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YOOPER OLYMPICS: The road to Beijing; Chinese athletes able to train in UP

October 24, 2007

BY JO-ANN BARNAS

FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

ARNOLD -- The question came from a boy seated in the middle of the bleachers:

"How does the UP compare to China?"Lu Yan smiled. Just 15 minutes earlier, he had experienced a sight he won't soon forget. Yan, chief interpreter for a group of Chinese athletes who have been training with American athletes at the U.S. Olympic Education Center in Marquette, was welcomed at the entrance to Wells Township School by the entire student body.

Enrollment: 18.

Yan lives in Beijing, population 15 million.

"Beijing is a big city, like New York," Yan said. "Marquette is a small city and very beautiful. In Beijing, it is busy everyday and you might (hear) noise.

"To live in China, you must love it."

The boy returned Yan's smile with one of his own. He knows about loving where you live.

* * *

A unique visit ends today, for visitor and host.

For 10 days, the USOEC at Northern Michigan University -- the only college campus-based Olympic training center in the United States -- opened its doors to China.

Fifteen athletes representing three sports -- boxing, women's freestyle wrestling and men's Greco-Roman wrestling -- came from their training bases in Beijing, Shanghai and Hebei Province to experience life at the USOEC.

But there was much more to it than that.

For most of the Chinese athletes, it was their first visit to the United States, let alone experiencing small-town life of the Upper Peninsula. In addition to training with the Americans, members of the Chinese contingent toured local schools, such as Friday's trip to Arnold, on County Road 426, about 40 bumpy miles south of Marquette.

The group also visited classes at NMU, ate meals with the American athletes at the training center and spent hours shopping for souvenirs to bring home. Favorite destination: Westwood Mall in Marquette.

"On Wednesday, I took some of them up to MC Sports," said Al Mitchell, longtime coach of the USOEC's boxing program. "One of the boxers was looking at the jackets, and he kept putting them back. Thinking it was the price, I said, 'Too expensive?' He said, 'No, no, no' and showed me the label: 'Made in China.'

"They were all looking for clothing that said, 'Made in America.' "

Conversely, the Chinese team's visit was unique for folks in the UP -- an opportunity to see China's Olympic hopefuls as they prepare for next summer's Beijing Games. As Wells eighth-grader Peter Suave observed: "It's not everyday you see Chinese athletes at our school."

The team's trip was scheduled to culminate Tuesday night with a competition against USOEC athletes at the Berry Events Center.

"Part of the reason we did this was the obvious: to expose students and athletes to another culture," said Jeff Kleinschmidt, USOEC program director." Another part was the athletic side, to expose our athletes to different training styles and techniques. But beyond that was the basic, to develop friendships."

* * *

The idea for the exchange was born from a trip NMU president Les Wong and others made to China in October 2006.

Since becoming president three years ago, Wong has worked at developing what he calls "university to university partnerships" in China. For instance, NMU and its sister school, Zhuhai University, recently collaborated on a virtual art and design show.

NMU leases its laptops, which all full-time undergraduate and graduate students receive as part of tuition and fees, from Lenovo, a Chinese-based technology company. Lenovo is also a major Olympic sponsor of the Beijing Games.

The Chinese offered to be the first hosts, twice in this past year inviting boxers from the USOEC to competitions in their country.

In February, NMU freshman Jesse Carradine was among those who traveled to China. He eventually lost on a decision to fellow lightweight Liu Qiang in the tournament. As luck would have it, Qiang was chosen by the Chinese boxing federation to make the trip to Michigan. Carradine recalled their happy reunion last week.

"When we saw each other, it was great," said Carradine, who's from Cincinnati. "It was like, 'Hey!' And we shook hands. It's cool that they're here."

On the second level of the Superior Dome on Friday, Carradine, Qiang and other Chinese and American boxers trained side-by-side as music from Cassidy's "My Drink N' My 2 Step" blared from the speakers.

A short time later, China's Xia Wenjie and the USOEC's Isaiah Williams-Windley teamed up and tossed a medicine ball back and forth.

On the other side of the gym, a gray partition partially dividing the two rooms, women's freestyle wrestling was wrapping up its combined training session.

Beth Johnson, a senior at Marquette High, reached out her hand to help up Ge Zhen from the mat before turning to give Wang Lie a high-five. Both Zhen and Lie have won national titles in their weight classes.

Johnson, of Garden City, Kan., has been at the USOEC for two months. She hopes to one day be a national cham

YOOPER OLYMPICS: The road to Beijing; Chinese athletes able to train in UP

October 24, 2007

BY JO-ANN BARNAS

FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

ARNOLD -- The question came from a boy seated in the middle of the bleachers:

"How does the UP compare to China?" Lu Yan smiled. Just 15 minutes earlier, he had experienced a sight he won't soon forget. Yan, chief interpreter for a group of Chinese athletes who have been training with American athletes at the U.S. Olympic Education Center in Marquette, was welcomed at the entrance to Wells Township School by the entire student body.

Enrollment: 18.

Yan lives in Beijing, population 15 million.

"Beijing is a big city, like New York," Yan said. "Marquette is a small city and very beautiful. In Beijing, it is busy everyday and you might (hear) noise.

"To live in China, you must love it."

The boy returned Yan's smile with one of his own. He knows about loving where you live.

* * *

A unique visit ends today, for visitor and host.

For 10 days, the USOEC at Northern Michigan University -- the only college campus-based Olympic training center in the United States -- opened its doors to China.

Fifteen athletes representing three sports -- boxing, women's freestyle wrestling and men's Greco-Roman wrestling -- came from their training bases in Beijing, Shanghai and Hebei Province to experience life at the USOEC.

But there was much more to it than that.

For most of the Chinese athletes, it was their first visit to the United States, let alone experiencing small-town life of the Upper Peninsula. In addition to training with the Americans, members of the Chinese contingent toured local schools, such as Friday's trip to Arnold, on County Road 426, about 40 bumpy miles south of Marquette.

The group also visited classes at NMU, ate meals with the American athletes at the training center and spent hours shopping for souvenirs to bring home. Favorite destination: Westwood Mall in Marquette.

"On Wednesday, I took some of them up to MC Sports," said Al Mitchell, longtime coach of the USOEC's boxing program. "One of the boxers was looking at the jackets, and he kept putting them back. Thinking it was the price, I said, 'Too expensive?' He said, 'No, no, no' and showed me the label: 'Made in China.'

"They were all looking for clothing that said, 'Made in America.' "

Conversely, the Chinese team's visit was unique for folks in the UP -- an opportunity to see China's Olympic hopefuls as they prepare for next summer's Beijing Games. As Wells eighth-grader Peter Suave observed: "It's not everyday you see Chinese athletes at our school."

The team's trip was scheduled to culminate Tuesday night with a competition against USOEC athletes at the Berry Events Center.

"Part of the reason we did this was the obvious: to expose students and athletes to another culture," said Jeff Kleinschmidt, USOEC program director." Another part was the athletic side, to expose our athletes to different training styles and techniques. But beyond that was the basic, to develop friendships."

* * *

The idea for the exchange was born from a trip NMU president Les Wong and others made to China in October 2006.

Since becoming president three years ago, Wong has worked at developing what he calls "university to university partnerships" in China. For instance, NMU and its sister school, Zhuhai University, recently collaborated on a virtual art and design show.

NMU leases its laptops, which all full-time undergraduate and graduate students receive as part of tuition and fees, from Lenovo, a Chinese-based technology company. Lenovo is also a major Olympic sponsor of the Beijing Games.

The Chinese offered to be the first hosts, twice in this past year inviting boxers from the USOEC to competitions in their country.

In February, NMU freshman Jesse Carradine was among those who traveled to China. He eventually lost on a decision to fellow lightweight Liu Qiang in the tournament. As luck would have it, Qiang was chosen by the Chinese boxing federation to make the trip to Michigan. Carradine recalled their happy reunion last week.

"When we saw each other, it was great," said Carradine, who's from Cincinnati. "It was like, 'Hey!' And we shook hands. It's cool that they're here."

On the second level of the Superior Dome on Friday, Carradine, Qiang and other Chinese and American boxers trained side-by-side as music from Cassidy's "My Drink N' My 2 Step" blared from the speakers.

A short time later, China's Xia Wenjie and the USOEC's Isaiah Williams-Windley teamed up and tossed a medicine ball back and forth.

On the other side of the gym, a gray partition partially dividing the two rooms, women's freestyle wrestling was wrapping up its combined training session.

Beth Johnson, a senior at Marquette High, reached out her hand to help up Ge Zhen from the mat before turning to give Wang Lie a high-five. Both Zhen and Lie have won national titles in their weight classes.

Johnson, of Garden City, Kan., has been at the USOEC for two months. She hopes to one day be a national champ, too.

Though the Chinese brought three interpreters to Marquette, one spoke conversational English. But ask the athletes and they'll say that on the mat or in the ring, there is no language barrier.

"We show each other like this," Johnson said.

She moved her hands around, demonstrating how she taught a Chinese wrestler a move called a belly wizard in practice.

"And they taught me how to keep my grip in for a gut wrench," she said, motioning again.

The 26-member Chinese delegation paid for its own airline travel to Marquette. But the USOEC assisted in other areas, funding their visitors' lodging and meals, expected to cost around $14,000, Kleinschmidt said. (Coincidentally, the training center is scheduled to close its boxing program in December because of lack of funds, though USA Boxing has formed a task force to look into ways of possibly saving it.)

"These athlete exchanges are so critical because it demystifies them to us and us to them," said Wong, Northern's president. "What's happening is a really blossoming exchange between UP culture and Chinese culture."

When the Chinese teams begin leaving the state today, they will take with them gift bags filled with goodies: NMU sweatshirts, pebble rock candy and Michigan-made maple syrup.

There will also be plenty of memories to share, as well. Boxers from both teams played table tennis at the dorm and got together one afternoon to shoot baskets at the gym. Chinese Greco-Roman wrestler Wang Hui will bring home a copy of a story published in the Marquette Mining Journal because, he said, it features Milwaukee Bucks first-round pick Yi Jianlian.

USOEC Greco-Roman assistant coach Jim Gruenwald, 37, who last month came out of retirement to try to make his third Olympics next year, said he won't forget the morning a Chinese Greco-Roman heavyweight wrestler ordered 10 eggs for breakfast.

"It was great to have them here," Gruenwald said. "So respectful -- they were always calling me 'Coach.' They have an inherent humility that I really appreciate."

Friday at Wells, Tony Tollefson, USOEC's academic coordinator, introduced his guests at the K-through-8 school to warm applause. The athletes who made the visit were Greco-Roman wrestlers Wang Chao and Wang Hui, and USOEC women's freestyle wrestler Dany Hedin.

"Do you know how far it is from here to Beijing?" Tollefson asked the schoolchildren. "Over 6,000 miles!"

On this day, though, they were just about 40 miles from Marquette -- their home away from home for 10 days.

"This afternoon, rest," a weary Lu Yan said as he boarded a van for the hour-long ride back to the training center.

Wang Hui responded, and the two laughed. Asked to translate, Yan, still smiling at Hui, said in English: "He said, 'Shopping continues.' "

Though the Chinese brought three interpreters to Marquette, one spoke conversational English. But ask the athletes and they'll say that on the mat or in the ring, there is no language barrier.

"We show each other like this," Johnson said.

She moved her hands around, demonstrating how she taught a Chinese wrestler a move called a belly wizard in practice.

"And they taught me how to keep my grip in for a gut wrench," she said, motioning again.

The 26-member Chinese delegation paid for its own airline travel to Marquette. But the USOEC assisted in other areas, funding their visitors' lodging and meals, expected to cost around $14,000, Kleinschmidt said. (Coincidentally, the training center is scheduled to close its boxing program in December because of lack of funds, though USA Boxing has formed a task force to look into ways of possibly saving it.)

"These athlete exchanges are so critical because it demystifies them to us and us to them," said Wong, Northern's president. "What's happening is a really blossoming exchange between UP culture and Chinese culture."

When the Chinese teams begin leaving the state today, they will take with them gift bags filled with goodies: NMU sweatshirts, pebble rock candy and Michigan-made maple syrup.

There will also be plenty of memories to share, as well. Boxers from both teams played table tennis at the dorm and got together one afternoon to shoot baskets at the gym. Chinese Greco-Roman wrestler Wang Hui will bring home a copy of a story published in the Marquette Mining Journal because, he said, it features Milwaukee Bucks first-round pick Yi Jianlian.

USOEC Greco-Roman assistant coach Jim Gruenwald, 37, who last month came out of retirement to try to make his third Olympics next year, said he won't forget the morning a Chinese Greco-Roman heavyweight wrestler ordered 10 eggs for breakfast.

"It was great to have them here," Gruenwald said. "So respectful -- they were always calling me 'Coach.' They have an inherent humility that I really appreciate."

Friday at Wells, Tony Tollefson, USOEC's academic coordinator, introduced his guests at the K-through-8 school to warm applause. The athletes who made the visit were Greco-Roman wrestlers Wang Chao and Wang Hui, and USOEC women's freestyle wrestler Dany Hedin.

"Do you know how far it is from here to Beijing?" Tollefson asked the schoolchildren. "Over 6,000 miles!"

On this day, though, they were just about 40 miles from Marquette -- their home away from home for 10 days.

"This afternoon, rest," a weary Lu Yan said as he boarded a van for the hour-long ride back to the training center.

Wang Hui responded, and the two laughed. Asked to translate, Yan, still smiling at Hui, said in English: "He said, 'Shopping continues.' "

Contact JO-ANN BARNAS at 313-222-2037 or jbarnas@freepress.com.

USOEC women's coach reflects on Chinese delegation's visit to Northern Michigan

Shannyn Gillespie USOEC Women's Freestyle Coach
10/24/2007

MARQUETTE, Mich. – Ten days ago, a delegation made up of women freestyle wrestlers, Chinese boxers, and Greco-Roman wrestlers landed at Marquette’s (Michigan) Saywer International Airport en route to the U.S. Olympic Education Center for a camp and competition billed as ‘China vs. USOEC’ held Tuesday October 23, 2007 at Northern Michigan University.

Although the ‘China vs. USOEC’ competition, held in NMU’s Berry Events was a huge success, the everlasting memories of the Chinese visiting the Upper Peninsula malls, schools, NMU classes, community is what leaves an indelible imprint. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and I believe a smile is worth much more than that.

The everlasting smiles that the three Chinese national champion female wrestlers (Liang Yue, Ge Zhen, Wang Lie) gave seemed to invigorate the USOEC freestyle wrestlers in training and shopping and being young women on a college campus. The challenge of learning about a different culture or different people or wrestling all seemed so easy because of the pristine personalities of the Liang, Ge, and Wang.

Chinese wrestlers, who have placed ahead of USA at the last three World Championships as a team, seemed to be robots just following orders, perhaps, because of their success, rumors, or just self-made biases. Nonetheless, Liang, Ge, and Wang each had their own styles of wrestling and were very open and sharing when it came to showing and telling how to execute wrestling skills.

The language barrier was weakened by gentle hand gestures and more showing then telling. These Chinese wrestlers knew how to make a point without confusing and quickly the USOEC wrestlers found it simple to communicate with the Liang, Ge, and Wang.

The smiles, hard work, and determination from the Chinese wrestlers were evident and welcome gift to athletes training year round at a U.S. Olympic Education Center. This could be true because some athletes will tell you, ‘training year round can become boring’ and when a competition or training camp is available all of sudden minds seem to mend.

There are plans for the Chinese contingent to make a return visit to Marquette, MI in 2008 following the Olympics in Beijing, China next summer and perhaps A Chinese Wrestling Affair can become and annual event at the USOEC. 

MATTHEW CARROLL
Peninsula Clarion 10/24/07

Soldotna's football team may have won its second consecutive small schools state championship 11 days ago, but the Stars' wrestling team is still feeling the effects.

Outnumbered and apparently out-conditioned, SoHi forfeited six weight classes during a dual at Skyview Tuesday evening in falling to the Panthers, 57-21.

"We've got a couple of varsity state qualifiers that are still up at the Shriners football (game)," Stars' coach Bill Carlson said of Les Baker and Matthew Strieby. "Even some of those guys (who did wrestle), it was evident that they were fresh out of football.

"All those guys only had a week and you could see the conditioning in all those football players that have only had a week because they came from state championship football and that crossed over into the wrestling season."

Carlson knew his team was in trouble from the onset, as Skyview's Bryce Wilson (103 pounds), Cody Stephenson (112) and Megan Janorschke (119) claimed victories by forfeit in staking the Panthers to an 18-0 lead before the teams even hooked up.

"It was definitely good practice, good competition," he said.

Skyview's Michaela Hutchison (125) earned the Panthers first points on the mat when she dominated Tyler Powell, jumping in front 13-0 before pinning him in 2:41.

Following another forfeit, Wes Mills (135) put the Stars on the board by toying with Skyview's Nathan Orloff. With four takedowns already under his belt in the first period, Mills flipped Orloff onto his back and then pinned him in 1:40.

Jared Thomas (140) then captured one of the more exciting matches of the night, earning a 7-6 decision over Soldotna's Kraig Morris, who earned points for an escape and a takedown in the waning moments of the third period but couldn't complete the comeback.

But the Stars got revenge in the 152-pound match, when Jesse Carlson edged Fred Pollard, 8-6, in overtime.

Leading 4-2 after two minutes, Carlson got caught in a cradle that knotted the match at four before escaping with 45 seconds left in the second to make it 5-4 entering the third.

After starting down and attempting to escape three times, each time being ridden out of bounds, Pollard finally earned a reversal on the fourth try but was then penalized for a potentially dangerous move which tied the match at six with 1:10 to go.

It stayed that way until the extra session when Carlson took Pollard down only 15 seconds into it.

Tyler Job (160) then made it 39-15 in favor of the Panthers when he pinned Jesse Faulkner in 3:39 and Patrick Sheridan (171) owned the Stars' Chase Jenson to the tune of a 14-1 score before eventually pinning him in 4:55.

"The Jenson boy's a sophomore but he's a solid kid, a real strong kid. He doesn't know a lot of wrestling moves yet, but he has potential," said Skyview coach Neldon Gardner. "And Pat's looking good. Pat was solid."

Soldotna's Nathan Strieby finished off the regulation matches by pinning Claude Mraz in 3:28.

Gardner was happy to win, he said, but also knows this won't be the same Stars' squad at the end of the season.

"They're missing a lot of kids ... They've got a lot of young, smaller kids that are either hurt or ineligible or not enough practice or something," he explained. "They have good kids in the building. And they could be a contending team for a state title if they had all their kids out and they were working hard and did exceptionally well. That's how good of kids they have at that school."

In exhibition matches, Skyview's Michael Eyre (160) pinned Michael Orth in 36 seconds, Thomas won a 9-6 decision over Cody Foust and Eddie Buffington (189) pinned Jenson in 2:51. For SoHi, Jeremy Dooley (171) pinned Scott Barker in 3:23 and Tanner Link (135) pinned Orloff in 37 seconds.

"It's good to get the matches in," Gardner said. "Our kids wrestled well."

Matthew Carroll can be reached at matthew.carroll@peninsulaclarion.com.

DUAL

At Skyview High School

Skyview 57, Soldotna 21

103 Wilson, Sky, won by forfeit

112 Stephenson, Sky, won by forfeit

119 M. Janorschke, Sky, won by forfeit

125 Hutchison, Sky, p. Tyler Powell, Sol, 2:41

130 Alex Janorschke, Sky, won by forfeit

135 Mills, Sol, p. Orloff, Sky, 1:40

140 Thomas, Sky, dec. Morris, Sol, 7-6

145 Burlison, Sol, won by forfeit

152 Carlson, Sol, dec. Pollard, Sky, 8-6, OT

160 Job, Sky, p. Faulkner, Sol, 3:39

171 Sheridan, Sky, p. Jenson, Sol, 4:55

189 Buffington, Sky, won by forfeit

215 Byrne, Sky, won by forfeit

HWT Strieby, Sol, p. Mraz, Sky 3:28 

Mary Kelly, women’s freestyle, 48 kg/105.5 lbs. Kelly, a 2006 U.S. World Team member, placed second at the 2007 U.S. World Team Trials. A past Cadet World champion, Kelly placed fourth at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Her father, Jerry, was an NCAA runner-up at Oklahoma State.

KELLY DATA: High School: Mahomet, Ill. (Mahomet-Seymour); College: Northern Michigan, MacMurray; Residence: Colorado Springs, Colo.