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Bowie senior Angela Martinez will be featured in the November issue of `School Sports Magazine' for her success on the wrestling mat.

By Blane Bachelor 10/3/2000
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

Bowie senior Angela Martinez spent an entire day a few weeks ago with a photographer at her side, snapping photos of her every move.

"He was there when I woke up," Martinez said. "It was all day. I finally got used to it by the time I got to school. He was just snapping away. By lunch, I think he had taken 12 rolls of film."

The reason for Martinez's shadow that day will be evident in early December when the November issue of `School Sports Magazine' is scheduled to be released. Martinez will be featured in a story highlighting girls who wrestle at the high school level.

Martinez is a worthy subject. She has won three Class 5A state titles in the 102-pound division, becoming the only wrestler -- boy or girl -- in Texas to do so since girls wrestling was sanctioned by the UIL four years ago.

While the photo shoot made Martinez feel like something of a celebrity, she said her accomplishments have not created much of a stir among her peers.

"My friends who don't go to Bowie always say, you must be so popular because of that," Martinez said. "But it's the exact opposite. Nobody really pays attention to it. My friends know, and my friends' friends know, and my coaches, and that's really it."

Not that Martinez is looking for any kind of glory from others. For her, the biggest reward will be earning her fourth gold medal when the girls state wrestling championships conclude in late February.

"That's still high on the list," Martinez said. "I've been working my tail off. And I know that the only person who can take that state title away from me is me.

"But I'm not going in there with a big head. Just because I've won three times doesn't mean I'll win it again."

That type of attitude has helped Martinez develop into one of the top wrestlers to come through Bowie's program, Volunteers coach David Mudgett said.

"Some athletes look so far ahead they forget about the tasks at hand, but not Angela," Mudgett said. "She works as hard, if not harder, than she ever has before. She realizes that it's not a given."

Martinez has approached her final high school season much the same way she has for the past three years: paying strict attention to diet and putting plenty of her own time into conditioning. In order to maintain her weight of 102, Martinez said she rarely eats junk food or fast food and trains three to five times a week in the off-season.

Beyond individual goals, Martinez also envisions better team results this year. Last season was a troubled one for the Volunteers, who forfeited several matches because of violations of team policy.

"I don't know if anybody is still talking about last year, but this is a new year and a new season for us," Martinez said. "We're looking pretty good. And it's not just me who's been working my butt off. It's everybody."

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Women's Sports Foundation announces 2000 Travel and Training Grants - $50,000 to be awarded

11/2/00
Ellie Schuerger/Women's Sports Foundation

EAST MEADOW, N.Y. (November 1, 2000) - The Women's Sports Foundation is accepting applications for grants from its 2000 Travel and Training Fund. This is the 16th consecutive year that the Women's Sports Foundation has provided financial opportunities for female athletes and teams who reach national, international, or regional ranking in their sports. The grant helps relieve some of the financial burden on athletes, allowing them to focus on training. Funds awarded can help defray expenses for traveling to competitions, purchasing specialized equipment, and coaching and training.

In the past 15 years over $1 million has been awarded to more than 225 teams and 850 individuals. Previous grant recipients include Olympic medalists Brooke Bennett (2000 gold in swimming); Tara Nott (2000 gold in weightlifting); Maureen O'Toole (2000 silver in water polo); Picabo Street (1998 gold in alpine skiing); Nikki Stone (1998 gold in aerial skiing); Michelle Kwan (1998 silver in figure skating); Michelle Akers (1996 gold in soccer); Mary Ellen Clark (1996 bronze in diving); and Kristi Yamaguchi (1992 gold in figure skating).

"When I first started weightlifting, I applied for the Travel and Training grant to help pay for my trips and competitions," said 2000 Olympic gold medalist and former Travel and Training recipient, Tara Nott. "Receiving the grant gave me extra confidence knowing that the support of the Foundation was behind me. I know that there are a lot of young girls out there, especially in weightlifting, that do not have a lot of opportunities. This program helps give those girls a chance."

"The Travel and Training program has helped produce hundreds of champions over the last 15 years, and we are honored to provide the opportunity for female athletes to maximize their potential," said Foundation President Nancy Lieberman-Cline.

Grant applications for the 2000 Women's Sports Foundation Travel and Training Fund are available now and can be obtained by calling 1-800-227-3988, by e-mail to wosport@aol.com, or by visiting www.WomensSportsFoundation.org. Deadline for the applications is November 15, 2000. Winners will be notified in February 2001.