wrestlers in mind.
We feel that it is important for girls wrestling to continue to grow and not at the expense of parents, coaches or clubs. Girls wrestling should be something that is promoted, and not profited from. USA wrestling is an existing organization that girls wrestling can be promoted through and is the best-known wrestling organization in the country. The only pre-requisite to attend the Girls Midwest Regional Wrestling Championships is that you are female, age 18 years or younger and a USA wrestling member.
Girls will be bracketed per USA wrestling guidelines. We have received commitments from many clubs already and anticipate large numbers. This should be a very impressive event your club won’t want to miss.
THIS IS A MUST ATTEND EVENT.
Girls from the following states are being personally invited to attend: Illinois, Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Colorado, Missouri, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Girls from all other state are welcome as well.
We are excited to meet your club here in Lawrence.
Thank you,
Debra Housworth
Lawrence Jr. Wrestling Club Secretary
785-832-1288
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Girls Midwest Regional Wrestling Championships
Hosted at: Lawrence High School
1901 Louisiana Street
Lawrence, KS 66046
Date: Feb 29, 2004
Admission: $ 1.00 … under 5 free
Entry Fee: $ 15.00 Non-refundable. Should accompany entry form
No wrestler will be allowed on the mat with out payment in full.
Mail Entries: Lawrence Jr. Wrestling Club
990 E 1587 Rd
Lawrence, KS 66046
785-832-1288
E-Mail Entries: dhousworth@yahoo.com
Weigh-In: Feb 28. Saturday evening -- 6:30pm to 9:00pm
Feb 29. Sunday morning --- 6:30am to 8:00am
Coaches Meeting: 8:30am Wrestling Begins: 9:00am
Trophies will be awarded to all wrestlers.
Rules: KSHAA with USA modifications for Folkstyle wrestling. USA card required. Coaches must present card to get a coaches wristband.
Girls requirements: female, 18 and under current USA card.
Hotel: Holiday Inn is offering Half-Price if you mention Lawrence Jr. Wrestling Club. (Indoor Pool, Sauna)
Concessions will be available …. Full Breakfast and Lunch…
Note: Lawrence Jr Wrestling Club and/or USD 497 will not be responsible for any injuries and/or lost or stolen property on or around school grounds. Please, no alcohol or tobacco use on school property. We would ask that you leave your club area the way you found it and they way you want to represent your club. Please throw your trash away .. No food will be allowed in the gym.
Midwest Regional Girls Wrestling Championships
Club Name:____________________________________________
Club location: _______________________________________________
Total wrestlers: Girls Championships: __________________
Contact Person: ______________________________________
Mailing Address: ______________________________________
Email address: ______________________________________
Phone Number: ________________________________
Name: Weight: Age: Yrs./exp. Rating: card #
Age: (as of Aug. 31, 2003)
· 6&U - 37, 40, 43, 46, 49, 52, 55, 58, 61, 64, 67, 70, 73, 76, 80, 88, 95
· 8&U - 40, 43, 46, 49, 52, 55, 58, 61, 64, 67, 70, 73, 76, 80, 88, 95, 110, 125
· 10&U - 52, 55, 58, 61, 64, 67, 70, 73, 76, 79, 82, 85, 90, 95, 100, 110, 120, 130, 150, 170
· 12&U - 60, 64, 67, 72, 76, 80, 84, 88, 92, 96, 100, 105, 110, 115, 120, 130, 140, 150, 165, 190, 215, 240
· 14&U - 70, 75, 80, 85, 95, 100, 105, 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 150, 155, 160, 165, 170, 175, 205, 235, 265
· 16&U- 95, 100, 105, 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 150, 155, 160, 165, 175, 185, 215, 245, 275
· 18&U (girls FILA weights)- 95.5, 101, 108.25, 114.5, 118.75, 123.5, 127.5, 132, 143, 149.5, 154, 169.5
We reserve the rights to combine brackets and/or round robins.
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Johnson gets chance at rewriting history
Freshman 103-pounder could be first Iowa girl to qualify for state meet.
By DAN McCOOL
Register Staff Writer
02/21/2004
Cindy Johnson of West Burlington Notre Dame has an opportunity to make history today.
If Johnson places among the top two at 103 pounds in a Class 2-A district wrestling tournament at Centerville, she will become the first female to qualify for the state tournament.
"I'm excited, but yet a little bit nervous," said Johnson, a freshman who has a 16-11 record this season.
District meets in all three classes will be held today, beginning at noon. The state tournament is Feb. 25-28 at Veterans Memorial Auditorium.
Johnson, who placed second at a sectional tournament, will face T.J. Sebolt (43-0) of Centerville - the top-ranked 103-pounder in the country - in the first round. A loss means Johnson would have to qualify through wrestle-backs.
The other wrestlers at 103 are Brandon Jackson (25-7) of Eddyville-Blakesburg and Jason Knipfer (17-3) of New London/Winfield-Mount Union. Knipfer pinned Johnson in the sectional.
"I just have to work hard," Johnson said. "Qualifying to go to state takes hard work. If it didn't, everyone would make it."
Johnson is the second Iowa girl to reach the district tournament. Ashley Pender of Colfax-Mingo placed fourth at 112 pounds last season.
Johnson has siblings who have been involved in wrestling at West Burlington Notre Dame.
* Her brother Chris was the school's first state qualifier in 2001.
* Her brother Chad wrestled there.
* Her sister Cathy was the first female wrestler at the school in the 1999-00 season.
"I've been at this since I was in second grade," Johnson said. "I just wanted to prove to other girls that you can be a girl and do a guy's sport."
Kent Bailo, director of the Michigan-based United States Girls Wrestling Association, said reports of girls qualifying for a state wrestling tournament are growing every year. He said six girls have qualified in Michigan, and one girl - Na'Tasha Umemoto - qualified for the Oregon state tournament this season.
Bailo said a girl in Arizona placed in the state tournament several years ago and females have placed in Maine's tournament.
Southeast Polk has never participated in the Class 3-A dual-meet state wrestling tournament.
Rams coach Jason Christenson is more concerned with planting one thought into his wrestlers' heads in today's district meet at Ankeny.
"What we tell our kids is you have to win three matches to go to state," Christenson said. "If it comes down to a wrestle-back, they know they've got to win three. They've got to be tough all day long."
Districts will be held today, beginning at noon. District champions and runners-up advance to the state tournament.
The Rams can earn their first trip to the team tournament, which is March 6 in Cedar Rapids, by winning a district crown. Hoping to block the road are defending traditional state champion Oskaloosa and Newton.
"If we wrestle like we're capable of, good things can happen for us," Christenson said.
Valley hosts a district headlined by three top-10 teams: No. 6 Urbandale, the No. 9 Tigers and No. 10 Lincoln. Valley seeks a second consecutive trip to the dual-meet tournament.
"That would be a good step for our program," Tigers coach Travis Young said.
No. 2 Fort Dodge hosts a district with three other CIML schools - Ames, Marshalltown and Mason City. Ottumwa competes at Fairfield.
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By CLIFF PFENNING Issue date: Fri, Feb 20, 2004
The Tribune
Samantha Lang's bid to be added to the Class 4A tournament went as far as the Oregon School Activities Association, but the initial ruling by the Pacific-9 Conference stood, meaning her goal of being the first girl to win a state medal will be unfulfilled.
Her club coach, Bobo Umemoto, was unhappy with coaches in the conference, who apparently voted 5-0 early Saturday to disqualify Lang from the Pacific-9 district meet because she was jogging during the weigh-in. In 14 years of coaching, Umemoto says he's never heard of a wrestler, boy or girl, being disqualified for jogging during the weigh-in.
Lang, he says, thought there was a separate weigh-in for girls after the weigh-in for boys. She had been told that was the case the first day of the meet.
"The worst thing is that every coach I talk to says he voted for Sammy," Umemoto says. "But the OSAA told me the vote was 5-0 against her.
"I told her to go win the Olympic gold medal and show them that."
Lang is a top contender to represent the United States in the Athens Olympic Games in August.
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Advanced placement
Cataline still alive in section tourney.
By Earl Williams
Staff writer 2/21/04
RIVERSIDE --Jackie Cataline's bid to become the first female to win a CIF Southern Section individual wrestling title came to an end Friday night, but the Millikan High sophomore's season isn't over yet.
Cataline went 2-1 during the first day of competition at a CIF-SS Eastern Division individual meet at Norte Vista High, but that one loss knocked her into the consolation bracket, meaning the highest she can finish is third in the 125-pound weight class.
Cataline's day started promising enough as she pinned Los Osos' John Claw in the third period.
But Ed Flores of El Monte High proved too much for Cataline to handle.
Cataline wrestled defensively the entire match, unable to attack through the first two rounds. Meanwhile, Flores was piling on the points before a mini rally late cut his lead to 12-5, where the match ended.
"I wasn't doing my moves, really,'' Cataline said "I was a little scared and he used it to his advantage.''
To advance to Day 2, Cataline needed a victory in her third and final match of the night … and she more than delivered.
"I was a little nervous at first, but I had to shake it off,'' Cataline said. "I wanted to come back (Saturday). I had to win this match and went out there, wrestled hard and he gave up.''
Cataline led throughout her match against West Covina's Samuel Soto, racking up points consistently. Cataline used two takedowns and a near fall for a 14-5 victory.
"She wrestled smart,'' said Millikan coach Marshall Thompson said. "She watched her balance and that gave her the opportunity for the takedown.''
Cataline will face Rim of the World's Joe Walker, a wrestler the she defeated last year when the two met on the junior varsity level.
Ramona High's Sarah Jones, the only other female competing at Norte Vista Friday, was pinned twice and was knocked from the tourney.
Cataline will attempt to become the second female in CIF-SS history to advance to the Masters Meet. In 2000, Marcy Van Dusan of Rim of the World finished in fourth place to qualify.
But Cataline can become the highest-finishing female wrestler with a strong showing today.
Earlier this month, Cataline made history when she become the first female wrestler to win a Moore League title.
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By Earl Williams
Staff writer 2/10/04
If Jackie Cataline of Millikan had any doubters in the crowd or along the sidelines at the Moore League Wrestling Finals on Tuesday night, she surely made believers out of them.
The gym erupted in elation
If Jackie Cataline of Millikan had any doubters in the crowd or along the sidelines at the Moore League Wrestling Finals on Tuesday night, she surely made believers out of them.
The gym erupted in elation when the horn sounded, indicating the end of the third period of her match at 127 pounds. She threw her arms in victory, as she edged John Beard of Lakewood, 4-2, to become the first female in league history to win a title at the varsity level and to earn a berth to the CIF Southern Section Individual Tournament.
"Being a girl, everyone was watching me,' Cataline said. "I figured I might as well win it.'
The Rams avenged their early season loss to the Lancers, who claimed the team title last month.
Millikan had the most league champions with nine. Lakewood and Poly had two, and Wilson had one.
In the first period of the Cataline-Beard match, neither wrestler earned a point. In the second, Beard scored on an escape move to make it 1-0. However, Cataline responded with a two-point takedown.
Lakewood coach Andy Miramontes complained that Cataline's leg gear wasn't properly wrapped, and the official awarded Beard a point to make it 2-2.
In the third, Beard attempted and failed to implement a double takedown move. Cataline somehow stopped it, and she ended up on top of him and was awarded a two-point takedown as time ran off the clock.
Earlier in the season, Beard dominated Cataline by the score of 9-3 at the teams' dual match that ultimately decided the league crown.
"This match, I didn't want to lose,' Cataline said. "I knew he was going to be strong, so I went out there and gave it my all and didn't give up anything and I won.'
Another upset occurred at 147. Marcus Chavez of Millikan defeated Mark Barbee of Lakewood. The score was 7-7 at the beginning of the third period before Chavez reeled off five points, two points on a takedown and three on a near fall, making it 12-7 before finally pinning him at 5:56 mark.
At 137, Casey Yocky of Lakewood came out strong against Michael Lancaster of Millikan, dominating him 11-0 before pinning him at 2:53 of the second period.
"We didn't do as well as I thought we would have done today. Hopefully, we overcome tonight in CIF,' Yocky said. "Everything went according to plan (in my match). All I wanted to do is get the job done and get out of there.'
Carsell Swain (173) of Poly scored a 17-2 technical fall win over Millikan's Chris Saunders who had a sprain in a shoulder and "couldn't mount much of an attack.'
Brandon Crispo of Wilson had his way with Tyler Trujillo of Lakewood. Crispo was up 5-1 before pinning him 1:24 in the first period.
"Well, I'm happy tonight,' Millikan coach Marshall Thompson said. "What happened in the dual match wasn't right, so they wanted to make things right. We are going into CIF, so we want to peak at this time. I'm just proud of the guys. They came out and wrestled hard. We didn't win every one. But everyone tried hard.'
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Katy girls pound home regional crown; KISD sending 22 wrestlers to state
By Nick Georgandis
Sports Editor 2/17/04
In a year which they were supposed to be rebuilding, the Katy Tiger girls' wrestling team won its third straight regional championship Saturday, besting district rivals Taylor and Mayde Creek, who finished in the top four at the meet in Allen.
The Cinco Ranch boys finished a strong third in the competition as 22 KISD wrestlers qualified for the state meet to be held Feb. 27-28 in Austin.
The top four finishers among boys and top two finishers among girls qualify for the state meet.
Three KISD boys and five girls won their individual weight classes at the regional, led by defending state champions Matt Tiffin and James Aston.
To read the rest of this article, pick up a copy of the Wednesday, Feb. 18 edition of The Katy Times.