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National Championships
Lake Orion High School, Lake Orion, Michigan

3-21-2005
High School Division

Finals by weight class:

100

1st - Nicole Woody (Maryland) dec. Joleen Oshiro (Hawaii) 6-3.
3rd - Camie Yeik (Washington) dec. Anai Novoa (California) 2-1.
5th - Vanity Vazquez (Florida) pinned Misty Corwin (Oregon) 4:16.
7th - Madison Bangert (Michigan) dec. Shona Colbert (Georgia) 3-2.
9th - Tiffany Sluik (Iowa) dec. Megan Morisada (Hawaii) 7-0.
11th - Jennifer Fernandez (California) dec. Maggie Peterson (Michigan) 10-4.

105

1st - Joey Miller (Oklahoma)(O/W) dec. Whitney Conder (Washington) 9-3.
3rd - Sarianna Savola (Iowa) dec. Alyssa Lampe (Wisconsin) 4-3.
5th - Rachael Holthaus (Minnesota) dec. Carla Watase (Hawaii) 9-2.
7th - Dianna Acors (New York) tech.fall Christina Varland (Wyoming) 21-3 (4:55).
9th - Katherine Fulp-Allen (California) maj.dec. Jessica Gallippo (California) 18-4.
11th - Andrea Eisenhower (Maine) dec. Regina Ward (Kansas) 4-3.

110

1st - Amnorina Porter (Michigan) dec. Catey Beatty (Ohio) 6-4.
3rd - Carla O\'Connell (California) maj.dec. Marissa Gonzales (California) 16-6.
5th - Schuyler Brown (Virginia) pinned Jessica Ortiz (California) 2:53.
7th - Natalie Arnold (Ohio) dec. Kristi Pearse (Maine) 6-5.
9th - Lauren Tallman (Connecticut) pinned Kassie Archambault (Massachusetts) 3:38.
11th - Melissa Watkins (Washington) dec. Amanda Caloia (New York) 14-7.

114

1st - Tatiana Padilla (California) dec. Caitlyn Chase (Illinois) 8-2.
3rd - Firen Gassman (Virginia) dec. Brittany Woodall (West Virginia) 5-2.
5th - Samantha Schuman (Nebraska) dec. Amanda Breezley (Ohio) 3-2 OT.
7th - Brandee Toyama (Hawaii) pinned Raquel Woodruff (Texas) 4:35.
9th - Stephanie Lopez (California) pinned Brandy Price (New Jersey) 4:25.
11th - Elizabeth Bustamente (California) injury default over Alex Tolero (California).

118

1st - Nicole Darrow (New York) pinned Warry Woodward (Virginia) 1:48.
3rd - LeAnn Barney (Texas) dec. Shannon Reeves (Ohio) 4-2.
5th - Beth Johnson (Kansas) maj.dec. Chandra Peterson (Iowa) 16-2.
7th - Skyla Pauls (Wisconsin) dec. Amber Miracle (Wisconsin) 2-1.
9th - Lisa Maslowsky (Nebraska) maj.dec. Jennifer Rozevink (Iowa) 16-5.
11th - Heather Thompson (New York) dec. Lisa Light (Ohio) 8-3.

122

1st - Chelynne Pringle (Minnesota) dec. Cheyenne Stokes (Oklahoma) 2-1.
3rd - Laine Orabona (North Carolina) dec. Kristina Koenning (California) 8-2.
5th - Lauren Primiano (Hawaii) dec. Chelsea Maslowsky (Nebraska) 7-5.
7th - Lily Dorman (California) pinned Jenna Ahnen (Wisconsin) 2:12.
9th - Heather Swett (Massachusetts) pinned Erica Poe (Missouri) 4:55.
11th - Hilary Liebman (Washington) dec. Rikki Giles (California) 6-0.

126

1st - Sara Peasley (Michigan) dec.Tara Williams (Washington) 5-2.
3rd - Christine Cunningham (California) dec. Chelsea Arnhold (Kansas) 2-1.
5th - Megan Wech (New York) pinned Samantha Stych (California) 4:43.
7th - Ammie Hoffman (California) dec. Casey Mangnall (Oregon) 7-2.
9th - Wrindy Shann (Michigan) pinned Jade Bonner (Oregon) 0:19.
11th - Fawn Lueck (Michigan) injury default over Sharlee Solis (California).

132

1st - Jessica Jauck (California) pinned Kara Takasaki (Hawaii) 4:48.
3rd - Shamaine Danner (Missouri) dec. Samantha Fee (New Jersey) 4-2.
5th - Melissa Apodaca (Alaska) pinned Trisha Kulas (Michigan) 2:27.
7th - Rachel Hubbard (Washington) dec. Amanda Lugo (Illinois) 13-10.
9th - Michelle Jordan (Wisconsin) dec. Melissa Lesner (Michigan) 1-0.
11th - Shorna Brown (New York) injury default over Kayla Chambers (California).

134

1st - Deanna Rix (Maine) (O/W)dec. Leilani Akiyama (Washington) 7-2.
3rd - Amberle Montgomery (Washington) dec. Erin Clodgo (Vermont) 7-2.
5th - Lauren Knight (California) injury default over Bethany Harris (California).
7th - Emily Espana (California) pinned Karen Howe (Texas) 2:07.
9th - Breisja Gallo (Florida) dec. Jessica Peasley (Michigan) 7-2.
11th - Ivy Bier (California) pinned Karle Myers (Pennsylvania) 2:45.

138

1st - Natasha Umemoto (Oregon) dec. Hannah Skinner (Texas) 2-1.
3rd - Samantha Gorman (Michigan) dec. Rachel Tiedeman (Wisconsin) 7-0.
5th - Paige Storm (Iowa) dec. Alisha Poipra (North Dakota) 8-2.
7th - Danielle Cox (West Virginia) pinned Chelsea Yoder (Ohio) 1:47.
9th - Candice Hornbeck (Virginia) pinned Holly Brewer (California) 4:45.
11th - Amanda Reif (California) maj.dec. Nikita Netjes (Minnesota) 14-0.

144

1st - Vanessa Oswalt (Ohio) maj.dec. Sheila McCabe (California) 11-3.
3rd - Victoria Prete (Massachusetts) dec. Ashlee Evans-Smith (California) 7-4.
5th - Stella Brown (California) dec. Paige Rife (Michigan) 9-4.
7th - Leila Maloff (Florida) dec. Katrina Wilson (California) 3-2.
9th - Hope Schenck (Louisiana) dec. Ashley Westman (New York) 12-10.
11th - Ruth Pippin (Pennsylvania) pinned Kelly Nardiello (California) 1:46.

152

1st - Elina Pirozhkov (Massachusetts) dec. Stefenie Shaw (Connecticut) 7-2.
3rd - Amberlee Ebert (Wisconsin) pinned Michele Smith (Florida) 1:20.
5th - Lacey Novinska (Wisconsin) dec. Amanda Chittenden (Michigan) 7-2.
7th - Amy Havens (California) dec. Katherine McGhee (Michigan) 6-1.
9th - Rita Moriel (Texas) dec. Teri Milkoff (California) 8-7.
11th - Stevie Ratto (California) dec. Ana Maria Hernandez (New Jersey) 7-6.

165

1st - Melissa Simmons (Washington) dec. Dallas Monreal-Berner (Illinois) 3-2 OT.
3rd - Toni Copeland (New York) maj.dec. Jenny Glover (Florida) 10-2.
5th - Arenet Delmonico (Colorado) pinned Stacie Maloney (Michigan) 2:53.
7th - Ashley Weber (Texas) dec. Rachel Gomez (California) 4-3.
9th - Sherolynn Eppinger (Ohio) pinned Monica Gonzalez (California) 3:53.
11th - Sara English (Ohio) pinned Clarissa Dalke (Texas) 2:08.

Over 165

1st - Juanita Russell (New York) pinned Jessica Deardorff (Illinois) 3:30.
3rd - Jere Summers (California) dec. Jasmine Drake (California) 6-2.
5th - Vanessa Guiterrez (California) dec. Sarah Deardorff (Illinois) 6-3.
7th - Helen O\\\'Keefe (Massachusetts) pinned Lakia Henderson (Florida) 2:40.
9th - Danielle Freitas (California) pinned Kristen Esterheld (California) 4:48.
11th - Beth Hoffman (Ohio) injury default over Katelyn Oberlee (Michigan).

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Local wrestlers seeking success at girls nationals

By TIMOTHY SCOTT, Times-Herald sports writer 3/19/05

It's been a while since the California girls state wrestling tournament on Jan. 29.
So long in fact, that most of the Vallejo-area wrestlers who'll begin competing at this weekend's United States Girls Wrestling Association Nationals have already moved on to other pursuits.

Take Marissa Gonzales, Hogan High's third-place finisher in the 110-pound division at the state meet. A typical weekday for Gonzales involved her regular schedule of classes, some running after school and then hour of wrestling training before she'd hope to catch the last half-hour of badminton practice her new spring sport. But don't forget her twice-a-week shifts as cashier at L & L Hawaiian Barbeque.

Put simply, she's been busy.

"I just worked through it," Gonzales said, "it became routine."

Despite the long layoff, Gonzales, her Hogan teammate Jessica Ortiz, Bethel's Aegean Bayongan and seven Vallejo High wrestlers have high hopes for this weekend's National competition in Lake Orion, Mich., that begins today. The top eight finishers will earn All-American status, a goal for many of the local wrestlers.

Gonzales, for one, plans to go all-out in her senior year.

"I was committed this year. I used to take out (more) time for school work, but I'm at a good balance this year," she said. "I trained my best."

Vallejo, the California state team champions this year, will send a strong contingent led by returning All-American Lauren Knight, who'll wrestle at 134 pounds. Rounding out the Apaches are Jennifer Fernandez (freshman, 98 pounds), Maria Angara (junior, 100), Elizabeth Bustamante (junior, 114), Jaime Sage (senior, 118), Angie Miller (freshman, 138) and Monica Gonzalez (freshman, 164).

And like Hogan's Gonzales, six of Vallejo's seven entrants have kept busy by participating in a spring sport: Fernandez (swimming), Angara (badminton), Bustamante (badminton), Sage (softball), Miller (soccer) and Gonzalez (swimming).

But this weekend, they'll each be looking to duplicate or better Knight's performance from 2004, when she took seventh as a sophomore. Vallejo assistant coach Carl Lastrella said all of the Apaches should contend for a top-eight result.

"Hopefully they can place high," Lastrella said. "It's not state, it's the national tournament. There's going to be some tough, tough competition. But as long as they believe in themselves and their training, they can do it."

Expect Bustamante to place. She closed out this season with a state title at 116 pounds and became the first Vallejo girl to win at a boys sub-section meet. Sage also claimed a state title this year, at 122 pounds, while Angara and Vallejo's Gonzalez each placed a close second on points.

Bethel's Bayongan, a sophomore, will try to make it to the second day, said Bethel coach Mike Sariano. She went to Nationals last year as a freshman, but was bounced during the first day's matches.

Meanwhile for Hogan's Ortiz, the fourth-place finisher in the state's 110-pound class, it's all about tenacity.

"I just have to go in there with a win attitude," said Ortiz, who'll wrestle at 114s this weekend. "It's the last chance for this season."

While the USGWA meet has successfully attracted wrestler from across the country, the CIF has not officially sanctioned a state girls wrestling championship. Also, there isn't a qualifying process for this weekend's competition, which is open to all entrants.

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Girl wrestlers struggle for respect on road to nationals

By Ryan Metcalfe, IJ reporter 3/18/05

Jeanette Koenning of Novato can see how much the sports world has changed by simply watching her granddaughter Kristina compete in wrestling meets against both the boys and the girls.
"Oh heavens yes, it has changed a lot. They didn't let girls do things like that like they do now," Jeanette said. "It is nice to see."

Jeanette has only seen Kristina wrestle with the boys in local MCAL matches, but the budding world of female wrestling has given Koenning a chance to compete not just with the boys locally, but with the top high school girls in the nation.

Koenning, a sophomore at Novato High, is at the United State Girls Wrestling Association National Championship this weekend in Lake Orion, Mich., where she will be representing Marin along with Redwood sophomore Kristen Esterheld.

In Jeanette's high school days, there weren't many, if any, organized sports for girls. Jeanette swam, but not with her high school team. Girls have been wrestling in Marin for several years now, but they still are not readily accepted in the male-dominated sport.

Kristina lives in Novato with her grandparents, Jeanette and Orville. Orville admits he might be a bit of the old guard, but he can't help but respect and appreciate what Kristina has accomplished so far.

"I'm proud of what she is doing, but I never did, too much, go for it," Orville said. "But she was bound and determined to do it, and she has worked hard at it. And she is doing OK at it, I guess."

Koenning is doing more than OK by most standards. Koenning finished third at a state tournament held in January, won the North Coast Section championship in February, then placed first in a NorCal tournament held earlier this month. None of these events is necessarily more important than the others

because girls wrestling still lacks the organization of boys wrestling at the high school level. But that is changing with the addition of women's wrestling as an Olympic sport.

Steve Sanner has long been a proponent of girls wrestling and will mentor the duo at nationals. His daughters wrestle and he also took Jana Gutt of Novato to nationals in the mid-1990s. As far as he knows, Gutt had the highest finish by a Marin wrestler at nationals, placing fourth. He thinks Koenning can finish in the top 10 this year and has a chance to make the top three in the next two years.

Those competitions are held for girls, but week after week this winter, Koenning often wrestled the boys in her weight class in the MCAL. Even then, she won her fair share of matches.

"She's got a lot going on for her in wrestling," Redwood coach Pavan Gulati said. "She brings a lot of natural instinct to the mat. When a lot of girl wrestlers, and wrestlers in general, start out, they are timid. They are not used to the man-to-man combat. She is not afraid at all. When she takes a shot, she doesn't think about what could go wrong. She just thinks about finishing the move properly. She is not just a good girl wrestler. She is a good wrestler."

Koenning doesn't see herself as someone fighting for women's lib or equal rights, but just as an athlete trying to be the best. She even admits she is starting to enjoy the all-girl tournaments more than the wrestling the boys.

"Last year, I just wanted to wrestle the guys," Koenning said. "I never really wrestled girls before then, but then I found out about the girl tournaments and I was winning more there. A lot more people started knowing who I am and everyone wants to beat me. I like wrestling the girls more because when I get to college, I will be wrestling girls not guys. It is still a cool feeling when I beat a guy."

Esterheld also wrestles the guys, but she finds herself matched up with some of the biggest boys in the 189-pound class. Koenning wrestles at about 120 pounds - different tournaments have different classifications - which is often one of the deepest and most talented divisions for girls. The boys in her class do tend to be underclassmen, but there are always a few smaller boys who remain in the lower weight classes. Esterheld has similar feelings about wrestling the different genders.

"It is really nice to beat a guy and know it was a challenging match," Esterheld said. "I get a lot of satisfaction out of that. It is more satisfying than beating a girl because they are usually physically stronger."

Koenning said it took some time for her to earn the respect of her coach at Novato High, Glen Matthews, and her fellow Novato wrestlers as well as those around the league. At first there was some conflict over her ability to wrestle with the boys during the week and then attend girls tournaments on some weekends - similar to the way many boys wrestle duals with their team and then go to larger boys tournaments on the weekends. Matthews eventually accepted Koenning as a member of the Hornets and as an individual capable of making a name for herself on the girl's circuit.

"She wrestles as well as anyone else on our team," Matthews said. "She practices just as hard or harder than anyone on the team. Being a girl wrestling the guys is still relatively new and she had a lot to prove. Girls have some advantages over guys because they don't want to be jerks and hurt them, but they also don't want to lose. She has beaten most of the freshmen and sophomores in her class and some of the juniors and seniors as well. She is doing as well as any sophomore might do in that class."

The boys on the Hornets have accepted Koenning as one of them, even if she is treated a little differently.

"A lot of time when I go to a tournament they all try to be my big brother and protect me," Koenning said with a laugh. "If a guy from another team tries to talk to me, they act all tough and ask him what he's doing. It is really funny. I am friends with a lot of the guys on the team and in practice it is very serious. No one jokes around, but we are friends on and off the mat. The only thing that is different is how they protect me and everything."

Esterheld said she has also found acceptance in wrestling, but admits it isn't always easy being in a sport dominated by boys, especially when the ratio is even more heavily swayed toward the boys in her weight class, just like it was for her in football.

"I'm more accepted than I used to be, but it is still not like everyone is saying 'She's so cool,'" Esterheld said. "I still get teased a bit. Football was worse, because there were a few that didn't accept me, but eventually everyone got it. On the wrestling team we have so many more girls that they really have become accepting. Plus we do really well so they can't say anything."

While Redwood has several female wrestlers, Koenning is the only girl wrestling at either Novato school. Esterheld also saw significant time on the Redwood JV football team as a sophomore. She may have made the varsity as a junior, but has elected to give up the sport, not from peer pressure, but parental pressure due to a separated shoulder that continued to pop out throughout the winter.

"I think this is my last year of football," Esterheld said. "My dad doesn't want me playing football anymore so I'm thinking I may do water polo instead."

That change could be bad news for the local water polo girls. It also could be bad news for the local wrestlers. Esterheld may be stronger next winter with the injury healed and the lack of the pounding that playing football put on her body. Her wrestling coach never questioned her toughness this season.

"She is very tough and very strong," Gulati said. "That shoulder is something she has battled all season and sometimes I look out there and it seems like she is suffering during a match and I have to end it early even if she wants to continue. It is hard to figure out the pain threshold for any of your wrestlers. Some are tough as nails and will wrestle no matter what and other have a minor injury and want to avoid getting out there. With her, it has always been my decision to stop the match, not hers."

Esterheld said she likes the physical and emotional release that contact sports give her.

"It is good anger management," Esterheld said. "It helped me a lot get anger out and stuff."

It also created some stress like being the only female football camper this summer.

"When you are the only girls in a football camp of 200 guys and you walk into the dinning hall, all eyes are on you," Esterheld said. "You hear the whispers. In wrestling the girls are more prevalent so it is easier to be yourself. All the eyes aren't on you."

Both Esterheld and Koenning are also some of the top throwers on the track during the spring. Koenning makes up for her lack of size with strength and quickness in the shot and discus ring. Her physical attributes and mental toughness has also made her one of the top pole vaulters in the county despite just learning the event this spring.

It looks like eyes will be on both of them for the next few years no matter what sports they play.

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Eudora sisters discover fun on wrestling mats

By Nate Reed, Sports reporter

Thursday, March 17, 2005

Two years ago, Jessica and Shelby Bowman went to watch a wrestling
practice of Lawrence's Prairie Fire Wrestling Club.

They've been wrestling ever since.

"The first time I watched a practice, I thought it looked fun and asked
to join," Shelby, 11, said.

Her 13-year-old sister Jessica was equally sold.

"When I saw the other kids having fun wrestling, I decided that I
wanted to join," Jessica said.

The sisters from Eudora have embraced a sport that has long been
thought to be the exclusive male domain. And the girls' mother, Brenda Bowman,
knew the options were limited.

"There aren't that many groups that are serious about girls wrestling,"
she said.

Fortunately for the Bowmans, one of those few options was six miles to
the west.

The Prairie Fire Wrestling Club is one of a few groups in the Midwest
that has warmed to the idea of girls wrestling. The group offers wrestling
for girls and boys ages 4 to 16 and travels throughout the state and other
areas to compete with similar groups. With opportunities for girls to wrestle
being few and far between, the Bowmans have taken full advantage.

"They really have a good time doing it," Bowman said. "They jumped
right in."

After joining the club, the girls quickly found out they liked winning.

"I was so excited," Shelby said of winning her first trophy. "I
couldn't wait to show my parents the trophy," she said.

"I was happy that I beat someone," Jessica added.

Since then, the Bowman girls have wasted no time continuing to win in
their sport of choice.

In the last two years, the girls have racked up some pretty impressive
accomplishments.

In 2004, the sisters made an impact at the Body Bar Women's National
Championships.

Shelby won the national title in her age group's free-style event,
while Jessica earned a second-place finish.

In February at the United States Girls' Wrestling Association's Kansas
State Championships, the Bowman girls each earned the spot of reserve
champion in their respective age groups.

At the Midwest Girls Regional Wrestling Championships, Shelby placed
first in the free-style event, while Jessica placed third. The girls each
claimed the championship in the folk-style event.

Aside from the trophies and the thrill of winning, the wrestling
experience has allowed the girls to develop some other aspects of themselves.

Jeff Morris, co-director of the Prairie Fire club, has noticed.

"The girls have a real good sense of responsibility when they lose," he
said. "They don't blame anyone for the loss, but try and figure out
what they did wrong and try and fix it."

Morris said the girls had also learned what it took to win.

"Both girls have a real strong work ethic," she said. "Shelby is very
determined to go out and do her best, and Jessica is one of the hardest
working girls out there."

The girls have now set their sights on repeat performances at the
upcoming
Body Bar nationals in San Diego this April.

To get there, however, the adults have to step in and take care of some
real-world matters.

"The club depends on sponsorship," Brenda Bowman said. "So we're
raising money for the trip. Any donations will help, so the girls can get back
out there and defend their finishes from last year."

And getting to San Diego has other opportunities for the girls.

"California has the biggest groups for women's wrestling," Bowman said.
"It will give us a chance to scout out some of the things that might be
available for the girls in the future."

What about the future?

The girls have enjoyed their Prairie Fire experience, and at their
young ages they have the foresight to look ahead.

"I want to wrestle through high school and through college if I can,"
Shelby said.

As for Jessica, her ambitions go all the way to the world stage.

"I want to wrestle in the Olympics some day," she said.

Although the future for girls wrestling is uncertain, groups such as
the Prairie Fire Club have given the Bowman girls a chance to do something
they love.