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Truman's Hills doing fine at wrestling with the boys
The 5-foot sophomore has not had any problems fitting in with her teammates. However, opponents sometimes try to avoid taking her on.
By Joe Santoliquito Thursday, January 18
INQUIRER SUBURBAN STAFF
Harry S Truman High wrestling coach Steve Given admits it: He's an old-school kind of guy. But when Aquilla Hills stepped into the wrestling room, Given had no problems having a girl as part of his team.
She weighs in separately, but other than that, Hills, a 5-foot sophomore, is no different than any other team member. She has a 5-3 record with the Tigers' varsity at 103 pounds. Two of those wins were pins.
"Aquilla loses some battles with strength sometimes, but that's because she's a light 103-pounder," said Given, whose team is 5-4 overall and 1-4 in the Suburban One League National Conference heading into tonight's match at Pennsbury.
"I haven't seen Aquilla outwrestled yet. She's been a nice surprise in the way that she's been successful on the mat. I knew she would have success at the junior varsity level, but varsity is another step."
Taking the step onto a wrestling team for a girl is an unusual event - even in 2001. Given rarely sees female varsity wrestlers, let alone a girl who is as successful as Hills.
Hills comes from a wrestling background. Her father, John, wrestled in high school. Aquilla has been wrestling for eight years.
"I had no doubts about wrestling in high school," Aquilla Hills said. "I wanted to wrestle in high school, and I'd like to wrestle in college."
Truman team members say Hills has earned their respect.
"Aquilla's been accepted real well by us," said senior captain Larry O'Connor, who has a 16-3 record at 112 pounds. "She didn't have anything to prove to us. She just had to do what everyone else did, not complain and show up to practice. She's done it quite well.
"It's not anything new to me, because I've been wrestling with her for six years. She's proven on the mat that she's pretty good. She definitely had to work for this."
O'Connor said Hills' opponents would be making a big mistake to underestimate her ability, but he said he could sympathize with Hills' victims.
"It has to be hard on a guy to lose to a girl," he said. "Your whole confidence level has to drop if you lose to a girl. But Aquilla did not come out to prove a statement. She does it because she enjoys wrestling. No one can down her for that."
Given used to teach Hills in seventh grade at FDR Junior High in Bristol. He knew she wrestled for a local club, the Truman Rams; her father is an assistant coach with that squad. He also knew she was an accomplished wrestler, since Hills won the 103/112-pound class of the Pennsylvania girls' state championships, sponsored by the PIAA, last spring.
Hills has ability. She offsets her strength disadvantage by using a combination of technique, experience, and quickness.
"To tell the truth, I went after her," Given said. "I needed a 103-pounder, and she wrestled for the spot and won the spot.
"Her goal was to wrestle varsity. That's what she's doing. She wants to wrestle in college - that's her ultimate goal - and trying to make the sport grow a little bit."
Hills used to be a cheerleader for her father's club team, but she decided she wanted to be part of the action, so she approached her father about competing. John Hills was fine with it, as was Aquilla's mother, Gayle.
"I liked the competitiveness of wrestling, and I'm very aggressive," Aquilla Hills said. "Plus, I think it's the toughest sport there is. In other sports, you have teammates you can depend on. In wrestling, it's just you and the person you're going against."
Hills has encountered roadblocks. Some boys, she says, have refused to wrestle her because they are afraid she will beat them. She took third place at the Harry S Truman Tournament last month, winning by forfeit.
"I didn't want to win by forfeit," Hills said. "It's kind of frustrating. Being a girl, guys are naturally stronger, and you have to work harder. They don't realize that."
Truman wrestlers do not take it easy on Hills during practice. Hills arrived with respect because all of the team members knew her through club wrestling and junior high school.
"Aquilla already had respect from the team. Respect was something for her to lose, in my opinion," Given said. "I'll tell you one thing: She's going to be successful in life, because she's persevered. She always works hard, never takes any practice time off.
"Aquilla really enjoys wrestling. She enjoys competing, she enjoys winning, and accepts losing. She learns by her mistakes. How far she goes depends on her. But it's very obvious she can compete at the varsity level."
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Joe Santoliquito's e-mail address is jsantoliquito@phillynews.com
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USA Wrestling has announced tentative lineups for the 2001 Winter
Tours for women. U.S. teams will compete in three top
international tournaments, in both Europe and North America.
The women’s tours start in Manitoba, Canada with the Manitoba
Open, Feb. 3. Many of the Team USA members will be competing
under their own club names, but the U.S. will be sending two
wrestlers as part of the winter tour program. Patricia Miranda
(Saratoga, Calif./Dave Schultz WC) will compete at 112.25 pounds
and Sandra Bacher (San Jose, Calif./Dave Schultz WC) will compete
at 149.75 pounds.
Miranda competed in her first World Championships in 2000 and
came home with a silver medal. Bacher is a three-time World
medalist: a 1999 World Champion, a bronze medalist in 1998 and
silver medalist in 1997.
Two members of the 1999 Women’s World Team which won the World
team title will compete at the Yasar Dogu Tournament in Ankara,
Turkey, March 2-3.
Tricia Saunders (Phoenix, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) will compete at
101.25 pounds and Tina Wilson (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist
Kids) will wrestle at 136.5 lbs.
Saunders is a four-time World Champion (1992, 1996, 1998, 1999)
and a ten-time U.S. Nationals champion (1990-96, 1998-00).
Wilson placed sixth in the 1999 World Championships and was a
1998 and 2000 World Team member.
Other making the Turkey trip are: Jenny Wong (Minneapolis,
Minn./Sunkist Kids), Tonya Evinger (Bates City, Mo./Missouri
Valley), Toccara Montgomery (Cleveland, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) and
Iris Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids).
Wong is ranked No. 3 at 112.25 pounds on the U.S. National Team,
Evinger is ranked No. 2 at 136.5 pounds and Montgomery, who is
the 2000 junior world silver medalist, is ranked No. 2 at 149.75
pounds. Smith was a 2000 World Team member and will wrestle at
165.25 pounds.
The U.S. tour schedule will finish at the Klippan Lady Open in
Klippan, Sweden, March 9-11. The U.S. contingent will be strong
for this competition as well.
This is the first year women’s competition will be added in
Turkey. The U.S. is also sending a men’s freestyle team to
compete.
Julie Gonzales (Vallejo, Calif./Peninsula Grapplers) and 2000
World Team member Clarissa Chun (Kapolei, Hawaii/Missouri Valley)
will compete at 101.25 pounds. Malissa Sherwood (Rocklin,
Calif./Missouri Valley) and Erin Tomeo (Volant, Pa./TAPS) will
compete at 123.25 pounds. 2000 World Team member Sara McMann
(Lock Haven, Pa./Sunkist Kids) will compete at 136.5 pounds,
while Melanie Macari (Fremont, Calif./Unattached) will wrestle at
149.75 pounds and Dominique Smalley (Iowa City, Iowa/Missouri
Valley) will represent the U.S. at 165.25 pounds.
The U.S. coach for the Manitoba Open is Tom Bailey of Cour
d’Alene, Idaho. Two-time World medalist Afsoon Johnston of San
Diego, Calif. is the U.S. coach for the Klippan Lady Open.
U.S. Women Winter Tour lineups
Manitoba Open, Manitoba, Canada, Feb. 3
112.25 lbs./51 kg - Patricia Miranda, Saratoga, Calif., (Dave
Schultz WC)
149.75 lbs./68 kg - Sandra Bacher, San Jose, Calif., (Dave
Schultz WC)
Coach - Tom Bailey, Cordelaine, Idaho
Yasar Dogu Tournament, Ankara, Turkey, March 2-3
101.25 lbs./46 kg - Tricia Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz., (Sunkist
Kids)
112.25 lbs./51 kg - Jenny Wong, Minneapolis, Minn., (Sunkist Kids)
123.25 lbs./56 kg - Tina Wilson, Colorado Springs, Colo.,
(Sunkist Kids)
136.5 lbs./62 kg - Tonya Evinger, Bates City, Mo., (Missouri
Valley)
149.75 lbs./68 kg - Toccara Montgomery, Cleveland, Ohio, (Sunkist
Kids)
165.25 lbs./75 kg - Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo., (Sunkist
Kids)
Klippan Lady Open, Klippan, Sweden, March 9-11
101.25 lbs./46 kg - Julie Gonzales, Vallejo, Calif., (Peninsula
Grapplers), Clarissa Chun, Kapolei, Hawaii, (Missouri Valley)
123.25 lbs./56 kg - Malissa Sherwood, Rocklin, Calif., (Missouri
Valley), Erin Tomeo, Volant, Pa., (TAPS)
136.5 lbs./62 kg - Sara McMann, Lock Haven, Pa., (Sunkist Kids)
149.75 lbs./68 kg - Melanie Macari, Fremont, Calif., (Unattached)
165.25 lbs./75 kg - Dominique Smalley, Iowa City, Iowa, (Missouri
Valley)
Coach - Afsoon Johnston , San Diego, Calif.