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Nigeria

Nigerian Wrestlers Book Beijing Tickets


By Femi Atoyebi, 03.13.2008

Three Nigerian wrestlers have qualified for the Olympics, after picking up gold medals at the just concluded Senior African cum Olympic Qualifiers Championship held at the indoor hall of the Olympic City in Tunis, Tunisia.
Fighting in 120 kg freestyle category, Wilson Siewari won his fight to book a Beijing Olympic ticket, while Lovina Odholi and Amarachi Obiajunwa joined him in the party, after winning in the 72kg female category fights.
Speaking ahead of the team’s return, Nigeria Amateur Wrestling Federation president, Austine Udeze thanked the Chairman National Sports Commission, Alhaji Abdulrahaman Hassan Gimba and his Director General Dr. Amos Adamu for their support towards the championship, while calling on well meaning Nigerians to help the wrestlers as they prepare for the Olympics proper.
The federation scribe, Yemi Usikaye said 21 countries across Africa participated in the four-day championship, with Nigeria’s chances suffering through early injuries.
“It was a keenly contested competition. We presented 19 wrestlers in different categories but two potential winners sustained early injuries. The qualifiers’ format is also difficult, such that only the gold medalists will be in Beijing. Nigeria actually won five gold medals but two of those are rated non-Olympic qualifying fights.”
“There are other medalists, however, Joel Enitimi won silver in the 74kg category, Maria Musa also won silver in 59 kg category. Other silver medalists are Chiwendu Aguihe and Sammy Oziti in 51kg and 48 kg categories. Isaac Boaz, Williams Bassey and Joe Agbonavbare won bronze in 60kg and 84kg categories.”

Ohio

Top wrestlers to gather at Jackson-Milton event

3/13/08

At Fitch High School, the nation’s best high school girl wrestlers will battle for Ohio state championships on Saturday at the 10th USGWA Ohio Girls Wrestling State Championships.

The event will feature wrestlers from all over the country and includes several of the Valley’s best wrestlers.

Fitch High sophomore Jessica Smith will compete for her fifth straight Ohio state title. She comes into the tournament undefeated and ranked No. 2 in the nation at 155 pounds. Earlier this season, she won the Kentucky state championship.

Sarah Guerrier and Monica Moffo will also compete in the tournament representing Fitch.

It is expected that several other area girls will compete in one of four divisions, including elementary, middle school, high school and college. Medals will be given to the top three placers in each weight class.

Like all the United States Girls’ Wrestling Association tournaments, the event is open to the public. Girls ages 5 and up are eligible to compete and registration is available at the door. Wrestling begins at 10 a.m.

For more information, visit www.usgwa.com or call Kent Bailo at (248) 224-5068.

Oklahoma
OCU contender at national championships as first-year program
Nicole Woody has an 8-7 record this season.

3/13/08

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University’s women’s wrestling team has exceeded expectations for a first-year program.

OCU coach Archie Randall talked in the preseason about building a foundation for the future. Instead, the Stars captured the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Dual championship, rose to No. 1 in the national rankings, have three top-ranked individuals and will be a contender for the national championship in the Women’s College Wrestling National Championships on Saturday at Abe Lemons Arena.

Randall said Ashley Hudson at 55 kilograms (121 pounds) and Nicole Woody at 48 kilos (105 pounds) will play key roles in determining OCU’s national-title chances.

Woody, Carrie Clark at 82 (181) and Lacey Novinska at 72 (158) are ranked No. 1 nationally in their weight classes. Briana Conway (63 kg/138 lbs.), Karon Scott (95/209), Melissa Simmons (72/158) and Ashley Sword (67/147) are each slotted No. 2 in their weight-class rankings.

Randall said Hudson and Woody would need to place at their weights for second-ranked OCU to upend top-ranked defending champion Cumberlands (Ky.).

“We’re going to have to perform well in the light weights,” Randall said. “We have to place higher than Cumberlands at each weight. Our upper weights are really good. We can win five weights. We have a good shot to be national champions.”

The tournament starts Saturday at 9 a.m. Semifinals are expected to begin at 1 p.m., third-place matches at 4 p.m., and the championship finals at 7:30 p.m., all at Abe Lemons Arena.

National titles are at stake at 44 kilos (97 lbs.), 48 (105), 51 (112), 55 (121), 59 (130), 63 (138), 67 (147), 72 (158), 82 (181) and 95 (209).

The champions at 48, 51, 55, 59, 63, 67 and 72 will qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials on June 13-15 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.

World Champion, Olympic Team Coach, and Hall of Fame wrestler Trish Saunders will conduct a free women’s wrestling technique clinic at noon at Abe Lemons Arena sponsored by Body Bar Systems, a USA Wrestling Women’s National Team sponsor. For information on the clinic, call Randall at 208-5379.

California

Lone Palm Desert girl grappling with the guys

3/13/08

Cristina Garcia stretches with her teammates Jan. 31 during wrestling practice.
RIGHT: Cristina Garcia wrestles teammate Justin Wheat Feb. 1.


(Jennifer Soliz Palm Desert Sun)

Like brother, like sister - in this Palm Desert family anyway.

Christina Garcia, 15, has two brothers, now 17 and 19, who wrestled. Today, with the blessing of her parents, Fabiola and Uriel Garcia, she is the lone girl on the Palm Desert High School wrestling team.

Why choose a male sport? For one, she's been there, done that. She played football before high school.

And, she likes standing out.

"People are always saying, 'Oh, you're the girl on the team.' It makes me feel special," Christina says.

She wrestles in the 112-weight class, and says she gets no special treatment from the team's coaches, which is all right with her.

"Even though I am different, I need to be treated the same as everyone on the team."

Canada

MUN wrestler brings home national bronze

Allison Rockwood places nationally in graduating year

By Melissa Keough 3/13/08


Allison Rockwood dons her bronze medal with coach Glenn Clark at the CIS championship. [Photo: Submitted]
Wrestler Allison Rockwood is the latest of a select few MUN athletes who have experienced national success this year.

Rockwood captured bronze in the 65-kilogram weight class at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Wrestling Championship in Calgary, held on March 1 and 2.

She faced three other competitors in her class. After losing one match on Friday she was automatically out of the gold and silver match. Rockwood saw herself in the bronze medal match on Sunday after winning her next two contests.

She’s been competing since Grade 8. “My school was Holy Trinity High and we were known for wrestling, and one of my teachers asked me to join, so I decided to give it a try and I enjoyed it and I found that I was good at it,” Rockwood said.

After finishing high school Rockwood made the jump to university wrestling, and has been involved for four years now.

She says wrestling at the university level is not easy and not something that most people are able to just jump into.

“In high school I found it more easier, every tournament I went to I would get gold or silver and when I came to Memorial it was just so much more intense,” said Rockwood.

And Rockwood has had her share of competition.

“I went to nationals a few times in high school and ended up getting gold at one, and this was my fourth year at Memorial and I always qualified for [the CIS Championship] but this was my first time placing,” she said.

Rockwood encourages everybody to try wrestling, but warns trying out for the MUN team is not for everyone.

“Training is rough here we practice two hours a day, five days a week, so it is intense but it’s great to get out there and get your frustration out,” she said.

She still has another year of eligibility left and really wants to use it, but is moving to Halifax in April and likely will not be able to. She says the bronze medal win was quite emotional for her.

“I ended off on a good note. I started to cry as I was pinning her in my bronze medal match,” she said.


2008 MSHSAA Wrestling Championships

Warsaw's Erica Poe rolls Lafayette County's Cody Smith onto his back during a second round wrestleback at 119-pounds at Friday's MSHSAA State Championships at the Mizzou Arena in Columbia. Poe won the consolation bout with a 5-2 decision. 

Warsaw's Erica Poe ries to keep Lafayette County's Cody Smith from rolling her over during a second round wrestleback at 119-pounds at Friday's MSHSAA State Championships at the Mizzou Arena in Columbia. Poe won the consolation bout with a 5-2 decision.

New Hamphire

Boys and Girls Wrestling

Locals wrestle at regionals

3/13/08

Five local wrestlers placed at the New England Middle School Championships held March 9 at Hudson (Mass.) High School. Team New Hampshire finished third among the six New England states; Team Connecticut was first.

Connor McBride was the top local finisher. The Pennichuck Middle School student finished with a 3-1 meet record and took third place in the 95-pound class of the fifth- and sixth-grade division. Kevin Melanson of the Nashua Boys & Girls Club team took fourth at 60, compling a 2-3 record with one pin, and Chance Robinson also finished fourth at 100.

Marcel Laplante of Nashua Catholic finished with a 3-2 record and one pin to take fifth at 80. Cam Bennett qualified for the meet at 70 pounds, but moved up to 75 to help Team NH fill the bracket.

Wrestling for Team NH in the seventh- and eight-grade division were Elm St.reet's Tyler Elwood (112) and Nashua Catholic's Patrick O'Connell (136). O'Connell's teammate, Cole Fokas (77), qualified for New Englands, but missed the tourney due to illness, as did the Boys & Girls Club's Jake Valeri (65).

Boys Club wrestlers shine at Plymouth

• The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua's wrestling team traveled to Plymouth High School last weekend to compete in the 20th Annual Plymouth Invitational. Of the 12 BGCGN wrestlers in the event, seven placed high enough to earn medals.

In the K-2 division, Ryan Jigargian and Keegan Mills placed second in the 45 and 57 weight classes, respectively. In the third- and fourth-grade division, Ryan Rice, Cole Nickerson and Patrick Roy placed first, second and third, respectivly, at 67 lbs. Teammate Angelo Vitali was 1-1 when he was forced to withdraw from the tourney with an injury. Jake Valeri placed second at 65 in the fifth- and sixth-grade division.

In the middle school division, Pennichuck's Joey Page pinned all of his opponents on the way to a first place finish at 135. Also placing first was Fairgrounds's Moses Fernandez at 126.

NH girls wrestle at championships

A squad of a combination of elementary, middle school and high school girls participated in the Massachusetts Girls State Wrestling Championships at the Montechusett Tech High School in Fitchburg, Mass.

In the middle school division, Nashua Catholic's Angelica Levesque took first place, Kelsey Levesque of Fairgrounds placed second and Kristen Deschene of Elm Street came in third.

Chelsea Gawlik from Nashua North wrestled well in the high school division.