News Page
Grappling with an issue: Wrestlers fight back with peaceful protest
By Quwan Spears
Bee Staff Writer
(Published June 7, 2001)
The UC Davis wrestling team held a peaceful protest on campus Wednesday afternoon.
A group of 40 students gathered in front of Mrak Hall as 15 members of the team protested a number of issues, including alleged sexual discrimination against women wrestlers and the dismissal of a coach.
Neither UCD Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef nor athletic director Greg Warzecka could be reached for comment. But Bob Franks, associate vice chancellor for student affairs, said the university is willing to discuss the issues with the students.
In October, women wrestlers Chris Ng, Sam Reinis and Arezou Mansourian were removed from the team. The main reason given by the athletic department was concerns about insurance and liability.
Ng filed a gender-bias complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights on April 24. Ng and the two other female wrestlers were reinstated to the men's wrestling team last month.
Mike Burch was dismissed as wrestling coach for what some believe is retaliation for pushing the gender equity issue.
Assemblywoman Helen Thomson, D-Davis, has met with campus administrators to discuss the issues.
----------------------------------------------
UCD female wrestlers are subject of meeting
By Gary Voet
Bee Staff Writer
(Published June 6, 2001)
Assemblywoman Helen Thomson, D-Davis, and UC Davis Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef met Tuesday to discuss the controversy surrounding women on the school's wrestling team.
"There is no news to report," said Craig Reynolds, Thomson's chief of staff. "It was a good meeting, and the chancellor and Helen agreed on some discussion points. They are going to go back and forth the next few days."
"I thought the chancellor and Assemblywoman Thomson had a very good meeting, with a lot of constructive dialogue," said Marj Dickinson, assistant vice chancellor for government and community relations. "We had a staff meeting earlier, and we had some constructive dialogue there also. We are very optimistic we can find some common ground and find a mutually acceptable resolution."
Thomson is adamant that female wrestlers should be part of the varsity team, as they have in the past, and not be relegated to club status. That could result in a higher varsity roster cap. Currently, 30 roster spots are allotted for the UCD men's wrestling team.
Said Reynolds: "If a cap of 45 was set, in which the increase (included) eight women and seven men, it would have no negative impact on the gender equity issue. I don't think raising the cap should be a problem. What we are proposing is a transitional time period until 2004 to establish a women's program."
------------------------------------
2001 U.S. Freestyle Wrestling World Cup Team named U.S. Olympic Committee Team of the Month for May
6/11/01
Lindsay Davis/U.S. Olympic Committee
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. - The United States Olympic Committee today announced the May 2001 Athlete and Team of the Month Award winners.
The 2001 U.S. Freestyle Wrestling World Cup Team won the team title at the World Cup of Freestyle Wrestling, held in Baltimore, Md., May 5-6 and earned themselves first place USOC team honors for the month of May. The World Cup event is the annual international dual meet championship for wrestling, and one of the most important events in the sport each year.
The United States won dual meets over four major international powers during the competition, defeating Iran, Russia, Turkey and Uzbekistan on the way to the team title. The U.S. Freestyle Wrestling team members are Stephen Abas (Fresno, Calif.), Teague Moore (Pittsburgh, Pa,), Kerry Boumans (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Cary Kolat (Morgantown, W.Va.), Chris Bono (Gilbert, Iowa), Joe Williams (Iowa City, Iowa), Charles Burton (Bloomington, Ind.), Dominic Black (Colorado Springs, Colo.) Chad Lamer (Iowa City, Iowa) and Kerry McCoy (Bethlehem, Pa.). The team is coached by Mark Manning (Lincoln, Neb.), Zeke Jones (Morgantown, W.Va.) Kevin Jackson (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Mike Duroe (Colorado Springs, Colo.).
It was the first time that a U.S. wrestling team has won the Team of the Month award since the award has been in existence.
Wrestlers also placed second in the voting for Male and Female Athletes of the Month for May.
Topping the voting in the men's race was Alan Webb (Reston, Va.), who became the fastest U.S. high school miler of all time when he ran the mile in 3:53.43 at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore. on May 27, 2001. Webb's mile time was the fastest recorded by an American runner this year. The 18-year-old senior at Reston's South Lakes High School broke Jim Ryun's 36-year-old high school mile record of 3:55.3 by nearly two seconds. At the same event, Webb continued his success by setting an all-time U.S. high school best for the 1,500-meter race when he ran it in 3:38.26.
Kerry McCoy (Bethlehem, Pa.), a 2000 Olympian, won a gold medal at 286 pounds for the United States at the World Cup of Freestyle Wrestling, held in Baltimore, Md., May 5-6. It was the third straight year that McCoy claimed a gold medal at this major international event. His performance helped lead the USA to the team title at the competition as well as taking second place for USOC (Male) Athlete of the Month. McCoy won four matches, dominating his opponents. He pinned Ebrahim Mehraban of Iran, a clutch victory that gave the USA a one-point win over Iran in the dual meet in the final match of the evening. He scored a 10-0 technical fall over Ruslan Utegenov of Uzbekistan, defeated Aydin Polatci of Turkey 8-5, and defeated Nikolai Telegin of Russia by disqualification.
On the women's side, Kimberley Bruckner (Boulder, Colo.), 31, received the USOC (Female) Athlete of the Month award for becoming only the sixth woman in U.S. Cycling history to win two titles at the same national road cycling championship. She placed first in the time trials as well as the road race and beat out the reigning time trial world champion Mari Holden during the U.S. National Road Cycling Championships, May 24-26, 2001. Earlier in the month, Bruckner captured first place at the Hoysatonic Valley Classic in Danbury, Conn., and during the first week in May, she came in second in the Tour of the Gila in New Mexico. She is currently ranked first on the National Racing Calendar Standings.
While wrestling to second-place USOC (Female) Athlete of the Month honors, Iris Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo.) won a pair of gold medals in international wrestling events during the month of May. She was the champion at 165.25 pounds at the Dave Schultz Memorial International in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 11-12. In the gold-medal finals of the annual event, she pinned Cecelia Alenius of Sweden in 5:08. She also claimed a gold medal at the Pan American Women's Wrestling Championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, May 17-18, winning this major title for the second straight year. She won three matches in the competition, pinning Arelis Taveras of the Dominican Republic and Luida Carras of El Salvador and defeating Yamilezt Ramos of Venezuela, 9-1
Results (first place points in parentheses)
Team
1. 2001 U.S. Freestyle Wrestling World Cup Team 27 (24)
2. Stanford University Women's Tennis Team 26 (9)
3. Saturn Cycling Team 15 (6)
Others receiving first place votes: U.S. Men's Synchronized Platform Diving Team; 2001 U.S. Men's National Ice Hockey Team; Santa Clara Aquamaids "A" Synchronized Swimming Team.
Men
1. Alan Webb, Track and Field 41 (30)
2. Kerry McCoy, Wrestling 17 (9)
3. Andy Roddick, Tennis 13 (3)
Others receiving first place votes: Danny Pate, Cycling.
Women
1. Kimberley Bruckner, Road Cycling 31 (24)
2. Iris Smith, Wrestling 28 (15)
3. Laura Granville, Tennis 17 (9)
Others receiving first place votes: Stacy Dragila, Track and Field; Regina Jaquess, Water Skiing.
-------------------------------------------
Up to 175 of the best wrestlers in the USA to compete at the World Team Trials, presented by United Airlines, at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, June 22-24
6/11/01
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling
A strong field of up to 175 of the best freestyle, Greco-Roman and women wrestlers in the nation are expected to compete at 2001 World Team Trials, presented by United Airlines. This spectacular event will be held at the Cintas Center at Xavier University, June 22-24.
Champions from this competition will receive the coveted opportunity to wrestle on U.S. soil at the 2001 World Championships of Wrestling, which will be held at Madison Square Garden in New York City, September 26-29.
This is also the first time in USA Wrestling history that the World Team Trials for men’s freestyle, women’s freestyle and men’s Greco-Roman will be held together at one site.
The event offers sports fans from Ohio and neighboring states a chance to witness numerous Olympic and World team members in competition, as well as potential future Olympians. The quality of the competition is expected to be outstanding. Only athletes who have met specific qualification requirements may compete in this tournament.
In Greco-Roman, all three Olympic medalists from the 2000 Sydney Games have continued to compete and are expected in the World Team Trials. This includes Olympic champion Rulon Gardner (Afton, Wyo./Sunkist Kids) at 286 pounds, Olympic silver medalist Matt Lindland (Oregon City, Ore./Sunkist Kids) at 187.25 pounds and Olympic bronze medalist Garrett Lowney (Freedom, Wis./Minnesota Storm) at 213.75 pounds. In addition, 1996 Olympic silver medalist Dennis Hall (Plover, Wis./Sunkist Kids) also compete at 127.75 pounds.
2000 Olympic freestyle silver medalist Sammie Henson (Norman, Okla./Sunkist Kids) may compete at 119 pounds. A number of other past U.S. freestyle Olympians and World Team members should also enter.
In the women’s competition, all three past U.S. World Champions are expected to participate: four-time World Champion Tricia Saunders (Phoenix, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) at 101.25 pounds, plus 1999 World Champion Sandy Bacher (San Jose, Calif./Dave Schultz WC) at 149.75 pounds and 2000 World Champion Kristie Marano (Albany, N.Y./ATWA) at 149.75 pounds.
The major qualifying event was the 2001 U.S. National Wrestling Championships, held in Las Vegas, Nev. in April. The top six men freestyle placewinners in each weight class from the U.S. Nationals have qualified for Cincinnati, as have the top seven men’s Greco-Roman placewinners and the top eight women’s freestyle placewinners.
The other qualifying standards differ, based upon the style. Among the qualifying factors are current National Team membership, major international competition medalists, past World or Olympic team membership, 2001 University Nationals gold medalists, 2001 Armed Forces Greco-Roman champions and recent Junior World Championship medalists.
There are eight weight classes in each style in men’s wrestling and six weight classes in women’s freestyle wrestling. Each of the 2001 U.S. Nationals champions automatically advance to Sunday’s championship finals.
The tournament format features a two-day Challenge Tournament and a championship finals series. The Challenge Tournament in all three styles will be held on Friday, June 22 and Saturday, June 23. This includes all of the competitors except for the 2001 National Champions who are automatically in the finals. On Sunday, June 24, the Championship finals in each weight class will be held, featuring the national champion facing the Challenge Tournament winner in a best-of-three series.
Ticket Prices are reasonable for coaches, athletes, fans and families. An All-Session Pass for all three days is just $50. Each Challenge Tournament session costs just $10. The price for the Championship Finals for an adult is $30 and the Championships Finals for youth (18 and under) is $20.
To order tickets, call Ticketmaster at (513)562-4949 or on-line at www.ticketmaster.com. Ticketmaster and credit card purchases are subject to additional surcharges.
Group rates are also available. For groups of 12 or more, contact Marge Civil at 719-598-8181. For those needing hotels, visit online at www.THS-wrestling.com or call (888)859-1124.
Ohio is a hotbed for wrestling in the United States, and the location in Cincinnati makes the event within close range of wrestling fans from across the region, including the East, Midwest and South. All sports fans are encouraged to make plans to come to Cincinnati for some truly special wrestling.