News Page
Michael Sudhalter
Record Staff Writer
Published Friday, Feb 3, 2006
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STOCKTON - Lincoln senior wrestler Emily Espana is looking forward to facing quality opponents at the California Women's Wrestling Association high school tournament this weekend.
The unofficial state championship begins at noon today at Hanford West High School. The California Interscholastic Federation hosted girls wrestling north and south regionals two weeks ago, but it doesn't sponsor a state tournament.
Espana, who has a 25-2 record in tournaments, pinned 23 opponents and has won five tournaments this season at the 132-pound division.
She is looking forward to proving her skills when she faces Jade Anderson, the top-ranked 132-pound wrestler in the state.
My friend Sam lives in the same area as that girl," Espana said. "(Sam) was telling me that girl was talking all kinds of smack. If she beats me, she's going to have to work for it."
Espana joined the Lincoln wrestling team as a sophomore, so she could stay in shape for softball. Last year, she finished sixth at the United States Girls Wrestling Association national tournament and hopes to wrestle in college and compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics.
She started at 130 pounds on the Trojans varsity team, going 0-3 against SJAA competition but earning the respect of her teammates.
She's just real tough and doesn't give up at all," said Steve Pennington, who wrestles at 140. "Everybody respects her a lot for what she does, and that's winning matches."
Espana has become so dedicated to the sport that when her older brother Bobby moved out, she converted his room into a wrestling room.
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Southmont girl advances to wrestling regionals
2/3/06
CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. A 14-year-old Crawfordsville high school freshman is the only girl competing in this week's state wrestling tournament regionals.
Haleigh Moore joined the Southmont High School team as a student manager, but joined the varsity squad in December because the Mounties had no one else to compete in the 103-pound weight class.
She has a 7-and-12 record for the season and will face Zionsville sophomore Tyler Mantel in the opening round of the North Montgomery regional on Saturday.
Girls may compete on boys teams in Indiana if there is no comparable female sport.
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Southmont girl advances to wrestling regionals
Associated PressCRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. - 2/3/06
Haleigh Moore still gets funny looks from some of her opponents.
The Southmont High School freshman started the season as a student manager but joined the varsity wrestling squad in December because the Mounties had no one else to compete in the 103-pound weight class. Now, with a fourth-place finish at the Crawfordsville sectional, she is believed to be the only girl in this week's state tourney regionals.
"I'm really excited and nervous, but mostly I'm focused on staying off my back," Moore said.
The 14-year-old Moore has a 7-12 record for the season and will face Zionsville sophomore Tyler Mantel in the opening round of the North Montgomery regional on Saturday.
"I've improved a ton, and it's a lot different than just watching," Moore told The Indianapolis Star for a story published Friday. "I thought I knew moves before, but I really didn't.
"There have been a few jokes, but mostly everybody's been nice and supportive," she said. "A few times it's been funny to see the expression of my opponents. Sometimes you can tell they're nervous to be going against a girl. Other times, they're getting ready for just another opponent."
Girls may compete on boys teams in Indiana if there is no comparable female sport.
Four years ago, Rachel Monroe of Sullivan became the first Indiana girl to win a wrestling sectional championship when her opponent - also a girl - forfeited because of an injury. Monroe then lost in the regionals.
Southmont coach Jamie Welliever said he was skeptical about Moore competing, but her father, Jeff, an assistant coach, talked him into putting her on the team.
"She's won some big matches for herself and our team," Welliever said.
At the conference meet, she won her third-place match and the team won the title by 5.5 points.
"So she's been very important," Welliever said. "All along, she's worked hard, done all the running and all the things like anyone else in practice. And it says a lot about her when you realize that she qualified for the regional by beating someone whom she had lost to earlier."
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Monte Vista swimmer finds success in girls wrestling
By Bill KruissinkCONTRA COSTA TIMES 2/3/06
NATALIE BIERWITH allows, "I'm pretty much a tomboy." She is also a three-sport athlete at Monte Vista High School.
A junior, she has spent much of her sporting life in the pool, either playing water polo or swimming (she and twin-sister Kim were North Coast Section swimming finalists last spring, though Natalie quickly admits Kim is the more talented swimmer). But in her freshman year, she was coaxed by a wrestler, who happened to be her boyfriend, to drop in on some wrestling practices.
"I would wrestle around with my boyfriend," she said. "The coach said, 'Why don't you try out?' I said, 'No, swimming is my kind of sport.' "
But, in fact, her competitive juices had kicked in. Despite the seeming incongruity of mixing swimming and wrestling, she tried out for the Mustangs' wrestling team the following winter. Bierwith made the team, but noted, "(Wrestling's) not a girl thing." In fact, she wound up as the Mustangs' lone female grappler.
Bierwith was undeterred and brought some plusses to the sport. "I'm pretty strong and I'm a very physical person." And, because of her swimming, she possesses great upper body strength.
She learned the sport as a sophomore and several girls joined Bierwith on the team this season. They've been attending a number of girls-only meets, where Bierwith has enjoyed some success.
Wrestling at 138 pounds, she finished fifth at the Napa Valley Girls Classic on Jan. 14. On Jan. 22, she qualified for the California Girls Invitational Tournament by finishing third at the CIF Northern California Regional Tournament at Whitney High School in Rocklin.
The CGIT is today and Saturday at Hanford West High School in Hanford.
Last weekend, Bierwith won her division at the Central California Classic in South San Francisco High School.
Bierwith shared a few thoughts on the sport:
"I've pinned more boys this year than last. I once pinned a girl and sent her to the hospital. But I've been pinned by girls, too."
"Losing weight makes me angry. Wrestling is a pretty self-absorbed sport."
"Wrestling (offers me) a better chance at a (college) scholarship than swimming."
QUOTABLE: "Thirty-two minutes chasing that kid is a trip."
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Wrestlers set for girls state event
By BRAD KVEDERIS, Times-Herald sports writer 2/3/06
There's no official state championship meet for girls wrestling, but make no mistake about it: This weekend's California Girls Invitational Tournament is as real as it gets.
The two-day event, which takes place today and Saturday at Hanford West High School in the Central Valley, draws all the top wrestlers in California, and Vallejo's best will be right in the mix. Vallejo High, which won the overall team championship when it hosted the tournament last year, looks to repeat some of last season's success, with three athletes in position for a run at individual titles in their respective weight classes.
Monica Gonzalez - the sister of former boys state champion Bobby Gonzalez - was the only local wrestler to take first place at last month's CIF Northern California championships, where she won the 158-pound division. The Apaches' Lauren Knight (138 pounds) and Angie Miller (146) both finished second in their weight classes at that meet, and rematches with their past opponents look to provide some of the highlights this weekend.
As Vallejo coach Mike Minahen explained, his team should have a good idea of what to expect once it gets to Hanford, as most of the top wrestlers have already seen each other at the bigger tournaments this season.
"There's some girls that they probably haven't seen from Southern California, but they've seen all the top girls from Northern California. And some of the girls from Southern California have been at the tournaments with us," Minahen said. "For example, Lauren lost by two points to a girl from San Diego, and she won the Southern California regional. On the bracket, I think they're supposed to meet in the semifinals, so that's a key semifinal for her."
Minahen also pointed out Jennifer Fernandez at 98 pounds as another top-three contender, and has hopes that Mary Jane Fernandez (103, seventh at the NorCal meet) and Jennifer Avelino (108, sixth) can earn medals by finishing in the top eight.
The Vallejo High contingent will take a different route to the tournament than their neighbors at Hogan: Minahen and his Apaches depart from Vallejo at about 6 a.m. today, but coach Ric Manibusan and his Spartans made the trip Thursday night to avoid any logistical challenges before today's noon weigh-in.
For Minahen, getting up at 4:30 a.m. and making the three-hour drive on the morning of the meet was a better option than spending an extra night away from home.
"It's just, well, paying for three hotel rooms that aren't necessary if we went down (Thursday night)," he said. "This way, the kids get to sleep in their own beds. They're used to getting up at the crack of dawn anyway."
But the Hogan coaches decided that leaving a little extra time for the unforeseen - and for team bonding - was the way to go.
Hogan's top contenders are Krystalle Alcantara (103 pounds, second at NorCal meet) and Jessica Ortiz (112 pounds, third). But both face a tough road to the top: Alcantara will have to get through defending state champion Jazzy Green of Santa Monica, while Ortiz will likely face Stephanie Lopez of West Covina - who, although she's only a freshman, was the national champion as a middle schooler last year.
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By Billy Ortiz, STAFF WRITER 2/2/06
Several local wrestlers will compete in the California Girls Invitational to be held on Friday and Saturday at Hanford West High in Hanford.
Though it may not be considered as such by the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), this tournament is considered the high school state meet by those in the girls wrestling community.
The top eight wrestlers in each weight class will receive medals.
The CIF Girls Northern Regional Wrestling Tournament was held two weeks ago. Many East Bay wrestlers that earned medals at that tournament will be competing this weekend.
Those wrestlers include Castro Valley's Gabrielle Solis (98 pounds), Chelsea Grasseschi (122), Ashley Mora (146) and Jessica Klever (189); San Leandro's Jenny Ho (103), Alia Thiel (118), Tiffany Villareal (122), Rachel Whyte (146), Stevie Ratto (165) and Shawntia Beck (235); Albany's Heather Purkey (122), Kirsten Rapella (146) and Maia Matalon (154); Arroyo's Karla Rosales (118), and Sara Zwicker (122); Amador Valley's Lauren Neves (114); Monte Vista's Natalie Bierwith (138); Irvington's Crystal Rooks (126); and Washington's Jackie Sloves (108).
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West Michigan wrestlers took home medals from last weekend's United States Girls Wrestling Assocation Western Michigan Championships in Manistee. Muskegon's Rayne Rivas took first in the 67-pound division, while Grand Haven's Sarah Anderson was first in the 97-pound class. Grand Haven's Alyssa Anderson finished second in the 102-pound class, while Cindy Kaffenberger was second in the 125-pound weight class. Shelby Stevens of Muskegon was third in the 97-pound division.
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1/31/06
The sport of wrestling has traditionally been for the most part an all-male sport. Lately however I have been hearing and seeing more about the participation of females on middle school and high school teams.
The trend seems to be growing.
The USA Wrestling Association records indicate that there are approximately 3,800 females participating in the sport across the country. That is compared to about 250,000 males that participate in the sport.
The North Carolina High School Athletic Association estimates that between 20 and 30 girls wrestling in the state this winter.
One thing that has helped generate interest in the sport in regards to female participation is the addition of women’s wrestling for the U.S Olympic Team in 2004. It has been reported in years past that about 896 schools across the country offered girls wrestling.
At the middle and high school levels most female participants have no choice than to participate on the male team. Two states, Texas and Hawaii, sanction the sport for girls and offer official high school all-girl tournaments. At present only about six colleges nationwide offer a varsity women’s wrestling team.
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