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Missouri
Warsaw girl wins two matches at state
meet
The Sedalia Democrat
February 15,
2008 - 10:18PM
Warsaw’s Erica Poe rolls Higginsville’s Cody Smith
onto his back during a second-round 119-pound, wrestleback match on
Friday at the Missouri state championships at Mizzou Arena in Columbia.
Poe won the bout 5-2.
Warsaw’s Erica Poe tries to keep Higginsville’s
Cody Smith from rolling her over on Friday in a second-round, 119-pound
wrestleback match at Mizzou Arena in Columbia. |
COLUMBIA — The pink headgear looked a little more
intimidating Friday night.
Warsaw’s Erica Poe came within one match of earning a medal
in the 2008 Missouri state wrestling championships.
Although she didn’t medal, the senior turned plenty of heads
— and it wasn’t because of her headgear that
includes a pink hair net for her long black hair.
“I think it’s pretty cool because all the boys,
they are like, ‘you wrestle?’ “ Poe said.
“Because I’m really girlie — I like pink.
So I get a lot of that, like they can’t believe I actually do
it. It’s kind of nice to be able to win and show them that I
can wear pink and still do good.”
Poe lost a 10-1 major decision to Knob Noster’s Roman Vega in
the third round of the Class 1 wrestlebacks Friday at Mizzou Arena.
The loss wrapped up what was a thrilling tournament for Poe (17-11),
who had to create new goals for herself throughout.
“I got what I wanted in the first place, (then) I kept making
it further,” said a slightly disappointed Poe after her final
high school match. Of course, her white and pink baseball cap with
“ERICA” on it made it a little tougher to judge the
senior’s mood. “It really did turn out better than
I expected.”
A third-round wrestleback win would have made Poe the first female to
ever medal in the Class 1 tournament.
“We’ve had trouble with her,” Knob Noster
coach Ray Stockdale said. “We also knew the fans would be on
her side, but we did what we were trained to do. ... She’s
hard to pin. She doesn’t go over very easy ... she had a good
year.”
Vega took a 2-0 lead with a first-period takedown and started the
second from the down position. He extended the cushion to 4-0 after two
with a reversal.
Vega briefly turned Poe in the third period to extend the cushion to
6-0 before Poe scored her point with an escape.
Vega used another shot and solid wrestling to close out the match for a
10-1 decision.
Poe had wrestled Vega twice before, but lost by decisions of 4-0 and
2-0.
“She’s had a good career and this certainly is a
good way to cap it off,” Warsaw coach John Dunham said.
“Going 2-2 in the state tournament’s nothing to be
ashamed of.”
Poe advanced to the third round of wrestlebacks with a thrilling 5-2
win against Higginsville’s Cody Smith.
The two wrestled a scoreless first period, and Smith seemed to take the
upper hand with a reversal with 39 seconds left in the second. Trailing
2-0, Poe landed a hold from the bottom and scored a reversal.
She quickly worked Smith on his back and got a count long enough for a
near fall (three points) before Smith could recover.
Wrestling from the bottom in the third period, Poe successfully held
the 5-2 cushion.
“I really wanted to wrestle on the Friday night,”
she said, referring to the electric atmosphere and huge crowd that is
typical for the semifinal/third-round wrestleback night.
“I’ve been here and watched it and stuff, and I
just wanted to make it to that.”
Poe is the fourth female in history to become a two-time qualifier for
the state wrestling championships. A girl has qualified for state only
11 times, with Poe and former Warsaw wrestler Ashley Larson accounting
for four of those appearances.
“My friend, Ashley, she qualified, but she never won a
match,” Poe said. “So it’s pretty cool
that I actually got that done.”
Poe isn’t necessarily the trend-setter, but she’s
definitely in rare company.
The first female to qualify for state was Pleasant Hill’s
Julie Tucker in 1998. She went 0-2 wrestling in the 103-pound weight
class in the Class 1A-2A championships.
The next time a girl appeared in the state meet was in 2005, when
Larson and Lafayette’s Ashley Hudson qualified. Hudson,
wrestling in Class 4, became the first to win a match when she went
2-2, but didn’t place.
Hudson and St. Clair’s Randi Beltz qualified in 2006. Beltz
went 3-2 wrestling at 103 pounds in Class 2, becoming the first female
to ever medal with her fifth-place finish.
Until this year, Hudson and Beltz were the only girls to win matches at
the state wrestling championships.
Last year, Beltz, Poe and Larson all qualified — making
Warsaw the first school to ever have multiple girls qualify in the same
year.
Poe and Larson each went 0-2 and Beltz won two matches, but
didn’t place.
Joining Poe this season as female qualifiers were Cameron’s
Emily Webster and Dexter’s Brittney Waldner.
Webster won a match in wrestlebacks, but was eliminated Friday morning
in her 103-pound match against Lathrop’s Tyler Rader.
Waldner lost both her matches.
Poe’s tournament didn’t start the way she would
have liked. The senior lost a 7-0 decision against Lawson’s
Cole Armes in the opening round.
Armes took an early lead and Poe struggled to find success wrestling
from the bottom.
The loss dropped her into the first round of wrestlebacks, where she
left her mark on school history with a 13-8 decision against
Maplewood’s Khris Womack.
“That was my goal from last year because I just made it (to
state),” Poe said, “and I lost my match to go to
the next day by two points. So it’s been a big
improvement.”
Poe took an early lead and hung on in that match, despite getting
called for stalling a couple of times after she looked up at the clock,
no doubt hoping it would show no time left.
“She’s won medals in tournaments and none of those
things happened by accident,” Dunham said.
-------------------------------------
from
older article
ANDREA RANE/Missourian
Erica Poe, 17, from Warsaw, Mo., was
the only girl during the first week of MU’s “Tiger
Style” Wrestling Camp. She got a black eye during one of the
sessions.
A group of high school wrestlers with gym bags waits for the
elevator in the fourth-floor lobby of MU’s Lathrop Hall.
As the doors open, “GIIRRLL!!” is all they
can say when they see Erica Poe standing in the already crowded car.
The doors close again before any more boys can squeeze in.
Poe, 17, has been wrestling for four years, and this is her
second year attending the “Tiger Style” Wrestling
Camp, which attracted more than 700 junior high and high school
wrestlers from around the country. As the only female wrestler on her
high school team, she’s had experience handling herself in
these situations.
“Yeah, I deal with things like that a lot, but most
of the time they are all pretty respectful,” Poe said.
“Sometimes they follow me around and stare or just act
normal.”
Since the introduction of Title IX, part of the Education
Amendments Act of 1972, which was established to provide equal
opportunities to men and women in sports, girls participating in
predominantly male sports such as Poe are becoming more common.
Camp director and MU wrestling coach Brian Smith has seen a
small but steady increase in the number of girls in his camps.
“Athletes get used to it. It’s part of the
sport now,” he said. “Some of the girls are really
good.”
As more girls join the sport, high schools in several states
are working toward establishing separate teams. But it is a slow
process.
The first time Poe tried wrestling was at Warsaw High School
with the boys team. She recalls it being very different and confusing,
but has grown to appreciate and enjoy its benefits.
“I like how it lets me get my anger out,”
she said. “I always feel good after I wrestle and I always
learn something new.”
Since she was 3, Poe has lived in Warsaw, Mo., with her
grandmother, Ruth Kauffman.
“It bothered me a little when she told me she wanted
to wrestle,” Kauffman said. “I said to her,
‘Why would someone as pretty as you want to wrestle
boys?’”
Since seeing her granddaughter’s matches, Kauffman
has become more comfortable with Poe wrestling. She feels it has given
Poe a sense of discipline and is a constructive force in her life.
As a break from wrestling, Poe recently entered the Warsaw
Jubilee Days beauty pageant. She got to showcase her sign-language
talent and finished as second runner-up. She also participates in other
sports and school activities, such as softball and the English Club.
Aside from her ponytail, eye shadow and bright shoes, Poe gets
lost in the crowd on the wrestling mats.
“I like the reactions I get sometimes because I am
girlie and people don’t expect me to be good,” Poe
said. “But I also don’t like that — just
because I am a girl, it does not mean I don’t like
wrestling.”
Fifteen-year-old Jake Malcom, who attends East Side High
School, has wrestled girls in competition.
“The way I see it, when they step on the mat,
it’s just a wrestler and they want to beat you. …
They didn’t step on the mat to have you go easy on them. They
want to wrestle.”
The camp is divided into two one-week sessions, during which
wrestlers learn and practice techniques for seven hours a day. For the
first session of the camp, Erica Poe was the only female. She was
joined by one other girl during the second week.
Smith and other members of the MU wrestling team and staff run
the camp, including two-time NCAA national champion Ben Askren.
Poe has been a longtime fan of Askren, whom she got to sign
her green-and-pink shoes.
“At school everyone knows I love him,” she
said. “When I was nominated princess, we were asked who we
would want to marry and I said him.”
At the wrestling camp, Poe intently watches the
coaches’ demonstrations and practices new moves with fellow
campers. After practice, Poe texts her friends on her pink Razr phone
and hangs out with the boys in the residence hall.
“Camp has been really fun,” she said.
“I have learned a lot of new stuff and met lots of
people.”
Poe hopes to continue wrestling in college and is considering
Missouri Valley College, one of five colleges in the country that has a
women’s wrestling team.
The coach of that team, Carl Murphree, has noticed the lack of
outlets for females entering the sport.
“I don’t see whole lot of support in the
grassroots level,” he said. “The coach at Warsaw is
very supportive, but girls elsewhere are getting buried and
frustrated.”
Poe embraces the challenge and uses the opposition she
encounters to fuel her.
“When people doubt me, I like to prove them
wrong,” she said. “I take it out in my wrestling
and they get it.”
Washington
PREP WRESTLING
More pictures
JOE
SUNNEN 2/1708
THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
TACOMA – Going into her girls’ 145 pound
state championship match, Mount Baker’s Ashlee Phy was trying
to figure out which moves she could use and couldn’t use
against an opponent she’d beaten twice over the last two
weeks.
It didn’t take her very long to figure out all that
worrying was for nothing.
Phy wrapped up her second straight state title on Saturday,
pinning Skyline’s Alexis Willcher in 35 seconds at Mat
Classic XX in the Tacoma Dome. The win helped Mount Baker win the team
title and also put Phy in elite company. She became just the second
Mountaineer wrestler to win two state championships.
“We put all of our girls records right up next to
the boys,” Mount Baker coach Ron Lepper said.
“There’s only one other Mount Baker wrestler
that’s won two state champions. After this she’s
going to be a legend.”
Phy didn’t do anything to hurt her legendary status
at the state tournament. She won all three of her matches by pin at Mat
Classic XX to run her season record to 32- 1. During her career
she’s only failed to put her opponents’ shoulders
to the mat for a win once.
“It was easier than I expected,” Phy said.
“I just went out there and did my thing.”
It took Phy about 10 seconds to put Willcher on the mat from
the tie-up and another 10 seconds to put Willcher’s
championship hopes in jeopardy. Phy’s aggressive style and
head-on attack have become her hallmark over the last two years and it
was on display in her final match.
“Ashlee just mauled her,” Lepper said.
“But that’s what she does. She’s a
physical wrestler that goes after it.”
If Phy felt any extra pressure knowing she had to get a pin to
help Mount Baker win a team title it didn’t show. She was
calm getting on the mat and didn’t seem to want to get off
it, still bouncing on her toes like a boxer after her hand was raised
as a champion.
After that, she flexed for the crowd.
“This title is so much better,” Phy said.
“It’s better because I got a team title
too.”
North
Carolina
Click for Home page
Congratulations
to Olivia Neal (40-6) finished 3rd in the 1A/2A East Region and
qualified for the State Championships of North Carolina.
She had a :12 first round pin, a 3:02 pin 2nd round pin and in the
Championship Semi-finals match lost a close match 8-6 to First
Flight’s JC Mitchell. In the consolation semi’s
Olivia pinned Richland’s Steven Look in :43 to set NC history
as the first female to qualify for States. For the Consolation Finals
match she beat her opponent 11-8 to win the bronze medal.
Oklahoma
Ashley Sword is ranked No. 1 in the nation at 67
kilograms.
OKLAHOMA CITY
–2/16/08
Oklahoma City University won four duals on
Saturday at Abe Lemons Arena, 27-16 and 23-16 over the U.S. Olympic
Education Center and 26-16 and 35-10 over Missouri Valley.
The Stars, ranked No. 1 in
women’s wrestling, moved to 13-3-1 in beating third-ranked Missouri
Valley
and fourth-ranked U.S. Olympic Education Center.
“We wrestled
well,” OCU coach Archie Randall said.
“We need that experience heading into nationals. We have time
to correct mistakes.
“We’re
young compared to the other programs. We haven’t developed
our consistency. We’re still a first-year program.
We’re pretty successful, though.”
Lacey Novinska and
Ashley Sword, both top-ranked at their
weight, went unbeaten Saturday.
Novinska, No. 1 at 82
kilograms, picked up two pins to move to 11-2 on the season. Novinska,
a junior from Fennimore,
Wis., defeated Katie
Crouch of the U.S. Olympic Education Center in a
49-second fall and Venus Barron of Missouri
Valley
in 1:33. Barron was ranked third in the nation.
Sword, top-ranked at 67,
defeated Lindsey Brooks of the Olympic
Center 1-0, 5-0 and Amberlee Ebert of
Missouri Valley 1-1, 1-4, 7-0. Sword improved to 13-7. Ebert is ranked
second nationally.
Carrie Clark at
82 also went 4-0 on the day, getting two forfeits. Clark beat Amanda
McClanahan in a technical fall and a pin. Clark is third in the 95-kilo
ratings.
OCU hosts the
Women’s College Wrestling Championships on March 15 at Abe
Lemons Arena.
OKLAHOMA CITY 27
U.S. OLYMPIC EDUCATION
CENTER
16
44:
Lene Wood, OCU, by forfeit (OCU leads 5-0)
48:
Sadie Kaneda, USOEC, dec. Nicole Woody, 1-3, 2-1, 4-2
(OCU leads 6-3)
51:
Alyssa Lampe, USOEC, dec. Erica Torres, 2-1, 6-0 (OCU
leads 7-6)
55:
Whitney Conder, USOEC, tech. fall Emma Mercer, 7-0, 7-0
(USOEC leads 10-6)
59:
Shyla Iokia, USOEC, dec. Samantha Phillips, 6-0, 4-1
(USOEC leads 13-8)
63:
Schuyler Brown, USOEC, dec. Briana Conway, 0-4, 6-3, 5-2
(USOEC leads 16-9)
67:
Ashley Sword, OCU, dec. Lindsey Brooks, 1-0, 5-0 (USOEC
leads 16-12)
72:
Lacey Novinska, OCU, pinned Katie Crouch, 0:49 (OCU
leads 17-16)
82:
Carrie Clark, OCU, by forfeit (OCU leads 22-16)
95:
Karon Scott, OCU, by forfeit (OCU wins 27-16)
OKLAHOMA CITY 23
U.S. OLYMPIC EDUCATION
CENTER
16
44:
Stephanie Waters, OCU, by forfeit (OCU leads 5-0)
48:
Sadie Kaneda, USOEC, dec. Julie Huang, 1-0, 6-0 (OCU
leads 5-3)
51:
Alyssa Lampe, USOEC, dec. Jennifer Peabody, 6-0, 3-0
(USOEC leads 6-5)
55:
Beth Johnson, USOEC, tech. fall Emma Mercer, 7-0, 7-0
(USOEC leads 10-5)
59:
Nikki Darrow, USOEC, dec. Sheila McCabe, 2-0, 6-0 (USOEC
leads 13-5)
63:
Briana Conway, OCU, dec. Schuyler Brown, 3-0, 3-0 (USOEC
leads 13-8)
67:
Lindsey Brooks,
USOEC dec. Sara Hilliard, 1-0, 2-0 (USOEC leads 16-8)
72:
Melissa Simmons, OCU, pinned Katie Crouch, 0:43 (USOEC
leads 16-13)
82:
Carrie Clark, OCU, by forfeit (OCU leads 18-16)
95:
Karon Scott, OCU, by forfeit (OCU wins 23-16)
OKLAHOMA CITY 26
MISSOURI VALLEY 16
44:
Stephanie Waters, OCU, dec. Vanessa Nordstrom, 5-0, 6-0
(OCU leads 3-0)
48:
Tanya Miyaski, MVC, dec. Julie Huang, 4-1, 2-0 (OCU
leads 4-3)
51:
Jennifer Peabody, OCU, dec. Bethany Courkamp, 2-0, 2-0
(OCU leads 7-3)
55:
Rachel Pike, MVC, by forfeit (MVC leads 8-7)
59:
Jenni Germany,
MVC, dec. Sheila McCabe, 4-0, 5-0 (MVC leads 11-7)
63:
Karen Howe, MVC, by forfeit (MVC leads 16-7)
67:
Sara Hilliard, OCU, pinned Zinna Anyanwuh, 1-0, 0:54
(MVC leads 16-12)
72:
Melissa Simmons, OCU, pinned Venus Barron, 1:17 (OCU
leads 17-16)
82:
Carrie Clark, OCU, tech. fall Amanda McClanahan, 6-0,
6-0 (OCU leads 21-16)
95:
Karon Scott, OCU, by forfeit (OCU wins 26-16)
OKLAHOMA CITY 35
MISSOURI VALLEY 10
44:
Lene Wood, OCU, pinned Norine Cruz, 1:18 (OCU leads 5-0)
48:
Nicole Woody, OCU, pinned Tanya Miyaski, 0:58 (OCU leads
10-0)
51:
Courtney Martell, MVC, dec. Erica Torres, 6-6, 4-1 (OCU
leads 11-3)
55:
Samantha Schuman, MVC, dec. Emma Mercer, 2-0, 3-0 (OCU
leads 11-6)
59:
Samantha Fee, MVC, dec. Samantha Phillips, 2-0, 4-2 (OCU
leads 12-9)
63:
Briana Conway, OCU, pinned Emily Rinehart, 1-0, 0:54
(OCU leads 17-9)
67:
Ashley Sword, OCU, dec. Amberlee Ebert, 1-1, 1-4, 7-0
(OCU leads 20-10)
72:
Lacey Novinska, OCU, pinned Venus Barron, 1:33 (OCU
leads 25-10)
82:
Carrie Clark, OCU, pinned Amanda McClanahan, 1:40 (OCU
leads 30-10)
95:
Karon Scott, OCU, by forfeit (OCU wins 35-10)
Utah
By Jason Turner
Published:
Sunday, February 17, 2008 2:21 AM
CST
Tourney note: Candice Workman’s bid to make history came up
short. The junior from Uintah was pinned by Delta’s Chasen
Tolbert in the 103-pound championship bout. Had Workman won, she would
have become only the second female in U.S. history to win a high school
wrestling title. Workman beat the kids who went on to place third and
fourth earlier in the tourney. “She’s the real
deal,” Roundy said
Washington
02/17/2008
Associated Press
Results from the Washington girls high school wrestling
tournament.
Team Scores:
Mount Baker 77, Hoquiam 76, Yelm 56.5, LaCenter 44, Kentwood
43, Vashon 42.5, Kiona-Benton 35.5, Sedro Woolley 33, Lake Stevens 31,
Kelso 30, Washougal 28, Camas 28, Washington 28, Willapa Valley 26,
Skyline 24, Columbia River 23, Shelton 22, Colfax 20, Clover Park 20,
Highline 20, River View 30, Bethel 20, Curtis 18.5, Ingelmoor 18,
Newport 18, Burlington-Edison 18, Port Angeles 17.5, Lincoln 17, Tyee
17, Monroe 16, Central Valley 15.5, Elma 13, Lake Roosevelt 13, West
Valley (Yakima) 12, Olympia 11, Lakeside 11, Spanaway Lake 11, Lakewood
10, Kingston 9, Graham Kapowsin 9, Moses Lake 8.5, Mount Tahoma 8,
Kennedy 6, Fife 4, Liberty (Spangle) 4, Franklin 4, Oak Harbor 4, Mount
Vernon 4, Ocosta 3, Mary Walker 3, North Beach 2, Emerald Ridge 2,
Naches Valley 2, Bremerton 1, Warden 1.
___
Placing Matches:
103:
Championship: Melissa Watkins (Camas) pinned Sarah Rowan
(Columbia River) 4:28
Third: Edilene Cuevas (Curtis) d. Jomae Alewine (11-2)
Fifth: Madeleine Wolczko (Vashon Island) pinned Delene Rucker
(Kiona-Benton) 4:15.
112:
Championship: Sylvie Shiosaki (Vashon Island) pinned Sam
Beckwith (Riverview) 5:33
Third: Ana Mackert (Newport) d. Lucy Kulla (Lacenter) 9-7
Fifth: Kelsea Williams (Hoquiam) d. Judy Brenneka (Mt. Tahoma)
9-7.
119:
Championship: Megan Martin (Willapa Valley) d. Antonio Navejas
(Kentwood) 11-4
Third: Sarah Brownstein (Shelton) pinned Julia Perry (Monroe)
:56.
Fifth: Jalysse Garcia (Sedro Woolley) pinned Kristen Fogg (Mt.
Baker) 3:26;
125
Championship: Danielle Curlis (Yelm) d. Kelsey Klein(Hoquiam)
8-7 4OT
Third: Alysia Pohren (Sedro Woolley) pinned Emily Juhre
(Central Valley) 2:06
Fifth: Ann Thomas (Lake Roosevelt) pinned Yokeca Goff
(Lakeside) :57.
130
Championship: Christina Cox (Lacenter) pinned Katie Newgard
(Mt. Baker) 2:25
Third: Cassie Virgil (Yelm) d. Natasha Grow (Lake Stevens)
15-6
Fifth: Kaylene Young (Lincoln) pinned Karly Zucker (Moses
Lake) 4:04
135
Championship: Sheridan McDonald (Kiona-Benton) d. Jolene
Crook-Meyers (Kentwood) TF 18-1
Third: Alex White (Hoquiam) pinned Jessica Cooper (Port
Angeles) 1:44
Fifth: Kelsey Segawa (Olympic) pinned Marissa Aube (Hoquaim)
3:30
145
Championship: Ashlee Phy (Mt. Baker) pinned Alexis Willcher
(Spanaway Lake) :35
Third: Chelssea Eakins (Washougal) pinned Jo Ielu (Tyee) 2:14
Fifth: Blythe Peterson (Kingston) d. Cassi Curtis (Spanaway
Lake) 6-4.
160
Championship: Kylee Bishop (Washington) pinned Siri Berg
(Highline) 3:36
Third: Rowan Pilger (Inglemoor) d. Alyssa Calhoon (West Valley
(Yak.) 11-4
Fifth: Drrue Partridge (Graham Kapowsin) d. Michaela Ecklund
(Elma) 4-2
285
Championship: Alisha Beach (Kelso) pinned Lisa Tinney (Clover
Park) 5:21
Third: Deidra Starret (Colfax) pinned Kendra Cremeans (Bethel)
1:56
Fifth: Anne Barnett (Burlington-Edison) pinned Timishia Harris
(Yelm) 2:54
New Mexico
Monday, February 18, 2008 5:44 PM MST
MORIARTY - This weekend the Grants High School wrestlers were in
Moriarty with only four of them to compete in the two-day district
match. The Pirates had six duals against the hometown Moriarty, Belen,
Del Norte, Albuquerque Academy, St. Pius and Valencia. Valencia was
filled into the group due to the fact that they weren't in any district
until next year.
In the first day of the two-day event, Grants went head to head against
Del Norte and Albuquerque Academy. The second day was reserved for St.
Pius, Moriarty, Belen and newcomer - Valencia.
Joe Martinez, the Pirates 189-pounder, went into district with
an outstanding record of 20-3. Martinez fought injuries all year,
including what seemed to be a season ending shoulder and knee injury.
Martinez was eager for a chance to prove his authority to the district
competition.
After warming up with the team, Martinez faced off against
Elieseo Gomez of Del Norte. Martinez went out and suffered another
injury to his knee, forcing him to withdraw from the meet and he will
return for the rest of the season.
“This year was a rough and painful year with three
injuries,” Martinez said. “This is just my junior
year, so I've got one more year to show the state what I can do and to
hopefully capture that state medal I have been seeking.”
Derreck Hassell, 119 pounds, mentally prepared for this chance to prove
to his district foes how tough he is. Hassell's first match was against
Del Norte's James Telles, who would later take first in districts.
Hassell fought his heart out, but narrowly lost in the end by points.
From then on, Hassell improved with each match. His next battle was
against Adam Tapia of Albuquerque Academy. However Tapia did not make
weight and Hassel won by forfeit.
Day two
Hassell's first match was against Joaquin Gonzales of Belen. Gonzales
put up a decent match, but it was not enough and Hassell pinned him for
the win. This victory motivated Hassell who then battled Julian Pena of
Valencia.
Hassell got a demanding win by major fault with a score of 15-0.
Hassell's confidence by now was soaring and he was going to need every
ounce of it to get his next win.
Hassell took on Moriarty's Kyle McMurray in the next round of
competition. With time running out and down by points, Hassel looked up
at Coaches Baca Eaton as they gave him some quick advice. It worked.
He reversed McMurray for two points and got a near-fault for two more
points to win 16-14. Hassell then faced Kayla Niclo of St. Pius.
Hassell pinned Niclo, earning second place in the district meet.
“I am very pleased that I took second, but I am looking
forward to state,” Hassell said. “I am going to
have to work hard this week and perfect my moves to represent Grants
High School.”
Lou Molina, 112 pounds, went into the meet with some confidence and was
not worried about the fact that she was a girl wrestling the best males
that each team had.
Molina lost both of her opening bouts, one to Joseph Cerna of Del Norte
and then to Cees Whisanant of Albuquerque Academy.
On day two, Molina took on Justin Ariano of Belen. Molina put up a very
strong battle against Ariano, who would end up taking first in
district, but lost. She then prepared herself and got her first varsity
win of the year by way of forfeit.
Now Molina's self-confidence was skyrocketing, but it was not enough to
overcome the home advantage that Josh Tripp had and she lost by pin.
Molina's last match of the day turned out to be a thriller as she went
against Daniel Archendona. She put up such a fight that it shocked
Archendona. Unfortunately, she lost this match as well.
“She put up her best fight all year,” said
Assistant Coach Lee Eaton. “It's so great to see her
improving so vastly! She is giving these top male athletes a good tough
battle that they aren't expecting. I hate to see the season end right
when she is starting to perform at her best.”
Fresh off her first district 5-4A competition, Molina said the
wrestling world has not seen the last of her.
“I got off to a slow start, but I stayed with it and it's
showing useful now,” said Molina. “I'm hoping to
make it to state to prove myself as a contestant and I'm also looking
forward to girls' state to see how well I will do against fellow
females.”
Rick Orrechia, 285 pounds, got off to a slow start, losing his first
match to Joshua Trujuque of Del Norte, but then Orrechia got motivated
and captured a win over Stephen Sagarte of Albuquerque Academy in the
second match.
Orrechia lost his first match of the second day to Diego McCloud of
Belen, the district champ, but then Orrechia won his next match against
Albino Galardo of Moriarty in his hometown. Sadly, Orrechia lost his
last match of the day to Brian Fatter of St. Pius.
On Monday on the New Mexico Activities Association website, Derrick
Hassell qualified at 119 pounds, Joe Martinez qualified at 189 pounds
and Rick Orrechia qualified at 189 pounds.
Although Molina did not qualify for the matches Friday and Saturday,
she could still be wrestling on Sunday in the girl's competition. As of
Thursday afternoon, Coach Floyd McErnie had not received any notice on
whether or not she will compete on Sunday.
By Andy Eaton
Beacon student sports correspondents
North Carolina
2/18/2008 Goldsboro News-Argus,
Olivia Neal felt the aches, pains
and strains when she stretched after waking up Sunday morning.
She knew then her dream just wasn't
a fantasy.
It was true.
Neal, a senior at Rosewood, had
indeed become the first-ever female qualifier for the N.C. High School
Athletic Association wrestling championships in any classification.
"When I woke up I had that achy
body feeling and I knew that it had really happened," said Neal. "It's
just taking a while to sink in."
Neal isn't the only Eagle to punch
a ticket to this weekend's finals in Winston-Salem. Junior Josh Holmes
and senior heavyweight Trevor Morris, who joined the program's Century
Club (100 career wins), qualified at 145 pounds and heavyweight,
respectively.
The trio helped Rosewood place 12th
overall as a team in the highly-competitive, two-day event.
"We're in a very tough region with
32 teams and only 16 slots," said Rosewood coach Bill Edmundson. "There
were a lot of good wrestlers who didn't even qualify for regionals. To
finish in the top four out of a competition that selective is asking a
lot.
"These three wrestlers earned their
passage to the state championships."
Although Neal didn't protect her
No. 1 seed in the Classes 1-A/2-A eastern regional at Croatan, she
started the weekend in impressive fashion. The 103-pounder pinned North
Pitt's Chris Wilson in 12 seconds and needed three-plus minutes to
stick Croatan's Robbie Gladwell in the quarterfinals.
J.C. Mitchell, from First Flight,
bumped Neal into the consolation bracket on Saturday morning. He
refused to tie up against Neal or wrestle on the mat, and squeezed out
an 8-6 win.
"I had wrestled Mitchell's older
brother before, so I guess they got together and worked their shots
pretty hard," said Neal. "(After the loss) I started thinking about
last year and getting really worried that I'd miss my chance for states
my senior year."
But the nerves never surfaced.
Neal pinned Richlands' Steven Look
in 43 seconds and her four-year quest was complete. She followed the
historic victory with an 11-8 decision over Gladwell in the third-place
match.
"Olivia has worked really hard this
year to improve her strength, conditioning and technique," said
Edmundson. "She is a very goal-oriented person and set some pretty
lofty goals for the season. She has just a couple of items to check
off."
For now, however, Neal will enjoy
her success.
"I was so excited," said Neal. "It
was definitely OK with me that I didn't get first because I had never
done that at regionals anyway. Not in my craziest dreams did I think
I'd qualify for states."
The aches and pains prove otherwise.
Oregon
By Staff Reports | Monday,
January 14, 2008
Pirates take title at Coquille
Marshfield took top honors at the Coquille Invitational on Saturday.
Pirate brothers Tyler (103 pounds) and Tommy (130) Nixon each pinned
their opponents in the championship matches. Alex Ware (152) was also a
champion for Marshfield.
The Pirates scored 202 points to win the team title. Ashland finished
second overall, with Jefferson third and host Coquille coming in fourth.
Finishing in third place for Marshfield were Anthony Stefani (125
pounds), Chris Welch (135), Cameron Winfrey (140), Eric Stout (171) and
Cody Shipp (285).
Gold Beach champions Brandon Harding (140) and Travis Moore (189) were
named outstanding wrestlers. Kelsey Carl (112) also won her final match
for Gold Beach.
Other local champions include North Bend’s Jake Schneider
(119) and Coquille’s Colton Holmes (135) and Jason Smith
(285).
Oregon
By
Staff Reports | Monday, February 18, 2008
The third time was the charm for Brandon Harding at the Class 3A state
wrestling meet.
Harding, a senior from Gold Beach, captured the state title at 135
pounds Saturday in his third championship match in three years. He had
just missed titles the past two years. Teammate Travis Moore also
captured a state title in his second championship match.
Harding beat Sheridan’s Brandon Jordan 7-3 in the
championship bout on Saturday.
“It feels good to finally get the monkey off my
back,”he said in a phone interview.
Harding took the lead early in the match and held on.
“The kid was good,”he said of Jordan.
“Everyone’s tough up there. You have to wrestle
your best to win.”
Harding placed fifth at state as a freshman, and thinks his high school
career record is about 125-10.
He and Moore were the first state champions for the Panthers since
Tyler McGinnis won back-to-back titles, the latter in 2001. McGinnis
coached Harding at state, along with Harding’s dad, Tim.
In the 189-pound weight class, Moore beat Michael Whitehead of Dayton
3-2 in a hard-fought final.
Moore, a junior, had pinned his other three foes on the way to his
first state title.
“He was on fire,”Harding said of Moore, adding
that having both Panthers win titles was “awesome.”
Harding and Moore were the only state champions for South Coast
schools, though several other wrestlers placed.
The placers included Kelsey Carl, the only other Gold Beach qualifier
for state, who was fourth at 112 pounds. It is believed to be the
highest finish by a girl in state history. Waldport’s Misty
Corwin was fifth in her weight class two years ago.
Carl lost a first-round match to Cesar Jacobs of Nyssa, but rebounded
by pinning three straight foes before falling 19-11 to James Town of
Riverside in the third-place match.
The Sunset Conference performed very well as a group in the Class 3A
meet. Burns won the title with 159 points, but Glide was second with
130, Reedsport 10th (74.5), Gold Beach 12th (66), Myrtle Point 13th
(59.5) and Coquille 14th (36.0). Glide’s Gabe Forrester (140
pounds) and Thomas O’Connor (160) each won championship
bouts, giving the league four champions in the 14 weight classes.
Reedsport got fourth-place efforts from John Covey (130 pounds) and Nic
Morris (215), while John Drozek (135) was fifth and Anthony Halstead
(103) and Cesar Lira (189) were sixth.
Myrtle Point’s Johnny Campbell was third at 103 pounds, while
teammate Eric Rains was fourth at 125. Ryan Love (103) and Zack Sykes
(171) each finished fifth.
Coquille’s Colton Holmes finished third at 135 pounds and
teammate Cody Messerle was fifth at 152.
Class 3A Wrestling State
Championship - WrestlingBox Scores
Utah
Wrestling: Girl's run puts Utes in
spotlight
Whenever a news photographer is circling Uintah High junior Candace
Workman, her wrestling teammates like to play a little game of "Who's
that guy?" That activity is when you see a developed picture of you and
your friends and in the background stands a random person, looking so
out of place.
A couple of Uintah wrestlers did that
when a Salt Lake Tribune photographer was taking shots of Workman
before her historic semifinal match against Cedar's Dallas Gale in the
103-pound division at the Class 3A championship on Friday afternoon.
One Ute wrestler tried to stay behind her wherever she went on the mat,
hoping to steal just a fraction of the spotlight.
But the boys are mostly joking and just
playing along with the attention surrounding her historic run.
"They all know that I don't like it,"
said Workman, who is just one win away from being the second female
wrestler in the nation to win a state title. "I don't think they're
jealous of me. They mess around and think they're funny."
It seems like almost every time a media
member asks a Uintah wrestler the whereabouts of Workman, he would
point her out and then say, "Are you going to interview me?" Again,
they're probably just joking -- maybe the gesture is their unique take
on the hoopla about Workman, with them thinking the whole thing is not
a big deal since she's just one of the guys.
The thing is, she's not just one of the
guys.
Last season, Workman became the first
female wrestler in Utah history to qualify for the state tournament. So
everything she did -- a win, a pin, a takedown or an escape -- was
history-making. The then-sophomore placed sixth. For a girl from the
school in Vernal, Workman said, the attention was overwhelming. The
cameras followed her every move, the reporters seeked long interviews
with her and her coach, Gregg Stensgard, knew any time he was
approached for an interview he had a good idea what it was for.
Workman is used to all that now.
Surprisingly, there wasn't a lot of
media coverage for Workman's semifinal match -- one in which she won
with a 5-4 decision. Maybe there will be more coverage in today's state
final showdown against Delta's Chasen Tolbert, a very confident
wrestler who has beaten Workman twice this season.
Though she'd rather not be in the
spotlight, she knows the significance of her every step forward in the
state tournament. That is, if you keep asking her what this all means
and what kind of example she thinks she's setting for other girls in
one of the most conservative states in America.
That's when she appreciates the
spotlight, when she realizes she's doing something very important.
"Not many women have done this before,"
Workman said. "So it'd be a pretty big deal. Especially in Utah, it's a
lot more conservative in the state. Hopefully by winning the
championship, maybe that will influence a lot of other girls to try it."
Workman's
match Video
Class 3A
103-pound final
Today, 4 p.m.
At UVSC's McKay Events Center, Orem
Candace Workman, Uintah vs. Chasen Tolbert, Delta
Utah
Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008 12:28 a.m
The state 3A wrestling meet ended up being much closer than most of the
"experts" thought, but in the end the Wasatch Wasps walked away with
their eighth straight state title, edging a determined Delta Rabbit
squad by just nine points.
The raucous crowd enjoyed the finals, but when the dust settled
Wasatch won the state title with 311 points followed by Delta with 302.
Uintah (264) was strong, followed by North Sanpete (190) and Cedar City
(144.5).
After hundreds of matches, Delta's last hope to upset the Wasps came
down to the 189-pound match where Kipp Holman had to knock off
Wasatch's Garrett Gleave to keep the Rabbits' hopes alive. Delta was
clinging to a one-point lead, but Gleave posted a 10-5 win and Wasatch
clinched the state title.
"I was nervous," admitted Gleave, "but I was also very excited. I
knew I had to get it done. When he (Holman) took me down, it was a
wake-up call. I had to get up and get going."
Two matches later, Sean Sullivan (285 pounds) put some icing on the
cake by pinning Uintah's Rusty Farnsworth with just eight seconds left
in the match. Farnsworth was leading the Wasatch big man 1-0 before
Sullivan executed a head throw to pin his Region 10 rival.
"Delta looked real good and so did Uintah," commented Wasatch coach
Steve Sanderson. "It was a good, tough three-team race. It's a good
feeling to win it."
Wasatch put eight wrestlers into the championship finals while Delta
had seven, putting pressure on the Wasps to win all or nearly all of
the championship matches. In one match, Wasatch was guaranteed some
points as Cole Shafer took on teammate Skyler Porter in the 171-pound
finals. Shafer secured a major decision to set up Gleave's heroics one
match later.
The Wasps crowned seven champions as Trevor Sweat (119), Blake
Mangum (125 pounds) and Jake Salazar (160) joined Shafer, Gleave and
Sullivan on top of the podium.
Leading the team race going into the championship round, the Rabbits
desperately tried to hold their lead, and the championship matches
started off well for the Rabbits.
Uintah's Candace Workman was hoping to become the first-ever female
wrestler to win a state title, but Chasen Tolbert ended her quest by
pinning the Ute with just one second left in the second period. The
Delta wrestler dominated the match throughout to claim the 103-pound
title.
Tolbert and the Rabbits got additional support from Justin Penn and
Westly Anderson, who nailed down titles at 140 and 145 pounds,
respectively. Anderson had the most exciting match of the night as he
held off Uintah's Matt Sunkees 15-13. Anderson had built up a huge
lead, but Sunkees came back to put Anderson on his back, executing a
twister or cement-mixer to put Anderson in peril. But Anderson fought
off his back to win the match.
Those two wins put Delta out in front of Wasatch by 13 points, but
Wasatch had its big guns in the next four weights and the Wasps'
firepower could not be stopped.
Uintah crowned two champs out of its seven finalists. Colby
Christensen (112) and Creedon Merkley (130) picked up titles for the
Utes.
Hurricane's Brock Prince (135) and Dylan Clark (215) also won state
titles, and each picked up the Outstanding Wrestler Awards in the lower
and upper weights, respectively. Clark set the state pin record for a
season with 50 to go along with his second state title.
Wasatch's Jake Salazar won his third state title, defeating Delta's
Jordan Sorenson 16-7. Salazar finished his season with a 47-1 record,
his only loss coming in an out-of-state tournament in Minnesota.
"It feels good," stated Salazar. "I wanted to win state real bad. I
wanted the pin, the fall, but I probably pressed too much to get it."
Salazar will hope to avenge that lone loss at the Senior Nationals
in March and then will attend Michigan to wrestle for the Wolverines.
Washington
Chris
Chancellor 2/17/08
For The Olympian
TACOMA - One after another, the rounds passed by to the point where it felt
more like boxing - or maybe a marathon - than wrestling.
It was a test of endurance in the 125-pound champion for the girls state
tournament at the Tacoma Dome, one that Yelm senior Danielle Curlis passed to
claim an 8-7 win and the championship Saturday.
Wrestling matches are slated for three rounds, but the match against
Hoquiam's Kelsey Klein, the defending state champion at 125, remain tied after
six rounds and overtime cannot last longer than seven rounds. Klein chose to
take the bottom position in round seven, which meant Curtis had to hold her down
for the entire time to win.
It might have been the most competitive championship match at Mat Classic XX,
but it wasn't the most difficult of Curlis' career.
"In practice (Yelm coach Gaylord) Strand has us do triple overtime," she
said. "If we lose, we have to do push ups. I didn't want to do push ups."
Strand felt conditioning was the difference between the wrestlers. He said
Curlis often would stay after practice to work on calisthenics and other
aerobic-conditioning activities.
"It was obviously that it was a factor," he said. "I could see the other girl
was fading in the third round.
"She (Curlis) has a fierce tenacity and hates to lose."
Curlis watched her brother, James, take fourth place at 145 three years ago
at Mat Classic and followed the sport since childhood. She said she wanted to
wrestle sooner, but her parents objected. She was allowed to join the team this
season when the Tornados added an official girls team this season.
Strand said it "tells you about the God-given talent" Curlis has that she
defeated a veteran wrestler for the championship in her first year.
Curlis, who hopes to attend Pacific Lutheran University this fall and become
a pediatrician, said she didn't know she won the match until the referee raised
her hand at the end.
Along with senior Cassie Virgil's third-place finish at 130 and classmate
Timishia Harris, who lost by fall in 2:54 against Burlington Edison's Anne
Barnett to place sixth, the Tornados finished in third among 74 teams with 56.5
points. Mount Baker won the competition with 77 points, followed by Hoquiam with
76.
Virgil won a 15-6 decision against Lake Stevens' Natasha Grow. She held an
8-0 lead in the quarterfinals, but lost by fall in 2 minutes, 24 seconds against
Katie Newgard. She then won her two consolation matches.
She said she became a little "disoriented" after the loss, but regrouped
after a discussion with Rainier coach Chris Holterman, whom she competed for as
a freshman and sophomore before transferring to Yelm.
"I can't ask for much more," Virgil said. "To end a season with three state
placers is an awesome accomplishment. It just shows how much Yelm has it in them
to succeed."
Shelton junior Sarah Brownstein also lost in Friday's quarterfinals and then
said her goal was to finish third at 119. She accomplished that with consecutive
falls, the last in 56 seconds against Monroe's Julia Perry.
Olympia junior Kelsey Segawa - the first female to advance to state in school
history - finished fifth. She lost against Washougal's Courtney White, who
placed third, in the consolation quarterfinals, but beat Hoquiam's Marissa Aube
by fall in 3:30 in her final match.
"My goal was to make it to state," said Segawa, who was excited about her
finish. "I wasn't expected to place."
Elma sophomore Michaela Ecklund lost her consolation final, 4-2, against
Graham Kapowsin's Drrue Partridge and placed sixth.
Oregon
By Rachel Beck, Lebanon Express writer Tuesday, February 12, 2008 1:36 PM PST
Junior Amy Bloom (112) advanced to the finals but was defeated in a 15-3 major
decision by Dallas' Eric Fast. It was the first time this year the two athletes
had faced each other, because Fast dropped down a weight class during the
season.
Pictures
Oregon
Huskies knock off Tillamook for sixth wrestling
championship
By Jesse Sowa
Albany Democrat-Herald
Lebanon sophomore Amy Bloom became the first girl from one of the state’s larger
schools to place when she finished eighth at 103.
Last year, Waldport’s
Misty Corwin became the first Oregon girl ever to place in the state tournament
when she took fifth in the 2A/1A 103-pound bracket.
Lebanon's
Amy Bloom tries to get Marshall's Huyen B Hoang off her back Feb. 14 at the 5A
state wrestling tournament in Portland. The 112-pound junior may be the only
girl among more than 1,100 wrestlers competing at the tournament.
The state wrestling tournament started this
morning at Memorial Coliseum in Portland. It continues through Saturday evening.
You can find the latest information on the OSAA's website.
Lebanon's Amy Bloom gives a tearful handshake to the opposing coach after
losing her first-round match 6-4 to Huyen B Hoang of Marshall. The coach told
her that she had nothing to be ashamed of.
Missouri
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
By JERRY
JARRELL Daily Statesman Sports Editor
Henley, wrestling in the 119 pound weight class, will take on Trevor
Stevenson of Excelsior. Stevenson, a sophomore, hold a 19-17 record.
Waldner, who wrestles at 103, won here way to the semifinals before losing to
Matt Arnold of Afton. Waldner fell behind early in the match, but battled back
from a 20-8 score before losing 21-19.
After the loss, Waldner rebounded by pinning Abby Rose of Sullivan to make it
to the state tournament, then pinned Jesse Martinelli of Ste. Genevieve for
third-place honors.
Waldner will wrestle Trevor Ditto of Booneville, a freshman with a record of
23-13, in the first round of the state tournament.
