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Local wrestler strives to be the best

By Jeff Deters

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Payton Covert may have a sweet disposition at home and in school, but when she’s on the wrestling mat, her temperament changes altogether. For the Southwest Junior High seventh-grader and member of the Lawrence Coyotes and Kansas Krusaders wrestling clubs, the typical demeanor of an honor roll student is replaced by an aggressive opponent who has wrestled her way to becoming a Kansas USGWA (United States Girls Wrestling Association) champion.

For her performance at state, the second-year wrestler went on to compete at nationals last month in Detroit, Mich.

There, Payton wrestled in the 74-pound weight division, which was the smallest weight class for participants in the sixth- to- eighth-grade brackets.

While eager to go to nationals, Payton was uncertain of how well she would do there because she knew the competition was going to be even tougher.

“I didn’t know how I would do,” she said. “State and nationals are totally different.”

After pinning her first opponent at nationals, in her second match Payton went up against a four-time national champion. Payton did all she could, but her opponent proved to be the superior wrestler and Payton lost.

Though she didn’t win a championship at nationals, Payton still did quite well, placing eighth in the country and earning a spot on the USGWA All-American team. Payton thought she may have done better if not for the big turnout of spectators.

“I was very nervous just seeing all those people,” Payton said.

While Payton may have been intimidated by the large crowd, she said her quick success at wrestling has been a result of some tough competition over the past two years — against both girls and boys. And in the two years since she started wrestling, Payton has noticed a few differences between them.

“The boys are a lot stronger,” she said. “They do have a lot more skills. The girls are weaker. I feel a lot more strong against the girls.”

While Payton may feel a little more powerful against the girls, coincidentally, it is a girl who Payton looks up to as a role model and as a wrestler — Lawrence High senior Emma Mercer.

Payton first became interested in wrestling after watching both Mercer and Mercer’s brother, Ryan, also a wrestler at Lawrence High, compete on the mat. Two weeks ago Mercer became the first Lawrence High girl to earn a wrestling scholarship. Mercer will wrestle for Oklahoma City University next year, and Payton hopes to someday accomplish the same feat.

“I really want to keep wrestling and get a full-ride scholarship,” Payton said.

While wrestling at the collegiate level is a few years away for Payton, she knows full well her quick success at wrestling would not have been possible without such strong support from her family.

Her mother, Lara, along with her father, Ron, a wrestling coach for the Lawrence Coyotes, stay quite busy helping out and traveling to their daughter’s various sports and school activities. Payton also runs track, swims and plays soccer. In addition, she is also a member of Student Council.

“She’s a very thoughtful child. A joy to be around,” said Lara.

And in the coming years, Payton wants to improve her wrestling skill and reach new heights so she can attain a dream of her own.

“My goal is to be the best I can be,” Payton said. “No more, no less.”

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WRESTLE-ZANIA: Swede has hold on beauty

April 25, 2007
BY ELLIOTT HARRIS Sun-Times Columnist

Grappling with success is a thing of beauty for Swedish wrestler Sofia Mattsson.
Being cited as a thing of beauty is a different battle.

Mattsson, 17, captured the bronze medal at the European Wrestling Championships last week in Bulgaria.

A junior world Greco- Roman wrestling champion, she was pleased with her performance in the 48-kilo division in her first senior-level competition.

''This is the biggest thing to happen in my career so far,'' she told Sweden's Aftonbladet.

It could have been even bigger. Organizers of the event gave her the title of Miss Europe, a distinction awarded to the prettiest wrestler.

''This is not part of the sport,'' she said. ''We are here to excel and win at wrestling. There are some people who compete in that other thing, too, but we don't do that here.''

''It's a load of rubbish!'' team captain Patrick Jansson said. ''There are old codgers sitting there deciding who is the prettiest. It's terrible.

''In Poland last year, one of our girls was named Miss Warsaw Open, and we just told them straight out: 'Forget it!'''

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Sluberski, Quiles shine on national stage

4/24/2007 - OBSERVER Staff Report

COLORADO SPRINGS — Fredonia wrestlers Carlene Sluberski and Michelle Quiles are starting to make their names known on a national stage.

The 16-year-old Sluberski won the 88-pound Cadet National Tournament on Sunday at the Olympic Training Center with two pins and qualified for an international tournament at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. The trip, which will be fully funded by USA Wrestling, includes a weeklong training camp at Northern Michigan University before the competitors will be flown to Guelph. The victory also gives Sluberski access to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs at a fraction of the usual cost.

"Last year the international competition was in Beijing and even though Carlene had the opportunity, we declined it because we didn't feel comfortable sending her," Fredonia wrestling coach Alex Conti said. "This year we will be taking it."

Quiles, a year older than Sluberski, competed in the Junior National Tournament with other 17 to 20-year-olds and finished second at 97 pounds, going 3-1.

Quiles' only loss was to Amy Whitbeck of Section II's Duanesburg, who went 2-2 at this past winter's New York State wrestling championships.

See WRESTLING, Page B3

By taking second place, Quiles qualified for the Junior Pan-Am games which will be held in Venezuela this summer. The trip will be partially funded with the remainder being raised by Quiles.

Quiles was one of four high school girls to qualify for the national team, which is usually dominated by college wrestlers.

"We are very excited for Michelle to qualify for Pan-Ams," Conti said. "We've been talking about it all year and trying to get these girls on to teams that travel to other parts of the world. To not have to carry the burden of the entire ticket is an incredible opportunity."

By winning at Junior Nationals, Whitebeck moves on to the Junior Worlds in Beijing, China this coming August.