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Courierarea Sports Shorts - May 16, 2006
Courier Sports Staff 5/16/06
— Five Club Madison wrestlers brought home gold medals at Indiana State Wrestling Association State Finals events over the weekend.
Trenton Dempler (Midget-65) claimed gold at the ISWA Greco-Roman finals at Lawrence North High School. Caylee Dempler (Novice-75), Brittany Cook (Midget-55), Alicia Dean (Bantam-100) and Mikeala Kelley (Bantam-55) each took home gold at the ISWA Girls/Women’s state championships also at Lawrence North.
Sam Johnson (Cadet-275) and Cameron Stewart (Midget-55) each took home third places at the Greco-Roman finals while Phillip Wimpee (Cadet-125), sixth, and B.J. Messmore (Cadet-145) placed seventh. Rachel Schafer (Bantam-70) earned a silver medal at the Girls/Women’s state finals.
The five gold medals give the Lide White Boys & Girls Club a grand total of 406 state championships in its programs’ history since 1973. The Club claimed 31 medals overall this year alone between the Folkstyle, Freestyle, Greco-Roman and Girls/Women’s state finals.
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Lady Buc wrestler offered scholarship
By Joel Luna
The Facts , May 17, 2006
CLUTE — It was a match made in heaven for Kristi Smith and wrestling.
From the first time she stepped onto the mat at Brazoswood High School to her final match, the soon-to-be high school graduate realized it was a sport in which she could excel.
And she did.
So much so that Smith will become the first Lady Buc to wrestle on a scholarship at the collegiate level.
Smith will attend the University of Cumberland in Williamsburg, Ky., and wrestle as a Lady Patriot.
“I’m real happy to get the opportunity to go wrestle for them,” Smith said. “Actually, I am pretty excited about this and being the first girl to get a scholarship is awesome.
“The Cumberland coach told me that he can’t wait for me to get there. I had a choice of going to Menlo College in California or stay as close to home as possible. But, really, the reason I am going to Cumberland is because it is considered the No. 1 women’s program in the nation.”
In just two years of wrestling, Smith attained a 47-15 record, including a 26-1 mark in her senior year.
A shattered elbow ended her senior year in the region final as she competed against defending state champion Lindsey Brooks from Klein High School.
“There was a lot of build up for the match,” Smith said. “We both kind of evaded each other during the year, and when it came down it was one of the most anticipated matches in the state.
“To me, it was the most important match of my career so far and I believe it could have been an amazing match. I could have grown a lot from it.”
Cumberland is an National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Division I program that carried 50 wrestlers this season. Eight All-Americans returned to the lineup this past season and there were 24 freshmen on the team.
The Lady Patriots participate in at least 12 tournaments during the season, along with several team duals.
According to the themat.com, at least five wrestlers from Cumberland were ranked No. 1 during the season, which catapulted the program to a No. 2 national ranking.
“We are just thrilled for Kristi and Brazoswood girls wrestling, and I can’t say enough for the school and program,” Brazoswood coach Zeke Wintjen said. “This is a tribute to her work ethic and tenacity, and the love she has for the sport. She set a goal at the end of her junior year and achieved it.
“When Cumberland was recruiting at the state tournament last year they had other girls in mind, but Kristi definitely caught their eye.”
In addition to being the first student-athlete to get a scholarship in Brazoswood’s program, Smith also became one of the first girls to win a district title for the Lady Bucs. She accomplished the feat in 2005 in the 148-pound class and repeated it again this past season.
A percussionist since the sixth grade, Smith will major in music education at Cumberland with a dream of some day playing in a symphony.
But wrestling is also a passion she intends to make the most of in college.
“When I first started I thought I might like it, but instead fell in love with it,” Smith said. “The thing I enjoy the most about this sport is that it is up to you as to how you come out at the end. If you train harder than your opponent, you will come out on top with strength against strength and will against will. I have never worked so hard at anything like I did in wrestling. I just hope that the Brazoswood program continues to grow and someone else will break my records and set another precedent to go by.”
The Lady Buc wrestling program began in 2003 with three members and grew to 16 in 2004. This past season, the Lady Bucs filled all 10 weight divisions and fielded a complete team for the first time in its short history.
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Numerous Olympic stars expected at Women’s World Cup in Nagoya, Japan, May 20-21
Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
05/17/2006
The top six ranked national teams in the world in women’s wrestling will be showcased at the Women’s World Cup in Nagoya, Japan, May 20-21
At the 2005 World Championships, Japan won the team title, followed by China in second, the United States in third, Canada in fourth, Russia in fifth and Ukraine in sixth. All six of these nations will be in the field at the competition this weekend.
In addition, numerous past Olympic and World champions and medalists will be featured in the competition, which is the annual world dual meet championships.
“The World Cup is a tough meet,” said Terry Steiner, USA Wrestling’s National Women’s Coach. “There isn’t an easy team in the field. Every team offers challenges. Hopefully, we can learn a lot and come back with a victory.”
Host Japan is the defending World Cup team champions, and has a power-packed tentative lineup in the competition.
Included on the team roster are 2004 Olympic champions Saori Yoshida (121) and Kaori Icho (138), along with Olympic medalists Chiharu Icho (105.5) and Kyoko Hamaguchi (158.5). All four of these Olympic medalists have also been World Champions in the past. Hamaguchi has won five World titles, Kaori Icho owns four World titles, Yoshida has four World titles and Chiharu Icho has one World title.
Other past World champions on the Japanese roster include Hitomi Sakamoto (112.25), Seiko Yamamoto (130) and Ayako Shoda (138.75).
The United States, the World Cup team champions in 2004, also has an experienced team, which includes Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann (Iowa City, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. and Olympic bronze medalist Patricia Miranda (New Haven, Conn./Sunkist Kids) at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. Miranda has won two World silver medals, and McMann has a World silver medal and a World bronze medal.
Also on the U.S. roster is two-time World champion and seven-time World medalist Kristie Marano (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. Other world medalists on the U.S. roster are Sally Roberts (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 59 kg/130 lbs. and Katie Downing (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 67 kg/147.5 lbs.
China will be led by 2005 World champion Ren Xueceng, who won her World title at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. but has moved up to 51 kg/112.25 lbs. Two athletes who placed second at the 2005 World Championships, Su Lihui at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Jing Ruixue at 67 kg/147.5 lbs., will also be on the Chinese team.
Russia’s team will have a number of athletes with Olympic and World credentials. Alena Kartashova, a 2002 World champion, is on the roster at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. Natalia Golts, a three-time World bronze medalist, will compete at 55 kg/121 lbs. Other past World medalists on the Russian roster are Inga Karamchakova at 51 kg/112.25 lbs., Liubov Volosova at 59 kg/130 lbs. and Elena Perepelkina at 67 kg/147.5 lbs.
Canada’s team is led by 2004 Olympic silver medalist Tonya Verbeek at 55 kg/121 lbs. Verbeek was also third in the 2005 World Championships. Carol Huynh, a three-time World medalist, will compete at 105.5 lbs. Huynh won a World silver medal in 2001, and World bronze medals in 2000 and 2005.
Ukraine’s most successful wrestler, 2004 Olympic champion Irini Merlini, is listed at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. Merlini also won World titles in 2000, 2001 and 2003, and was a World silver medalist in 2005. Other World medalists on the Ukrainian roster are Tatiana Lazareva at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Svetlana Sayenko at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.
“We will use this event to prepare for the World Championships,” said U.S. coach Steiner. “The top six teams in the world will be there. We will see where we are at, and what we need to change, in our preparations for the World Championships.”
2006 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP ROSTERS
CANADA
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Carol Huynh
51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Belinda Chow
55 kg/121 lbs. – Tonya Verbeek
59 kg/130 lbs. – Breanne Graham
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Megan Dolan
67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Megan Buydens
72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Ohenewa Akuffo
CHINA
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Liao Rong
51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Ren Xueceng
55 kg/121 lbs. – Su Lihui
59 kg/130 lbs. – Wang Ying
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Xu Haiyan
67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Jing Rinxue
72 kg/158.5 lbs. –Xiao Li
JAPAN
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Chiharu Icho or Makiko Sasamoto
51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Hitomi Sakamoto or Yuri Kai
55 kg/121 lbs. – Saori Yoshida or Chikako Masukawa
59 kg/130 lbs. – Seiko Yamamoto or Mio Nishimaki
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Kaori Icho or Ayako Shoda
67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Mami Shinkai or Yoshiko Inoue
72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Kyoko Hamaguchi or Ayako Murashima
RUSSIA
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Lilya Kaskarakova or Lorisa Oorzhak
51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Natalia Smirnova or Inga Karamchakova
55 kg/121 lbs. – Natalia Golts
59 kg/130 lbs. – Liubov Volosova
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Alena Kartashova
67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Elena Perepelkina or Natalia Kuksina
72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Darya Nazarova or Alena Starodubtseva
UKRAINE
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Irini Merlini or Mariya Stadnyk
51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Aleksandra Kohut or Viktoriya Yemelyanova
55 kg/121 lbs. – Tatiana Lazareva or Mariyana Bavdyk
59 kg/130 lbs. – Elena Komarova or Nataliya Synyshyn
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Olga Butkevich, Anna Vasylenko or Lyudmila Golovchenko
67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Valeriya Zlatova or Marynan Kvyatkovska
72 kg/158.5 lbs. –Svitlana Sayenko or Nadiya Sementsova
UNITED STATES
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Clarissa Chun, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Patricia Miranda, New Haven, Conn. (Sunkist Kids)
55 kg/121 lbs. – Sharon Jacobson, El Cajon, Calif. (USOEC/Gator WC)
59 kg/130 lbs. – Sally Roberts, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Sara McMann, Iowa City, Iowa (Sunkist Kids)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Katie Downing, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Kristie Marano, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
2006 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP SCHEDULE
at the Inaei Sports Center in Nagoya, Japan
Saturday, May 20
3;30 p.m. – Opening Ceremonies
4:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. – Elimination Rounds
Sunday May 21
10:00 a.m. – 11:40 a.m. – Elimination Rounds
12:00 noon – Fifth place match
12:50 p.m. – Third place match
1:50 p.m. – Championship match
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Oswalt perseveres in pursuit of Olympic wrestling dreams
08:55 AM, Wednesday, May 17, 2006
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.
It is the opportunity of a lifetime for Mount Vernon wrestler and Olympic hopeful Vanessa Oswalt, it was almost
an opportunity lost. Speaking from the U.S. Olympic Training Facility in Colorado Springs, Colo.,
Oswalt, who is ranked sixth nationally, said,I moved out here the weekend
after Junior Nationals, which was the first weekend (last) August. They wanted
to start a young group of wrestlers because all of the current residents are in
their mid-20s. So, pretty much, if you were a top girl out of high school they
were looking at having you on the team. I had won USGWA tournaments up in Michigan,
twice, and I won Junior Nationals. So pretty much, in the tournaments that I wrestle
with females, I have been pretty successful. If your credentials were good enough,
you were chosen.Oswalt was one of only three or four girls chosen. Oswalt just took sixth at the Senior Nationals at 63 kilos, or 138.75 pounds.
All of this is amazing, almost miraculous, when one considers this was her first tournament back from a devastating injury.
At the end of October 2005, after only two months in Colorado Springs, Oswalt;s
dreams were nearly crushed when she completely tore her ulna collateral ligament
in her arm and had to have reconstructive surgery. The doctors pretty much cut (the ligament) off and threw it in the
trash and they just took part of my hamstring tendon, said Oswalt. The doctors grafted the hamstring tendon to Oswalt's arm in a variation
of what people once commonly called the Tommy John surgery.
Oswalt quickly moved into the fast lane on the comeback road.
I was out until the beginning of March, when I came back and started
drilling, then about two weeks before nationals, I started live wrestling, which
is much more intense, said Oswalt. Then, I competed in the Senior
Nationals and then, I competed in a tournament this past weekend, so I have only
been back for about two months wrestling.
Today, such surgery is more common place, but Oswalt's doctors were
not prepared for the speed of her progress. The ligament is stronger, but I feel the muscles are weaker, because
I haven't been able to be 100 percent, but I am trying to work it back,
said Oswalt. I just saw the doctor and he said that after all the competing
that I have done, it is inflamed right now. They said that most baseball players
are out for two years and I am in my sixth month. They were surprised that I was
working out two months ago and that I was competing so soon.
The doctors were concerned that Oswalt was rushing things. She agrees.
I feel that I might have rushed into things a little too soon, because
I still have aches and pains, she said. They said it will be like
that for the next year. After trials at the end of June, I think that I will take
a couple of months off and fully recover.
Oswalt,s next major objective on her way to a shot at the 2008 Olympic
team is the World Team Trials in June. Getting there is a process that Oswalt
takes one day at a time.
I get up about 8 o'clock and I go down into the sports meds,
which is on the complex, too. I go do rehab and I am working on my elbow, trying
to get it stronger. We have practice at 10 until 12. Normally, our practices are
pretty intense. Then, depending on the day, we will either have a list, or we
will have another practice at 6 o'clock, so we have two-a-days everyday,
year round,; said Oswalt.
Coming from a family that is dedicated to wrestling, Oswalt,s decision
to take up the sport was easy.
I decided to start wrestling when I was in the second grade,
she recalled.I had been around the sport with my brother. He was a little
bigger than me, but I was pretty much his little guinea pig. In the second grade,
my parents threw me into wrestling to see how I liked it and, over the years,
I really enjoyed it. When I got to middle school, they started having girls tournaments
and I started placing first in all of those tournaments, and I realized that this
is a sport where I had a lot of potential.
She gets a great deal of support from her family, especially from her father,
wrestling coach Mike Oswalt.
I talk to him and I tell him that my elbow hurts and he says to me,
You know, there,s a lot of girls that do not get this opportunity
and you are out there, so you better take full advantage of it,
said Oswalt. And he is just trying to be that tough love and he tells me
that he is so proud of me and how far I have come.
Anyone who is interested in donating to Oswalt,s Olympic hopeful cause
can e-mail her at vanessaoswalt@yahoo.com
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