News Page

USEOC women’s team splits duals in Canada, beating Calgary and losing to Simon Fraser

11/20/2004
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling

The U.S. Olympic Education Center (USOEC) women’s university team, which is based at Northern Michigan Univ., split a pair of dual meets against Canada’s top two college teams on Friday, Nov. 19.

The dual meets were held the night prior to the start of the Championship Cup of Women’s Wrestling, held at Lakehead University in Canada.

The USOEC team defeated the No. 2 college team in Canada, the Univ. of Calgary, 5 matches to 2. In the second dual of the evening, the No. 1 Canadian college team, Simon Fraser Univ., edged the USOEC team 5 matches to 4. The new rules of international wrestling were used in the dual meets.

Only one USOEC wrestlers won both matches for the evening, Brandy Rosenbrock (Harrison, Mich.), who competes at 59 kg/130 lbs.

In perhaps the top matchup of the evening, Rosenbrock defeated the No. 1 ranked Canadian on the Senior level, Emily Richardson of Simon Fraser, in a tiebreaker. Rosenbrock is ranked No. 1 in the USA in the most recent TheMat.com U.S. Women’s rankings.

Rosenbrock also pinned Justine Bouchard of Calgary in that dual meet.

Joining Rosenbrock with wins during the Calgary dual meet were Liz Short (Lombard, Ill.), Linse Meadows (Katy, Texas), Ku Johnson (Honolulu, Hawaii) and Donell Bradley (Aiea, Hawaii).

Joining Rosenbrock with wins against Simon Fraser were Randi Miller (Arlington, Texas), Mary Kelly (Mahomet, Ill.) and Debbi Sakai (Mililani, Hawaii).

The USOEC women’s team is coached by Shannyn Gillespie.

On Saturday, the eight-team Championship Cup of Women’s Wrestling, a dual meet tournament featuring college teams, is being held. Cumberland College, one of the powerhouse women’s college teams from the United States, is in the field, along with Canadian college teams Simon Fraser, Calgary, Lakehead, Alberta, Brock, Memorial and Western Ontario.

The USOEC will also have two more dual meets, first facing an all-star team from the OUA (the college conference in Ontario) and an all-star team from Canada West (the college conference in Western Canada).

An individual tournament is scheduled for Sunday, providing a full weekend of high-quality women’s college wrestling.

USOEC 5, Calgary 2
Liz Short (USOEC) pin Krista Wells (Calgary)
Andrea Ross (Calgary) dec. Mary Kelly (USOEC)
Brit Laverdure (Calgary) dec. Sharon Jacobson (USOEC), 3-7, 5-1, 6-4
Linse Meadows (USOEC) pin Laura McDougall (Calgary)
Brandy Rosenbrock (USOEC) pin Justine Bouchard (Calgary)
Ku Johnson (USOEC) dec. Elisa Howes (Calgary), 4-1, 4-1
Donell Bradley (USOEC) pin Vanessa Wilson (Calgary)

Simon Fraser 5, USOEC 4
Ashley McManus (Simon Fraser) pin Linse Meadows (USOEC)
Randi Miller (USOEC) pin Shamia Turncotte (Simon Fraser)
Mary Kelly (USOEC) pin Miranda Dick (Simon Fraser)
Ashley McKilligan (Simon Fraser) dec. Liz Short (USOEC), 1-0, 1-0
Debbi Sakai (USOEC) pin Sarah White (Simon Fraser)
Leah Pare (Simon Fraser) dec. Amy Borgnini (USOEC), 0-2, 4-1, 1-0
Jessica Peterson (Simon Fraser) dec. Danyelle Hedin (USOEC), 4-2, 4-2
Brandy Rosenbrock (USOEC) dec. Emily Richardson (Simon Fraser), tiebreaker
Angela Mah (Simon Fraser) dec. Teri Lopez (USOEC), 3-1, 6-7, 2-0

--------------------------------------------------------

U.S. Rosters set for 2004 Henri Deglane Challenge in Nice, France, Nov. 26-27

11/18/2004
John Fuller/USA Wrestling

The Henri Deglane Challenge is slated to begin on Nov. 26 in Nice, France. The Dave Schultz Wrestling Foundation will send a team of top U.S. athletes to compete in all three international styles. This annual event features many talented athletes from European nations.

The Dave Schultz Wrestling Foundation will also bring 15-20 fans to the event, an annual social activity that accompanies the tour.

Leading the men’s freestyle team will be 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials runner-up Joe Heskett (Grover Beach, Calif./Gator WC) at 74 kg/163 lbs. Heskett placed third in this event last year. He is currently an assistant coach at Cal Poly.

Ryan Tobin (Philadelphia, Pa./Dave Schultz WC) will return to the Henri Deglane Challenge this year at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. He won a silver medal at last year’s tournament and a bronze medal in 2003. Tobin is currently an assistant coach at Penn.

Also competing are 2004 NCAA champions Jesse Jantzen (Cambridge, Mass./Dave Schultz WC) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. and Matt Gentry (Grants Pass, Ore./Dave Schultz WC) at 74 kg/163 lbs.

Jantzen was a three-time NCAA All-American at Harvard. Last year, he capped off an undefeated college season with an NCAA title.

Gentry has begun his senior season at Stanford this year after completing an undefeated junior season that saw him win the first NCAA individual title in his school’s history.

Rounding out the U.S. men’s freestyle team are Scott Schatzman (New York, N.Y./Dave Schultz WC) at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Nick Preston (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.

Schatzman placed eighth at the 2004 U.S. Nationals. As a collegian, he was a two-time NCAA All-American at Northwestern. He is currently an assistant coach at Columbia.

Preston placed fourth at the 2004 U.S. Nationals. He was also a two-time NCAA All-American at Ohio State.

Last year, the U.S. men’s freestyle squad captured four medals. Tobin won a silver medal at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Winning bronze medals were Jared Frayer at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Heskett at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Lee Fullhart at 84 kg/185 lbs.

In the women’s freestyle division, only two of the seven international weights are competed – 55 kg/121 lbs. and 63 kg/138.75 lbs.

The U.S. women’s team will be led by Olympian Tela O’Donnell (Colorado Springs, Colo./Dave Schultz WC) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. O’Donnell was a 2004 Olympian at 55 kg/121 lbs., placing sixth. She was a 2003 U.S. Nationals champion and won a silver medal at last year’s Henri Deglane Challenge.

Joining O’Donnell will be Laura Felix (Bakersfield, Calif./Dave Schultz WC) at 55 kg/121 lbs.

Felix placed fifth in the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials and U.S. Nationals. She currently competes at Cal-State Bakersfield.

The men’s and women’s freestyle teams will be coached by 10-time U.S. National Team member Dan Chaid (San Jose, Calif.).

Last year, both U.S. women’s freestyle wrestlers won medals at the Henri Deglane Challenge, as Patricia Miranda won a gold at 55 kg/121 lbs. and O’Donnell won a silver at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.

The U.S. Greco-Roman team will be led by 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials runners-up Joe Warren (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 60 kg/132 lbs., Darryl Christian (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Justin Ruiz (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.

Warren also placed third in the 2003 and 2004 U.S. Nationals and has won a silver medal at the Henri Deglane Challenge the last two years.

Christian was a 2004 U.S. Nationals champion. He won a silver medal at the 2003 Pan American Championships.

Ruiz won a silver medal at the 2003 World Cup and was a 2004 U.S. Nationals champion.

2003 U.S. Nationals runner-up Mike Ellsworth (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) will compete at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. Ellsworth won a silver medal at the Henri Deglane Challenge in 2002.

Rounding out the U.S. Greco-Roman roster are Josh Henson (Colorado Springs, Colo./Dave Schultz WC) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Jeff Funicello (Mesa, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 84 kg/185 lbs.

Henson took the last year off to focus on coaching at Penn. In 2002, he placed second at the Sunkist Kids International Open.

Funicello won a silver medal at the 2004 Pan American Championships.

The Greco-Roman team will be coached by 2000 Olympian Heath Sims (Huntington Beach, Calif.).

At last year’s Henri Deglane Challenge, the U.S. team won two Greco-Roman medals – a silver by Warren at 60 kg/132 lbs. and a bronze by Sims at 74 kg/163 lbs.

Henri Deglane Challenge
at Nice, France
Nov. 26-27, 2004

U.S. Women's Freestyle Lineup
55 kg/121 lbs. – Laura Felix, Bakersfield, Calif. (Dave Schultz WC)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Tela O'Donnell, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Dave Schultz WC)
Coach: Dan Chaid, San Jose, Calif.