News Page

Female Wrestlers Ignore Stereotypes and Hit the Mats

by Emily Gustafson
December 17, 1998

On a red mat in Blair's wrestling room, pairs of wrestlers circle each other, hunched over, lunging when the opportunity is right. "Let's get tough, this is where the men are made," yells one of the coaches.

But what about the women?
Two of the wrestlers on the mat are sophomore Jessica Woodlock and freshman Maryn Valdez, who both first joined the JV wrestling team this winter. Senior Renata Jandova also joined the JV team recently. These girls are among an increasing number who have ignored the stereotype that wrestling is only for males. They are three of the six girls who have been on the Blair wrestling team in the school's history, and of the approximately 25 girls who have ever wrestled in the county.

Montgomery County has no all-girl wrestling teams, so female wrestlers must join a traditionally male-dominated team. As the experiences of Woodlock and Valdez suggest, this is easier said than done.

One of the guys
"Before I started, the guys were totally against me joining. But now I'm part of the team," says Woodlock.

The girls say that now everyone on the team treats each other as equals. "The second you walk in the door [of the wrestling room], you're a guy," says Woodlock.

Woodlock and Valdez have found the coaches very accepting. "The coaches donÕt act like I'm any different [from the guys]. They're really supportive but they're not extra nice to us," says Woodlock.

Coach Jeff Levine says, "The girls joining the team is fine with me. For me as a coach, [the situation is] not different."

Junior co-captain Jeff Edelstein, who was at first uncomfortable about having girls on the team, changed his view after he saw how hard Woodlock and Valdez worked. Although Valdez recently broke her leg, he says she still attends practice and participates when she can. He believes that most males would not have done the same.

Edward Masood, Director of Aesthetics, Health and Physical Education for Montgomery County and past head wrestling coach at Blair, believes that the only time having a co-ed team may present a problem is if the girls are treated differently because they are girls. "As a coach, the only problem I would have had was if there were special exceptions made because of gender," he says.

Coaches must allow females to participate, according to Facts and Dates of American Sports 1988. A 1975 ruling by the federal government requires equal opportunity for participation in school sports, so if a school sponsors only one team in a sport, it must permit both sexes to participate.

For fitness and fun
Both Woodlock and Valdez joined the team primarily to stay in shape, not to be noticed. "I'm not one of those people who are trying to get attention. It wouldn't be worthwhile if you are just doing it for a statement," says Valdez, who intended only to wrestle during pre-season to get in shape. She decided, however, to continue for the entire season after all the effort she had put in. "I didn't do this much work to give up," says Valdez.

Both girls now participate not just for fitness, but because they enjoy wrestling. "Everyone struggles at practice, but [the work-outs] pay off," says Woodlock.

Close contact
Although wrestling is a contact sport, neither Woodlock nor Valdez find this aspect to be a problem. " When you're [wrestling], you totally forget that you're with a guy," says Valdez.

Valdez is accustomed to close but non-sexual contact with the opposite sex from her experience in ballet. "You're doing a sport and that's all it is," says Valdez.

Although senior co-captain Vincent Nguyen says he has few concerns about wrestling girls, he admits he is not quite sure how far is "too far" when wrestling with them. "The most awkward thing is that you don't know where to draw the line on what you can do physically," he says.

Edelstein says he is more conscious that he is wrestling a girl in practice than during a match although even in competition gender is never a big issue. "If you grab something you shouldn't during a match, you just have to keep going," he says.

According to Masood, Montgomery County has had few problems with girls wrestling on male-dominated teams, although some parents have occasionally raised concerns when their sons have had to wrestle girls.

The difference between guys and girls
According to Wrestling U.S.A. Magazine, the average male is 20 percent stronger than the average female and reacts 25 percent faster. Males also have a cardiovascular capacity advantage of 25-50 percent. Woodlock is determined, however, not to let these factors get in her way. "If you push yourself you can do it," she says.

Masood says that females rarely win matches in Montgomery County, although he does recall a Richard Montgomery High School female who won a few JV matches. Masood also recalls instances when a girl won by forfeit when a male did not want to wrestle her.

Girls can compete effectively with males in wrestling, however. A female from Oakland Mills High School has wrestled so successfully she is now on the High School National Team.

A growing trend
Recently the number of female high school wrestlers has increased by 1234 percent in the past six years, according to Fritz McGinnes at the National Federation of High Schools.

At the collegiate level, women wrestling has become an official varsity sport at five colleges, and countless women have joined collegiate men's programs, according to the Women's Freestyle Wrestling Program at The University of Minnesota-Morris.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2 female wrestlers bound for national tournament

By Lee Goddard
Sports writer 3/25/1998

After spending most of their careers wrestling against boys, two girls will have the opportunity to prove their wrestling ability in a girls-only national tournament.

Canisha Moses of Ribault and Deedee Edwards of Stanton are headed to Ann Arbor, Mich., for the first All-Girls National Wrestling Championship, which takes place Saturday and Sunday.

''I've always been tomboyish,'' said Edwards, a senior who will wrestle at the tournament in the 129- or 135-pound weight class. ''My next-door neighbor wrestled at Englewood and she got me into it. I found that girls were allowed to compete on the wrestling teams.''

Her first experience with wrestling could have been a negative. Edwards ran into a boy that was anxious about the possibility of losing to a girl.

''He was trying so hard to beat me,'' Edwards said. ''He almost broke my neck. I got rolled over on top of my head and the people in the crowd said it looked like my neck was going to get broken.''

To practice for the trip, Edwards has been wrestling Moses and some of the boys at Ribault.

''Canisha's pretty good,'' Edwards said. ''But I'm about 20 pounds heavier. I need to practice with boys that are closer to my weight.''

Moses, who also cheers, swims and participates in the ROTC, had a rough season. After two winning seasons, the senior had a losing record due in large part to a dislocated knee.

''I surprise people because I don't look like a wrestler,'' said Moses, who will wrestle in the 117-pound weight class in Michigan. ''But I have a lot of support and many people are proud of the accomplishments I have made as a girl wrestler.''

Moses, whose brother Cornell wrestled for the Trojans last year, has found wrestling to be an enjoyable challenge.

''I don't wrestle to prove a point,'' Moses said. ''I do it because it's interesting.''

Edwards and Moses are eager to claim national titles. Edwards is determined to bring something home.

''I am determined to prove that there's no way I am going to Michigan and not bringing anything home,'' she said. ''I want to let the girls that are interested know that they can accomplish this and also bring pride to my team. If I don't win, I will come real close.''

----------------------------------------

Wrestling: Milan's Betts is one of nation's top female wrestlers

By David Goricki / The Detroit News 3/25/2000

Katrina Betts of Milan is the nation's No. 1 girl wrestler for ages 13-16. And Betts has also displayed her ability and toughness against boys.
Betts, a freshman, was fourth at 112 pounds in the Southeastern Conference Meet on Saturday at Dexter. She is 13-6 at 112, but will drop down a class when the district tournament starts this week.
"She's having a great season," said Betts' father, Mike, who has been coaching her for the past nine years in freestyle. "She loves wrestling, and she's a tough kid. We're excited to see what she can do when she drops down a class. She could make it to state."
Betts took top-seeded Todd Pearsall of Chelsea to the limit in the SEC Tournament. She battled Pearsall to a tie at 7 before he took a two-minute time-out after suffering an injury. He then returned to the mat and won a 10-7 decision.
Betts not only took the league's No. 1-seeded wrestler to the final seconds, but she did it after returning from a monthlong layoff because of an injured left shoulder.
"I'm not doing as well as I'd like to be," Betts said. "The boys are a lot stronger than me. My goal was to have a winning season, and I am. I'm also going down to a lower weight class for districts. I want to make it at least to regionals. I'm going to have to place in the top four at districts to qualify."
Betts earned the Girls National Freestyle title at 108 pounds last year in New Orleans. After the high school season, she will compete in the Cadet World Team Trials April 10-11 in Lacrosse, Wis., and the National Freestyle Tournament in New Orleans in June. She could compete in the world championships in Great Britain by placing first in New Orleans.
"Her freestyle experience has probably hurt her for wrestling high school," Mike Betts says. "She works well on her feet, and her balance and technique is good, but she doesn't work a lot from the bottom."
Katrina agrees. "I'm more used to freestyle since that's where I'm more experienced. I don't like to work off the bottom, so I get called for stalling a lot."
While Betts is the No. 1 wrestler in the nation among 13-16-year-olds, she is eighth in the world in the 16-20 division.
"After coaching her for nine years, we were glad to see her go to another coach to have a break from me," Mike Betts said. "It's a good experience for her. The main thing is she's having fun."
Betts is coached by Matt Fallon, Milan's coach.

---------------------------

In Comstock Park: Female wrestler reaches record 101 high school victories

A hundred wins is "pretty good for anybody," state high school official says of Casey Baranoski's 101-42 wrestling record at Comstock Park High School.

COMSTOCK PARK -- Casey Baranoski recalls how a male opponent wouldn't touch her because she's a girl. Perhaps other wrestlers should have surrendered, too.
The high-school wrestler has a career record of 101-42, becoming the only girl in the country with that many victories, officials say.
"That's pretty good for anybody," said John Johnson, spokesman for the Michigan High School Athletic Association.
"Those findings are a little inconclusive because no records like that are kept," said Mark McClenathan, a state tournament official. "But we checked with everybody we could think of and we can't find any other girl at that level."
Baranoski, a senior at Comstock Park High School, north of Grand Rapids, posted her 100th victory last weekend at the Central Montcalm Invitational. She finished in third place at 112 pounds.
She is 17 wins away from landing among the top five wrestlers in school history.
Baranoski started wrestling when she was 5. As a freshman, she was 30-12 at 103 pounds and finished third in the O-K Silver conference. She was conference champ at that weight as a sophomore.
"I love wrestling," Baranoski said. "It's the most competitive sport I've participated in. It's just you vs. the other guy. There is no one to help you."
Jessi Ross of Essexville Garber was 76-23 in two seasons as a wrestler. Lauren Wolf was a successful wrestler at Okemos but didn't get 100 victories.
Baranoski's father, Andy, is her coach.
"I know it was a big goal of hers to reach 100," he said. "She is extremely self-motivated and has a certain tenacity you'd like all your wrestlers and athletes to have."

------------------------------------

Kristen Jewett First Female To Ever Win Regional Title

Aaron C. Miller and Pete Shorey 2/1999

For most lady wrestlers winning a state championship is a feat many only dream of. That dream came true on Saturday for Wiscasset High School's only female wrestler, Kristen Jewett

When asked how it felt to be the only girl in the state of Maine to win a Regional Championship, Kristen Jewett's reply was ``It felt absolutely wonderful!''

The crowd seemed to share Kristen's feelings on Saturday, as there were shouts and whistles of joy after she beat her opponent by one match point, thereby taking the title of Western Maine Champion for the 112 pound class home.

``Kristen started the season with reasonable expectations. Her goal was `to beat a guy,' but in the end she did much more than that.

``I felt like it was my time to win, and this was better than winning a regular match because you get a medal and a wall chart. My goal now is to place in states and continue to improve,'' she said.

The win didn't come as a surprise to Kristen. She was confident she would defeat her Dirigo opponent Josh Bissell.

Since her last interview in December, Kristen said she has improved her skills. ``I don't lose as much,'' she said. ``The matches are getting much closer.''

Carol, Kristen's mother, couldn't be more excited about her daughter's accomplishment.

``I think it's fabulous!'' she exclaimed. ``I was so excited for her.''

Although Carol is getting used to watching her only daughter compete, Saturday's event proved to keep her on the edge of her seat.

``The first time I went to see her last year I held my breath. Now I've come to relax,'' Carol said. ``Except on Saturday when I was filming her on my camera. I knew it meant so much to her to win.''

Kristen's mother offers her encouragement on and off the mats. That encouragement goes a long way for female wrestlers, as Kristen can attest. When asked to give words of advise to other female wrestlers she said, ``Offer encouragement. Don't get discouraged. Don't quit. The practices are hard and the wrestling is hard as well.''

Determination is a key element in competition. Kristen's determination keeps her adrenaline flowing, despite the odds.

Not only is she determined about learning new skills on the mats, she displays that drive to learn in the classroom as well. The Wiscasset High School sophomore has been an honor student since she started.

``It's really difficult, especially with the away meets,'' she said. ``As soon as I get home I have to do my work. But I still get it all done no matter.''

Getting the job done is something she has grown accustomed to. Last year she placed second in the Western Class C regionals, fifth in the states, and second against Hyde school.

Coach Guest was pleased with Kristen, as well as the rest of the team.

``I'm happy with the way we wrestled today. It's the end of the season and everyone is on top and wrestling hard. Our goal as a team was to get to the states, and we qualified every single person on our team. All of our kids were in the top three,'' Guest said.

This is the third year in the past four years that every wrestler on the team qualified for states. Four years ago every athlete made the state except for one.

Not only that, as the runner-up, Wiscasset wrestlers have proved to be just one step behind overall in the Western Maine Championships.

Senior wrestler T.J. James however is by no means a runner-up. James defeated his first opponent by pinning him in 50 seconds and his second opponent in 22 seconds.

The 140 lb. wrestler earned his Western Maine state championship for the third year in a row on Saturday. At Wiscasset's last event in the KVAC tournament on Saturday, January 30, James grabbed first place.

``T.J. was selected as first team all conference for KVAC wrestling,'' Guest said. ``The coaches had no problem selecting him because of his sportsmanship, attitude, and wrestling skills.''

James is undefeated with a 33-0 record.

Colton Tlumac and manager Megan Smith-Pinkham were selected for academic all state conference for KVAC's on Saturday as well.

``Megan has been a big help for me during the past three years and she deserves it,'' Guest said.

According to Guest, to be selected a student must maintain a 90 or better grade point average throughout high school.

Wiscasset High School wrestlers will move on to the state championships in Lincoln, Maine at Mattanacook Academy. The event begins at 10 a.m.

``We expect to be in the top four in the state this weekend,'' Guest added.

--------------------------------

Girl Power
Two Area Female Wrestlers Will Go to the Mat for Their Sport

Friday, February 12, 1999

By DURWARD BUCK
The Ledger

Three weeks ago, Sheila Devane was competing for a high finish in a wrestling tournament in Sebring. She had lost her first match but battled back through the consolation round and had a chance to place fifth in the 103-pound division. The Bartow High junior trailed her opponent, 6-4, and was the victim of a takedown in the third round. But she pulled a reverse and scored a pin with less than a minute remaining.

A rousing cheer went up among the 1,200 spectators, many of them high school wrestlers.

Devane acknowledged the applause.

"It was very nice," she said. "It shows me I have been accepted."

Devane is one of two girls in Polk County competing on varsity boys' wrestling teams. She fractured her left shoulder in a tournament at Lake Gibson and is out for the season, finishing 7-4.

At Auburndale, freshman Vanessa Colon wrestles at 112 pounds. She hasn't won a match but has been competitive, Coach Dennis Miller said.

"I wrestled this one guy at Kathleen, and I thought I had him pinned, but the referee didn't call it," said Colon, who will be competing in the Class 4A-District 9 District Tournament at Lake Gibson on Saturday.

There are two other female wrestlers at George Jenkins, Amy McDormond and Becky Friedlander, both freshmen. They work out with the squad but have not competed in a match.

Devane competed in an all-girl match in a dual meet in Sebring in January.

"The other wrestler weighed 125, but they asked if we would set it up," Miller said. "We did, kind of as an exhibition. Sheila was much faster, but she just gave up too much in weight."

The idea of girls wrestling on a varsity boys' teams is not new. Santa Fe Catholic had a wrestling squad 15 years ago that had a girl on it.

The number has increased to such a level that there is a national girls' tournament planned in Lansing, Mich., this summer.

The athletic abilities of the female wrestlers are as varied as in any sport. Some girls are willing but do not have the muscle mass to compete on a level with boys in larger weight divisions, Bartow Coach Dan Kratzer said.

"The ideal weight for a girl is 103," he said. "In the upper weights, the girls have not been strong enough in the upper body."

Miller said he had another girl on his wrestling squad at Auburndale in 1997, but she did not return this year.

"I guess it was grades," he said. "I haven't heard from her."

Auburndale's coach said he had five girls approach him before the season and asked whether they could form a girls' team.

"We just weren't ready for it," he said.

Devane and Colon don't take wrestling lightly.

"I'm serious about it," Devane said. "Even when I broke my shoulder in the match at Lake Gibson, I got up and finished the match. I'm already counting the days until I can start wrestling again. I'll be back next year."

Doctors told her she would need six weeks of recovery time. While she is recovering, she plans to run the 800 meters on Bartow's track team.

Colon has three more years to wrestle.

"I want to make it to state by the time I'm a senior," Colon said.

Said Miller: "She's tough. She doesn't quit; she keeps wrestling until it is over."

Miller said he makes the same demands of female wrestlers as he does of males.

"I don't change much," he said. "I sit down with the student and let her know what is going to be expected from her as an athlete and what she is going to be coming up against as a female in a male-dominated sport. I let all the guys on our team wrestle her as hard as anybody else."

--------------------------------

Southmoreland wrestlers fall to visiting West Greene

Jill Raygor and Brittany Yoder
For The Daily Courier 2/5/1999

ALVERTON - Southmoreland fell to the mat against visiting West Greene 53-12 in its third non-section match of the season.

Pioneers coach Allen Hughes was very pleased with his wrestlers and said all but a few met his expectations, while Southmoreland coach Jon Banko said his team needs to win, and that's the bottom line.

The Scots got off to a good start, with Josh Peterson pinning Nick Wise in 3:29, but then Southmoreland gave up six points by forfeiting to Josh Vitolo in the 112 lb. match. There was no match at 119 lbs., and Southmoreland's Brad Yoder out wrestled B.J. Kennedy, 3-1, at 125 lbs.

West Greene (3-0, 5-1) received 11 more points as Luke Vitolo received a forfeit at 130 lbs. and Andy Courtwright got a technical fall over Denny Genard in 3:16 at 135 lbs.

Steve Kaylor attempted a comeback for Southmoreland (3-0, 3-3) when he overpowered Denny Rudman for a 3-0 decision.

These concluded what Banko felt were his exceptional wrestlers. It was all downhill from there for the Scotties.

West Greene tallied their remaining 36 points by pinning the rest of the Scotties wrestling team.

Though the next six matches were disappointing for Southmoreland, one good thing did come out of the match. Deva Murphy made Scotties history by becoming the first female wrestler ever to wrestle in a varsity match.

The Pioneers were pleased with their win and they hope it leads to continued success for the rest of the season.

"We'll use this match as a building block for our next matches," Hughes said.

The Scotties will be back in action on Wednesday when they host Valley in a Section 4-AA battle.