"I wasn't ready for his aggressiveness at the beginning," said Beltz. "After that, I got my game plan going. He won and he wrestled better than me. I had the chance to go for first place."
Beltz scored most of his points in the final period and made a strong run back at the state champion.
"He wasn't prepared for the aggressiveness of his finals opponent and it cost him the match," said St. Clair Head Coach Mark Payne. "However, Ryan won the last period, convincingly, against a nationally ranked wrestler. He put on a takedown clinic that turned a lot of heads. I don't think anyone in that arena other than myself and the ones that know Ryan thought that he could do what he did. It was one of the most amazing displays of wrestling I've ever seen."
And Payne feels Beltz will only get better.
"Ryan is a talent that I have never coached before," said Payne. "Last year, I coached a wrestler that most people believed was the best wrestler in the state of Virginia Class A, but I think Ryan has even more talent than that wrestler."
Beltz has been a learner his entire career. After starting his freshman year in Chamberlain, S.D., the family moved back to St. Clair in the middle of the season.
"We actually lived in a city where everything was in one block," Beltz said. "The grocery store, the movies, the pharmacy and the school were all right there."
Ryan became eligible at the end of the season and wrestled once (winning) before the start of the district tournament.
After winning a district title last year at 135 pounds, Ryan placed sixth in the Class 2 state meet.
This year, Ryan was able to compete with his sister, Randi, on the team. Randi, a senior, placed third in the 112-pound division. She has been one of Ryan's biggest supporters.
"I would have to give all of the credit to Coach Payne and my wrestling partner this year," Beltz said. "My dad helped me train over the summer, even when I didn't want to. Randi has pushed me harder than anybody. She had a tough draw. We both have different styles. I don't consider myself any better than her."
Ryan said there is no sibling rivalry with his sister.
"I'm so proud of Randi," Ryan said. "I can't describe how proud she made me this year coming out third. She was the first girl to win a medal at state and she came back her senior year and got third to win another medal. I'm beyond proud."
With a full season in Missouri this year, Ryan built up an impressive record and repeated as a district winner.
At the state meet, he continued his string with wins over Moberly's Dylan Huffman and Benton's Matt Brown.
Both Beltz siblings wrestled in the semifinals. Oddly, they wrestled the VanHoose brothers of Kirksville. While Randi lost in her match to the eventual state champion, Ryan advanced to his own state final by pinning Jacob VanHoose in 5:24.
"It was tough," Ryan said. "I think both matches were tough. VanHoose and I had quite a battle. He came back and got third. It was a tough match."
Ryan is looking forward to having two more years with the Bulldogs.
*Ryan Beltz (145), So 40-5, 2nd Place
W vs. Dylan Huffman, Moberly,
3:15
W vs. Matt Brown, Benton, 7-2
W vs. Jacob VanHoose, Kirksville,
5:24
L vs. Kellen Bounous, Monett, 14-7
=======================================================================================
Washington
Kingston’s Witt takes state championship
Today, 10:47 AM · UPDATED
By BRIAN J. OLSON 3/3/09
bolson@northkitsapherald.com
 Kingston’s Kiana
Witt has her hand raised as state wrestling champion in the female 11
|
KINGSTON - When asked if she expected to win the state wrestling championship at the 21st annual Mat Classic, Kingston’s Kiana Witt simply nods her head as a shy smile creases her lips.
No one who has seen Witt compete was particularly surprised when the referee raised the Kingston sophomore’s hand after the girls’ 112-pound title bout Saturday in Tacoma.
“I was pretty happy,” she said of her own reaction to the victory.
Witt has already racked up a dozen wins against the girls in her weight class, and has yet to lose to a fellow female wrestler.
But classifying Witt as simply a good “female” wrestler would be a mistake. She has been exceptional against the boys too, going 24-5 this season against wrestlers with a Y chromosome.
“She’s an extreme competitor,” said her coach, Bobby Reece. “Not very many people have that competitiveness between the whistles.”
Winning the first place trophy was a battle for Witt, who fought a cold and an injury to her right shoulder throughout the championship weekend. As a result of her injury, Witt was forced to rely on the strength of her left side more than usual. Even so, she was not distracted, and made the necessary changes to her technique to come out victorious.
“When I get on the mat and the whistle blows,” said Witt, “I block everything out and just wrestle.”
“It’s very draining emotionally,” Reece said of the state tournament. “It’s an emotional rollercoaster just watching some of these kids.”
Heading into the offseason, Witt plans to attend wrestling camps and practice her freestyle technique. She expects to be a contender again next year as a junior. But first, she will have to rest up and make sure that shoulder heals properly.
“She did what she was supposed to do,” said Reece. “I couldn’t be more proud of her.”
========================================================================================Texas
The Tigers have won six of them – including the last two in a row.
But some Lady Tigers have high hopes of bringing another state championship trophy into the fold this week when six of them compete in the Class 5A girls state wrestling championships at Austin.
Even coach Vinnie Lowe won’t deny his team has a chance. But Lowe knows it won’t be easy.
Katy’s girls finished eighth in the tournament last year after taking sixth two years ago and second in 2006. If they won it this year, it would be the first non-football state title at Katy.
“I think we could have a chance this year if we get some breaks and just have a real good weekend,” Lowe said. “That’s the way it is every year. You’ve got to have a great weekend. But these girls are capable of it.”
At least four of the Tigers have legitimate shots at winning individual titles – unbeaten 138-pounder Julie Stayton (36-0), defending state champion Alana Jimenez (27-2) at 165, 215-pounder Marcia Shelvin (20-3) and 128-pounder Kathleen Farmer (37-1).
Stayton finished fifth at state last year.
“Julie has really developed into a wrestler this year,” Lowe said. “She believes in herself and it has started to show on the mat.
“She just has such a great attention to detail and that’s important in wrestling. It’s the little things that you do that make the difference and she’s starting to do them all.”
Jimenez has lost both times this year to College Park’s Brittany Roberts (30-1) and beaten her one time. The two will be in opposite brackets this week.
“They all have been one-point decisions,” Lowe said. “They are pretty wild matches.”
Shelvin has a score to settle.
“She’s on a little bit of a quest,” Lowe said. “Last year in the regional finals, she dislocated her elbow and barely qualified. Then she got pinned in her first match at state.
“She had beaten the eventual state champion and the runnerup, so she really has something to prove this year.”
Farmer’s only loss this year has been to Cy Fair’s Julie Smith. And Lowe believes she’s on a mission as well.
Lowe says the Tigers also expect strong showings from 119-pounder Christina Cochran (36-6) who “wrestles like a guy sometimes – she just tries to rip their heads off.” And 102-pounder Caroline Kuhn (27-12), who is just a sophomore but has recently “come into her own.”
====================================================================================
Texas
Katy Girls Take Second
In the boys state tournament, Taylor’s Nico Carlson topped off a 43-0 season by pinning Grapevine's Evyn Perry to win the 285-pound championship.
Taylor’s 145-pounder Chris Hart finished fifth as the Mustangs placed 11th in the team standings. No other Katy IISD boys placed.
Jimenez (30-2) won the 165-pound state title by beating College Park’s Brittany Roberts. The victory gave Jimenez a 2-2 record against Roberts this season. Neither wrestler has lost to anyone else this year.
Katy’s Julie Stayton (40-1) lost for the first time this season when she fell in the finals in a double overtime tiebreaker to Arlington Lamar’s Frances Efiong.
The Lady Tigers also got a third place from 128 Kathleen Farmer (39-3) and a fifth from 215-pounder Marcia Shelvin (22-6) as Katy finished runnerup in the team chase for the second time in the last four years.
The 84 points was the highest total ever for Katy, which finished second in 2006, sixth in 2007 and eighth last year. The Tigers finished behind Amarillo Caprock, which won its sixth straight girls state title by scoring 101 points.
“You always want to win the championship when you come here,” coach Vinnie Lowe said. “But you can’t walk away disappointed when you score this many points and finish second.”
MA.
Learning the ropes
By Ryan Wood
Tue Mar 03, 2009, 04:25 PM EST
PLYMOUTH -
Aleksandra Magdziak Lopes and Manuel Antonio Lopes are ready to rumble.The two fighters are part of a loaded card for Friday’s
Mayflower Madness, which takes place at Memorial Hall in downtown Plymouth. The
event is the first in a four-part series of Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic
Entertainment and Sports and Plymouth Memorial Hall Presents The Radisson Hotel
Plymouth Harbor Fight Series.
Magdziak takes on Providence’s Kali “Mequinonoag” Reis
(1-0-0, 1 KO) in her first professional fight.
“I think it’s neat to go back home and have my first
professional fight there,” Magdziak said. “I’m really excited about that.”
Magdziak, who lives in Quincy, grew up in Gliwice,
Poland, an industrial city an hour and a half south of Krakow. She moved to
Plymouth 13 years ago and graduated from Plymouth South High School in 1998.
Magdziak lived in Poland for 16 years. At age 7, she began playing sports and
over the years competed in tennis, track and field, volleyball, basketball,
horseback riding, and she danced.
“My parents always put a lot of emphasis on athletics,”
said Magdziak, who didn’t know what reaction she’d get from her parents when
she first told them she boxed. “My mom supports me in everything I do. She
knows I’m motivated. But she very much hates everything to do with violence.
She doesn’t like the sport.”
Manuel Antonio Lopes graduated from Marshfield High
School in 2003. He fought his first match at the age of 8. He started taking it
seriously when he turned 18 and graduated high school.
“My dad’s my trainer, and we started working out at the
Pembroke Boys Club,” Lopes said. “Now we’re over at Petronelli’s in Brockton
six days a week, two times a day.”
Lopes will fight a four-round match against Eric Clinton
from Tallahassee, Fla. Lopes said he didn’t know anything about Clinton until
he came across a video he found online of one of Clinton’s fights.
“He’s a good fighter,” Lopes said. “He’s got a good right
hand. It won’t be a walk in the park. It’ll be a good fight.”
On the amateur circuit, Lopes compiled a 23-1 record. He
won the New England Golden Gloves twice, the Rocky Marciano Tournament of
Champions twice, and the Marvin Hagler Tournament once. After dominating for
years on the amateur circuit, Lopes decided to turn pro. So far, Lopes has
impressed in the light heavyweight class. He brings a record of 4-0-1 with one
knockout to Mayflower Madness.
“When you’re fighting in the pros, you’re fighting
against guys who are doing this for a living,” Lopes said. “It’s their
livelihood. And, in amateurs you wear headgear and use 12-ounce gloves. In
pros, there’s no headgear and 10-ounce gloves, so you get hit a little harder.”
Magdziak, who’s married to Manny Lopes’ father, Wayne,
who’s also her trainer, got into boxing in the spring of 2004 and has competed
on the amateur circuit for the past four years.
“I always would follow boxing on TV. Frankly, I just like
combat sports,” Magdziak said. “I did some kickboxing. With wrestling, it’s
more of a guy’s sport. Boxing, it’s gender divided, so I could compete.”
Magdziak said she learned all about mental toughness when
she first came to Plymouth South High School and joined the wrestling team.
“She was tough,” Plymouth South High School Head
Wrestling Coach Marc Loranger said. “She was a hard-working kid. Her first
match ever, she won. She pinned the kid. She was very physical, very strong.
Boxing is absolutely perfect for her. She’s going to be excellent at it.”
Magdziak said she will never forget her high school
wrestling experience.
“I often think back to high school about my approach to
athletics in general,” Magdziak said. “I loved it. I had at the time and still
do have a lot of respect for Coach Loranger. It mentally pushed me. It required
a lot of sucking up and being tough. I remember the first week (of tryouts).
The room was full. Two weeks later, there were maybe 30 to 40 people there. It
never crossed my mind to give up. I had an amazing experience. I like the
discipline it takes to be part of that sport.”
Lopes said he can’t wait to get into the ring Friday,
putting the months of training to the test against an unfamiliar opponent and
trying to maintain his untarnished record.
“I’m really excited. The amount of time my trainers spend
with me, we’re improving all the time. We work a lot on defense and not getting
hit a lot,” Lopes said. “I’ve had five pro fights, and they’ve been at
Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun, other casinos. When I signed with CES, I was pushing to
get a card here (on the South Shore).”
Lopes has some impressive skills outside of the ring as
well. The kid can act. He appeared in Bride Wars, the blockbuster hit
starring Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway.
“I did a scene with Anne Hathaway and had a speaking
role,” said Lopes, who enjoyed every second of his acting gig. “I can get used
to that. The money’s good, you sit around beautiful girls all day. Anne
Hathaway was really nice.”
Lopes, who recently auditioned for a television series
set to air on ABC, has also won modeling competitions and appeared on the cover
of a magazine for a Miami nightclub. Lopes joked about keeping his face clear
of bruises and scars during his fights so he won’t lose any acting or modeling
gigs.
“The one thing I work on is trying not to get hit too
many times in the face,” said Lopes, who recently sparred with former
undisputed heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe. “I love the sport. That’s why I
got involved.”
Magdziak hasn’t stopped training for her first
professional fight. In fact, she said she never stops training.
“I don’t really take any time off from training,” she
said. “I train four to five times a week. I run three to four times a week. For
the past two months, it’s been five to six times a week training, and running
four to five times a week. For me, it doesn’t feel like I’m training for a
fight because I’m always training at the gym. I workout, lift, run.”
Magdziak said boxing is just as much a mental sport as it
is a physical sport. And she always believe in herself each time she steps into
the ring.
“I think you just need to know going out there that you
are fully prepared and have faith in your ability,” Magdziak said. “I always
have faith in my ability when I go into a fight. I have a lot of upper-body
strength. That makes me stronger than other women out there.
“Boxing is a one-person sport, so you’re going out there
and it’s all on your shoulders,” she added. “You have to know that you can win
and bring 100 percent of yourself into the ring. I think that’s what makes me
like boxing so much.”
Friday night’s Mayflower Madness brings even more talent
to Plymouth. New Bedford’s Jason “Schoolboy” Pires, who was born in Wareham, is
in the main event. He brings a record of 21-3-0 with nine knockouts to Memorial
Hall. This is just his second fight since 2003. A 1996 U.S. Olympic team
alternate and former USBA champion, Pires, a UMass Dartmouth graduate, will
take on former IBF Intercontinental champion Louie Leija (21-9-1, 15 KO) of
Fort Worth, Texas.
Junior bantamweight Isander “Peachy” Beauchamp from Lynn
brings an unbeaten 5-0-1 record with two knockouts to Plymouth. Others on the
card include junior welterweight Taunton’s Paul “The Truth” Delgado (19-8-1,
4KO), who takes on Brockton’s Troy Smith (6-9-3), and Stoughton super
middleweight Mical Weisberg (1-0-0, 1 KO).
Canada
Vaughan schools rock wrestling mat
Canada
Brock Badgers' wrestling reign ends at 10
Posted By BERNIE PUCHALSKI
Posted 18 hours ago 3/3/09
Brock University's record string of 10 straight Canadian Interuniversity Sport men's wrestling titles came to an end over the weekend in Calgary.The Brock men finished with 58 points to end up second behind Simon Fraser, which tallied 70 points.
The Brock women finished fourth, one point behind Saskatchewan. Calgary captured the women's title.
Medal results by the Brock men included: gold medals by Brad Trimble (76 kilograms) and Alex Brown (82 kg); a silver medal by Aaron Fabiano (54 kg) and a bronze by C. J. Hudson (61 kg).
Randy Pfrimmer (68 kg), Scott Hall (72 kg) and Paul Rabjohn (90 kg) were fourth and Peter Simons (65 kg) was fifth.
On the women's side, Celeste Rodriques (63 kg) captured a silver medal while Jasmine Mian (48 kg) and Michelle Fazzari (59 kg) earned bronze. Laura Steffler (67 kg) was fourth and Jocelyn Dresser (82 kg) fifth.
Fazzari, the two-time defending CIS champion, was defeated in the preliminary round by Calgary's Heidi Erdle, the eventual champion and CIS female wrestler of the year.
Trimble and Rodriques were named Brock's athletes of the week for their efforts.