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Helena Day

Date: Mon, 08 Jan 2001

SAN MATEO -- Among a core of youngsters, one veteran wrestler stands out.
Eric Cardoza (130) has already made waves by composing a 13-2 record that
includes first place showings at both the Mills and Livermore Tournaments.
Combining maturity and strong wrestling techniques, Cardoza could become a
serious threat in Sections.

Thomas Bandong (152) is a promising freshman who could become a surprise.
Helena Day (135), who took third at the women's nationals last season,
returns for the Bearcats

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Malott leaves Missouri Valley College

01/08/2001

By Rick Kretzschmar / Special Contributor to the Arlington Morning News

Brenda Malott said that college wrestling was her goal this past summer. That goal has changed, and wrestling is no longer a part of that future.

Malott, a former two-time state champion for Sam Houston, has left Missouri Valley College's womens wrestling program, after signing in June. Missouri Valley, which is located in Marshall, Mo., is one of three colleges with intercollegiate wrestling programs, along with Minnesota-Morris and Cumberland (Ky.) College.

Malott said the number of girls at Missouri Valley (80) and her attitude toward wrestling changing were factors in her departure.

"It wasn't what I expected. It wasn't for me," Malott said. "It wasn't fun anymore. Wrestling wasn't going to take to where I want to be, and I want to be a pharmacist. Missouri Valley didn't offer any courses in my major."

Malott won state championships in 1999 and 2000 at 128 pounds and was a runner-up in 1998. She helped Sam Houston win a team title in 1999 and runner-up finishes in 1998 and 2000.

Malott's high school record was 64-5 and she received All-America recognition at the U.S. Girls Wrestling Association National Championships in April. Malott is one of four area girls to win more than one state championship, along with former Sam Houston teammate Melony Monahan, Bowie's Angela Martinez and Geanie Jaffe of Arlington High.

Malott said she has enrolled at Tarrant County College's Southeast Campus and hopes to transfer to the University of Texas this fall, but her college wrestling career is probably over.

Malott said she will help out the current Sam Houston squad when she can, and encourages area girls wrestlers with the opportunity to try college wrestling.

"If it's what they want to do, they should do it," Malott said. "I just realized that wrestling wouldn't lead me to what I wanted."

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Sam Houston girls stuck with tie

Martin boys rally to take third place at Lone Star Duals

01/07/2001

By Rick Kretzschmar / Contributor to the Arlington Morning News

GRAND PRAIRIE - Martin's inability to wrestle well early in the morning this weekend unearthed an Achilles' heel from the past: sub-par wrestling by its lightweights. On Saturday, that weakness ended Martin's hopes for an undefeated dual season.

With its lightweights digging a hole the rest of the team could not climb out of, Martin fell to Dallas Jesuit, 38-28, in the semifinals of the Lone Star Duals high school competition. It was Martin's first loss in a dual this season.

The loss denied Martin a shot at national power New Orleans Brother Martin in the final. Brother Martin won its second straight Lone Star Duals title with a 53-9 win over Jesuit in the final.

Martin rebounded to finish third overall in the competition, before 1,000 spectators at South Grand Prairie's Warrior Coliseum, but it had to settle for less than a win for a second time. After defeating Canyon Randall, Martin tied El Paso Hanks in the third-place match, 38-38, but was rewarded third place for the most individual wins (8-7) in the dual.

Another tie score came up in the girls competition, but the result did give a share of a championship for a local team: Sam Houston. After initially being declared the winner, a scoring error was discovered and the Lady Texans shared the title with El Paso Hanks, with 96 points each. The scenario was similar to last year's state tournament, which initially had Sam Houston the state champions before a scoring mistake was discovered, giving the title to Amarillo Caprock.

There was no question that Martin (19-1-1) was in trouble early in the Jesuit dual, dropping its first five matches for a 19-0 deficit. Jesuit extended its lead to 28-4, with a key swing in the 145-pound match. Tyler Patterson had a 3-1 lead on Jesuit's Matt Wiggins, but Wiggins threw Patterson and got a pin with 33 seconds left.

This season, Martin's lightweights have either been good or good enough to hold ground for its upperweights. Without that help, Martin needed all of its upperweights to come through, and it came too late with Chad Mills losing, 14-6, to state-power T.J Hansen at 160 pounds and Jesse Keenan losing to Richard Lavery at 171.

Martin defeated Jesuit earlier this season at Martin, but Mills said this was not the same Jesuit team.

"Jesuit dropped its wrestlers down a class. They were stronger," Mills said. "We need to get back to what we've been working on. We gave up too many falls too easily."

Martin rebounded to defeat Canyon Randall in a consolation semifinal, 53-26, but even that match had a hint of disappointment. On Friday, Keenan upset state-ranked Kyle Edwards of Randall, 5-1. But on Saturday, Edwards got revenge with an identical 5-1 mark.

"I went into the match with the same mindset of wrestling to win. The results were just the opposite," Keenan said. "I really wanted to wrestle Brother Martin. We got a plaque, but we are not satisfied."

Martin also fell behind to Hanks, 23-0, but won seven of its next eight matches to take a 34-26 lead. But Martin's James Tarbutton (189 pounds) and Nick Bowers (275) suffered pins that led to the tie.

Sam Houston's tie in the girls competition turned out to be a pleasant surprise for the Lady Texans in that they had any share of the title at all. Hanks won three titles in the first five weight classes.

But Sam Houston got titles at 148 and 215 pounds from Brandi Killingsworth to even the score. Killingsworth had a 56-second pin, earning her outstanding wrestler honors.

"I was shocked. I guess we made up for it in consolation," said Killingsworth, before the scoring adjustment was made. "We still need to fill in holes on our team. Simone Smith is supposed to come back to the team. We're crossing our fingers."

Kim Bui also won a title for Sam Houston at 95 pounds, but she was unopposed."

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Mahomet wins Morton Invitational

Sunday, January 7, 2001
By Pantagraph staff

The No. 6-state ranked Mahomet-Seymour High School wrestling team scored 202.5 points to edge No. 22 Bloomington by five points for the championship of the 34th Morton Invitational Saturday.

Olympia, ranked second in Class A, placed fourth (180) behind Moline (183.5). Morton was 11th (51.5), Washington 13th (37) and Tremont 15th (14) in the 16-team field.

Mahomet-Seymour winners included Ryan Armetta (171) and Joe Sapp (215).

In a battle of the state's top heavyweights, Bloomington's No. 1-ranked Seth Livingston, the reigning state champion, edged No. 2-ranked Chris Little of Mahomet-Seymour in the title match, 4-2, in overtime.

Also winning for BHS was Nate Gaddy (145). Other area champions were Morton's Pat Barth (112) and Olympia's Josh Collins (125) and Justin Collins (130).

Second-place finishers included Olympia's Tim Deloriea (119) and Carlos Sanchez (140), Mahomet-Seymour's Chris Nowak (135) and Ryan Stites (160) and Bloomington's Brad Jameson (171) and Greg Callahan (215).

Area third-placer finishers were Mahomet-Seymour's Mary Kelly (103) and Josh Jeffers (125), Bloomington's Dustin Gordon (140) and Olympia's Allen Deloriea (112) and Adam Beccue (160) and Washington's Caleb Phillips (189)

Prairie Central wins own invitational: No. 14-state ranked Prairie Central won its own 15-team invitational, scoring 210.5 points to outdistance runner-up Tolono Unity by 24.5.
University High scored 144.5 in fifth while Dwight was sixth (125), El Paso-Chenoa ninth (91) and Streator 15th (28).

Prairie Central was led by champions Jordan Broquard (135 pounds) and Jared Kintner (215). Hawk runners-up included Ryan Schladenha (103) and Mark Schneider (125). Prairie Central third placers were Aaron Rathbun (130) and Marcus Miller (275).

Other area winners were U High's Devon Solomon (112) and Josh Phillips (152) and El Paso-Chenoa's Albert Schmidt (275).

Second-place finishers included Dwight's Pete Clausen (112) and Adam Struppa (152), El Paso-Chenoa's Derek Hunsinger (160) and U High's Chase McCoy (145). Dwight's Luke Russell took third at 135.