Alli Ragan, wrestler at Carbondale High School, is among the girls that participate in the sport in Southern Illinois. (CEASAR MARAGNI/THE SOUTHERN)
News
Not your average girl: Wrestling with the boys old hat to coach's daughter
BY GEARY DENISTON, FOR THE SOUTHERN 12/19/06
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Alli Ragan, wrestler at Carbondale High School, is among the girls that participate in the sport in Southern Illinois. (CEASAR MARAGNI/THE SOUTHERN) |
CARBONDALE - At first glance, the 112-pounder wearing the old fashioned cap waiting to wrestle for Carbondale High School seems to be just one of the boys. But upon closer inspection "he" turns out to be freshman Alli Ragan, one of the few girls participating in an almost exclusively male sport.
Competing against boys is old hat for Ragan. She started wrestling at 5 years of age and judo when she was 7. She competed in the Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation and in judo was a three-time national champion. Competing against another girl is a rarity.
"I wrestled on a couple all-girls national teams, but I have mainly wrestled boys my entire life. It was the same in judo," Ragan said. "So having to wrestle boys now is not something I worry about."
Considering that there is a major strength difference between teenage boys and girls, it would be reasonable to think she wouldn't be very successful going up against boys her own age or older. The equalizing factor is she is competing boys roughly the same weight.
However, nothing could be farther from the truth. She started the season by winning her first six matches. Going into the prestigious Mascoutah Tournament this past weekend she was tied for second on the team with an 8-1 record, losing only to a sophomore state qualifier.
"I don't lift that much weight and when I do it's pretty much pointless, so I'm pretty weak upper body. I have to win by technique and using my speed," Ragan said.
She has more than held than her own, winning eight of her first nine matches, and winning by decisive margins. Four of her victories have been pins.
Besides the strength issues, wrestling poses a unique challenge for a girl. It is a sport where the two participants are rolling around the mat and grabbing each other in sensitive areas.
In typical Ragan fashion she has turned that into an advantage.
"Even though it is hard being a girl wrestling boys I kind of have an advantage because I am a girl," Alli said.
"The boys are kind of scared at grabbing me in certain areas, so I use that to my advantage. As far as me being concerned about that sort of thing it doesn't bother me at all. It never has."
With all of that to think about it would have been reasonable for Alli to be apprehensive.
But once again nothing could be farther from the truth.
Helping her make the transition are her father and older brother, who are two of her biggest fans, but also her coach and teammate.
"I wasn't nervous at all coming into the season. I was pretty stoked actually because my dad and brother are here," Ragan said.
"We also have a pretty good team this year and we mesh pretty well, so I was ready to get started."
All the years of having a coach in the family and an older brother to work with has made it easier for her to make that transition.
"I got started wrestling mainly because of my dad," she said. "The sport is basically in our blood. In fact I wear a cap he used to wear when he was young to keep my hair in place.
"It's pretty cool wrestling for my dad even though he doesn't give me any slack. If anything he is probably harder on me. It's also pretty cool wrestling with my brother on the team. He is my role model. When we wrestle at home in the living room he kills me. We aren't that far apart in weight and it's super competition, but it isn't even a match for him."
Speaking of having athletics in her blood, Ragan's mother is the volleyball coach at John A. Logan College. The younger Ragan was a starter on the Terrier varsity volleyball team and earned second team All-Conference honors.
"As a little kid my mother would take me in my stroller to her volleyball practices," Ragan said. "My mom is super cool. In the fall she is never home because of volleyball season, but in the winter, wrestling is her sport because of us. She never discouraged me from going into wrestling."
Wrestling can also be tough on a person with many � including her father � developing cauliflower ears. But once again Alli sees that in a different light.
"I don't worry about getting cauliflower ears even though my dad has them bad. If it comes it comes. It shows toughness I guess," Alli said.
If you're thinking Ragan is nothing but a tomboy, you would be wrong. In fact she has brought a girl's touch to the team.
"Alli had an idea at the beginning of the season," her brother Jared said. "We always take showers after the meets, so she insisted we have all our names and a little pink rose put on the towels. It's great having her on the team. She really brings a lot of intensity to the room."
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Springdale Wrestlers Perform Well
published on Monday, December 18, 2006
By The Morning News
SPRINGDALE -- The Springdale Wrestling Club made history on Friday, competing in the first high school wrestling meet ever held in the state at the Brinkley Invitational. The SWC team includes wrestlers from both Springdale High and Har-Ber.
It was also a history-making performance for Springdale's Felicia Hill (103-pound class), who pinned her first opponent and earned a first round victory that set the tone for the weekend for the Springdale contingent.
"When you have someone like Felicia that works hard every day in practice provide a spark like this, it definitely gives a boost to the rest of the team," Springdale coach Anthony Haubner said.
Hill was among a group of 17 Springdale wrestlers who competed in Brinkley in the various weight classes.
Taylor Wethers (Springdale High) became the first SWC wrestler to claim champion honors at the 119-pound weight class with two pints.
Mat Holiday (Southwest Junior High), posted a 3-0 record and captured the heavyweight division. Holiday had three overall votes for the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler Award.
Nick Hopkins (George Junior High) had a round robin bracket and, by providing a pin during his first match, gave him enough to walk away with a second place finish.
Jonathon Nunez (Springdale High) placed fourth with a strong tournament and became the SWC's first technical fall (win by 15)
Lauren Brewer (Southwest Junior High) gained some valuable experience from this weekend and Gatlin York went 1-1 and came away with a second place finish. Ashley Hilton (Springdale High) gained some valuable experience competing in her first tournament as well.
"Lauren and Ashley were instrumental in getting the rest of the team motivated to wrestle," Haubner said. "They were loud enough to be heard throughout the gym, yelling words of encouragement to all of their teammates. To have individuals like this keep up this type of enthusiasm all day, kept the whole team in the tournament.
"SWC's three female wrestlers were the first to compete in the state of Arkansas and helped raise awareness in Brinkley that females are capable of competing in the sport of wrestling."
Chris Rabe (Har-Ber) turned in an exceptional performance with three pins and had a tough match for third place. The match went into overtime with Rabe getting a pin in the last eight seconds of the match.
Tyler Edwards (Springdale High) and Aaron Cohorst (Springdale High) both had a productive day at 160. Edwards went 3-1 and lost a heartbreaker in the finals. Cohorst pinned two of his opponents.
Other Springdale wrestlers who took the mat at Brinkley included: Zach Clarke (145), Andrew Daily (171), John Bautista (171), Craig Morgan (171), Isaac Stephens (215) and J.C. Moore (Hwt.).
"When you have 18 individuals that are willing to travel and participate in their first tournament, that is incredible," Haubner said. "To have nine come away placing says a lot about the effort that they are putting in the room. Even more impressive is when you look at our two champions, with no mat experience, leave as champions, has a special meaning."
The Springdale club will be taking the next few weeks off to prepare for the next tournament on Jan. 6 in Russellville.
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By Rick Anderson - Daily World sports editor
Sunday, December 17, 2006 12:10 AM PST
Even with some of its big guns elsewhere, Aberdeen had more than enough weapons to regain team honors in the Grays Harbor Wrestling Championships.
Advancing seven wrestlers to the title round and winning five championships, the Bobcats registered a decisive team victory in the annual all-Twin Harbors tournament Saturday at Sam Benn Gym.
The Bobcats amassed 242 points, 81 ahead of defending champion Elma. Hoquiam finished third with 145 points.
Aberdeen junior Ben Seath, who concluded the event by capturing the 285-pound title, was named the tourney’s Outstanding Wrestler over 140 pounds.
Willapa Harbor’s Michael Einman, the 119-pound title, received the Outstanding Wrestler award for the lighter weights.
Willapa’s Megan Martin, the runner-up in the predominantly male 112-pound division, collected the Outstanding Female Wrestler award.
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Wrestling meet a treat for competitors, spectators
By Don Bodger
Dec 19 2006
Don Bodger |
Wrestling is really taking hold in the Cowichan Valley.
The Queen of Angels Cougar Invitational that took place Saturday has already grown significantly from its inaugural year.
Nick Zuback, who heads both the host Queen of Angels and Cowichan Valley Wrestling Club programs, said the total number of entries jumped from 67 to nearly 100.
“It would have been even more because Campbell River had too much snow so their 40 wrestlers couldn’t come down,’’ he added.
A total of nine schools competed.
The 33 athletes who made up the Queen of Angels team topped the overall junior standings with 147 points.
“Our kids did really well,’’ raved Zuback.
Queen of Angels recorded 96 points from its junior boys and 51 from the junior girls.
Second among the juniors overall was the Victoria Bulldogs with 81 points. E.J. Dunn of Port Alberni (74), Alberni District secondary school (28), Wolfpack Wrestling of Nanaimo (25), Cowichan Valley Wrestling Club and Vanier of Courtenay (24 each) and A.W. Neill of Alberni (12) rounded out the totals.
ADSS locked up first place for senior boys with 36 points. Duncan Christian tallied 16 for second spot.
The female wrestler of the tournament was Queen of Angels’ own Carmen Esquivel, with the same honour going to Kyle Plaunt of ADSS for the males.
“We went to a tournament on the Mainland the week prior and there was people on the Mainland that were talking about her (Esquivel),’’ Zuback said of his prized student.
Esquivel, a Grade 9 student, is relatively new to wrestling just like her teammates but does have some family background in the sport through her dad Leon.
“I started with my team,’’ said Esquivel. “It’s just my dad used to know wrestling.
“He tells me things during a match and during a practice, but he helps everyone as well.’’
Esquivel was the winner of the 51 kilogram junior girls’ class. Kim Watson of Ballenas (37-42 kg), Devin Mercer of Vanier (57 kg) and Savannah Toth of ADSS (60 kg) were the other division leaders.
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