News Page
Craig
Sesker USA Wrestling
01/04/2008
Olympic
silver medalist Sara McMann and two-time World bronze medalist Katie
Downing headline a strong U.S. women’s freestyle team that
will compete at the World Cup on Jan. 19-20 in Taiyuan, China.
The American squad is one of six teams who will take aim at winning the
team title in the dual-meet event. The U.S. placed fifth in the 2007
World Cup. The Americans are shooting for their first World Cup title
since 2003.
Returning champion Japan is the favorite to win the World Cup. The
powerful Japanese team rolled to the team title at the 2007 World
Championships. Kazakhstan, China, Canada and Ukraine also will compete
in the event.
The American squad also features past World silver medalist Stephanie
Murata at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. and past World bronze medalist Jenny Wong at
51 kg/112.25 lbs. McMann and Downing both won World bronze medals at
the 2007 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. McMann competes at 63
kg/138.75 lbs. and Downing at 67 kg/147.5 lbs.
The U.S. women’s freestyle team is comprised of members of
the 2007 World Team. The American women are preparing for the event
during a training camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center over the
next two weeks.
“This is a very important competition for us to reestablish
ourselves going into the Olympic year,” USA Wrestling
Women’s National Coach Terry Steiner said. “This
can definitely help our psyche as we move forward. It also will give us
an idea of where we’re at right now. It will be a good
challenge for us and good preparation for us.”
The American squad will be without two-time World champion Kristie
Marano, who is recovering from an injury. Marano, a nine-time World
medalist, captured a silver medal at the 2007 World Championships.
Stephany Lee, who placed second at the 2007 World Team Trials, will
replace Marano in the U.S. lineup at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.
“This is a great opportunity for Stephany to compete against
some high level competition,” Steiner said.
The U.S. also will be without Olympic and World medalist Patricia
Miranda, who also is recovering from an injury. Miranda made the U.S.
World Team at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. in 2007, but was unable to compete at
the World Championships after suffering an injury shortly before the
competition.
Wong, who replaced Miranda at the World Championships, will compete at
51 kilos at the World Cup.
The American team also includes 2007 World Team members Marcie Van
Dusen at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Leigh Jaynes at 59 kg/130 lbs.
The U.S. women also will spend time in Beijing, China on the trip. They
are scheduled to tour the venue, athlete village and workout facilities
that will be used for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
U.S. WOMEN’S FREESTYLE WORLD CUP ROSTER
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Stephanie Murata, Colorado Springs, Colo.
(Sunkist Kids)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Jenny Wong, Gaffney, S.C. (Sunkist Kids)
55 kg/121 lbs. – Marcie Van Dusen, Colorado Springs, Colo.
(Sunkist Kids)
59 kg/130 lbs. – Leigh Jaynes, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S.
Army)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Sara McMann, Gaffney, S.C. (Sunkist Kids)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Katie Downing, Colorado Springs, Colo.
(Sunkist Kids)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Stephany Lee, Colorado Springs, Colo.
(Sunkist Kids)
Coaches – Terry Steiner (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Tadaaki
Hatta (Elyria, Ohio)
WSHS's Aune followed her older brother's path into wrestling
 Winona Senior High eighth-grader Tazhia
Aune, left, wrestles at 103-pounds for the Winhawks while her brother,
Izaiah Fischer, wrestles at 145-pounds for the Cochrane-Fountain City
Pirates. (Photo by Andrew Link/Winona Daily News)
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The 11th annual Lone Star Duals begin today at South Grand Prairie High School, welcoming some of the best wrestlers in the area, state and nation.
Twenty-four teams representing five states will be in action Friday and Saturday, and a new champion is guaranteed to be crowned. Defending champion Pennsbury (Pa.) will not compete this season. Here’s a look at this weekend’s meet:
Home cookin’
Four area teams — Arlington, Arlington Lamar, Arlington Martin and host South Grand Prairie—will compete against 20 other teams. Martin was the only area team to reach the championship bracket last season, falling in the quarterfinals to Pennsbury. Martin went 4-1 in pool play with its only loss to private-school power Dallas Bishop Lynch. Arlington, Lamar and South Grand Prairie weren’t as successful, as they combined for four victories in pool play.
Out-of-state teams are out of sight
The Lone Star Duals have boasted strong fields in the past because of the quality of out-of-state teams invited. The case is no different this season.
New Orleans (La.) Brother Martin, which reached the championship final last season, is one of the favorites to win. Brother Martin is the defending Division I state champion in Louisiana.
Alamosa (Colo.) won the Class 4A state title last season. Metairie (La.) Archbishop Rummel and Sapulpa (Okla.) finished fourth in their respective divisions at their state tournaments.
Are rankings accurate when it comes to duals?
Most of the national rankings designated for high school teams are based on tournament structures. Duals test the depth of teams, not just the quality of a team’s elite wrestlers. Therefore, upsets of nationally ranked teams are more plausible at a dual meet.
“If you have four or five great kids, you could do really well and place high [in a tournament],” Lone Stars Duals director Barry Boustead said. “Here, everyone has to contribute. And a lot depends on coaching strategy, too.”
Arlington girls to defend title
Arlington’s girls team is the defending Lone Star Duals champion and will again be a favorite to win.
The Lady Colts won last season’s competition with 136 points. Amarillo Caprock finished second last season (121.5 points) and should be Arlington’s main challenger for the title. Caprock is the defending UIL state champion.
Boys wrestlers to watch (rankings are national)
Trey Adamson, Dallas Bishop Lynch, 145 pounds, Ranked eighth in the freshman-sophomore division by Wrestling USA magazine
Tanner Eitel, Dallas Bishop Lynch, 140, Ranked fourth in the freshman-sophomore division by Wrestling USA magazine
Johnny Koepp, Dallas Bishop Lynch, 152, Ranked ninth by intermartwrestle.com
Danny Luttrell, Arlington, 119, Defending UIL state champion
Jesse Meis, Alamosa, Colo., 103, Ranked fifth according to Intermat
Robert Myers, Arlington Lamar, 112, Finished sixth at UIL state meet
Nick Shields, Brother Martin La., 125, Ranked 12th according to Intermat
Tony Suarez, Rummel La., 140, Ranked as the 19th-best junior by Wrestling USA magazine
Whitton White, Arlington Lamar, 152, Finished fourth at UIL state meet
Cody Yohn, Alamosa, Colo., 160, Ranked fourth by Intermat
Numbers game
4: Teams from Oklahoma that will compete
7: Teams that finished in the top 20 of the UIL state meet that will compete
20: National ranking for Dallas Bishop Lynch by
amateurwrestlingnews.com
Christine Alcantara won the 100-pound weight class and was named the tournament's most valuable wrestler.
Other first-place finishers for Hogan included Alice Hoover at 116 pounds, Samantha Hoover at 120, Monica Gonzalez at 165 and Carr Parker at heavyweight.
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The George Washington High School gym was rocking yesterday as wrestlers from Guam and Japan competed in the Best of the West Wrestling Tournament with an energetic crowd roaring in the background.
Two females showcased that they can wrestle just like the boys, as Shawntae Shimizu defeated Therese Indalecio to win the gold medal in the women's division.
Both wrestlers started out aggressive as they each went for a take down at the same time but to no avail.
Shimizu, however, managed to get a double leg take down nearly halfway through the first period. From there she tried for the pinfall but Indalecio countered with an escape, which eventually brought them both back to their feet to crowd's applause. Both wrestlers were unable to create any kind of momentum before buzzer was sounded to end the first period.Without hesitation, Shimizu displayed her arm technique by tucking Indalecio's right leg under her own body in order to secure the hold. Shimizu followed suit with the pinfall to seal the victory and the gold medal, 20 seconds into the second period.
"I was nervous and I thought I was losing at first but I just refocused and I did my best and I won, I think I earned it considering the fact that I had to face a good opponent," said Shimizu.
"I also would like to thank my coach for teaching me how to wrestle and showing me that anything is possible if you just believe."
"I am extremely proud of the overall performance by all the wrestlers. This event just shows how much wrestling on Guam has evolved and how far we have come," said Event coordinator Neal Kranz.
"I want to thank the Japanese Wrestling Federation for participating in the event and also for helping put this tournament together."
In other gold medal matches:
The Mount Baker girls’ wrestling team finished with the team title and two individual titles at the Kelso Invite on Saturday.
The Mountaineers entered the final round trailing Sedro-Woolley 105-94.5, but tallied 134 by the meets’ end to gain the championship. Every Baker wrestler won at least one match to help the team gain the title.
Ashlee Phy (140 pounds) and Angel Ortiz (160) both won individual championships for the Mounties, Roxanne Rosas was second at 103 and Kristen Sogg (119), Katie Newgard (125), Alex Lepper (135) and Chloe Grafwallner (285) all finished third.
The gripping being done at Libertyville High's wrestling Alumni Night were not grappling holds.
Rather, they were handshakes of recognition, as Wildcat wrestlers of the past 52 years greeted each other warmly and talked about -- what else -- the weight they've put on.
The 60 or so alums were easy to spot in their specially-made white T-shirts that featured names, graduation years, and in the biggest letters of all, weight classes of days gone by
As might be expected, a vast majority of the members of the Libertyville wrestling family would not make weight if held to Friday night's numbers.
One exception, however, was Greg Bercos of the Class of 2002, whose 275 T-shirt listing belied his current 180-pound weight.
Bercos, currently coach of Oak Middle School in Mundelein's) first-ever wrestling team, said he shed a lot of weight once he quit competing on the mats. He wrestled at 275 in high school, he says, although weighing only 240.
"I never had to worry about carrying extra weight," he said. "I was able to really kid my fellow wrestlers at the time, saying 'I can scarf this all down and you have to starve.' "
Alumni Night, which drew a crowd of approximately 500, featured a dual meet between North Suburban Conference Lake Division foes Warren and Libertyville (now 10-1 in dual meets and 5-0 in conference after Friday's 35-23 win) and also celebrated head Wildcat coach Dale Eggert's 30 years coaching at the school.
Eggert, a head coach for 21 years and an assistant for nine before that, noted that he had favorite memories of each and every team he was associated with.
"But if I had to pick just one favorite memory, it would be of the 1986 team which was the first to qualify for the dual state team tournament," he said.
Eggert was emcee when it came to introducing each of the alums as they moved to the center of the mat.
Among the 60 were two women, pioneering Margaret LeGates of the Class of 1994 and Mandy Thompson of the Class of 1998.
When asked what she missed most about the wrestling experience, she quickly responded, "Are you kidding me? I was the only girl. I miss my boys. My teammates. They were like my brothers."
Currently living in Austin, Texas, Thompson manages a marina and said that she coached a club wrestling team for a year after college.
Jim Friend of the class of 2003, finished fifth in the state at 140 pounds in 2002 and third at 130 the following year.
"I wanted to come back to see all the guys on my old team," said Friend, "but also to see the guys I watched when I started out. I remember sitting in the stands and watching Dan Cysewski (1998) do a fireman's carry for the first time, and that became my favorite move."
The elder statesmen at Friday's gathering were two members of the school's first wrestling team in 1956 -- Dick Fischer and Ron Quentin.
"We really didn't know what we were doing back then," said Fischer, and our coach ( Henry Kimble ) knew about as much as we did. He basically bought a few books and we learned that way. It took us until the third meet before we figured out that in order to be pinned, you didn't need your shoulders to touch the mat, just your shoulder blades."
"We weren't very good," Quentin chimed in.
The Wildcats program has come a long way in the half century that has passed.
Wind, rain and snow have forced the Pacific wrestling teams to call off their scheduled trip for a pair of competitions at Menlo College
FOREST GROVE - The hefty winter storm that has hammed the
entire West Coast has forced the Pacific men's and women's wrestling
teams to scrub their planned weekend trips to the San Francisco Bay
Area.
Both teams were scheduled to participate in meets at Menlo College in
Atherton, located on the San Francisco Peninsula. The Pacific
women were slated for a pair of Saturday duals against Menlo and San
Jose State, while the men were among the teams competing in Sunday's
Menlo Invitational.
The storm that is keeping the Boxers home has brought rain and wind to
both the Portland and San Francisco areas. Winds have caused
damage in the Bay Area and the Menlo College campus lost power for a
time. In addition, the storm has brought heavy snows to the
mountains, which has forced the intermittent closure of Interstate 5 at
the Oregon/California border. The teams were scheduled to
travel by bus.
The Pacific men will now return to action on Fri., Jan. 12, when they
take part in the Oregon Classic in Redmond. The Boxer women
will also compete on that Friday, traveling to the Cliff Keen National
Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
