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Female wrestler defeats boys, girls to get gold
Submitted by: MCB Quantico
Story by: Computed Name: Lance Cpl. Sha`ahn Williams
Story Identification #: 2005323144611
Kendra Stone faces a male opponent in one of the 21 matches she has won during her first season wrestling against all boys. Stone pinned four opponents at the United States Girls’ Wrestling Association Virginia Championships March 12 in Ruthsburg, Va., to win the first-place gold medal. Photo by: Courtesy of the Stone Family |
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. (March 23, 2005) -- You never know what may be hiding in the mind of a mild-mannered thoughtful little girl who makes straight As in school.
If she is anything like Kendra Stone, a fifth-grader at Winding Creek Elementary School in Stafford and a member of the Quantico Youth Wrestling Team, she may have an inner strength that is easily overlooked because of her outward appearance.
“She is a sweet, kind girl who would give anyone anything they needed if she had it, so I didn’t think she would have what it takes to wrestle,” said her mother, Debbie Stone. “But the first time I saw her on the mat, I saw a fire and determination I had never seen before.
Kendra’s determination earned her a season of 21 wins and four losses in the regular season — all against boys. She went to the United States Girls’ Wrestling Association Virginia Championship March 12, wrestled five matches pinning all four opponents to win the first-place gold medal.
Ranked second on her team for number of pins, Kendra’s talent for pinning her opponents gave the 10-year-old an advantage at the Northern Virginia Youth Wrestling Association Tournament where she placed fourth against all boys in the 80-pound weight class.
Stone first became interested in wrestling because both her brothers wrestle. When she attended their team’s first day of practice in support of her brothers, she discovered she wanted to wrestle too.
“I wanted to wrestle with my brothers because it looked fun,” said Stone. “But what inspired me most, was when I saw a middle school girl wrestle a boy and pin him,” she exclaimed.
After much pleading with her parents, the persistent 10 year-old got her wish and became a member of team, ready to get on the mat, by the time the second day of practice arrived.
“We didn’t know if the team allowed girls to wrestle, but when we found out it was co-ed, we let her join,” said her father, Eric Stone.
The style of wrestling Stone practices three times a week is folkstyle, which is the style practiced by American school-aged athletes.
Because of the lack of female wrestlers in the Northern Virginia area, Stone had to wrestle boys in order to wrestle for the team.
However, she wasn’t new to wrestling boys because she wrestles her brothers. “We aren’t supposed to, but we wrestle each other at home,” said Stone.
There is hope that wrestling will become more popular as the numbers of female wrestlers grow because of the changes in attitudes toward gender roles and sports.
“The number of female wrestlers is increasing each year,” said Kent Bailo, founder of the United States Girls Wrestling Association. “Girls are realizing that they can do anything boys can do, including wrestling, and people generally are more accepting of girls wrestling then they were just 10 years ago,” he said.
Stone doesn’t care whether she wrestles boys or girls, she just enjoys the sport and plans on continuing to wrestle as long as she can.
“I will wrestle up to high school and even go pro if I can,” she said.
“Even though there aren’t many girls here to wrestle against, I love it and won’t stop.”
Stone’s parents are proud of the accomplishments their daughter has achieved and can see the positive influence wrestling has made in her life.
“She shows more determination, and a positive fight to accomplish her goals,” her mother said.
On the outside Stone appears to be an easy-going girl, but when it comes to wrestling, she is fire and determination, her mother said.
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Matthew Aguilar
El Paso Times 3/25/05
Eastwood wrestler Tressa Yocum, a two-time state champion, is featured in this week's issue of Sports Illustrated. |
Tressa Yocum isn't just another face in the crowd in Texas high school wrestling, where she has won two state titles. But she is a face in the crowd to "Sports Illustrated", which profiled the Eastwood High School senior Thursday.
Yocum appeared in SI's well-known "Faces in the Crowd" feature, highlighting prep athletes in the issue dated March 28.
SI writes: "Tressa pinned her 45th consecutive opponent this season to win her second straight 165-pound Texas girls' state championship. She was a five-time tournament MVP and has pinned all 75 of her opponents over the past two seasons."
And even though Yocum, 18, won her second consecutive state championship in the girls 165-pound class by pinning Amarillo's Clarissa Dalke last month, she said she wasn't expecting the Sports Illustrated accolade.
"It was kind of cool," she said. "I never thought I'd be in there."
It's been a busy spring break for Yocum, who serves as a lifeguard at the YWCA and is a member of the Trooper soccer team. She was voted onto last year's El Paso Times All-City soccer team as an honorable mention midfielder.
She will be in action next week as Eastwood plays its first playoff game Tuesday.
The 5-foot-7 Yocum was also selected to the El Paso Times All-City volleyball first team this year.
But soccer is her first love. And now she'll have to decide whether it'll be wrestling or soccer in college.
"I have offers (from Missouri Valley and Cumberland), but I don't know if I want to wrestle yet," she said. "I like soccer a lot better."
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Damin Esper
Friday, March 25, 2005
American girls: Last Sunday was a special day for three Hogan High wrestlers who earned All-America status at the United States Girls Wrestling Association championships in Lake Orion, Mich. Marissa Gonzales finished fourth at 110 pounds, going 4-2 over the weekend. Jessica Ortiz wrestled at the same weight and finished sixth.
Lauren Knight took fifth place at 134 pounds, going 5-2 over the weekend. She was knocked into the loser's bracket Saturday when she lost to eventual champion Deanna Rix, who recently finished as the runner-up in the Maine state boys championships.
The top 12 finishers in each weight class won medals.
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Wrestling: Evans-Smith takes 4th at girls nationals
UHS grappler wins collegiate wrestling division
The Daily Journal 3/25/05
LAKE ORION, Mich. Ukiah High senior wrestler Ashlee Evans-Smith took a slew of accolades home from the recent United States Girls Wrestling Association national championships in Lake Orion, Mich.
The 144-pound weight class grappler placed fourth in the high school competition going 4-2 overall and grabbed gold in the collegiate bracket.
The highlight of the tournament for Evans-Smith came in the high school competition, where the UHS student scored a fifth-round pin of longtime rival Stella Brown, a San Leandro wrestler. Evans-Smith posted the pin at the 3:48 mark of their match.
Team California, for which Evans-Smith wrestled at nationals, captured the tourney's all-around team title, beating Michigan by 85 points.
Topping off a successful weekend, Evans-Smith was also recruited to compete against the nation's top wrestlers on the USA Wrestling Magazine Cliff Keen Girls Dream Team. Ken Bailo, director of the USGWA, approached Evans-Smith at nationals about a spot on the team.
Notes: Evans-Smith also finished fourth at last year's national championships.
2005 USGWA National Championships
144 pounds
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.
2004 USGWA National Championships
144 lbs.
1st Heather Martin (Ohio) dec. Stefenie Shaw (Connecticut) 11-6.
3rd - Elena Pirozhkov (Massachussetts) dec. Ashlee Evans-Smith (California) 6-3.
5th Aren Delmonico (Colorado) dec. Julianne Craft (Colorado) 6-4.
7th Katherine McGhee (Michigan) pinned Maile Nitta (Hawaii) 3:34.
9th Amanda Chittenden (Michigan) pinned Piper O'Hara (California) 0:27.
11th Krystalee Navarro (Florida) dec. Stella Brown (California) 8-7.