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London-Western Wrestling Club -Women place second at Ontario Junior Wrestling Championships
Hamilton, Ontario, CANADA- article by - josip MRKOCI & ray TAKAHASHI 2/8/05
Jill McCallum of London-Western Wrestling Club took the SILVER at 63 kg losing to Tasha Eady of Lakehead Wrestling Club. McCallum, a Saunders S.S. graduate and a second year student at Western took the first period but got countered by a throw to a pinning hold. |
Laura Skopelianos and Seren Martin win GOLD at the Ontario Junior Wrestling Championships. Jill McCallum takes SILVER
London-Western Wresling Club member and Western Mustang wrestler, Laura Skopelianos defeated Stephanie Toffan (Mariposa Wrestling Club) in an exciting match in the FINALS at the 2005 ONTARIO JUNIOR PROVCIAL WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS after dropping the first period but coming back to win two straight periods to win the GOLD medaL in the 51 kg weight class.
The 2nd year Kinesiology student and defending Junior National champion at 48 kg was thrown by Toffan in the first period but changed her tactics to avoid Toffan’s throws who twice beat Skopelianos two years ago. Coach Ray Takahashi said, “Skopelianos is a tough competitor and wrestled tactically smart to control the wrists and avoid the close tie-up position.
” Skopelianos’ last match was against teammate Breanne Beh of London-Western ( a student at Catholic Central Highschool) whom she defeated. Beh placed 4th.
London-Western’s Wrestling Club other gold medal performance was at 72 kg, when , Seren Martin ( first year Western mustang wretler) defeated Brock’s Wrestling Club ,Jocelyn Dresser, but not without a scare. Martin found herself bridging from her back while time ran out in the first period. Martin, came back in the second, winning two straight periods in the best of three format which earned her a GOLD medal and a trip to the National Championships. Coach Josip Mrkoci - who attended the competition before leaving for the MUSCAT FESTIVAL - Commonwealth Challenge Cup - in the Sultanate of OMAN said earlier- Seren is tough competitior and does not give up, she is wrestling today even though she has an injury to her ankle , I am confident she will win.
Seren Martin in good pinning position with the deep half-nelson
Laura Skopelianos takes the single leg versus S. Toffan at 51 kg. Skopelianos won the match and the Gold medal winning four matches
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Glenbard North Wins Regionals Advances 12 to Sectionals
2/5/2005
Glenbard North's Caitlyn Chase pins Wheaton North's Nate Fitzenrider during their 103-pound semifinal match Saturday at the Class AA Glenbard North regional
GBN Panthers Regional Winner's Advance to Sectionals on 2/11 - 2/12 at Downers Grove North high school
103 Caitlyn Chase 1st
112 Danny Monaco 2nd
119 Mark Schultz 2nd
125 Jon Ranck 1st
130 Vince Ramos 2nd
135 Bryan O'Connor 1st
140 John Iscassion 1st
145 John Malizzi 2nd
160 Tony Dieppa 1st
171 Matt Smith 1st
189 Rich Guilduillin 2nd
275 Gino Heredia 2nd
GBN took 1st place and will advance to team sectionals on 2/22/2005 at Naperville North high school
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dailyherald.com 2/6/05
Class AA Glenbard North regional:ŒThe postseason does something to Glenbard North's Caitlyn Chase.
The junior 103-pounder won a Class AA Glenbard North regional title and qualified for her first individual sectional, and she did it by beating three wrestlers with better records.
If there were any doubts that the Panthers also would take the team regional title in Carol Stream, Chase - who won the match that gave her squad last year's third-place hardware downstate - laid them to rest at the onset of Saturday's final round.
"Cait got the ball rolling, and that got people excited," said Panthers coach Mark Hahn. "We kind of kept it going from there."
Chase grabbed her title by knocking off a pair of wrestlers she had already lost to this year, Wheaton North's Nathan Fitzenreider and Wheaton Warrenville South's Ricky Krauze.
Chase beat Krauze 3-1 in the title match to improve her season record to 18-13.
"I just got it in my head that I needed to wrestle smart," Chase said. "I didn't give up many takedowns, I kept wrestling off the mat, I didn't let the other whistles get to me, and I listened to my coaches."
The Panthers had 12 wrestlers reach title matches, six of whom won regional titles, and they got 12 wrestlers through to next Saturday's Downers Grove North sectional. In the process they also advanced to the team sectionals by outpointing Wheaton North 259.5-230.
Panthers' titles came from Chase, Jon Ranck at 125 pounds, Bryan O'Connor at 135, Jon Isacson at 140, Tony Dieppa at 160 and Matt Smith at 171.
"They all did a great job," Hahn said of his winners, "but I'm proud of the whole group."
Smith improved to 20-2 with his title win, and after going downstate each of the last two years, the senior feels some extra motivation right now.
"It's all mental, knowing that your season could end at any time," Smith said. "What has really kicked in for me is that senior urgency. This is my last time to get a medal."
Wheaton North got 13 wrestlers through to the sectionals, led by regional titlists in John Chawula at 112, James Simpson at 119, Jason Fitzenreider at 130, Matt Redmond at 145 and heavyweight Nick Theobald. The Falcons also won all seven of their third-place matches on the day.
Theobald exacted some vengeance in his title match with an 8-2 decision over the Panthers' Gino Heredia, who previously had beaten him in double overtime.
"I figured he beat me once, so I should just go all out," Theobald said. "If I lost again, I lost, but I wanted to make sure I went all out."
Chawula's title came via a takedown in overtime against the Panthers' Dan Monaco, who had beaten Chawula in their previous two meetings.
"My elbow has been hurting, so I didn't know if I'd be able to go six minutes," Chawula said. "I just tried to keep it close, and finally I just pulled it out."
"That was the highlight of my year right there," Redmond said of Chawula's win. "He's battled (Monaco) and been so close, and I'm just glad to see him come out on top."
The night's other regional titles came from Bartlett's Mark Lukaszewski at 152, Batavia's Chris O'Connell at 189 and Kevin McFarland at 215.
Wheaton Warrenville South advanced three wrestlers through the regional, in Krauze, Joe McHale at 140 and Keith Mahler at 152.
McHale had previously beaten Isacson in a 1-0 decision this year, but he dropped a wild 5-4 decision in the title match.
"I was up a point, he let me go real quick, and before I reacted, he got a takedown," McHale said. "I picked up my intensity a lot and wrestled tough, but unfortunately it didn't go my way.
"But I'd love to see him again at sectional finals."
- Gary Larsen
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