News Page
Girl goes to the mat
Gabrielle Henry could become the City League’s first female wrestling champion
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Jeremy McLaughlin
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
|
|
The gamesmanship starts long before Gabrielle Henry steps onto a wrestling mat. Stares, glares, terse remarks — her opponents have tried them all in hopes of gaining a mental edge.
The most common tactic: "This girl is going to get on the mat? I hope they don’t hurt her."
Such words don’t faze Henry, a 112-pound junior from Briggs. They didn’t work when she started wrestling in fifth grade. They don’t work now. She uses them as motivation, and by the time a match ends her opponents are usually speechless.
Henry has proved she can compete with the boys. She is 22-7, has placed at every tournament and won her class at the Bruin Invitational, where she was given a standing ovation.
Today, Henry could become the City League’s first female champion (she was fourth last season). She would also be Briggs’ first champion in more than two decades. The top seed at 112, Henry won two matches yesterday to advance to a semifinal today at Briggs. The finals are later today.
"Before I get on the mat I get questions like, ‘You wrestle? You must be good because you are on the team and you are wrestling varsity,’ " Henry said. "Then I get out there and they are like, ‘Wow!’ "
Wow was just one of Briggs coach Frank Valero’s reactions after he watched Henry’s first varsity match last season.
"She has (a move) that we call a chicken wing, and she just took this kid and beat him to a pulp," he said. "My assistant coaches and I kind of looked at each other and said, ‘What do we have here?’ "
What Briggs has is a special talent and a trailblazer in a sport dominated by males. Henry is ranked 12 th nationally at 110 pounds by the United States Girls Wrestling Association. She utilizes a number of moves for takedowns, is quick on her feet and uses her flexibility to escape holds and avoid being pinned.
She is tough.
Henry started wrestling with the guidance of her father, John, a former Pennsylvania state qualifier and a club coach in Meadville, Pa. He was hesitant at first — most dads are — but relented to her pestering and allowed her to practice.
"My brothers did it and they liked it so much, so I thought I’d try it," she said. "I wasn’t good at sports. When I saw wrestling, I liked the physical contact, so I decide to wrestle."
Part of the agreement with her dad was that she would train for 18 months before entering a tournament. Henry stuck with it. At the end of sixth grade, she wrestled in her first tournament — a boys tournament. She lost every match but proudly boasts she did not get pinned.
The competition intensified Henry’s passion. She began beating the boys in seventh grade and the race was on. Nearly all her high school matches are against boys because she is one of only about two-dozen girls wrestling in Central Ohio.
The main deterrent is that many parents don’t want their daughters wrestling boys, Briggs coaches said, as did 2006 West graduate Catey Beatty, who in 2005 became the first girl to place at the City League tournament. Some parents believe it is not proper or worry that their daughters will get hurt. It’s a tough stigma to overcome, though both Beatty and Henry emphasize that nothing untoward happens.
"If we were separated, you would get a lot more girls involved," said Beatty, who wrestles at the University of the Cumberlands in Kentucky, one of five colleges that offer women’s wrestling as a varsity sport. "It’s more comfortable to the parents and to the girls. They want to feel comfortable with what they are doing, and sometimes you don’t when guys are there."
Ohio does have female-specific wrestling events after the high school season. There are upcoming tournaments at Mount Vernon, Ready and the Arnold Fitness Classic. But Ohio is behind many states that have split wrestling by gender. Participation rose dramatically in those states, especially California and Texas, both with more than 1,200 girls wrestling.
That could be years or decades away from happening here. Until then, Beatty and Henry encourage girls to try wrestling. They see the sport as a vehicle to improved selfconfidence. More important, it’s fun, whether it is against girls or boys.
"I tell girls it is a good sport and when you win it’s a good feeling," she said. "And don’t let guys intimidate you because when you get good, you’ll probably beat half of them."
Or in Henry’s case, more than half.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Girls head into first-ever regional
Herald staff2/10/07
Can these groundbreaking girls do it again?
A week after nine female wrestlers from local high schools made history by winning sub-regional tournament championships, they'll shoot for even loftier achievements today at the all-classification Region 1 girls tourney at Liberty High School in Issaquah.
The top three girls in each weight division advance to the first-ever girls state tournament as part of Mat Classic on Feb. 16-17 at the Tacoma Dome. The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association offered exhibition girls events at state the previous three years.
Six of the nine local sub-regional champs came from two high schools:
* Jackson: Tara Miller (103 pounds), Tawnyrae Richards (119) and Kellie Meakins (125).
* Arlington: Kelsey Myer (130), Jennifer Jayne (135) and Amanda Bottini (160).
The other sub-regional winners from area schools were Natasha Grow of Lake Stevens (135), and Oak Harbor teammates Christina Alter (145) and Sydney Nelson (160).
The regional tourney starts at 10 a.m. and consolation finals begin at 3:30 p.m., followed by championship finals, meet director Stark Porter said.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dominating Duo: Martin, Wood lead CHS wrestling teams
BY ANDREW MAY
(Created: Friday, February 9, 2007 4:23 PM CST)
There's a famous story about Michael Jordan making the rest of his basketball team wait on the bus for an hour and a half while he won back his money in a post-workout shooting contest. The point being, champions hate to lose - even in practice. Emily Martin and Lene Wood must feel the same way.
At first glance, the unassuming Centennial students appear to be typical teen-agers, engaging in the same girly-girl activities as their fellow classmates. They enjoy getting dressed up, gossiping with friends, and going to the movies. That's where the comparisons stop.
Up at the crack of dawn while most of their friends are home snoozing, the dominating duo hits the mats to train for nearly three hours. During the day, they are busy downing protein shakes and monitoring their intake. The results have paid off in the form of freakishly flawless records. Neither has lost a match the entire season. Neither has so much as given up a point to the opposition. Martin has won all 32 matches to claim 222 points, while Wood is unbeaten in 22 tries. Both are honed in on a state female wrestling title, looking to take the next step today in the Region II Championships. Wood is no stranger to pressure-packed meets. As a sophomore, she finished third at state, only to one-up herself by claiming gold last season, a medal she now keeps in the "shrine" at her home. Martin now has her sights squarely set on bringing home some hardware as well.
"Anything less than gold would be a disappointment," said Martin, whose younger sister is the wrestling manager at Liberty. "I don't think about anything except for winning."
Like Wood, Martin has played other sports during her time as a Lady Titan, though neither has taken to any of them quite like wrestling. Martin's father, John, who was the first state placer in the history of Tulsa Union High School, told her that girls couldn't wrestle. Responding to the challenge, Martin made her mother, Jackie, take her to practice the very next day. That was the beginning of a love affair that commenced the summer before her freshman year, one that has only blossomed since. Wood was hesitant as well, thinking the sport would be too difficult. She gave it a try, and two years later, finds herself as one of the best wrestlers in the 95 pound division.
"If I feel like I can't be the best at something, I don't even want to do it," Wood said. "I haven't even really thought about the possibility of not winning state."
Such confidence oozes out of the pores of both Wood and Martin, even when they are teased about being female wrestlers. Wood said some people will poke fun, while others try to wrestle her in the hallway. Martin noted that the sport has a negative stereotype attached to it, one about all female wrestlers being manly. Neither let it get under their skin, especially not when it comes from a male's mouth.
"I've beaten some guys," said Martin, who wants to be a wrestling coach and teacher someday. "I like wrestling guys better. They are more on my level."
Wood echoed similar sentiments.
"I've had some challenges, and on occasion I'll take them," said Wood, who turns 18 today. "And it's really funny because I can actually beat them."
Considering both have wrestled for fewer than three years, their mastery on the mat is quite mind-boggling. Martin, a natural 110 pounder, moved up to 119 for a match earlier in the season. Despite being outweighed by 10 pounds and going up against the state's fourth-ranked wrestler, Martin cruised to victory to remain unbeaten. Meanwhile, Wood is a natural 105, but grapples at the lighter weight to help her team, one which won its third straight district championship last week by beating Frisco.
Both girls claimed individual titles by pinning their opponents in the finals, the preferred method of notching wins.
"Being able to pick people up and slam them a little bit or knock them around some, that's my favorite part," said Wood, who counts the corkscrew and fireman among her favorite moves. "When I first came into wrestling, I had a friend who would do the most painful moves to me and I'd always make a note of what hurt the most and I'd make it a point to learn it. So whenever I'm doing it to somebody, they don't say anything, but you just know."
Martin couldn't be more similar in that regard. She leads the team in first takedowns, falls, and 3-point near falls. In laymen's terms, she gets no greater joy than to toss her opponent around like a rag doll.
"When I go to the finals, I want to do my best," she said. "Hopefully a pin. I'd love to win, but my goal is always set higher. I want to dominate."
Both also agree on the impact wrestling has had on their lives and the discipline it has instilled in each of them. For Martin, a National Honor Society student, it has helped keep her out of trouble many teens get into when they are her age. Though she has competed on the cross country, track, and volleyball teams, none have ignited the competitive fire inside of her quite like wrestling.
"She's always been a good athlete, but she never had a real driving passion for anything like she does with this one," Jackie said. "She is a very determined and driven young lady. She is very competitive, particularly with herself. She always has the drive to get better and improve."
Wood is just happy to be able to pay her sisters back for all of the years they playfully tormented her as a child. She says her sisters, ages 20 and 21, are a lot like her mother in that they don't have a fighting bone in their bodies and "aren't very tough."
"I'll come up to them and take them down," said Wood, who switched to wrestling because she was too short to play volleyball. "They just flop over because they don't want me to hurt them."
There has been no shortage of damage inflicted on opponents this season. Wood leads the team in technical falls, takedowns, and major decisions. The only decision she hasn't made is where she will attend college in the fall. She is leaning toward the University of Colorado, but any school that will allow her to continue pursuing her passion isn't out of the question. Just a junior, Martin has another year to decide, much to the chagrin of those who will have to deal with her again next season. The only forward thinking taking place now with Martin and Wood is what moves they will use to crush all contenders in the way of state gold.
"My mindset is usually that I'm going to win," said Martin, whose favorite subject is geometry. "There's no doubt in my mind. I know that anyone can beat me, but I'm not going to let them."
The supremely confident Martin isn't the only one projecting a shimmering finish to the perfect campaign. Jackie pities opponents, too.
"I don't think anybody can stop her," she said. "I think she will be state champ. She is unstoppable in my mind."
Wood already has the hardware to prove she belongs. Though it seldom makes a public appearance, her gold medal is enough to remind challengers she isn't to be taken lightly, even if she only weighs 95 pounds.
"I've been training all season for it," Wood said. "It would be a disappointment not to win gold."
Spoken like a true champion that hates to lose-even in practice.
The following team results are from the District XVI Championship that was held Feb. 1 at Centennial High School. The Titans swept the meet, with the girls claiming their third straight district crown and the boys getting title number one. Frisco ISD district champions, along with their overall season records, are also listed.
Women's team scores
1st - Centennial (149.50 points)
2nd - Frisco (96)
3rd - RL Turner (44)
4th - Wakeland (20)
5th - Liberty (14)
District XVI champions (FISD only)
95 - Lene Wood (Cent) 22-0
102 - Kirsten Gunia (Cent) 16-8
110 - Emily Martin (Cent) 32-0
119 - Kirsten Strickler (Fr) 23-5
128 - Whitney Newman (Fr) 19-4
138 - Vanessa Epps (Fr) 22-0
148 - Alannah Griego (Fr) 19-3
165 - Karra Stratton (Wake) 8-10
185 - Courtney Gilliland (Cent) 0-0
215 - Kendra Davis (Cent) 0-0
Men's team scores (FISD only)
1st - Centennial (228.50 points)
3rd - Frisco (168.50)
5th - Wakeland (66)
6th - Liberty (48)
District XVI champions (FISD only)
112 - Juan Dominguez (Cent) 36-6
125 - Christian Winston (Cent) 16-9
135 - Josh Tew (Cent) 14-16
152 - Steve Getz (Fr) 38-14
171 - Evan Vanderpool (Cent) 23-15
189 - Brent Holtrop (Cent) 27-5
285 - Patrick McConegly (Wake) 38-10
--------------------------------------------------------------
By Sandy Ringer, Seattle Times 2/9/07
Kentwood sophomore Joleen Crook-Meyers, right, is the third-ranked girl in the nation at 138 pounds. |
Feb. 9--If you build a state tournament, they will come.
Jim Meyerhoff believed that more than three years ago, when he began designing the state's first high-school girls wrestling invitational at the Tacoma Dome. The inaugural event in 2004 drew 68 girls from 48 schools.
It was just the start toward the real dream.
That dream becomes reality next week, when girls will have their own Mat Classic at the Tacoma Dome, side by side with the boys, as Washington joins Texas and Hawaii as the only states with sanctioned wrestling tournaments for girls.
The incentive was enough to draw a jaw-dropping 376 girls to turn out for wrestling this season at 119 schools -- more than twice the 159 who participated in last year's state exhibition. The growth spurt parallels a national trend in the sport, but there are growing pains. Many coaches believe girls ought to wrestle only girls, while many female wrestlers prefer the challenge of facing boys.
A decade ago, girls wrestling was somewhat of a novelty. Now Kent Bailo, director of the U.S. Girls Wrestling Association, estimates there are 5,000 wrestling nationally.
"Ten years ago, when I talked about women's wrestling, the comment I always heard was, 'Mud or Jell-O?' " he said. "I haven't heard that in five years."
Prefer wrestling boys
Kentwood sophomore Antonia Navejas, a wrestler since she was 5, can't wait to get back to Tacoma, where she was one of 39 group winners as a freshman.
"It was exciting wrestling at the Tacoma Dome," said Navejas, ranked No. 8 nationally at 114 pounds by the United States Girls Wrestling Association. "It was something I wanted to do since I was little. I remember watching the [boys] state tournament and thinking, 'One day that could be me.' "
Teammate Jolene Crook-Meyers, a sophomore ranked No. 3 nationally at 138, wasn't as thrilled last year despite her state medal.
"I didn't feel I really earned a spot to be at state," she said. "The guys had to go through subs [subregionals] and regionals, and I didn't feel I worked as hard to get there. It felt kind of weird. This year we have subregionals and regionals, and I feel I'll work my way to state."
Junior Rowan Pilger of Inglemoor, ranked 12th at 144, had expected more fanfare after winning her group last year.
"I didn't really get any credit for winning," she said. "It was a bit disappointing. But it was better than nothing, that's for sure. I'm hoping it will be more exciting this year."
At state, each of the nine weight classes (103 to 285 pounds) will feature eight qualifiers from three regionals. Instead of wrestling during breaks in the boys action at Mat Classic, girls will compete throughout the state meets. Championship matches will be at the same time as the boys.
All three nationally ranked girls agree on one thing -- they prefer wrestling boys.
"I grew up wrestling against guys," said Crook-Meyers, whose 21-5 record this season includes five wins -- and all five losses -- against boys. "I like the competition."
Pilger agrees and said, "Wrestling guys presents more of a challenge."
Meyerhoff expects that to change as more girls turn out.
"The goal is to get girls wrestling girls as soon as we can," he said, noting that females wrestle only females at the collegiate and Olympic levels. "I don't have a crystal ball, but I'd be shocked in five years if we don't have enough girls for at least two different state tournaments [by classification]."
Difference of opinion
This year, only two girls have the opportunity to qualify for the boys state tournament -- Olympic's Camie Yeik and Willapa Valley's Megan Martin. The WIAA "grandfathered" them into the system because they are past qualifiers.
Both are happy to see a sanctioned state tournament for girls, but want no part of it.
"I understand what they're trying to do, but I think girls should have the opportunity to wrestle guys if they want to," said Yeik, a junior 103-pounder who sports a 24-5 record -- all against boys -- and is considered one of the best females in the country.
The physical aspect of guys and girls grappling at close quarters, sometimes with holds involving sensitive body parts, makes some parents and coaches uncomfortable. But the potential damage to a teenager's sensitive psyche can make them just as uneasy.
"It's devastating if a boy loses to a girl," said Jay Breckenridge, who has coached Sedro-Woolley to a record five consecutive state titles. "He never wants to wrestle again."
Breckenridge supports girls wrestling -- as long they wrestle only against other girls. That's the direction Sedro-Woolley and Burlington-Edison went when they created a consolidated team. The 19-girl roster includes one of Breckenridge's daughters, a sophomore at Burlington-Edison. The schools hired a separate girls coach, Barb Morgan, who took the team to girls tournaments on the weekends.
"Male coaches are a little bit nervous to bring a large group of girls into the wrestling room," said Morgan, who got involved in the sport several years ago because she had young sons. "It's a very touchy-feely sport."
Kelso has had as many as 19 girls out this season -- 18 new to wrestling -- and also hired a separate coach, Erin Morton, whose athletic background was in soccer.
"I went to one practice and I was hooked," she said.
The Kelso girls only wrestled girls and hosted the state's first all-girl invitational last month, drawing 93 wrestlers. Hoquiam had the state's highest turnout three weeks into the season, when the count was officially taken, with 25.
Locally, numbers are lower. Inglemoor started with five girls, but took only two to subregionals. No other KingCo 4A or 3A school reported more than two girls, and Ingraham was the only Metro school with a female wrestler.
The numbers are expected to skyrocket and catch up quickly with those at other schools.
"We're going to see some huge growth," Lake Stevens coach Brent Barnes said. "I think it's a great opportunity for girls."
Even though some continue to wrestle with the concept.
Sandy Ringer: 206-718-1512 or sringer@seattletimes.com
------------------------------------------------------------
Cougars-Broncos get together for wrestling match
By Tom Michael 2/8/07
For the Record Gazette
CELEBRATION - Rebecca Hernandez of Beaumont celebrates her victory over Francisco Vega. |
The Beaumont Cougars and Banning Broncos got together this past Thursday night before a sizeable crowd at Banning High School to tune up their skills for the upcoming CFI finals. The Cougars started the scoring off when the Broncos had to forfeit in the 112 lbs weight class given they didn't have a wrestler available for the match. The forfeiture gave the Cougars an automatic six points.
From there Carlos Ortega of the Broncos met Ryan Berkeley of the Cougars in the 119 weight class. No sooner did the match get underway when Berkeley pinned Ortega and picked up six more points for the Cougars. This made the score 12-0. The Broncos again forfeited in the 125 weight class given they didn't have a wrestler available for the match. This made the score 18-0, Cougars. The Broncos then scored their first points of the night when Robby Helm pinned Kaue Oshaben in the third round for six points in the 130 lbs weight class. But the Cougars came right back in the 135 weight class when Ray Riebli won by decision in his match against Bronco wrestler, Steven Wisniewski. Riebli's victory added three points to the Cougars point lead making the score 21-6.
In the 140 weigh class Clayton Schuelke pinned Eric Krick in the second round giving the Cougars another six points and widened their lead to 27-6.
Then in the 145 weight class the Broncos had to forfeit again given they did not have a wrestler for the match. The forfeiture added another six points to the score putting the Cougars way out in front 33-6.
In the 152 weight class, Bronco, Kevin Montreiul battled Ryan Schuelke for three rounds until the officials declared Schuelke the winner by decision. Schuelke, is the brother of Clayton Schuelke who had just won his match moments earlier in the 140 class. His victory upped the Cougars lead to 36-6.
The Broncos then came up with a nice victory in the 160 lbs weight class when Juan Sanchez pinned Art Moreno in the first round.
Sanchez's victory gave the Broncos 12 points and narrowed the Cougars lead to 36-18.
But the Cougars came right back in the 171 lbs weight class when Josh Denson pinned Doug McClure in the first round for six points. Then in the 189 lbs weight class, Alvino Hernandez (Broncos) and Issa Nino (Cougars) waged quite a match for the crowd. Both men battled back and forth with each having an opportunity to pin the other during the three rounds. Finally, Nino pinned Hernandez late in the third period. Nino's victory gave the Cougars six points which put Beaumont way out in front by a score 48-18.
Then in the 215 weight class--the heaviest weight class--Michael Reba was pinned by Michael Meza in the third round to give the Cougars six more points making the score 54-18.
But by far the most interesting match of the evening was the coed match between Rebecca Hernandez and Francisco Vega. From the very start both Hernandez and Vega electrified the crowd when they tumbled on the mat and then tried to pin one another for almost three full rounds. But it was the female in the end who finally won the match when Hernandez pinned Vega late in the third round. Her victory gave the Cougars six more points to the already one sided lead.
There was one more forfeiture in the open round adding another 2 points to the Cougars score as the match ended with Beaumont winning 62-18.
“We're working really hard to get as many of our wrestlers into the CIF finals later this month,” remarked Beaumont head wrestling coach Jason Lundblad.
The Cougars will send 12 wrestlers to the CIF individual finals while the Broncos will send seven.
--------------------------------------------------------
HHS girls flatten regional foes
By the Daily World staff
Saturday, February 10, 2007 11:57 PM PST
TUMWATER — Although losing some of their customary depth in the process, Hoquiam’s Grizzlies ran away with team honors in the inaugural regional girls wrestling tournament Saturday at Tumwater.
Producing two champions and qualifying six for state, the Grizzlies amassed 150 points to more than double the total of their nearest rivals. Kelso was a distant second with 64.
Aberdeen, Elma, Raymond and South Bend also advanced wrestlers to the first-ever state girls tournament next weekend at the Tacoma Dome.
Hoquiam’s Kelsey Klein and Alex White captured regional titles.
A six-woman state contingent might seem light for Hoquiam, considering that they qualified 15 for regionals.
“But I don’t know anybody, off the top of my head, that had more than two (state qualifiers in this region), so I think we did OK,” said Grizzly coach Todd Hoiness. “We just had high expectations. We had the toughest region, by far.”
There were 31 teams in this region.
Klein captured the 125-pound title by pinning Termae Rowshan of Camas in 2:59.
“Kelsey wrestled awesome the whole tournament,” said Hoiness. “She was unstoppable.”
White was equally dominant in trouncing Hockinson’s Kayla Keeler, 10-2, in the 135-pound final.
Other Hoquiamites to advance included Ashley Kroll, second at 160 pounds; Whitney McCormick, third at the same weight; Tess Grannemann, third at 103, and Kyra Butler, third at 119.
The latter three prevailed in winner-to-state, loser-out matches. The top three finishers at each weight qualified for state.
Butler dropped a 10-7 decision to Kelso’s unbeaten Veronica Mendoza in an exciting 119-pound semifinal, but regrouped to pin Camas’ Hannah Reed in the match to decide third and fourth.
Kroll was pinned by Drrue Partridge of Graham-Kapowsin in the first round of the 160-pound final.
Tumwater’s Lindsey Vigil avenged a subregional loss with a 5-0 victory over Aberdeen’s Nicole Hyde in the 145-pound final. Hyde advanced with a second-place finish.
Other area third-place finishers included Raymond’s Christina Crow (125), South Bend’s Nichole Berrell (130) and Elma’s Mackenzie Glerup (160 and over).
Crow pinned Hoquiam’s Hoquiam’s Marissa Aube in the match to decide third and fourth.
Berrell took third by injury default in a match against Aberdeen’s Rachel Akerlund. She was unable to continue after she was taken to the mat in what officials ruled an illegal slam. If Berrell is unable to wrestle next week, Akerlund will take her place at state.
Harbor wrestlers finishing fifth included Hoquiam’s Kylie Wilson, Lexi Taylor and Megan Kroll and Ocosta’s Donna Hartke.
------------------------------------------------------
McKay's Kirk is a wrestling pioneer
BILL POEHLER
February 9, 2007
Julie Kirk never set out to perform any weighty, society-changing accomplishments. That's a common trait among pioneers.
Kirk, a senior at McKay High School, is by far the most successful -- and most persistent -- female wrestler ever in Salem.
"I just wanted to wrestle," she said. "I don't know. I don't think it's a big deal."
Other girls have made a big fuss about how they should be allowed to wrestle against boys. Most of them flame out faster than Ratt.
But Kirk has maintained.
She never lit the world on fire, but has made her mark. Kirk placed sixth in the Valley League as a sophomore, but didn't make it past the first day as a junior.
Kirk is seeded fifth heading into today's Central Valley Conference district wrestling meet.
Because of the body fat indexes and the difference between those allowed for boys and girls, she has to carry five percent more fat on her frame.
If Kirk wants to be competitive, she must cut down to 103 pounds to wrestle the young boys.
"It sucks, but I like it," she said. "I like the sport and I like the challenge. And being able to say that, yeah, I get to work with them, I get to work with my team, I can keep up with them."
There always will be those who think girls shouldn't be allowed to wrestle boys.
Kirk just goes out and wrestles.
"I've seen her wrestle some very, very good people that don't believe that she should be wrestling and they have tried to convince her that shouldn't be by being as brutal as they can," McKay coach Rick Herrin said.
"I also believe that there's referees that believe that she shouldn't be wrestling and let some stuff go on that I don't believe should have gone on."
Many times in her career the boys have forfeited rather than grapple with her.
It's understandable that high school boys are uncomfortable participating against girls in the most physical of sports.
Title IX says girls can wrestle against boys until another girls sport is added to Oregon high schools.
When girls approach Kirk and ask her about wrestling, she tells them to go to Portland's Cobra wrestling club.
There they can learn about wrestling against girls instead of against boys.
"It's a lot easier to go in and you can work with girls that know the moves, that can teach you the moves, that will teach you the moves," she said.
"Then you can start at like high school or middle school and they'll be like, 'Wow, she knows what she's doing.' "
In Washington, for instance, the athletic association sanctions a girls state wrestling tournament.
Will that happen here? Maybe.
"Wrestling's for everybody; I've always believed that," Herrin said. "That's why we have the weight classes. It's just a question of what's fair."
Then when people ask if Oregon is in compliance with the Title IX laws of 1972, we could say we're closer than ever.
If Kirk was to place third or better in the district and advance to the state meet, it would more heartwarming than a Marla Hansen song.
If she doesn't place: "I'm just happy with what I've accomplished."
Others, though, will be proud of her.
--------------------------------------------------------
Katy girls win tournament
Tigers place seven out of eight qualifiers for title
By TERRY CARTER
For The Chronicle 2/11/07
Katy runners-up Alex Bradshaw, Alana Jimenez and Marcia Shelving got outgunned in the Region III Wrestling Championship finals Saturday.
But their efforts led the Katy girls to the team title in a competitive race with Cy-Fair, 117.5-109 points. Wrestling at the Merrell Center, the Tigers scored three seconds, a third, a fourth and two fifth-place finishes among the 32 teams.
Katy placed seven of the eight girls the Tigers qualified for the Region III tournament. Cy-Fair's Angie Murray (28-0) led the Bobcats' run for the crown, which included six top four placers. Cy Ridge (82), Katy Taylor (80), Cy Falls (75), Waller (71), Brazoswood (64), Houston Lee (62), Oak Ridge (61) and Klein (10) rounded out an All-Greater Houston top 10.
"We've pushed the idea of having a full team and eight of 10 girls got here. Seven scored in the top six for us, and that won it," Katy coach Vinnie Lowe said.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Wrestling | Girls get their own state event this year, but not everybody is thrilled with the idea.
Jeff Graham, jgraham@KitsapSun.com
February 9, 2007
North Mason’s Lauren Buchan spent the past two months competing like every other wrestler on her team. She endured the same grueling practices three or four days a week, wore the same uniform during matches as her male counterparts. She even beat boys at several dual meets during the regular season.
"She’s a workaholic, a great technician," North Mason coach Joe Reasons said of the 135-pound Buchan, a sophomore. "She’s respected by the guys."
The same goes for Sequim senior Summer Steenberg, a 135-pounder who won four dual matches against boys and goes through the same training as the rest of the Wolves.
"She’s a tough wrestler," Sequim coach Steve Chinn said.
In the past, the only chance Buchan and Steenberg would have had at postseason glory would have been a girls-only invitational contested at the Tacoma Dome at the same time as Mat Classic. Beginning in 2004, the invitational held "unofficial" status in the eyes of the state.
Not any longer.
On Feb. 14-15, the Dome will host the first official girls state wrestling tournament, making Washington the third state to offer separate state championships. Texas and Hawaii pioneered state tournaments for girls in the late 1990s.
Buchan and Steenberg, who will both attempt to qualify for state at a regional tournament Saturday at Liberty High School in Issaquah, are eager to chance to go for legitimate gold.
"I’m really excited," said Buchan, who took third at last week’s sub-regional qualifying tournament at Bonney Lake High School, two spots behind Steenberg. "It feels like we are more equal now."
Equality is something Jim Meyerhoff had in mind when he proposed a girls state tournament to the Executive Board of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association last year.
Meyerhoff, assistant executive director for the WIAA, helped convince the state to start holding a girls invitational three years ago. The first invitational involved 68 girls, a number which jumped to 109 in 2005 and 156 last season.
The increasing number of participants, Meyerhoff said, made the need for a girls state tournament clear.
Consequently, the WIAA Executive Board declared last June if a minimum of 20 schools had at least five girls each competing during the first three weeks of the 2006-07 season, the tournament would be a go.
"We had 25 schools," Meyerhoff said.
Open to wrestlers from every classification, the girls tournament will feature eight entries per weight class and declare 14 individual champions and one team champion -— just like the boys.
"I’m excited for the girls," Chinn said. "I think it’s a great opportunity to them."
More than 375 girls from 125 schools had the opportunity to qualify for the tournament, which some see as the first step toward making girls wrestling a separate sport in Washington.
With the number of female wrestlers on the rise, Meyerhoff said the tournament could be split into two classification groupings as early as two years from now. He also said full-time girls programs — most girls currently practice with boys teams — are likely in the future.
Not everyone is jumping for joy over the possibility of girls-only wrestling.
Olympic junior Camie Yeik, arguably the top female wrestler in the state, qualified for the Class 4A boys tournament at 103 pounds last season and reached the finals of the Olympic League Class 3A sub-regional tournament last weekend.
When Yeik heard about this season’s state girls tournament, she initially thought she would be forced to participate.
"I was actually upset because I didn’t know I had been grandfathered in (to the boys tournament)," Yeik said. "I don’t think I would have wrestled. That’s a tough question."
Because Yeik and sophomore Megan Martin of Class 2B Willapa Valley wrestled in the 2006 boys state tournament, they will be allowed to wrestle against boys in future postseasons. Other girls have no choice but to compete in the girls tournament.
"The goal is to get girls wrestling against girls as quickly as possible," Meyerhoff said. "This is not a matter of how many girls can beat the guys."
Yeik, who hopes to wrestle in college, said she couldn’t envision herself wrestling only against girls.
"I don’t think I’d be near the wrestler I am if I wrestled only girls," Yeik said.
Yeik said that when she takes to the mat, she doesn’t see a boy or a girl.
"I don’t care what sex they are — they’re a wrestler," Yeik said. "I think girls should have an opportunity (to wrestle boys) if they are good enough. If you deserve to be there, who cares?"
Chinn agrees that wrestlers of Yeik’s caliber should deserve a chance at competing against the state’s best, regardless of gender.
"There are some girls that can actually compete," Chinn said. "If somebody is of that quality, who has the prerogative to tell them they can’t?"
-------------------------------------------------------------
Arlington girls take second in regional
Arlington's Kelsey Meyer, Jackson's Tara Miller and Taneal Detschman of Lynnwood finish first in their respective weight classes.
Herald staff 2.11.07
ISSAQUAH - Kelsey Meyer won the 130-pound championship to lead Arlington to a second-place finish in the first-ever girls wrestling Region 1 meet Saturday at Liberty High School.
Arlington finished with 66 points, 5.5 fewer that Mount Baker. Jennifer Jayne was second at 135 pounds and Amanda Bottini was fourth at 160 for the Eagles.
Tara Miller led Jackson to a fourth-place finish by winning the 103-pound title. Tawnyrae Richards was third at 119 and Kellie Meakins fourth at 125 for the Timberwolves.
Lynnwood's Taneal Detschman pinned Keely Casldwell of Lakewood one minute, 34 seconds into the first round to capture the 112-pound championship.
Miller scored an 8-7 decision over Sandy Nguyen of Edmonds-Woodway in the 103-pound title bout.
Meyer pinned Angel Brown of Mount Baker in the second round of the 130-pound final.
Jayne dropped a 6-1 decision to Sequim's Summer Steenberg in the 135-pound final.
Oak Harbor's Sydney Nelson was second at 160 pounds after losing a 7-3 decision to Kylee Bishop of Washington.
--------------------------------------------------------
Temecula Valley wins title, but Northview's Padilla steals the show
By Dan Arritt, Times Staff Writer
February 11, 2007
|
History will show the Temecula Valley boys' wrestling team won its fourth consecutive Southern Section dual-meet championship Saturday night, but those in attendance will probably remember the victory by Tatiana Padilla of Covina Northview.
Padilla, a two-time national champion in the U.S. Girls' Wrestling Assn., held off Justin Whitaker of Temecula Valley to win the 132-pound final, 8-7, in the Division I championship match at Placentia El Dorado High.
Competing in the fourth-to-last match, Padilla earned three points for the victory, but it wasn't enough for Northview to catch the top-seeded Golden Bears, who were already on their way to a 40-13 victory.
Marcus Ortega, C.J. Knowland, Jake Meredith, Ryan Smith and Eduardo Marquez scored early victories to help Temecula Valley build a 19-3 lead. Dylan Barrales then recorded a key 4-3 victory for the Golden Bears at 112 pounds, earning the tying point with 15 seconds remaining when P.J. Martinez, the division's No. 2-ranked wrestler, was penalized for stalling. Barrales then managed a one-point escape with one second left to stretch Temecula Valley's lead to 22-6 and quiet the bench for third-seeded Northview.
"That was the big changing point," said Smith, who stepped up a weight class and won the 215-pound match. "All the rest of the team was just sitting there, like, 'Wow, one of our best guys just got beat, what's going on here, that's not normal.' "
Whitaker said he was trying to avoid the same thoughts when he stepped on the mat for the first time against Padilla, a junior who won a Valle Vista League title last week.
Padilla scored a two-point takedown in the first minute of the opening round, then regained the lead with another takedown in the second period. Whitaker twice tied the score with an escape, but Padilla's fourth takedown of the match put her back ahead, 8-6, with 33 seconds remaining. Whitaker was awarded a point when Padilla was penalized for an illegal arm bar with 13 seconds left, but he couldn't get any closer.
"You can't take her as a girl, you have to take her as an opponent," Whitaker said. "It wasn't a strength thing. She's technical, but I'll get her next time."
Padilla said the victory lost some of its luster because her team could not pull off the upset, but she hoped her performance sent a message.
"Whoever is on the mat with me, I don't underestimate anybody and I don't overrate anybody," she said. "Everybody puts on their pants the same way, one leg at a time. I train just as hard as anybody else."
Smith, who finished third in state last season, said Padilla's performance was a clear example of how girls can hold their own in boys' wrestling.
"She's going to go out there for six minutes and she's going to battle with you," Smith said. "It doesn't matter who you are, male or female, she's going to go out there and try to beat you."
Padilla was already looking ahead to next week's Southern Section individual championships, where she hopes to place high enough to earn a berth to the Masters meet on Feb. 23-24 at Fountain Valley High.
"I need to be top five," she said. "That's my goal right now."