Ashley Hudson
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Boomers send trio to state
Woodward News 2/20/05
Woodward's wrestlers made school history by qualifying three for the Class 4A State Tournament in regional action Saturday.
Matt Johnson finished second at 160 pounds, Kevin Branine was third at 135 pounds and Joey Miller took fourth at 103 pounds.
Until this year, the Boomers had never qualified more than two wrestlers in a year for state.
In addition, Miller maybe the first girl ever to qualify for the state championships.
Johnson is a four-time state qualifier.
In the team standings, the Boomers scored 89 points for seventh place, their highest' finish ever in the regional.
The state championships will be Friday and Saturday at the State Fair Arena in Oklahoma City.
Note: Information provided by website okwrestIe.com.
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2/17/05
Every takedown by Herndon's Firen Gassman these days is a lunge at
history. She may not even realize it, however -- and she may not even care all
that much.
In winning the Virginia AAA Concorde District 103-pound title last
weekend, the freshman became the first female district champion in the history
of the Virginia High School League. If she places in the top four at the
Northern Region tournament at Hayfield this weekend, she'll become the first
female to reach a VHSL state meet.
"I would say that she's vaguely aware of what everything means, but
she's not done yet," Herndon Coach Tyler Andersen said. "She's just not
satisfied with being the first girl to win districts. She wants to be the first
girl to win the region, the first girl to make states and the first girl to
place at states."
For Gassman, a state champion last summer in both the freestyle and
Greco-Roman boys' divisions, a district title was practically expected.
At 39-7 this year, she has pinned 19 of her opponents and scored eight
major decisions.
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Gassman Leads HHS to 2nd
Girl, 4 Boys Win District Titles
By Anthony Paradise 2/18/05
Observer Staff Writer
Herndon High School freshman Firen Gassman became the first female wrestler to win a district title in the Group AAA Northern Region as the Hornets finished second in the Concorde District championship.
Gassman claimed the 103-pound division title at the district championships, Feb. 11 and 12 at Oakton High School. Hornet wrestlers Ben Haynes (152), David Russell (215) and Trey Small (275) also won their divisions.
Also for the Hornets, Alex Garten (112) was fourth, Joey Russell (119) third, Kelby Gassman (130) third, Andy Sova (135) fourth, Tommy Downin (145) second, Chad Metzger (160) third, Zay Lopez (171) second and P.J. Mosher (189) third. The top four in each division advance to the region, Feb. 17-19 at Hayfield High School.
Westfield won the team title, with Chantilly third, Centreville fourth, Oakton fifth and Thomas Jefferson sixth.
Gassman, with an overall record of 39-7, said she wants her championship to make a statement for other female wrestlers. Plus, she said she's proud she and her teammates are moving on to the region tournament,.
“We really wanted to win," Gassman said. “Coach calculated the points. But 12 are going to regionals and that's a good number. Plus, me winning districts shows other females it can be done."
Coach Tyler Andersen said he thought his team could have won the tournament, but said moving forward is the most important thing. “A little disappointed," he said. “We didn't perform up to our capabilities, which is more disappointing than not getting first.
“The silver lining is we did what we needed to do to move on," Anderson added. “The kids move on to regionals and they get another chance to peak and move on."
Haynes, 33-1 for the season, said winning the district boosts his confidence. “I was pretty happy about it," he said. “It gave me some confidence for regionals."
Small's 46-1 mark is a school record for most wins in a season. With his second straight district title, he's looking forward to the region. “It was exciting, don't get me wrong," Small said. “But I'm excited about possibly winning regions and states."
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Returning Contenders Highlight Regional Wrestling
While Rams and Bulldogs challenge, Spartans may surprise.
By Greg Wyshynski
February 17, 2005
The usual suspects are lined up for the Northern Region wrestling tournament, scheduled to begin this Thursday night at Hayfield Secondary.
Westfield and Robinson — second and third in the Northern Region last season — have deep rosters and returning regional finalists. Defending champion Hayfield doesn't have the quality veteran depth of recent years, but it sports several championship contenders.
But the team that several coaches feel has an inside shot at the regional championship this year is West Springfield.
"They have some studs, some kids that are going to be in the finals," said Robinson coach Bryan Hazard.
West Springfield is favored to win with Dan McCluskey at 103 pounds and Mostafa Ibrahim at 119. The Spartans also appear to have the inside track with Daniel Gitlin at 135 and Juliano Valencia at 152.
"You have four champs or four finalists, and they're hard to beat, said Hazard. "If another team is going to beat them, they're going to need a hero."
The tournament's first-round matches will begin on Thursday night at 5 o’clock. Action continues on Friday afternoon beginning at 1 p.m. and then 7 p.m. Saturday's matches are scheduled to start at 1 p.m., with the championship round at 7 p.m.
Here's a weight-by-weight look at the Northern Region tournament field:
103 Pounds
The Contenders: Dan McCluskey, West Springfield (Patriot District champion); Michael Bowman, Langley (Liberty champion); Firen Gassman, Herndon (Concorde District champion); Waqas Amin, Staurt (National District champion); Brent Sposa, Westfield; Zach Stewart, Robinson.
Outlook: The story of this division is Gassman, who became the first female wrestler in Northern Region history to win a district title last weekend in the Concorde finals. She defeated Sposa, 9-3, for the championship. "Be less impressed about her being a girl, and be more impressed about her being a freshman," said Bill Hildbold, Herndon director of student activities.
While McCluskey — another freshman — is the favorite to win this division, don't count Bowman out. The Saxon is 1-1 against McCluskey this season, although both matches occurred in the first tournament of the season. "We beat him the first time and lost by one the second time," said coach John Belyea of Langley.
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By Jon Gremmels/For the Times 2/18/05
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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Caitlyn Chase doesn’t see herself as a pioneer on the wrestling mats.
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She’s just a wrestler.
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Just any wrestler doesn’t get a rousing cheer when introduced before a match at the state tournament, though. Just any wrestler doesn’t get asked for autographs or have the media waiting in line for an interview after a preliminary round loss. And just any wrestler hasn’t participated in the Olympic Trials.
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But while her history-making match Friday morning at the Illinois individual state wrestling tournament here was being hailed — becoming the first girl in Illinois history to wrestle in the state meet — she already was looking ahead to next year.
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“In 20 years, I plan on looking back to next year more, because I plan on doing better next year,” the 17-year-old junior from Glenbard North High School in the Chicago suburb of Carol Stream said.
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When she looks back at Friday, she’ll view it pretty much as any other wrestler who lost.
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“I feel I could have done a lot of things differently and the outcome of the match would have been different,” she said.
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But she said she was no more nervous than anyone else who was competing, and her classmates treated her no differently this past week than they would any other state qualifier.
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Lavell Miller, a junior from Maywood Proviso East, didn’t give the crowd at the Assembly Hall time to get behind Chase, taking her down just 29 seconds into the match. He made sure the first female on the mats in state meet history was the first wrestler off the mats Friday. He pinned her in 2 minutes, 31 seconds in a preliminary-round match at 103 pounds — the lightest weight class — in the Class AA tournament.
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“It was kind of intimidating,” Miller said.
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However, he knew something about Chase because he had pinned her last year in the team sectional tournament. He said that gave him an advantage another wrestler might not have had against her.
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“She has improved a lot, and she’s got a lot of heart,” Miller said. “This time she was a bit tougher. She showed everyone else by getting to state. I knew the quicker I scored the better.”
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But he certainly had no problem wrestling a girl. “It’s definitely good for wrestling,” he said.
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While others see Chase as a pioneer, she doesn’t even see herself as a girl. Chase said she’s treated that way by other wrestlers, too, perhaps because she’s been in the sport for seven years.
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“It’s not the fact that I’m a female,” she said. “I’m like any other wrestler ... You don’t really need those male body parts to wrestle. It doesn’t decide your match.’’
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Weight is not a big issue, either, although she does cut some to get to the 103-pound weight class. She competed at the Olympic Trials last summer at 110 pounds.
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Weight is about the only area where she does see herself as a girl. When asked what her non-wrestling weight was, she responded: “It’s not polite to ask a girl her weight.’’
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Girl from Glenbard North makes mat history
By Ken Roberts
Post-Dispatch 02/19/2005
Story continues below ad CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Caitlyn Chase made history Friday morning when she became the first female to compete in the Illinois individual wrestling championships.
But Chase, 17 and a junior from Glenbard North High in the Chicago suburb of Carol Stream, saw her chances for a medal come to a quick end. She was pinned by junior Lavell Miller of Proviso East of
Maywood in 2 minutes 31 seconds in a 103-pound Class AA preliminary bout.
Miller (30-9) then lost to Josh Kratovil of New Lenox Lincoln-Way Central 8-4 in the first round, ending Chase's chances for advancing to the wrestlebacks. She finished second last Saturday in the Downers Grove North Sectional to earn her first trip to Assembly Hall.
"She was kind of intimidating," said Miller, who had pinned Chase last year in a regular-season dual match. "She had a pretty good fireman's carry and headlock so I had to wrestle her like she was another guy out there. The quicker I got her on the mat, the quicker I got off the mat."
Miller started fast against Chase with two reversals in the first minute and held a 4-1 advantage after one period. He was ahead 7-1 when he put Chase on her back 25 seconds into the second period before pinning her at 2:31.
"It was just a matter of wrestling my best," said Chase, who has a record of 20-15. "I feel that I could have done a lot of things differently and the outcome of the match would have been different if I would have went out there and wrestled all out. Nerves could have had a part to do with it."
While nerves and a stronger wrestler had a big impact on her match, Chase said she thought her gender had none.
"It's not the fact that I'm a female, I'm just like any other wrestler," she said. "So it's not that I go out there and compete against the guys because you don't need those male body parts to wrestle. It doesn't decide your match.
"There's always different types of wrestlers. Some wrestlers are stronger. Some wrestlers are quicker and if I happen to wrestle a wrestler who's stronger than me, then I'll use my speed or technique."
Even though her individual season ended Friday, her team is still alive in the dual-team sectionals as Glenbard North tangles with Naperville Neuqua Valley in the semifinals at Naperville North on Tuesday. If the Panthers win, they will wrestle the Glenbard West-Naperville North winner in the finals on Tuesday.
That winner advances to the dual-team quarterfinals at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb at 11 a.m. next Saturday. Last season, Chase helped Glenbard North earn its third-place trophy when she outpointed Josh Pasek of Carpentersville Dundee Crown 11-9 in overtime as the Panthers defeated the Chargers 30-25.
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Chase's historic day ends too quickly
By Stephen Parker Daily Herald Correspondent
Posted 2/19/2005
Illinois wrestling history was written in Champaign on Friday morning, but the wrestler responsible for that entry in the record book wouldn't want it read that way.
That Caitlyn Chase was the first female wrestler to participate in an IHSA individual state final was less vital to her than results.
And while the outcome was certainly not what she envisioned, she has already drawn up a road map for next season.
As is the case for so many other first-time state qualifiers, a little nervousness played a role.
In the second period of her preliminary-round match at 103 pounds, after Chase was taken down by Proviso East wrestler Lavell Miller and settled into a cradle, Miller worked Chase for a pin at the 2-minute, 31-second mark.
Miller's subsequent loss in the second round to undefeated Lincoln-Way Central freshman Josh Kratovil meant that Chase's day was done, she would not get a second chance in the wrestlebacks.
"In my match I let my nerves get to me," Chase said. "I wasn't as prepared as I should have been."
Glenbard North coach Mark Hahn believed that more aggressiveness by Chase on the mat might have made for better results.
"I thought she was a little tentative out there. We had a couple of guys do that today," Hahn said.
"To go out there and be tentative, you can't do that at a state tournament. It's the ones that go out there and hit all their moves and get them to the mat - those (wrestlers) are going to win."
Neither Hahn nor Chase's teammates look at their 103-pound wrestler as a novelty act.
"I'm real happy because she's a good Glenbard North wrestler, not because she's a girl," Hahn said.
"And I know that's important to her. I forgot she was a girl wrestler three years ago."
Chase, a junior, has already met one of her objectives, which is to help represent her team in Champaign - along with six of her teammates.
"It was exciting. One of my goals was to come down here with my team," she said.
But the season is not over yet.
Chase knows she still has hard work ahead of her as Glenbard North competes Tuesday in the Class AA Naperville North team sectional for the right to advance to the dual state finals next weekend at Northern Illinois University.
"I just have to remember that I can go for a medal next week," she said.
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By John Beaudoin
The Examiner 2/19/05
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Ashley Hudson didn't come to the state wrestling tournament to keep score for St. Louis Lafayette.
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Ashley Hudson |
She's not a cheerleader. She's not singing the national anthem.
Hudson is a wrestler.
More specifically, Hudson is a history-making wrestler.
The sophomore at Lafayette became the first girl in Missouri history to win a match at the state tournament. Then she became the first to win two matches.
Hudson took second in the Class 4 District 1 Tournament, but suffered a first-round 7-3 loss to McCluer North's Matt Steyer.
Then it was her turn.
Hudson rebounded with a resounding thump, dominating Winnetonka freshman Adam Cvengros 16-4 in the first round of wrestlebacks before downing Joe Bergstrom 3-0 in the second round of wrestlebacks.
Without nearly as much fanfare as her predecessor - Pleasant Hill's Julie Tucker became the first girl in Missouri history to qualify for state back in 1998 - Hudson made a bold statement to Missouri's wrestlers.
"I feel very comfortable here," said Hudson, who has visited the Hearnes Center as a kid's state qualifier. "I heard people saying before my match, 'There's that girl. She's going to lose.' That just fuels me even more. Keep it going guys. That helps me."
Hudson is no stranger to the sport, having first stepped on the mat at age 7 in second grade.
"In the seventh grade, I came down here and lost my first match," she said. "And I came back and took third."
And she's no stranger to winning, either, coming into the tournament a properous 37-8.
Hudson isn't interested in what people think of her participation in what is a male dominated sport.
She was more focused on winning.
"I didn't want to come here and be double (losses) and out," she said as Cvengros' mom patted the tall 103-pounder on the shoulder to congratulate her.
"I'm his mom you just beat," she said.
"Oh, I am sorry," Hudson replied.
"No, no, you did an awesome job."
While no one can take away her historic performance, Hudson has her eyes on staying at 103 throughout her career and earning some hardware to go with it.
"I do think I have a good chance to medal," she said. "You can't settle for just coming down here. You've got to make your mark."
After her second win, Hudson's confidence grew, as did her resolve to make her dad pay for promise.
"My dad said if I place, I get a car," a beaming Hudson said as scores of coaches flowed by and wished her well. "I should have made a bet with my parents."
Her 3-0 win had the crowd on its feet as Hudson nearly got turned to tie it up.
"He was trying to put the legs in on me, and I am a leg rider, so I was like, 'Hey, I know what you're up to," she said. "This is incredible. I just want to keep winning."
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Lafayette’s Hudson is one of a kind
By Brett Auten 2/19/05
West County Journals
It didn’t take long for word to spread.
Lafayette sophomore Ashley Hudson became the first female large school wrestler to qualify for the state tournament on Saturday and by midday Sunday she was reminded of her accomplishment by many while attending a little league wrestling tournament.
“It didn’t seem real,” Hudson said. “A lot of people were coming up and congratulating me.”
Hudson finished second over the weekend at the Missouri State High School Activities Association Class 4, District 1 tournament held at Oakville and in doing so advanced to the state tournament, which runs Thursday through Saturday at the Hearnes Center in Columbia.
“It’s a pretty unbelievable accomplishment especially at that weight class, which is incredibly competitive,” Lafayette athletic director Steve Miller said. “We think she’s a tremendous young girl and we’re proud of her here at Lafayette.”
Hudson and five other Lancers will finish the season in Columbia.
“Ashley works hard and has a great attitude. You get what you deserve. It just doesn’t happen through luck, she earned it,” Lafayette coach Scott Sissom said.
“We hope she can get a good seed and draw and win some matches at state.”
After a first round bye in the district, Hudson won 11-0 in the quarterfinals and earned a 3-0 victory in the semifinals, ensuring a place at state.
“That was a huge weight off my shoulders,” the 16-year-old said of the semifinal victory.
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STEVE TEMPLEMAN, GRANT CLARK AND TODD MILLES; The News Tribune
Last updated: February 20th, 2005 02:40 AM
Don’t tell Whitney Conder she or her female wrestling counterparts are going away.
The Puyallup High junior proved her point Saturday: The girls can compete with the boys.
Conder became the state’s first female placer at Mat Classic XVII, taking sixth place in the Class 4A 103-pound weight class after a 15-3 loss to Rogers High’s Kraig Wilson in the consolation finals.
Conder finished with a 3-2 record at state.
“I’m proud and I’m happy,” Conder said. “It’s not going to stop (girls wrestling against boys). I came here. I placed, and because of this, there will be others that will come here and do well.”
That is not to say things have been easy for the 16-year-old combatant.
“It’s been tough (here), but it feels good,” said Conder ranked No. 3 nationally among girls at 100 pounds. “I proved a lot of people wrong – a lot of people who thought I was going to go two-and-out.”
Following her two victories Friday, which assured her of a top-eight placing, Conder defeated Curtis High’s Gabe Grossman, 5-4, Saturday morning to set up the match with Wilson, the South Puget Sound League South Division champion.
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4A Wrestling: University lives up to favorite billing
Spokane school closes on title with 5 in semis
By MICHAEL MCLAUGHLIN 2/19/05
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
TACOMA -- It was a solid first day for University High of Spokane at Mat Classic XVII as the Titans took a big first step toward their first state wrestling title.
University came into the tournament as the favorite, bringing 10 wrestlers to Tacoma. Five advanced to this morning's semifinals. After the first day, the Titans were on top of the 4A bracket with 66.5 points, 18.5 ahead of second-place Auburn and 20.5 ahead of the defending champs from Lake Stevens.
Lake Stevens brought nine grapplers with four still on the winner's side of the brackets but struggled in its consolation matches with only one wrestler advancing.
"We needed a couple more of our consolation guys to advance," Lake Stevens coach Brent Barnes said. "We need to come back tomorrow with a positive attitude. If we can get all four guys into the finals, who knows what can happen?"
It was a similar tune sung by Auburn coach Brian Peterson. Auburn also brought nine wrestlers and advanced four to the semifinals.
"We had our ups and downs," Peterson said. "We needed a couple of our kids to do well in the consolations. University has the numbers right now. They're looking pretty good, but anything can happen."
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Gilbert W. Arias / P-I |
One of the biggest upsets of the day came in Round 2 when undefeated senior Brynsen Brown matched up against junior Jon Wilbourne of Lake Stevens.
Brown looked in control with a minute remaining in their match, up 4-2, but he appeared to tire as the match was winding down. Wilbourne, a defensive end for the Vikings football team, closed the gap to 10-9 with seconds remaining, then tackled Brown as time expired for a two-point take down and the win.
"He's (Brown) really strong," Wilbourne said. "That was the biggest win of my career."
It was even more amazing considering Wilbourne missed most of the wrestling season after tearing a knee ligament in December.
"I've never seen Mr. Barnes so pumped up," Lake Stevens senior Lester Brown said. "That just proves that all the hype we see and hear doesn't mean much. There's no such thing as an untouchable here, and that proved it."
Lester Brown, who won state last year at 125, won both matches yesterday at 135.
Speaking of unexpected, two girls made history yesterday by becoming the first females to place at the Mat Classic.
Whitney Conder of Puyallup and Megan Martin of Willapa Valley, a pair of 103-pounders, both won two matches yesterday, guaranteeing each at least eighth-place finishes.
After Conder defeated Nick Cambron of Central Valley 8-7, she leapt into the arms of her father and couldn't hold back an ear-to-ear smile.
"It's been such a long road to get here," Conder said, with tears forming. "I don't care what happens now; I'm going to be on the pedestal tomorrow and I'm still going."
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2005 WIAA Girls Invitational Tournament Final Results
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Daily News Sports 1/19/05
Division 2
The Tomahawk wrestling phenomenon of Anthony and Alyssa Lampe became the first ever brother-sister duo to qualify for the WIAA state wrestling championship after third and second place finishes, respectively, at the Division 2 Osseo-Fairchild Sectional Saturday.
Alyssa, the state's first girl to qualify for state in 2004, earned her second straight ticket to Madison after going 4-1 at 103 pounds, pinning Mike Brunner, Ellsworth, in 3:23 to pick up the third and final state seat in her weight class. Anthony went 3-1 Saturday, pinning Mike Bump of Amery in 1:17.
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Bryan DeMain 2/20/05
The Times-Standard
EUREKA -- Women's wrestling is on the move, and taking lead in the new revolution is Eureka High graduate Kaci Lyle.
In Fall of 1997 it seemed to be a simple decision, moving from track and field to wrestling, yet she had no idea that one day that decision would give her an opportunity at a National Championship or even a spot on the Olympic Team.
But it took much more than a decision for this woman to be able to end up on the U.S. National Team.
Influenced by friends at school and siblings at home, Lyle became the first woman wrestler to compete all four years for the Loggers and to make the varsity team in her senior year in 2000.
"One day I just poked my head into a meeting, and ever since I've loved it," said Lyle. "I really liked the intensity."
Lyle worked hard running five miles before school every day, and kept up on all the latest techniques.
"She had incredible work ethic, she was always in the best shape," said former Eureka Wrestling coach Ron Perry.
Her decision to become a wrestler, however, wasn't free of heartache.
"Guys kind of thought it was a joke, no one really believed I was in it for the long haul," said Lyle. "No one really wanted to practice with me."
After her freshman season, Lyle persevered and influenced her parents to send her to a wrestling camp. Lyle improved, vastly.
She earned her first win over a boy in her sophomore season and never looked back.
By the time Lyle graduated, she had placed second in the 1999 United States Girls Wrestling Association High School National Championship, and in the following year she won the same competition.
After high school, Lyle first attended one of the nations' top women's wrestling programs at Missouri Valley College. She then transferred to Pacific University in Oregon where she took part in their first women's wrestling program, while spending time training for the Olympics in 2004. She now attends University of Colorado, Colorado Springs where she studies criminal justice, but she's not quite living the normal college experience.
"It's great, I get to meet the top athletes in the world, we're all here training for different competitions, even the Olympics," she said.
Living at the training facility for the U.S. National Team and attending both U.S. and International competitions once a month, she's still trying to get over a hump.
"Since high school, I've always been just short of one big win, or just winning that final match," said Lyle.
Since 2000 Lyle has finished either second or third 14 times in major competitions, including this last year, when the U.S. National Team member finished third in the Olympic trials at Indianapolis, one spot away from qualifying for the Olympics.
"The Olympic trials were nerve wrecking, media was everywhere," said Lyle. "But I had a good tournament there, I just lost that last match."
Lyle did go on to train friend and teammate Sara McMann, who went on to win the silver medal in women's freestyle wrestling.
If Lyle places in the top of this years World Team Trials held in Iowa, she might be able to get over that hump at the World Championships held at Hungary in September.
"I'm constantly training, will see, I'm just happy to be competing."
Along with the World Championships, Lyle will also be heading to Sweden in late February to compete in the Klippan International, The Belarus International in mid-March, and the University Nationals in April, at San Diego.
