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Boomers go 1-2
in
duals
By JOHNNY
McMAHAN MANAGING
EDITOR 1/18/08
Defending state dual champion El Reno swept
the District 4A-1 -duals at .Boomer
Fieldhouse on Thursday, going 3-0.
Woodward went 1-2 and
finished
third. ,Guthrie wen't 2-1 for second place. John ·Marshall;
which brought only six
wrestlers, was 0-3.
The Boomers opened with a 66-18
win over John Marshall. Seven of the victories by
forfeit and theBoomers also got falls from Michael Hale, Matt White,and
John
Marshall's only win in a contested match came froni-Dustin
Casteel with a fall.
The wildest dual was the one
against Guthrie as the Bluejays got a pin from Colt Rinehart at 112
pounds to win the contest 42-40.
Most
of the matches in this exciting dual were decided by falls.
The Boomers
got pins from Joey Miller, Matt White,and Josh Rosborough.
Guthrie recorded five
falls in the dual.
Woodward got three
victories by forfeit and Guthrie two.
The other match was as
14-13 major
decision by Kevin Tapia of the Boomers in the heavyweight bout.
Guthrie's other duals were 16 loss to EI Reno and a
67-6 decision over John Marshall!
El
Reno defeated John Marshall 65-6.
The Boomers gave El Reno some
problems early but eventually fell to the longtime Class 4A
power 45-22.
Woodward opened fast as Hale
recorded a 53-second fall at 130 pounds, Matt White handled Travis Lord
for a 9-5 decision at 135 pounds and Carlos Aguirre decked Spencer
Jackson at 145 pounds in just 25 seconds for a 15-6 lead .
El Reno had
a pin at 1 :40
pounds.
After a double forfeit at 152
pounds, Zach White took the mat at 160 and dominated Nathan Dewberry
for an 11-1 major decision and 19-6. Boomer lead .
El Reno, though, won
the next seven matches to seal the victory.
Two falls and a forfeit gave
ElReno its first lead, 24-19,
entering the heavyweight match.
Tapia battled state
runnerup Bryan Solomon pretty well, but a five-point move by
Solomon in the second period was the difference in a 6-9 victory.
Two more falls and a
forfeit at 119 pounds gave El Reno a 45-19 lead.
Miller, moved up to 125 pounds and
got the Boomers . last win, a 4-1 decision over Brian Nemeik.
Woodward's junior high team lost
duals to Guthrie and El Reno. Against Guthrie" Brady Wheelock, Jerrad
Ford and Hayden Applebee got wins. Applebee got a win against El Reno
and Jake Baca received a forfeit.
Joey Miller .of Woodward turns Ryan Kitch of Guthrie for back points in
action Thursday from the , Class 4A-l Disrtrict Duals at Boomer Fieldhouse. Miller won the
match by a fall. (Photo by .
Johnny McMahan
Skopelianos
named
outstanding female wrestler at season-opening Brock Open Wrestling
Tournament
Courtesy: Andy Watson - Release: 01/12/2008
Laura
Skopelianos ( UWO )
on right (purple singlet) facing off Liz Martindale (Brock) at
51kg final at 2008 Brock
University
Open Wrestling Tournament -
photo by: Ray Takahashi |
Laura
Skopelianos was
awarded the Outstanding
Female Wrestler of the Tournament and was the lone University
of Western Ontario
Mustang to win gold at the Brock Open on Jan. 12, 2008.
The
fourth-year UWO kinesiology student won the
individual 51-kg gold medal to lead the women Mustang team to a
third-place
finish, placing with 25 points while Guelph University
was second with 28 points. Host
Brock University placed
first overall with 58 points.
Skopelianos, the defending
Ontario University
Association (OUA ) champion, defeated
Brock’s Liz Martindale
in two straight rounds ( 1-0,
2-0 ) in a repeat of last year’s OUA final.
Co-captain Jill McCallum placed
second at 72 kg, while
co-captain Katrina Huszarik placed
4th at 59 kg. Western's Lesley
McCallum ( no relation
to Jill ) won the individual bronze at 55 kg.
London-Western Wrestling Club,
Katie Patroch won a gold
at 63 kg, while team mates,
Heather Wray (59 kg) and Sam
Dunlop (51 kg) both placed
third in the their respective weight classes.
The UWO Mustang men placed third
overall in team
standings with 25 points, well behind defending CIS champions Brock who
finished with 78 points and second place Guelph with 37 points.
UWO men's team Captain Jeff
Werden placed second at 54
kg while teammates Phil Medeiros and Chen Shen both placed 3rd at 61kg
and 57
kg respectively.
"It was a good opener for us,"
said head
coach Ray Takahashi. "All of our wrestlers got a good number of matches
and we faired reasonably well after the long December break."
The next tournament for the
Mustangs will be the Guelph
Open on Sunday Jan. 20 which will feature elite competition from Clubs
and
Universities across Canada. The tournament is one of two domestic
tournaments
designated by the Canadian Amateur Wrestling Association for athletes
to
acquire national team points for National Carding.
Past UWO female athlete of the
year, Terri McNutt will
compete, representing London-Western Wrestling Club. McNutt recently
earned the
Olympic alternate position at 55 kg in December losing to Tonya Verbeek
of
Brock Wrestling Club who won a Silver medal at the 2004
Athens’ Olympics.
Also competing will be Mustang
Jennifer Nguyen who
placed 9th at the 2007 Junior World Championships
MICHELLE NOLAN 1/18/08
FOR THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
|
DEMING — People who know of Mount Baker coach Ron
Lepper’s intense love for wrestling might find this hard to
believe, but daughter Alex is a more enthusiastic high school wrestler
than he was.
Lepper’s girls (3-0) appreciated the significance
after they claimed a 48-6 victory over Burlington-Edison before a
large, vocal crowd, which showed up early Thursday to see the first
girls’ dual in Whatcom County history before the
boys’ meet.
“Football was my real game in high school at
Cashmere,” said Ron Lepper, who didn’t become an
avid wrestler until he met an Olympic medalist at Simon Fraser
University and joined the team. “I did wrestling in high
school because it was expected, but when I graduated, I never thought I
would see a mat again.”
His daughter, however, was in her glory and said she
couldn’t have been happier.
“The crowd was awesome,” said Alex Lepper
as fellow seniors Ashlee Phy and Katie Newgard, and junior Angel Ortiz
exulted after all scored pins.
They are the four girls who have been with the program since
its start when the seniors were sophomores.
“That’s kind of the whole
point,” Alex said. “It’s about time we
got as much support as the boys.”
Ortiz, fourth at state last year, said the crowd motivated the
girls, who scored six pins in seven on-the-mat decisions.
“That crowd made it so much more fun,”
Ortiz said. “It sure made me work harder.”
Phy, who won a title last year in the first official
girls’ state meet, improved to 21-0 this season with her 21st
pin.
“Oh, I want it badly,” she said of a
second championship. “I just want to motivate other girls to
wrestle.”
Newgard, fourth at state last season, said the thought of
making history was her highlight.
“And we’ll be making more history Saturday
when we wrestle in the first Girls’ Dream Duals,”
she said, referring to competition in Spokane.
Sixteen girls, including seven freshmen, have gratified both
Leppers by being gritty enough to last the season, including freshman
Chloe Grafwallner and Rosy Rosas, both of whom also won by pin against
Burlington. Baker’s Karina Rosas and Samantha Mount won by
forfeit.
Ron Lepper said that if anyone had told him when he was as
high school senior in 1981 that he would someday coach girls’
wrestling, he wouldn’t have believed it.
“I would have said there’s no
way,” he said. “You didn’t even see one
girl wrestling then, anywhere. When girls first came out at Mount Baker
some years back (one at a time), I didn’t encourage it, and
we didn’t make it easy for them.
“Now I can see always coaching girls. I like it how
girls don’t come in like they know everything, and how much
they want to learn.”
The Baker girls said they’ll never forget the
boys’ team starring down opposing boys the first time they
walked into another school.
“Our boys walked us in and they wouldn’t
let anyone say anything to us,” Alex Lepper said.
Alex’s younger siblings — Zak Lepper,
already on Baker’s boys’ varsity; eighthgrade
sister Raney and sixthgrade sister Maxx — all want to
wrestle.
“I really want to wrestle because it looks like so
much fun,” said Maxx while cheering madly for each girl.
By Matt Patterson
Staff Writer
Oklahoma
City University announced Thursday it will host the NAIA
Wrestling Championships in 2009 and 2010.
The tournament will be held at 3,500-seat Abe
Lemons Arena March 5-7, 2009, and March 4-6, 2010. It's
another event for a school that developed the Head of Oklahoma Regatta
and will host the Women's Wrestling College National Championships on
March 15.
The NAIA Championships had been in Sioux City, Iowa, the past
three seasons. OCU began its bid to land the championships last year,
when a snowstorm caused several teams to miss the event. The storm left
OCU's team stranded in Sioux City.
"We think we have a lot more to offer,” OCU coach Archie
Randall said. "They've had this event at some desolate,
off-the-wall places like Great Falls, Mont. We had to sell the NAIA,
but from talking to coaches, they like the idea of it being
here.”
For OCU,
it's another step in developing a men's wrestling program that began
competing two years ago. OCU's
women's wrestling program began competition this school year.
"Long term, the program will grow by recruits and by
competition,” Randall
said. "This will help raise awareness and get people interested. There
really are no negatives. Our guys get to compete in their state and
sleep in their own beds.”
OCU
sophomore 184-pounder Mitchell
Eichenauer said the team is excited to host the event.
"I never won a state championship in high school, so this
gives me a chance to win a national championship where my friends and
family can see,” said Eichenauer,
a former Lawton
MacArthur standout. "I think everyone is pumped.”
Drawing fans was an obstacle Sioux City struggled with,
largely because of its rugged winter weather. OCU
athletic director Jim
Abbott said reaching out to the high school wrestling
community in Oklahoma is one measure the school can take to boost
attendance.
Oklahoma has only one other NAIA wrestling school, Bacone in
Muskogee, leaving no real natural geographic rivalries.
"We don't have the natural draw in terms of teams within our
state, but I think we will do everything we can to get people
interested,” Abbott
said. "We've talked about this strategically as far as getting the
wrestling community involved. It's going to be a great event if you
love wrestling, some of the best in the nation will be going from
morning to night.”
By Derry
Eads (Contact)
Friday, January 18, 2008
It has been a milestone season for the Pacifica High girls'
wrestling program.
With a 28-wrestler roster that is deeper than many boys'
teams, Pacifica hosted the first all-girls' wrestling dual meet in
Ventura County history in December and was runner-up to Southern
California power South Hills in a tournament three weeks ago.
Although a team championship won't be up for grabs, Pacifica
looks to make an impact with individual placings at the third CIF
Girls' Wrestling Regionals today at 3 p.m. and Saturday at 10 a.m. at
Channel Islands High.
Between 200 and 300 wrestlers are expected to compete in the
two-day event that is one giant step away from an official section
championship.
If its showing at the South Hills Tournament is a barometer,
Pacifica could have between eight and 10 placers this weekend. Eight
Tritons had top-four finishes at South Hills, including runners-up
Sabrina Gonzalez, Sahara Peña, Michi Stoke and Tiffany Leon.
Among other county wrestlers expected enter are Santa Paula's
Vanessa Sandoval, who won the 132-pound title at South Hills,
Camarillo's Deyvonne Mondragon and Erin Waldman of Agoura.
"We like our chances," said Pacifica coach Darren Hatch. "We
come into the tournament with a strong squad."
Pacifica will field entries in each of the 14 weight classes.
Few girls' programs in Southern California can say that.
For now.
Longtime wrestling official and club coach Jim Stych has seen
considerable growth in girls' wrestling throughout the state.
"In Southern California, Pioneer Valley has a full team," said
Stych. "There is a full team at Pacifica and a full team at South Hills.
"Mayfair, Righetti, Channel Islands and Santa Paula are close.
Nordhoff and Fillmore have partial girls' teams.
"The word about girls' wrestling is getting out.
"There are 4-6 girls-only middle school tournaments up north.
Girls are coming into high school as freshmen with as much experience
as some of the boys.
"The hot bed of girls' wrestling in the United States is right
here in California."Laura
Skopelianos
California has dominated national girls' wrestling tournaments
for years. According to the National Federation of High School
Associations, there were 1,142 girls' wrestlers at 366 schools in
California during the 2006-07 school year. Only Texas (1,460) had more
individual participants.
The state is home to numerous nationally ranked girls'
wrestlers.
Tatiana Padilla of California High is ranked No. 4 in the
nation for her weight class (132 pounds) in the nation and is
considered a candidate to make the U.S. team for the 2008 Olympics.
Padilla was expected to pass up this week's tournament to concentrate
on a goal of qualifying being the first girls' qualifier for the CIF
State Championships.
Defending 103-pound champion Victoria Anthony of Marina was
ranked No. 1 in the state before the season. Stoke, daughter of former
Rio Mesa coach Todd Stoke, was a 2007 national placer and was ranked
No. 3 in the state.
Michi Stoke has won 10 of her 12 matches, eight by pins, this
year. Gonzalez, 9-2 as a 103-pounder, is completing her fourth season
with Pacifica. Ranked third in the state prior to the season, Leon is a
returning state placer.
The CIF's decision to return the tournament to Channel Islands
for the second straight year is a positive sign for the school's
administration.
"It puts us back on the mat," said assistant principal and
tournament director Mark Contreras, who agreed to accept last year's
event on an emergency basis less than two weeks before the start of the
event.
"Wrestling used to be a big sport for Channel Islands. This
will help bring people back to the school and they can see that it is
well taken care of."
By SCOTT SPRUILL 1/18/08
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC
ANDY SAWYER/Yakima
Herald-Republic
Naches Valley 103-pound
wrestler Armani Emmal works on moves with 119-pounder Cody Johns during
practice Wednesday in Naches.
|
Armani Emmal is past the novelty of it. Being a diminutive
girl competing in a boys' muscle sport -- while still enough to raise a
few eyebrows -- is old news in her mind.
Years of her cross-gender leap into wrestling have gone by,
and the Naches Valley junior is now a familiar face on the mats of the
South Central Athletic Conference. From Cle Elum to Connell to
Goldendale, she has earned the respect accorded a varsity starter and
her dedication is second to none.
And yet this winter has brought something new for Emmal, a
rite of passage that must be endured to complete one's apprenticeship
in a sport that embraces discomfort.
Cutting weight.
"That's not much fun," Emmal said with a sarcastic smile. "I
haven't had to worry about it until this season. What you eat and
drink, how much you sweat -- all that stuff. It's tiring to worry
about, especially on the day of a match."
Nasty business, on occasion, when you have to sweat and spit
your way to making weight. But it's not just a part of a sport, it's
part of her sport. Emmal has wrestled since eighth grade in Naches and
is in her second year as NV's varsity starter at 103 pounds.
"I heard we had a girl coming in from middle school who
wrestled and, like most coaches, I wasn't sure how far she would make
it," said head coach Pedro Solis. "I thought she might try it and end
up stepping out, but after a month she was still there working hard.
Armani surprised and impressed me that first year."
But he wasn't completely sold yet. Last year Solis knew he
would have a varsity opening at 103 and Emmal could potentially fill
that role. But would it happen?
"It was still in the back of my mind -- one year might be
enough for her," he said. "But as a sophomore she came out and worked
harder than ever. It was obvious she was in it for the long haul."
With martial arts experience from a Judo club her dad operated
in the Seattle area, Emmal grew up with a physical awareness that gave
little regard to gender. Quickness, technique and timing were valued
over brute strength.
"I always give away strength to the guys, but I try to make up
for it with technique and smarts," Emmal said. "That's what I have to
do and it's a fun challenge. If I get turned on my back, it's tough so
I put a lot into my footwork and moves."
It's a good thing Emmal is on Naches Valley's varsity because,
even with the rapid growth of girls wrestling in the state, the boys
are the ones giving her matches. Of her 23 official matches this
season, only two have been against girls.
Trouble is, it's an unusual year in the SCAC with very few
103-pounders. Emmal has made weight and been ready to go for dual meets
against Cle Elum, Mabton, Highland, Kiona-Benton, Goldendale and Royal
and received forfeit wins in all of them.
"That's probably the most frustrating thing," Emmal said. "The
day of a match is a lot of work to make weight and get ready, then
there's no match. It's a letdown but it happens."
Emmal's busiest days have been at Saturday invitationals. She
has won five of 11 tournament matches -- all against boys -- and placed
third at Davis' invitational and fifth at Connell and Naches Valley.
"It is weird not having more 103s in the league," Solis said.
"It's not like teams are avoiding her, they just don't have anybody at
that weight. But she takes it in stride."
Emmal was forced to cut down on her stride in the fall when
she normally runs on the cross country team. But a load of three
Running Start classes at Yakima Valley Community College curtailed that
plan.
"I sure felt it at the start of the year, not having that
running background," she said. "I guess that's part of why it's been
harder to make weight. But there's hopefully a little more strength in
there, too."
The SCAC West district tournament will be held at Granger and
then Emmal is on her own for the Eastside girls regionals, slated for
Springdale on Feb. 9. She is the defending regional champion at 103,
but difficult to predict the talent that will show up. The only two
girls Emmal has faced were both 112s and she pinned one and lost 2-1 to
the other.
From regionals, the top two qualify for state. Emmal's been
there twice before and she covets the experience. Two years ago in an
exhibition format she was 2-1 with two pins, and last year -- the first
official state championships for girls -- Emmal was 1-2 in a loaded 103
bracket with three close decisions.
"I admire how focused and coachable she is," Solis said. "She
puts herself to the test all the time and isn't afraid to work hard.
That's embedded in her, I haven't had to convince her to do it. She
wants to compete all through high school and, believe me, she'll do it."
By
DAVID MORSE
For The Star
The United States Girls' Wrestling
Association's Alaska State Championships took on a wider base with more
than 30 girls and women from a number of cities and communities taking
part in Saturday's event at Chugiak High School, said host coach Deric
Glenn.
Glenn complimented the work of tournament director Tom Huffer
Jr. in putting together a wonderful meet, with girls ranging from ages
5- and 6-years-old to women up to 26, including Olympic bronze medalist
Tela O'Donnell of Homer.
Huffer said the appearance of O'Donnell, who is now retired
from the sport, in three exhibition matches was one of the highlights
of the day.
Melissa Apodaca and Anna Ward, both members of the Chugiak
High School team last fall, also took part, with Ward placing fourth in
the 101-107 weight division. Apodaca was first in her age group, 16-18,
but second overall in the women's 143-149 division.
Apodaca, who is ranked second nationally for her age, went 2-1
in the tournament with her lone loss to 22-year-old Bethany Murphy of
Palmer. Murphy was one of Chugiak High School's assistant coaches last
year.
“It was a good way for Melissa to finish out her
high school career - she did well,” said Glenn.
The nation's top ranked wrestler at 116 pounds, Michaela
Hutchison of Soldotna, won her weight class, with a 3-0 record, but
lost to O'Donnell, 4-2, in an exhibition match, reported Huffer.
O'Donnell won the 2004 USA Team Trials at 55 kg (121 pounds) before
placing third in the Olympic Games in Athens that year.
Among the communities represented in the statewide event were
Big Lake, Kotzebue, Soldotna, Wasilla, Nome, Chugiak-Eagle River,
Houston, Kodiak, Homer, Bethel, North Pole, Cold Bay and Anchorage.
Reach the reporter at news@alaskastar.com.
This article published in The Alaska Star
on Thursday, January 17, 2008.
By ANDREW MASON 12/30/07
andrewm@herald-mail.com
SMITHSBURG - History usually isn't on Monica Hovermale's side.
That's why the Smithsburg sophomore makes her own.
Hovermale - who became the first-ever female champion of the
Washington County Wrestling Tournament last season - became the first
girl to win a title in the 19-year history of the Leopard Holiday
Invitational on Saturday night.
Hovermale pinned Rising Sun's Adam Heffelfinger in 1:34 in the
championship finals at 103 pounds.
"It means a lot," she said. "I knew it was going to be hard."
"She's tough," Smithsburg coach Joe Dietrich said. "She
surprised a lot of these guys."
While Hovermale said she was just trying to follow in the
footsteps of her older brother Justin, who won his third straight
Leopard Invitational title as a senior last season, she left some
fairly sizable imprints of her own.
She was the only female wrestler in Saturday's nine-team
tournament.
"It's a little awkward, but I'm getting used to it," said
Hovermale, who improved to 9-1 with seven pins this season. "I'm
getting more comfortable as the matches go by."
The host Leopards also got titles Saturday from seniors James
Reilley (140 pounds), Brandon Knight (152) and David Ridenour (215).
Smithsburg finished third in the team standings with 220 1/2
points.
Rising Sun, the reigning Maryland Class 2A-1A state tournament
champion, won with 260 1/2 points - 20 more than runner-up Milford
Mill. South Hagerstown, the only other local team in the field, was
sixth with 79 points.
"I'm happy with third," said Dietrich, whose Leopards are the
three-time defending county champs. "Putting these things on at home is
a lot of fun. And when the team does well, that's icing on the cake."
Reilley, the Leopard Invitational champ at 130 last year, has
been performing at an even higher level this season. In a battle of
returning state qualifiers, he blanked Springbrook's Joffrey Alcidor
9-0 in the finals Saturday to remain perfect at 10-0.
"I think this might be a good year for me - a state-title run
hopefully," Reilley said.
Knight, a two-time runner-up at his home tourney, looked like
he might have to settle for second again. He trailed Rising Sun's Kyle
Barney 1-0 late in the third period in another matchup of returning
state qualifiers.
Knight finally escaped to tie the bout at 1-1 with 25 seconds
left in regulation.
"That gave me momentum, and he was getting a little tired,"
said Knight, who scored a takedown with 13 seconds left in overtime to
prevail, 3-1.
"I definitely wanted to win this at least once, it being our
tournament and having four shots," he said.
Ridenour, also a runner-up last year, took an 8-3 lead into
the third period before pinning Milford Mill's Patrick Sweet in 4:52 in
the finals.
Sweet scored the first takedown for an early 2-0 lead.
"As soon as that happened, I knew I had to step up my game,"
said Ridenour, who took control with two takedowns and a nearfall in
the second period. "He gassed midway through the second period. Our
team's done a lot of conditioning, and that's what helped me."
Smithsburg also got a runner-up finish from Dean White at 135
and a third-place finish from Daniel Rinebolt at 171.
Dustin Rowland placed third at 275 for South.
"Helen
and I first met at a tournament...in elementary school," Nicole Woody
(left) writes about Maroulis (right) "We've been inseperable since."
Published: 12/16/2007
First person: Nicole Woody.
The match barely starts before Helen Maroulis has her 112 opponent from
Wootton High School flat on the mat.
He struggles to build his base, but is unsuccessful as she slides in a
deep half. And as she pins down his shoulders,the Magruder crowd goes
crazy.
The fall earns six team points for Magruder, helping the Colonels to
defeat Wootton 48-21. The following match against Walt
Whitman, Helen’s coach bumps her up to 119. But the fact that
she is noticeably smaller than her opponent does not faze her.
“I was heated because of the team scores, which pumped me up
to wrestle," Helen told me. "It didn’t matter who I
was wrestling, there was no way I was going to lose.”
Although Helen doesn’t get the pin or major decision that she
is after, she, nevertheless, dominates her larger opponent by a score
of 9-2.
Helen wins, yet again, but her team loses, 42-24.
Helen and I first met at a wrestling tournament when we were both in
Elementary school -- way back when it was cool just to wear
your singlets (or in Helen’s case, a leotard) walking around
the tournament.
We have been inseparable since then.
We both know how great it is to have another female wrestler to talk to
or to lean on in this whole sea of boys wrestling.
We've each endured the exact same things either -- sometimes
simultaneously, and also at different times.
They include dealing with the media attention; gossip; stress of making
weight (especially how to deal with it while we have
our female dilemma); family issues; what moves do or do not work; who
we have to wrestle; and all of the physical and mental stresses of life
and wrestling.
Even when we're miles apart from each other -- me in college, her in
high school -- I know that she is just a phone call away.
And, day or night, neither of us is hesitant to call -- no matter what
the time is.
Helen was there when I needed her at my two week camp before Worlds in
2006. She drilled with me, complained about the coaches with
me, sat next to me on the bike as I struggled to make weight, ate junk
food for me that I was not allowed to eat.
And when it was getting closer to the day I had to weigh-in, she was
there to make sure I still went hard while I was practicing in
the wrestling room.
I would not have been prepared for Worlds and would not have
won it if it was not for Helen.
Junior Nationals, this past summer, is among of my greatest memories
with Helen.All of our hard work and training had finally paid off after
I won my fourth title and Helen won her first.
I jumped off the mat ecstatic because I had won, but my
excitement immediately transformed into all seriousness as
Helen ran up the steps for her match.
Reporters were trying to talk to me, but I was only half listening as I
watched Helen quickly tech fall, then pin her girl.
Our team erupted as she picked up her first rubber chicken,
and I was so proud to call that girl my teammate.
Plus, now we get to say that 100% of team Maryland’s girls
won Junior Nationals this summer.
"Relief!," was Helen's feeling afterward, she told me. "Relief that all
this hard work and cutting weight over the summer and for all of those
years has finally paid off," Helen said.
"I worked so hard to win that title. Ever since I saw you win
your first title when I was in middle school, I wanted to win too,"
said Helen, who is a junior at Magruder. "I pushed hard at practice and
wrestled even harder and it has finally paid off.”
It has been a great pleasure watching Helen’s wrestling
career blossom. She is by far one of the greatest female wrestlers I
have ever met.
Helen's technique far surpasses my own knowledge and, better yet, she
actually uses it. Helen never slacks off either in the practice room or
in a match.
It has been an honor to have been her teammate and even more so her
friend. I wish her the best of luck in everything she does.
Nicole Woody is a freshman wrestler on Oklahoma
City University's inagural women's wrestling team who, while competing
for Arundel High in 2005, qualified with Western Tech's Jade Hendricks
to become the first two females, respectively, to reach the Class
4A-3A, and, 2A-1A state wrestling tournaments.
The following year, Woody
qualified again for the Class 4A-3A states. And this time, Woody was
joined by then-freshman, Helen
Maroulis. Maroulis
became Maryland's first female placewinner, finishing sixth, and Woody,
although she did not place, became the first girl to pin a boy.
Maroulis qualified for last year's states but did not place.
On April 22, Maroulis pinned her way to a FILA Cadet Nationals title at
the U.S. Olypimc Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Maroulis,
who was third in that event the year before, decked Allison Ragan of
Illinois at one minute, 14 seconds of their 114.5 pound weight class.
In July, Woody and Maroulis traveled to the Junior Freestyle Nationals
in Fargo, N.D. There, Woody became the nation's first female four-time
junior national champion, capturing the 102-pound title. Woody did not
lose a period the entire tournament, earning the
Outstanding Wrestler honors for the second consecutive year.
Maroulis also dominated her 109-pound class at Fargo, pinning Candace
Workman of Utah in the second period of their match
PHOTOS
“People
have said ‘you’re really good for a
girl,’" Maroulis said. "It would be great if everyone could
look past the girl factor.”
Published: 12/08/2007
By Alejandro Danois
Magruder High School junior wrestler Helen Maroulis waltzed through her
opening matches in the 112-pound class of Friday and Saturday's Mad
Mats Invitational tournament at Magruder. While a few uninformed
spectators may have been surprised by Maroulis’ skills, keen
observers are fully aware of the tenacity and technical precision she
brings to every match.
She initiated the season with a dominating 9-1 victory over Walt
Whitman’s Andrew Follman (click
for Maroulis' win over Follman)and proceeded to dismantle
Lance Cadle of Manassass Park, Virginia, winning via a 15-0 technical
fall in only four minutes.
Maroulis finished third at the Magruder Invitational following a 5-4
semifinal loss to eventual champion Brian Hines of Seneca Valley, whom
she beat for place at last year's Class 4A-3A West Region Tournament.
The novelty of her gender in the male dominated sport wore off early in
her freshman season.
“From day one, she was accepted by her teammates because
everyone knew that she wrestled, that she was very good and that she
would be on the team,” said Magruder coach Max Sartoph.
“I graduated from high school in 1991 and we had a girl on
our wrestling team. Back then, there was a lot of discussion and flak
about girls competing in the sport but now, it doesn’t seem
like it’s so new anymore.”
Maroulis has heard an occasional comment about her gender, which she
shrugs aside with the same efficiency that she uses to escape from an
opponents grasp.
“People have said things like, ‘you’re
really good for a girl’ and it would be great if everyone
could look past the girl factor,” said Maroulis.
“My teammates and coaches have.”
A number of outclassed opponents, willing or not, have been forced to
admit that, male or female, Maroulis is just plain good.
Maroulis, in addition, must deal with the occasional admirer when
she’s trying to focus on the task at hand.
“This guy came up to me at Mad Mats and said ‘my
friend wants your phone number’”, said Maroulis.
“That’s happened a few times.”
There’s also the more frustrating specter of an opponent
forfeiting a match, solely due to her anatomical makeup.
“It happened twice during my freshman year and once last
year,” Maroulis said of winning by forfeit.
“It’s a bigger insult than most people think
because I practice very hard, love to compete and push myself to make
weight and be there to help my team. I guess some coaches
don’t want their wrestlers losing to a girl, but
it’s not fair, very disrespectful and it bugs me a
lot.”
Maroulis was around athletics at an early age. Both of her brothers
played baseball, while she participated in gymnastics and soccer. When
her younger brother, Tony, was six, Maroulis’ parents
enrolled him in a wrestling program. When difficulty arose in securing
a practice partner, they asked Helen if she’d be interested.
She took to the sport immediately, enjoying its physical, one-on-one
nature.
“I’ve always been competitive, even at an early age
and I liked the challenge of wrestling because the outcome depends
entirely on you,” said Maroulis.
She shrewdly negotiated with her parents after those first few
practices at the age of eight.
“We made a deal that if I won my first match, I’d
be able to continue,” Maroulis said.
She, indeed, won her first beginner’s match but another
victory would be a long time coming. She did not garner another win for
the rest of the season. During her second year, though, she went
undefeated.
She moved up to an advanced classification at age ten and, once again,
took her share of lumps.
“I didn’t win a match that year and the competition
was a lot tougher,” Maroulis said.
Undaunted, she continued to practice with enthusiasm and zeal and the
results were evident during her next year of competition.
In 2004, Maroulis placed fourth at 100 pounds in the junior league
state tournament behind champion Deonte Carter, runner-up Steve Gamble
and third place finisher Shane Milam.
In succession, those three wrestlers are now ranked No. 2, No. 5 and
No. 1, respectively, at 125, 160 and 152 in the state by the Maryland
State Wrestling Association.
“I’d improved and advanced to the point of becoming
a really competitive wrestler,” Maroulis said.
By the time she entered Magruder, her reputation was well established.
“During her freshman year, I was still figuring her out, in
terms of what kind of wrestler she was,” said Sartoph.
“She wrestled a very tough kid from Williamsport High School
at the Hub Cup in Hagerstown who had tattoos, looked very mean and I
was nervous.”
All eyes in the abnormally silent gym at North Hagerstown High School
were transfixed on the match. When Maroulis won in overtime, the crowd
erupted in a loud ovation of thunderous applause.
“People got to see what she was all about during that
match,” said Sartoph. “She was very confident,
didn’t get nervous and beat a very good, intimidating
wrestler.”
The following day, she faced the same wrestler again and although
Maroulis was as calm as usual, her coach was more worried than
he’d been the previous day.
“He’d lost a big match with a lot of people
watching and I thought he might come out angry and
motivated,” Sartoph said of Maroulis’ Williamsport
opponent.
Sartoph’s nervous disposition proved unwarranted as Maroulis
won again, this time pinning her opponent in overtime. She was named
the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler.
Entering the Class 4A-3A state tournament with a record of 27-5 in the
112 pound weight class, Maroulis had already placed fourth in
the county and third in the region.
At states, Maroulis was winning her first bout, 6-4, over then
Chesapeake-Anne Arundel junior Jarrid Bosque when the latter -- who had
placed fourth at states a year earlier -- defaulted with an injury.
Following a loss, Maroulis scored a 16-4 major decision, won her next
bout by four points, and then, lost twice consecutively to finish
sixth, the second, in a rematch with Bosque. Maroulis ended the season
at 33-9.
“I had expectations for myself during my freshman year and
would have been very disappointed if I didn’t reach
them,” said Maroulis. “I wrestled very relaxed, had
a lot of fun and placed at the state tournament and that’s
what I wanted to do.”
Last year, unbeknownst to many, Maroulis battled a back injury. She
shuttled in and out of practice, between numerous doctors visits,
sitting inactive for weeks at a time. Three weeks before the county
tournament, she contracted lyme’s disease.
“I actually hurt my back during the pre-season of my freshman
year but it got progressively worse,” said Maroulis.
“Then, with the lyme’s disease, my knee was
swollen, my joints were sore and my body was fatigued and out of
sync.”
She still managed to place sixth in the county and third in the region.
But at the state tournament, the mental and physical exhaustion had
taken its toll. Maroulis went two and out and did not place, finishing
the season with an overall record of 30-10.
“Last year, Helen was very successful, although not as
successful as she would like,” said Sartoph. “It
sounds like a down year, considering what she did as a freshman, but
she still qualified, even with the back injury and lyme’s
disease, for the state tournament. But she was frustrated, as would any
athlete who puts in as much as she does to be great.”
After recovering from her numerous ailments, Maroulis was her old self
again.
And on April 22 of last spring, Maroulis pinned her way to a FILA Cadet
Nationals title at the U.S. Olypimc Training Center in Colorado
Springs, Colo.
Maroulis, who has third in that event the year before, decked Allison
Ragan of Illinois at one minute, 14 seconds of their 114.5 pound weight
class.
Maroulis spent the rest of the offseason training with River
Hill’s 103-pound state champ Scott Mantua, who, last year,
defeated Nicole Woody of Arundel of Anne Arundel County -- Maryland's
first female state finalist.
In the winter of 2005, Woody and Western Tech's Jade Hendricks, each
competing at 103 pounds, had become the state's first two
girls to qualify for the public school state wrestling tournaments in
Class 4A-3A, and, 2A-1A, respectively.
“Scott is strong for his size and he’s a great
training partner,” said Maroulis. “He’d
help me learn different moves and, even though he’s a state
champion, he’s not cocky at all. There was a lot of intensity
in those workouts and he was very helpful.”
The workouts proved very beneficial as she went on to win the
girls’ 109-pound Junior Freestyle National Championship in
Fargo, North Dakota.
Maroulis is hoping to avoid the setbacks that derailed her last year,
enabling her to reach new heights this season.
“She’s mentioned that she has a
plan,” said Sartoph. “We make a point to sit down
with all of our wrestlers and go over the goals for the year.
She’s already done that on her own, not only for this year,
but for years to come.”
The first goal is to make a smooth transition back into the intricacies
of high school wrestling, considering the long hours of preparation
spent on the freestyle game.
“Freestyle is different in that it’s a faster pace
with more tie-ups, slick moves and throws,” Maroulis said.
In folk style, which governs high school rules, Maroulis also cannot
lock hands and begin on the bottom by lying on her stomach, which
she’s allowed to do in freestyle.
Not happy with her result at Mad Mats, the determined young lady with a
3.7 G.P.A. who enjoys studying English, history and chemistry, will
undoubtedly use it as motivational fuel.
Although her passion for wrestling might seem unhealthy to an outsider,
she’s not entirely consumed by the sport. She enjoys spending
time away from the gym with her boyfriend, a lacrosse player
who’s very supportive of her athletic pursuits. She also
looks forward to snowboarding.
Maroulis’ future goals include wrestling in college and
training for a shot at Olympic glory. There’s also her more
immediate ambition of making history with a state championship.
“Helen loves wrestling, she listens, works extremely hard and
she’s very coachable,” said Sartoph.
“She’s technically sound and knows her stuff. She
knows more about wrestling than most people do.”
The
win avenged a loss of a year ago and improved her record to 21-1.
Published: 01/12/2008
by Lem Satterfield
Magruder's Helen Maroulis scored a technical fall, a 12-1 major
decision and then a 5-2 victory over Danny Lethbridge of Paint Branch
to win the 112-pound title at Saturday night's Hub Cup Invitational at
North Hagerstown High.
A junior who, as a freshman became the first girl to place at a
Maryland state wrestling tournament when she finished sixth in Class
4A-3A, improved her record on the year to 21-1 by defeating Lethbrige,
a returning Montgomery County and Class 4A-3A West Region champion.
Lethbridge had reached the finals on a 34-second pin, followed by
consecutive 9-0 major decisions, and had hoped for a replay of last
year's Hub Cup final, during which he edged Maroulis, 7-4.
"This was the third time we've wrestled, and the first time, he pinned
me," said Maroulis, a three-time state qualifier who has an overall
career record of 84-20. "This time, I was able to get a takedown to go
up 2-0, and in the second period, I got an escape to go ahead 3-0."
Lethbridge escaped in the third period, but trailed, 5-1, after being
taken down a third time. Another escape by Lethbridge accounted for the
final margin.
Maroulis won for the 18th consecutive time, having lost in the
season-opening Magruder Invitational semifinals to Seneca Valley's
Brian Hines, with whom she has split bouts.
Maroulis was coming off of last weekend's effort at the James River
Duals in Virginia, where she had three each in pins and major
decisions, completing a three-year run in which she has gone 24-0 at
that event.
The loss was only the third for Lethbridge in the past two seasons.
Lethbridge was 39-1 last season, and entered his bout against Maroulis
at 15-1.
Maroulis is a close friend to former Arundel High wrestler Nicole
Woody, a former state tournament runner-up who, last March, became the
first girl to reach a state final in wrestling.
Maroulis is hoping to become Maryland's first girl to win a state
title, but she will have to do so in a stacked weight class that
includes Lethbridge, and others.
"Everybody in this weight class is good, and it seems like everyone has
a loss," she said. "I don't think you can call anyone the favorite."
National women’s championship
underway
Today’s Zaman İstanbu 19.01.2008
The National Women’s Wrestling Championship
has begun in Kırklareli. The tournament is being held in four categories with
the participation of athletes from 23 provinces.
Speaking at the inauguration
ceremony yesterday, Kırklareli Youth and Sports Provincial Director Ata Karataş
underlined that this was the first national women’s wrestling tournament in the
city. Recalling that they are committed to promoting wrestling across the
country, Karataş noted that the wrestling federation is the only one that
operates in 79 provinces. “Our goal in this tournament is to promote women’s
wrestling and make it as popular as men’s wrestling in this country. Our
short-term goal is to participate in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games with at
least one athlete in the women’s category.” Following the speech, wrestlers took
the stage. The tournament will run through Sunday.
Craig Sesker USA
Wrestling
01/18/2008
The United States
women’s freestyle team will receive a pair of tough early tests when the two-day
World Cup kicks off Saturday in Taiyuan, China.
The U.S. will face
Ukraine and Japan to open the dual-meet event that includes the top six
finishers from the 2007 World Championships.
The American squad is
scheduled to face Ukraine in Pool A on Saturday morning at 10:30 China time
before meeting the powerful team from Japan on Saturday afternoon. Japan won the
2007 World Cup and rolled to the team title at the 2007 World Championships.
Ukraine tied for second in the team race at the World Championships while the
U.S. placed fifth.
Pool B includes China, Canada and
Kazakhstan.
The winners of each pool will meet in the finals on Sunday
night. The second-place finishers in each pool will meet for third place on
Sunday. The third-place finishers in each pool will wrestle for
fifth.
Olympic and World silver medalist Sara McMann and two-time World
bronze medalist Katie Downing headline a strong U.S. team.
2008 WORLD
CUP SCHEDULE
Pool A – Ukraine, Japan, USA
Pool B – China, Canada,
Kazakhstan
Saturday – January 19
Round 1 – 9:30
a.m.
Ukraine vs. Japan
China vs. Canada
Round 2 – 10:30
a.m.
Ukraine vs USA
China vs Kazakhstan
Round 3 – 5 p.m.
Japan
vs USA
Canada vs Kazakhstan
Sunday – January 20
5th
Place Dual – 10:30 a.m.
3rd Place Dual – 5 p.m.
1st Place Dual – 6 p.m.
WORLD CUP ROSTERS
United States
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)
Japan
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Makiko
Sakamoto and Chiharu Icho
51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Hitomi Sakamoto
55 kg/121
lbs. – Chikako Matsukawa and Saori Yoshida
59 kg/130 lbs. – Kei Yamana
63
kg/138.75 lbs. – Mio Nishimaki and Kaori Icho
67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Mami
Shinkai
72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Yuki Sano
Ukraine
48 kg/105.5
lbs. – Irina Merleni
51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Aleksandra Kohut
55 kg/121 lbs. –
Natalya Sinishin
59 kg/130 lbs. – Katerina Dombrovska
63 kg/138.75 lbs. –
Yulia Ostapchuk
67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Katerina Burmistrova
72 kg/158.5 lbs. –
Svetlana Sayenko
Canada
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Carol
Huynh
51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Jessica Bony
55 kg/121 lbs. – Jazzie
Barker
59 kg/130 lbs. – Amanda Gerhardt
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Justine
Bouchard
67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Megan Buydens
72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Pamela
Wilson
Kazakhstan
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Tatyana Bakatyuk and
Elenora Abutalipova
51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Ishimov and Abdildina
55 kg/121
lbs. – Saltanat Abdrakhmanova
59 kg/130 lbs. – Olga Smirnova
63 kg/138.75
lbs. – Elena Shalygina
67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Olga Kalinina
72 kg/158.5 lbs. –
Darya Karpenko
China
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Xiaomei Li and
Liu
51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Xuecheng Ren and Huang
55 kg/121 lbs. – Lihui Su
and Dongmei Sun
59 kg/130 lbs. – Fengliu Zhang
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Haiyan
Xu and Lili Meng
67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Rui Xue Jing
72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Xu
Wang and Xu
