From Coaches' Reports

The Morton Ranch boys and Katy girls wrestling teams once again flexed their muscles on Thursday, with both teams emerging victorious at the North Katy Duals held at The Leonard Merrell Center.

The Maverick boys won their title in thrilling fashion, with senior Alan Guillen pinning his opponent in the final match of the night to cinch the victory over Katy.

Other big pins for the Mavericks were provided by freshmen Vincent Navarro and Cyrus Brown.

Earlier in the evening, the Mavericks won 14 of 15 weight classes to easily outpace Mayde Creek 67-3.

Katy took the girls' championship by defeating both the Rams and the Mavericks.

Katy defeated Morton Ranch 28-22 then knocked off Mayde Creek.

Earlier in the evening, Morton Ranch's girls beat Mayde Creek 36-24.

In the junior varsity girls division, Morton Ranch defeated Mayde Creek 36-24 and Katy 38-22.

USOEC wins 2 medals at Brock Open

1/13/2008 8:32:00 PM

St. Catharines, Ont., CA -- USOEC wrestler Beth Johnson 59kg and
Schuyler Brown 63kg win silver and bronze medals at the Brock
University Women’s Wrestling Tournament held on Saturday January 12,
2008 at the Walker Center Complex in Ontario, Canada.

Johnson, a high school senior at Marquette Senior HS, made the
championship final and compiled a 3-1 record while earning her silver
medal.

Johnson seems to be more focused on mastering specific parts of her
wrestling and commented, "I worked on different set ups to my double
legs and single legs today...I was happy with my results".

Olympic Education Center on the campus of Northern Michigan University.

USOEC resident athletes and MSHS seniors Elizabeth DeAngelo 59kg and
Katie Crouch 72kg also competed in the competition. DeAngelo had a 1-2
record while Crouch amassed a 1-3 record.

USOEC Final Results
Beth Johnson Champion 59kg 2nd
Decisioned Kelly Mc Niven Brock University 6-0, 6-0, pin
Decisioned Caittyion Goodfellow Mc Mastery University 5-1, 4-3
Decisioned Katrina Huszarik Western University 6-0, 7-1
Lost to Michelle Fazzari Brock University 1-4, 1-6

Elizabeth DeAngelo 59kg
Lost to Michelle Fazzari Brock University 0-1, 0-6
Lost to Heather Wray Western University 0-3, 0-2
Decisioned Kelly Mc Niven Brock University 3-0, 2-0

Schuyler Brown Champion 63kg 3rd
Decisioned Celeste Rodrigues Brock University pin
Lost to Stefenie Shaw USA 3-3, 4-5
Lost to Katie Patroch Western University 1-3, 0-2
Decisioned Ashley Routliffe University of Guelph 1-3, 4-0, inj. def.

Katie Crouch 72kg
Lost to Debra Jehu Brock University pin
Lost to Jill Mc Callum Western University 1-4, 1-4
Decisioned Megghen Wilton University of Guelph pin
Lost to Sara Leo Brock University 0-6 0-2

Beth Johnson 59kg and
Schuyler Brown

Sports Briefs

Brock wrestling hosted the Brock Invitational on Tuesday and convincingly won both the male and the female titles.
On the men's side, Brock captured nine of 10 weight classes with Aaron Fabiano, Dylan Fryia, CJ Hudson, Pete Simons, Evan MacDonald, Chris Laverick, Brad Trimble, Alex Brown-Theriault and Mike Neufeld all enjoying the taste of gold, finishing first in their respective weight classes.
The women won four of their weight classes led by Jasmine Mian, Jessica Bondy, Michelle Fazzari and Jocelyn Dresser all of whom also earned first place.
Men's basketball player Mike Kemp and women's wrestler Michelle Fazzari were named the Brock University Henley Honda Male and Female Athletes of the Week this week.
Kemp currently leads the OUA in three-pointers made with 39 and is fifth in OUA scoring, averaging 19.3 points per game. With his 22-point effort against the Warriors, Kemp moves into 22nd on the Badgers all-time scoring list with over 1200 points.
Fazzari competed for the first time since October and snagged first place at the 59kg division posting a perfect 4-0 record helping the Badgers take first place in the Brock Invitational.

Boys and girls grappling with newest battle of sexes

BY MITCH ABRAMSON

Tuesday, January 15th 2008, 6:02 PM

Wingate's Tony Ann Nelson (l.), Makeda Holder, Giovanna Jones and Nikita Felix are four of about 40 girls wrestling with boys in PSAL this year. Janel Gonzalez is one of about 40 girls now wrestling boys in PSAL. She's attracted to sport's physicality in same way she also enjoys cheerleading. Lisa Martinez Wingate's Tony Ann Nelson (l.), Makeda Holder, Giovanna Jones and Nikita Felix are four of about 40 girls wrestling with boys in PSAL this year.

Janel Gonzalez's reaction was one of pure joy. Moments after the 96-pounder from Lehman pinned her opponent in a PSAL wrestling match, Gonzalez, a 4-6½ spigot of energy who is also a cheerleader, cupped her hand over her mouth.

"I was shocked that I really won," she said of her first win of the season, which came against Petrides' Emmanuel Bandoo on Jan. 3. "I didn't believe it at first. I was just shaking my head. I tried to go back to the bench, but I was suffocated by hugs."

Such scenes of hysteria are becoming more common this winter, in what has amounted to a breakout season for girls wrestling in New York City.

Approximately 40 girls from 16 PSAL schools are pulling on a singlet and taking their spot on the mats, according to data compiled in December by Mike Spanakos of the Beat the Streets program. With 15 fledgling developmental squads this season bringing the number of PSAL wrestling programs to 45, the number of girls is noticeably increasing.

Some, like Gonzalez, say they were attracted to the sport's physical component. Baruch's Joann Lee, a former team manager who grew frustrated as a spectator and discovered she is a terror on the mat, wrote her college essay on her experiences as a grappler.

"I'm proud to be a girl wrestling in a sport with mostly boys," she said during her team's meet at Edison on Friday. "You feel like the crowd is kind of whispering about you when you go out to wrestle, but it doesn't matter; I'm too busy focusing on what I have to do."

The girls have not escaped the predictable responses from male coaches and opponents, which range from sportsmanlike and collegial to chilly and unwelcoming.

Wingate's Tony Ann Nelson was supposed to compete in a tournament on Saturday at Herricks HS on Long Island, but her male opponent from Farmingdale refused to wrestle against a girl, Herricks wrestling coach and event director Cliff Forziat said.

Added Farmingdale JV coach Darrin Simons: "I'm not going to push him into it. If he doesn't want to wrestle a girl, I'm not going to force him."

Nelson is no stranger to forfeits, though this marked the first time a potential opponent simply refused to wrestle. Four of Nelson's five PSAL matches this season have ended in forfeit because the opposing team could not field a wrestler at 96 pounds.

"I was disappointed," said Nelson, one of seven girls competing on Wingate's immensely popular first-year squad. "I just let it go and waited for my next match, but I was definitely a little bummed."

In its drive to push girls' wrestling into the mainstream, the PSAL is standing up for the idea of gender equality. As they did last season, girls will wrestle this year in a separate division in the Mayor's Cup, said PSAL commissioner Larry Cantor, and the idea of establishing a separate league for girls has started to pick up steam.

But until the numbers become large enough to justify the change, Cantor said, girls will have to continue to wrestle against boys.

For many adolescents, the sport's physicality creates a dynamic that is uncomfortable, forcing coaches and athletic directors to choose between the spirit of healthy competition and the sanctity of gender.

The sight of a boy and girl locked in close, physical proximity - and attempting to execute such moves as the "spiral ride" and "ball and cha

in" - is enough to make some adults squeamish; the topic generates strong responses, even among those who are longtime supporters of girls sports. Mixing gender on the playing field, some say, invites unavoidable problems.

"I wouldn't let my daughter wrestle a boy; I don't see the benefits of it," said Arnie Rosenbaum, the Francis Lewis athletic director and girls volleyball coach. "If they want to do it and there's interest in it, the PSAL should create a league for girls. If they don't have the numbers, then that shows the interest isn't there.

"Boys don't want to wrestle girls," Rosenbaum added. "If they lose, then they get made fun of by their friends: 'Oh, you lost to a girl.' If they win, they don't gain anything. It's a lose-lose situation for boys."

Last year, then-freshman Lucy Di Benedetto expressed interest in joining the wrestling team at Francis Lewis. Rosenbaum told her that to do so, she would have to pass a state-mandated physical fitness test. Rosenbaum said she trained for the exam, but never took it. He thought the test was necessary to make sure she was strong enough to wrestle against boys, even though most wrestling coaches in the PSAL admit that the test is seldom given.

Di Benedetto did not go out for the wrestling team this year; instead, she is running indoor track.

"It's better for her," Rosenbaum said. "She can stay in shape and she's making friends, and this is something she can do for the long term."

Some girls do concede to having a feeling of dread when it comes time to wrestle, saying that it is somewhat easier when their opponent is a girl, but that is a rarity in PSAL dual meets.

"For a while, my confidence was down," said Madison's Margarita Katser, who edged two male teammates to start at 103 pounds. "I'm kind of doubtful going into every match, no matter how the guy looks. I'm kind of cautious because I'm wrestling with a boy."

Girls aren't the only ones feeling pressured. Nearly every coach interviewed expressed concern over the vulnerable position in which the inclusion of girls places the boys.

Most boys step onto the mat with a contract killer's mentality, trying to win as quickly as possible, Wingate's Nelson said.

"Sportsmanship would be better if we just wrestled girls," she added. "Honestly, the boys that I've gone against - their sportsmanship sucked. I feel very disrespected. I would see the guy and be like, 'Hey, what's up, good luck,' and he wouldn't even look in my eye."

Despite the controversy and the sometimes strained relationships that it has engendered, most coaches and athletic directors say they support the idea of girls and boys hooking up on the mats.

"I believe if a girl sweats and bleeds like the other boys, then I'm in favor of a girl being on a boys wrestling team," said Don Gatti, wrestling coach at Susan Wagner. "If she goes through all the practices, then she's earned the right to be there."

McMann vs. Polovneva is the new Bout of the Week on TheMat.com Audio/Video website

Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
01/15/2008

USA Wrestling has updated its new “Bout of the Week” which has been posted as a video file on-line on TheMat.com Audio/Video website .

The featured match this week is the 2007 Sara McMann vs. Anna Polovneva men’s freestyle gold-medal match at 55 kg/121 lbs. at the Sunkist Kids International Open in Chandler, Ariz.

Whenever two top international wrestlers meet for a tournament title, regardless of the time of the year, it is an important match. This is especially true when world powers Russia and the United States face off on the mat.

Sara McMann has developed into one of the world’s top female wrestlers. After attending high school in North Carolina, McMann initially attended the Univ. of Minnesota-Morris, which had a women’s wrestling team. She transferred to Lock Haven Univ., where she competed on the men’s varsity wrestling team. It was at Lock Haven where her freestyle wrestling career thrived and she reached No. 1 status on Team USA.

McMann’s first year at the top came in 2000, when she won both the U.S. Nationals and the World Team Trials and placed ninth in the World Championship. Every year since then, for eight straight years, McMann has remained No. 1 on Women’s Team USA and competed for the USA at the World Championships or Olympics.

Her first World medal came in 2003, when she made the World Championship finals in Madison Square Garden in New York City, losing to talented Kaori Icho of Japan. She has developed a long rivalry with Icho. After qualifying for the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team, McMann made the gold-medal finals at the Olympics in Athens, Greece, falling to Icho in a very competitive championship bout.

McMann has won two more World medals for the United States, winning bronze medals at the 2005 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary and the 2007 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. She also won gold medals at the 2003 and 2007 Pan American Games, the first U.S. women’s wrestler to win that prestigious event twice. In 2007, she added a World Cup gold medal to her long list of achievements.

Still, McMann is still driven by the desire to win a gold medal for the USA at the World Championships or Olympics. She boasts a win over Icho on an international tour the year prior to the Olympics, but has not beaten Icho when they have met at a World Championships or Olympic Games. Her next chance could be at the 2008 Olympics, if both of them make their team.

Anna Polovneva of Russia came through their age-group program, winning a Cadet European title in 2002 and a Junior World title in 2003. She moved quickly into a prominent place on the Russian Senior team, competing in the Senior World Championships in 2002 at the age of 18.

Polovneva has many tough competitors in her weight class within Russia, but has gotten her share of major events. She was also a member of the 2005 World Team, placing fifth in the standings. Polovneva wrestled four times at the Women’s World Cup, with her best performance a bronze medal in 2004. Perhaps her biggest success was her 2007 European Championships gold medal, when she competed up a division at 67 kg.

The Sunkist Kids International comes in October, and both McMann and Polovneva entered as a way to get quality competition heading into the Olympic year.

Women's Wrestling Weekly Notebook

Posted by Blake Timm (timmbr@pacificu.edu) on Jan 15, 2008 at 3:34 PM

Summary:

After a long and rough trip to Iowa and the Cliff Keen National Duals, the Boxers face yet another two-week drought before returning to the mat

THIS WEEK IN PACIFIC WOMEN'S WRESTLING
No Events Scheduled

A ROCKY ROAD ON THE DUALS CIRCUIT

Lisa Martinez

: It was a rough weekend for the Pacific women's wrestling team at the Cliff Keen National Duals with the Boxers going 0-3 against some of the top teams in the nation.  Now, with another Bay Area cancellation, the Boxers face another layoff.  They do not compete again until duals against Simon Fraser, Douglas and British Columbia on Sat., Jan. 26.

CUMBERLANDS 38, PACIFIC 6: Cumberlands allowed Pacific just one victory in their duals at the Cliff Keen National Duals as the Patriots beat the Boxers 38-6 Saturday.  Candace Sakamoto (So., Kaneohe, Hawaii) won the first match of the day, knocking off Priscilla Brownfield in the 44-kilogram match, 3-1, 4-2.  That is all the Boxers would get as the Patriots, ranked No. 1 in TheMat.com's U.S. College Women's Rankings, won the final nine matches.  Samantha Stych (Fr., Oxnard, Calif.) took Megan Agajanian to a three-round match at 63 kilograms with a 1-1 tie in round two, but Agajanian shut out Stych in the final round for a 4-1, 1-1, 6-0 victory.  Ashley Truchan (Sr., Hilo, Hawaii) also engaged Teri Mikoff in her first match of the year at 82 kilograms, but fell 1-0, 2-0.

NORTHERN MICHIGAN 21, PACIFIC 13: Forfeit points were all that Pacific could manage against Northern Michigan Saturday as the Olympic Education program beat the Boxers 21-13 at the Cliff Keen National Duals.  Northern Michigan gave Pacific forfeits at 44 kilograms, 67 kilograms and 80 kilograms, but allowed the Boxers just two points in each of the four contested matches.  Jazzy Green (Fr., Santa Monica, Calif.) earned one second round point in a 6-0, 8-1 loss to Amy Borgnini at 59 kilograms, while Summer Scott (Jr., Castro Valley, Calif.) managed one second round point in a loss an identical 6-0, 8-1 loss to Amber Miracle at 63 kilograms.

MENLO 25, PACIFIC 20: Pacific won four of six contested matches against Menlo Sunday at the Cliff Keen National Duals, but the points were not enough to overcome three forfeits in a 25-20 loss to the Oaks.  Pacific gave up forfeits at 51 kilograms, 72 kilograms and 95 kilograms, which more than made up the winning margin in the contest. Summer Scott and Samantha Stych picked up shutout victories in their matches at 59 kilograms and 63 kilograms, respectively, while Jade Anderson (Fr., Simi Valley, Calif.) went three rounds to beat Ashlee Evans-Smith, 3-1, 0-4, 3-2, at 67 kilograms.  Ashley Truchan won her first non-forfeit match of the season at 82 kilograms, needing just 75 seconds to pin Brittany Caoile.

LADY OAK DUALS AND INVITATIONAL CANCELLED: Two weeks ago, Pacific cancelled their trip to the Bay Area because of bad weather.  This week, it is Menlo that is doing the canceling.  Friday's Lady Oak Duals and Lady Oak Invitational have been canceled by Menlo College, the host school for the tournament.  No reason for the cancellation was immediately given.

A WELCOME RETURN: First competitions for a pair of Pacific wrestlers were indeed welcome as the two provided a pair of victories at the Cliff Keen National Duals.  Candace Sakamoto registered a win in her first match back to the lineup.  It was the only win the Boxers would get against Cumberlands as she beat Priscilla Brownfield at 44 kilograms, 3-1, 4-2.  Sakamoto finished the Cliff Keen National Duals with a 1-2 record.  Ashley Truchan, meanwhile, gave Pacific their last win of the tournament when she scored a first round fall over Menlo's Brittany Caolie at 82 kilograms.  Along with a forfeit victory in the Northern Michigan match, Truchan left Iowa with a record of 2-1.

IN THE POLLS: Pacific opens the season ranked sixth in the first U.S Women's College Wrestling Poll of the season, released by TheMat.com on Dec. 17.  Pacific received 28 of a possible 50 points for their lowest ranking in the history of the program.  Defending national champion Cumberlands (Ky.) received all five first place votes to rank No. 1.  Newcomer Oklahoma City University is second with 45 points, followed by Missouri Valley (39 pts.), Northern Michigan's Olympic program (32 pts.), Menlo (31 pts.) and Pacific.  The Boxers were ranked third in the last U.S. Women's College Poll, which was released in February 2006.

NATIONALLY RANKED INDIVIDUALS: Pacific will enter January with a total of six wrestlers ranked individually in TheMat.com's U.S. Women's College Wrestling Individual Rankings.  Samantha Stych (Fr., Oxnard, Calif.) leads the group, ranking fourth at 63 kg. (138.75 lbs.).  Stych enters the week with a 3-9 record in freestyle matches and 0-1 in collegiate style matches.  Valerie Prise (Sr., Diamond Bar, Calif.) is ranked No. 5 at 48 kg. (105.5 lbs.) with a 6-6 freestyle record.  Jade Anderson (Fr., Simi Valley, Calif.) is also ranked fifth at 72 kg. (158.5 lbs.).  Megan Richardson (Jr., Santa Paula, Calif.) is ranked sixth at 82 kg. (108.25 lbs.).  Jazzy Green (Fr., Santa Monica, Calif.) is seventh at 55 kg. (121 lbs.) and Andrea Hale (Jr., Chicago, Ill.) is ranked eighth at 67 kg. (147.5 lbs.).

A COMBINED FREESTYLE/FOLKSTYLE SCHEDULE: Unlike past seasons for the Pacific women's wrestling program, the Boxers will wrestle a schedule that will combine both freestyle and folkstyle (also known as collegiate style).  Pacific has elected to join the National Collegiate Wrestling Association's (NCWA) women's wrestling division, which was created in July.  Pacific will wrestle folkstyle against NCWA opponents, but will wrestle freestyle