News Page
By Mike Garofola Daily Herald CorrespondentPosted 1/9/2005
Jordan McCabe won the lottery Saturday afternoon, but Glenbard North had all the right numbers to win the big game.
McCabe stunned Glenbard North superstar Jon Isacson 6-0 in the match of the day to capture the 145-pound championship. That only slightly slowed the Panthers' incredible run to the team title at the 29th annual Leyden Invite.
The Panthers rolled up a stunning 294 points to lap the 10-team field and gain top honors over closest competitor Conant (195). Last year the Cougars edged coach Mark Hahn's club here by winning the final match of the tournament.
"It's nice to come back here and win our first (team) title of the season," Hahn said after his club accepted the hardware from tourney officials. "But from here on out, things get real tough, and we're going to have to turn up the hard work and extra hours of training in order to achieve what we've set out to accomplish this season."
Hahn took his club aside prior to the final round of competition to lay down the challenge of going clean through the finals, but McCabe gummed up that plan.
His thunderous takedown with 35 seconds left in regulation lifted the crowd out of its seat and put the two-time state qualifier ahead for good to score his biggest victory of his high school career.
"I knew I just had to win this match with Jon today," said McCabe (20-2), who later was named the most outstanding wrestler of the tournament by the coaches. "This is the type of win that will help put me back in front of those who kind of forgot I was around (this season), especially after my start this season and a few losses along the way."
Confidence is what Hahn had in mind when he asked his Panthers to reach a little higher in finals, where they'd advanced nine of 14 into the championship bouts after dominating the early rounds of competition.
"We didn't want anyone to be satisfied with making it into the finals," Hahn said.
"Coach told us he wanted us to go 13 for 13," said senior Jon Ranck, who put away Conant's Robert Lejman (20-7) to earn the 125-pound crown.
"Everyone on this team this year wants to win (it all) so badly," Ranck said. "You can feel it everyday when in the training room."
Ranck was part of a seven-match win streak by the Panthers to open the championship round. It began with Caitlyn Chase (103), who gained her first title with the varsity when she ended a superb day of wrestling with a major decision (12-1) over Conant sophomore Corey King.
"Coach (Hahn) wanted me to be the aggressor all day, especially in my final," said Chase, who extracted a measure of revenge with a defeat of Miguel Guerrero of Oak Forest (4-2). Earlier in the season at Conant's Feutz tourney, Chase lost to Guerrero.
Freshman Danny Monaco (112 pounds) kept things going after the Chase win, as did Mark Schultz (119), Ranck, Vince Ramos (130), Brian O'Connor (135) and finally John Malizzio (140).
The sophomore O'Connor impressed his finals opponent, Will McDermott of Mundelein, after an 8-3 victory.
"He's very tough," said McDermott (20-6) of O'Connor. "I tried to do some things, but nothing really came of it. He deserved to win."
----------------------------------------------
Wrestling gives Woody her sense of belonging
On High Schools: Milton Kent
Originally published Jan 11, 2005
HOW OFTEN HAS it been said of someone that he or she was born to a particular sport? Add one more to the list because Nicole Woody, almost literally, was born to wrestling.
Her uncles and cousins and brothers, younger and older, were all wrestlers. Her mother, Mary, keeps time and runs the scoreboard at Arundel High matches and Nicole, probably beyond her own remembrance, took in her first match, a Navy-Penn State set-to, when she was 9 months old.
"She was really comfortable in the wrestling room, so we just put her on a blanket in the corner with a bunch of toys," said Mary Woody.
So, save for her diminutive size (5 feet, 103 pounds), it's not a stretch to believe that Nicole Woody would be a wrestler.
And it's also not so far-fetched to think that Nicole, an Arundel freshman, is a good wrestler, with a season record of 13-1 on junior varsity heading into today's meet with Severna Park.
Nicole's skills and savvy might just be good enough to earn her a place on the U.S. Olympic women's wrestling team for 2008. And she could end up placing at a state tournament, something no female wrestler has done.
What she'll settle for, at least for now, is to be the best wrestler at her 103-pound class on the Wildcats team. That will be difficult because junior John Kotsis is ranked fourth in the state at that weight among public schools.
Nicole, who has been wrestling since she was 9, said she has been unable to beat Kotsis in two matches, though the score narrowed from 14-1 in their first meeting to 7-2 in the second.
"And I got the two on my own," said Nicole Woody. "He didn't let me up. I shot in really nice with about 30 seconds to go."
That's largely the challenge for all girls who wrestle boys, to prove they belong.
Already, Nicole said, she has become aware that her technique and quickness will have to carry the day if she is to move up the state rankings.
"I guess so," Nicole said. "I hear it all the time. Now it's kind of drilled into my mind that I win because of technique. It's definitely not because of strength."
In a way, Nicole already is a winner, thriving in a sport that isn't always welcoming to girls. Indeed, Mary Woody says her daughter still faces occasional discrimination from wrestling umpires who she says are unwilling to believe that girls can or should beat boys.
"She just says: 'That's the way things are and I know what I want and I know what's right and wrong and this is what I'm going to do,' " said Mary Woody. "What I like is that she's not afraid to do things and to approach people and make friends."
Within Nicole's family, there is a debate over the propriety of her being able to wrestle, Mary Woody said, with some male members of the family objecting on moral grounds.
"If you go back biblically and look at what the roles of men have been and what God has said the roles of men are, they [male relatives] believe that by wrestling, then she's stepping outside of her role," said Mary Woody.
In a perfect world, Mary Woody said, there would be enough talented female wrestlers for her daughter to compete against so that she wouldn't have to wrestle boys.
But that world hasn't arrived yet, and until it does, Mary Woody wants her daughter to have all the opportunities in wrestling that her sons and brothers and male cousins have received.
"I talked to them [male relatives] and said, "I believe this is good for her,' " said Mary Woody. "I believe that wrestling should be available to anyone who wants it because it's such a great sport. It teaches you to go beyond what you think you can do. It teaches you discipline, and I think a girl and a guy should have that opportunity. She enjoys it and likes it and is good at it and I think it's good for her."
In between matches, Nicole often wears a T-shirt that says, "So, you wish you could wrestle like a girl." Soon enough, boys may not take that as an insult.
----------------------------------------------------
Osceola sets standard In the growing sport of girls wrestling, Osceola is the team to beat again.
By emily badger
Sentinel Staff Writer
January 13, 2005
Vanity Vazquez will be going for her third consecutive championship
medal in girls wrestling when Osceola hosts the unofficial state meet Jan. 29 at
Kissimmee Middle School.
But for the undefeated, 103-pound senior, those accomplishments are
becoming almost old hat. So this year she's trying something new. Through last
week, Vazquez was 9-2 competing with the boys team.
And whose idea was that -- hers or Osceola Coach Jim Bird?
"A little bit of both," Bird said.
Vazquez heads the charge of a team that dominates girls wrestling the
same way Oviedo does on the state-wide boys scene. The FHSAA doesn't
recognize the titles Osceola has won, but that doesn't diminish the reputation of
a program, and a sport, that has been growing in popularity each year.
Sophomore 135-pounder Breisja Gallo is also undefeated, while
125-pounder Jolene Sun and 152-pounder Jenny Glover will be defending state titles
along with Vazquez.
They are complimented this season by a promising influx of first-year
underclassmen, including freshmen Maria Isaac, Lakia Henderson, Katie
Crouch and Michelle Smith, and sophomores Shandanee Todd and Elizabeth Watson.
The cast has changed a lot since last year, with one state champion and
a couple of other state placers opting not to compete this year --
"Boyfriends, jobs and cars," Bird explained.
But that hasn't halted Osceola's momentum. Last year the team won the
state title with a commanding 223-132.5 lead over runner-up St. Cloud (not
coincidentally, another Osceola County school with a strong boys team).
The championship was wrapped up by the semifinal round, inviting the
question of how Osceola can possibly write an encore this winter.
"We just keep on getting new girls coming in that are working hard,
it's just a great time," Bird said. "The older girls, they figure it out
pretty quickly, and they show by example. We don't have real big rah-rah
girls, you just come in and see girls working after practice and before practice."
-------------------------------------------------
Friends' Central girl takes opponents to the mat
By: Bruce Adams, Main Line Times01/12/2005
wynnewood - For Friends' Central School senior wrestler Lauren Nadkarni, it's taken three years just to get to the center of the mat.
Friends' Central wrestling head coach Ed Soto said, "For three years, she's battled, going against guys who didn't want to wrestle against her, and getting a lot of dirty looks.
"This season, she's getting a chance to wrestle, and she's getting a lot of praise."
A fine all-around athlete who received second team All-Main Line girls' soccer honors last fall, Nadkarni wrestled three matches at the Lower Merion High School quad meet Saturday.
Lower Merion head coach Dave Burke, who saw Nadkarni battle the Aces' Peter Vagnoni at 135 pounds, said, "I give her all the credit in the world. She gives no quarter, and asks no quarter."
Nadkarni, whose won-loss record was 1-5 as of Monday, said, "For me, wrestling is not so much about the wins and the losses, it is about personal improvement.
"To me, the real victory is improving my skills and abilities and applying them to live wrestling situations, regardless of the outcome of the matches."
Nadkarni is not the first Friends' Central girl to wrestle a varsity match. Diana Bleakley, a 2001 FC grad, was the first Friends' Central girl to wrestle. Melinda Suss, a 2000 Friends' Central graduate, was the first to record a victory against a boy.
Like Nadkarni, both Bleakley and Suss were fine all-around athletes who excelled in several sports.
Friends' Central athletic director Keith Bradburd said, "At Friends' Central, we feel strongly about gender equity, but some of the schools in our [Friends School League] didn't want to have girls participating in wrestling, so the rule in our league is this - if one of the schools in the meet has a 'no girls' policy, and the other team wants to enter a girl for the match, it's a double forfeit."
Nadkarni said, "One of the biggest challenges for me has been obtaining matches against opponents from other teams, and it has plagued me since I began wrestling in high school. It seems as though there are more excuses for teams to not wrestle me than there are for them to wrestle me.
"It can be very frustrating when opponents, whether by choice or by force, shy away from wrestling me.
"Another challenge for me has simply been earning my spot in the varsity line-up. I began wrestling a lot later than most of the people on the team, so I already began at a slight disadvantage.
"At the beginning of the season, most people didn't give me a chance, and if they did, they didn't expect me to go very far.Now, however, people have faith in me, and I have helped my team out in many situations, even if it may not be directly reflected in my record."
Nadkarni said, "One of the biggest satisfactions for me has been earning the respect of my teammates and all of the people associated with high school wrestling.
"One of the frustrating, yet satisfying, experiences that I have on a regular basis is that I will hear people write me off when or before I step out onto the mat.
"However, after my matches, several people have approached me and complimented me on my abilities, my attitude, and for what I am doing for female wrestlers and the sport of wrestling."
Nadkarni, who has received a varsity letter the past two years, is not the only girl on the Friends' Central squad. Her teammate and best friend, Kylie Hardin, has earned three varsity wrestling letters, although she has no varsity decisions this year.
Nadkarni said, "I first got seriously interested in wrestling my sophomore year after I had broken my foot during the previous summer. Kylie was already on the wrestling team, and she played a major role in my decision to wrestle.
"Without her guidance and strength, along with my confidence in my coach, I'm not sure that I would have been able to decide to go through with it. I have also received a lot of support from my family and friends."
Soto said, "I based their [varsity letter] on practices, forfeits received, girls tournaments they wrestle in and placed [such as the girls' wrestling tournaments in Lancaster] and helping out with managerial duties. Last year, they both received forfeits but did not get varsity matches, as schools did not want to wrestle girls.
"Lauren and Kylie both are extremely hard workers in practice. They drill hard with the team and never once complain about anything. They attend all practices, meets and tournaments whether they wrestle or not. They are very supportive to their teammates and the sport itself."
The FC coach added, "They have had a tough road to hoe when facing other schools. Most schools refuse to wrestle girls because it is against their philosophy, or the individual wrestler does not want to risk losing to a girl or making contact, or they have been taught not to hit a girl, which baffles me as this is not boxing so there is no hitting involved.
"Comments come from coaches, parents, and wrestlers of opposing schools, and they vary, based on the outcome of the match.
"If they receive a double forfeit, which is only a Friends Schools League rule, the girls might hear, 'Why are you ruining this sport?' or "My son should've wrestled but you ruined it," or "You are such a butch."
Soto said, "The girls also have problems because of weigh-ins. They have to wait until all the boys are weighed in before they can. Some schools refuse to weigh them in, or make a big issue of the circumstance of having to find a female to weigh them and do a skin check.
"This year, they have not been confronted with any negative comments except, 'You are such a butch.' They have heard more good comments like, 'Keep up the good work,' 'We like what you are doing,' and 'She is tough.'"
The Friends' Central coach added, "My feelings are if a girl can legitimately make the team and handle the grief from parents, coaches and athletes of other schools than they deserve to wrestle. These girls have earned spots at various times throughout the years on our team because of injuries to varsity wrestlers.
"The only downside this year is they know the best they can do for our team in the Friends School League is get a double forfeit since that is the rule if that school does not want to wrestle a girl. I feel they work just as hard if not harder than any boy, practice all the time, and they are being mistreated by not being allowed to wrestle.
"Unfortunately, these girls will not get the chance to perform in our league or state tournament because of these rules. But maybe they have paved the way for girls in the future to participate against boys or start up an all-girls team and league if the wrestling community can't accept boys and girls together."
Nadkarni said, "When I started to wrestle, it was a winter sport that would keep me in shape for lacrosse in the spring and soccer year-round. However, my image of wrestling has evolved. It has now become a large part of my life, and I have a lot more respect for the sport and the athletes who participate in it.
"Over the past few years, I have wrestled against male and female wrestlers, been in all-female wrestling tournaments, and have helped out at my school's wrestling clinic as a counselor."
Soto said, "I believe girls have saved the sport of wrestling across the board in high schools, college and have even been added to the Olympics. Its time the wrestling community wake up and see that girls are just as competitive as boys, given the opportunity."
---------------------------------------------
www.TheBramptonGuardian.com 1/12/05
If you have wanted to find out how an elite wrestler trains, thanks to Brampton's Ohenewa Akuffo you can find out.
Akuffo, who is Canada's top ranked female wrestler at 72 kilograms, will be running a free boot camp for wrestlers on Saturday Jan. 22 at Canadian Bodyworks Fitness Club, 539 Steeles Ave. W. Open to those in Grade 8 and older, the session is geared to the high school athlete.
Wrestlers or non-wrestlers will be able to learn as she takes them through a warm-up, including stretching and cardio work. Following the 30-minute workout she will be available for a question and answer session.
To register contact Bodyworks at 905-452-7800 or go to Akuffo's website www.ohenewa.ca./ Numbers are limited and registration is on first-come, first served basis.
---------------------------------------
Conch wrestlers hosts 10 teams
By Christie Phillips cphillips@keynoter.com
Posted-Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Key West on a roll
The Conch wrestling squad closes its home schedule this weekend by hosting the fifth annual Key West Awards Invitational Tournament.
Ten teams are expected for the Friday and Saturday event.
Wrestling starts with preliminary rounds in the 14 weight classes at 5 p.m. Friday. Semifinal and finals matches begin at 9 a.m. Saturday.
The mat Conchs are coming off a strong showing at the Hendry County Dual Tournament last weekend, attended by 12 teams.
Key West again wrestled shorthanded with only eight wrestlers, which hurt the squad in team standings.
Overall, every Conch wrestler earned at least one win at the tournament.
Chad Rodriguez, ranked No. 1 at 130 pounds in Class 1A, went 5-0 with four pins to keep his unbeaten season at 15-0. He also wrestled in the 135 spot.
Ian Lauritzen went 5-0 at 215, going 16-4 for the season.
Dusty Viveiros (16-4) was 4-1 at the tournament's 125 spot, losing to the state favorite.
James Ahlswede (13-3) at 103 pounds went 3-1, with two pins. The loss was a 12-1 points decision to the state's top-ranked wrestler in the class.
John Bader went 3-2 with two pins in two lightweight classes.
Leslie Dupree, at 103 pounds and the Conch's only female wrestler, had one of the day's most exciting matches in a 9-4 points win over a George Jenkins opponent. She went 2-0 at the tournament, and is 6-3 for the season.
----------------------------------------------------------------