Whitley, Wilson earn gold medals at state meet

BY EVAN REN
Herald Staff Writer 2/24/02

AUSTIN — Still in its infancy, Ellison girls’ wrestling earned its first state titles Saturday as Angela Whitley and Kisha Wilson took gold medals at the UIL State Wrestling Championships in the Austin Convention Center.

With all local male competitors eliminated on Friday, Ellison’s Whitley, Wilson, Latisha Keahy, and Mary Chabot, along with Charlene Smith of Copperas Cove stood as the only local grapplers still wrestling on day two.

Whitley, who defeated Diana Reveles of El Paso Hanks 5-1 to take the 165-pound title, broke a scoreless tie with a three-point near fall and a takedown in the third period.

“I’ve been wanting this for three years,” said Whitley, a senior, who was a charter member of Ellison’s first girls’ team as a sophomore. “I’m glad it’s all over but I’m still going to miss it.

“This is the way I wanted it to end.”

Whitley, who opened the tournament with a 7-5 win over El Paso Socorro’s Rosa Rueda on Friday, pinned Amy Drennan of Conroe Oak Ridge in the semis to advance to the title round. She finished the year with a 21-1 mark.

“Angela deserved this,” Ellison coach Bernard Williams said. “She’s been with us since the beginning, and nobody has worked harder.”

Wilson, who took the 185-pound championship, whipped Tanya Van Bose of Arlington with an 18-2 technical fall to take the gold.

But Wilson, while leading 13-0 early in the third period, briefly found herself in trouble following a reversal by Van Bose.

“She got my arm and flipped me over,” Wilson said. “She almost had me in a pin but I wasn’t going to let her do that.”

Wilson, who pinned Bran-Dee Craven of Arlington Sam Houston on Friday, reached the title match by beating Theresa Fennell of Amarillo Palo Duro 22-6 in the semifinals. She finished 30-0 on the year.

In other action, Keahey of Ellison finished fourth at 119 pounds with a 2-2 mark in the tour-nament.

After an opening-round defeat at the hands of Ashley Webb of Taylor, Keahey advanced to the consolation final with decisions over Whitney Slaten of Arlington (4-2) and Kendra Howe of Conroe Oak Ridge (11-4). There, she was pinned in the third period while leading Evelyn Anchondo of San Antonio Lee to finish 23-8 on the year.

“When (Latisha) was up 8-4 we were too aggressive,” Williams said. “We should have told her to ease up a bit and try to win 8-5, but that’s my fault.”

Smith of Copperas Cove finished 19-4 on the year with a 1-2 finish in the tournament.

After opening Saturday action with a 10-5 decision over Roberta Gallegos of Amarillo Palo Duro, Smith was eliminated by Kristin Williams of The Woodlands 10-9.

“I’m not disappointed, but I know I could have done better,” said Smith, who lost Friday to eventual silver medalist Linse Meadows of Katy. “I still achieved all of my goals and I’m just happy I made it to state.”

Chabot of Ellison, who opened with a 10-4 defeat at the hands of Judith Rivera of El Paso Montwood, ended the season with a 21-6 mark after Jamie Bottomly of A&M Consolidated out-pointed her 18-9.

The Lady Eagles finished fourth as a team, with a score of 49. Amarillo Tascosa took the girls’ team championship with 62 points, followed by Hanks at 60.5 and Arlington Houston at 59.

Other girls’ state titlists included: Stormy Grear of Palo Duro at 95 pounds; Stephanie Jenkins, El Paso Hanks, 102; Tabitha Ramsey, Austin Lanier, 110; Yvonne Fernandez, El Paso Hanks, 119; Linse Meadows, Katy, 128; Houston Sheppard, Tascosa, 138; Tasia Benfield, Tascosa, 148; and Julie Aquino of Hereford at 215.

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Two Ellison girls win UIL wrestling openers

From staff reports 2/23/02

AUSTIN — Two of Ellison's four girls wrestlers started their trek in the 2002 UIL State Wrestling Meet with victories at the Austin Convention Center on Friday.

Angela Whitley got a 7-5 win over Rosa Rueda of El Paso Socorro in the 165-pound class, while 185-pound top seed Kisha Wilson demolished Bran-Dee Craven of Arlington Sam Houston, pinning her just one minute, 28 seconds into the match.

Losing in their openers were 119-pound Latisha Keahey -- pinned by Taylor's Ashley Webb -- and Mary Chabot, who lost a 148-pound match 10-4 to Judith Rivera of El Paso Montwood.

Copperas Cove's Charlene Smith lost her opener as well, falling 6-3 to top-ranked Linse Meadows of Katy, who is undefeated in 25 matches, and had pinned 21 foes coming into the state meet.

All the girls will return to action this morning at 11. The meet is a double-elimination format.

In boys' action, Cove's Gary Tomblin and Ellison's Kyle Moore each went 1-2 on the first day, winning the middle match in both instances.

Moore, who lost 6-5 in the first 180-pound match against Tim Murphy of Amarillo Caprock, bounced back for an 8-3 win and then was eliminated with an 8-2 loss.

Tomblin, at 189 pounds, was pinned by Beau Hohmann of South Grand Prairie in his first match, then beat Tino Lee of Lubbock Coronado 3-2 in his second match. Tomblin was eliminated with a 10-6 loss to George Moore of Coppell.

Killeen's Andy Cotter, who was to wrestle in the 125-pound bracket, failed to make weight, coming in at two pounds over.

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Ellison sends five to state wrestling meet

BY EVAN REN and JUAN MARSHALL
Herald Staff Writer 2/21/02

The Ellison High School wrestling team will send five competitors to this week's state meet in Austin, the largest contingent of any local school.

Kyle Moore, the lone male representative from Ellison, will travel to Austin with four Lady Eagle wrestlers — Angela Whitley, Kisha Wilson, Mary Chabot, and Latisha Keahey.

The meet is slated to begin Friday at 10 a.m. at the Austin Convention Center.

Other local competitors slated to wrestle include Andy Cotter of Killeen, and Copperas Cove's Gary Tomblin and Charlene Smith.

HERALD/Juan Marshall Ellison wrestlers, from left, Kisha Wilson, Mary Shabot, Angela Whitley and LaTisha Keahey stand together at Ellison prior to heading for the state meet.

Whitley, a technical wrestler who finished second in the state a year ago, carries an 18-1 record into the tournament as the state's top-ranked 165-pounder according to texaswrestler.com.

She will lead off with fourth-ranked Rosa Rueda of El Paso Socorro High School.

"(Rueda) can be difficult because she's short," said Whitley, a senior. "But I'm pretty confident because I (beat) her last year at state."

At 185 pounds is Wilson — the top-ranked grappler in her weight class as well.

Known as an intimidator, Wilson, who is 27-0 with 27 pins, faces fourth-ranked Bran-Dee Craven of Arlington Sam Houston in round one.

"Kisha is big, strong, and very aggressive," Ellison coach Bernard Williams said. "She doesn't waste any time.

"None of her matches have gone past the first period.''

Chabot, who competes at 148 pounds, is currently ranked fifth statewide with an 21-4 overall mark.

Third-ranked Judith Rivera of El Paso Montwood High School will serve as her first-round opposition.

"She has heart, drive, as well as technique," said Williams of Chabot. "Because of her flexibility, she's never been pinned."

Keahey (21-6), the seventh-ranked 119-pounder in the state, will face fourth-ranked Ashley Webb of Katy Taylor in round one.

"She's a very aggressive wrestler," said Williams of Keahey. "She's vastly improved from last year simply because of her determination."

The Ellison girls enter the tournament as the top-ranked team in the state, with a 15-2 overall mark and a 117-27 record in individual matches this year.

"With the girls we have in state, our chances of winning (the team title) are good," Williams said. "There's a lot of wrestlers here that our girls have already beat."

Moore, who has compiled a 36-9 record, will square off with Tim Murphy of Amarillo Caprock High School in his first round match.

"One thing I've noticed is that I need to (attack) a bit more often," Moore said. "I've been a patient type of wrestler in the past and have just waited to see what the other guy is going to do first."

In the 125-pound bracket, Cotter starts off with Micah Lewis from Weatherford.

"My goal is to place in the top six. I would be ecstatic if that happened," Cotter said. "It's going to be an uphill battle the whole way, but I know I can hold my own."

Cotter is one of three wrestling brothers. Senior Brian and Andy's twin Greg, practice in Brian's room — and have the rugburns to show it.

"It helps a lot having someone to share your pain," Andy said. "They're trying to make weight, too, so they know what you're going through."

At 189, Tomblin faces fifth-rated Beau Hohmann of South Grand Prairie, after being somewaht of a surprise qualifier.

"I was very confident going into regionals," Tomblin said. "Sparring with Ryan Robbins and getting help from the coaches gave me tons of confidence."

Smith, a 128-pounder, will wrestler top-rated Linse Meadows of Katy. She's not surprised to be at state, but it took her a match or two to get used to the level of competition at regionals.

"Most of the girls there were just as aggresive as I am, and that woke me up," she said. "I knew if I wanted to go to state, I better get more aggressive."

Tomblin and Smith are the first Cove wrestlers to go to state, while Cotter is the first Roo.

Also from District 25, Granger's Daniel Morriss (145 pounds) will face Blake Howard of Henderson, while 180-pounder Brady Nix takes on pre-meet favorite Reggie Armstrong of El Paso Hanks.

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Five Eagle wrestlers headed to state

2/12/02

SAN ANTONIO — Four Ellison girls and one boy are headed to the state wrestling meet Feb. 22-23 in Austin after qualifying at the Region IV meet last weekend at the Blossom Athletic Center's Littleton Gym.

Mary Chabot, Angela Whitley and Kisha Wilson all went 4-0 at the regional meet. Kyle Moore and Latisha Keahey were 3-1.

The Ellison girls were regional runners-up with 114 points. San Antonio Lee won the meet with 135 points.

Copperas Cove 128-pounder Charlene Smith finished second to make her trip to the state meet.

Moore won an 8-1 decision over La Joya's Johnathan Garza in the 180-pound division, then edged Phlips Kownslar of Houston Westside 10-9, and defending region champ Ted Marley of San Antonio Churchill 5-4. He lost his finale to Crockett's Cody Bumpas 10-2.

Joe Sheffield finished 2-2 in the tournament in the 215-pound division after losing his final match 2-1 to Pharr-San Juan-Alamo's Jose Navarro.

Killeen's Andy Cotter (125) took a 9-8 win over Efrain Rodriguez of La Joya, and will advance to state.

At 189 pounds, Copperas Cove's Gary Tomblin fell 2-1 to Sam Hogg of San Antonio Churchill, but still advanced to state with his fourth-place finish.

Granger's 145-pounder, Daniel Morriss, won his weight class, while 180-pounder Brady Nix also moved on, finishing fourth.

The top four boys and top two girls in each weight class went on to the state meet at the Austin Convention Center.

Killeen tied for 11th in the boys' meet with 34 points. Cove tied for 20th with 18. Harker Heights was 24th with 13. Ellison and Shoemaker tied for 26th with 11.

Shoemaker's girls finished 11th with 13 points. Harker Heights was 13th with 11 points. Cove finished 16th with 7.5 points.

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AP story - Female Wrestler Loses Bid for West Virginia State Title

2/24/2002
Associated Press/

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) - Wirt County's Erica Dye lost her bid Saturday night to become the first girl to win a state wrestling championship.

Dye fell to Madonna's Anthony Valles, 9-1, in the 103-pound title match at the Class AA-A tournament.

Still, she is the only girl to ever place second.

``I'm a little disappointed right now, but as soon as everything calms down, I think I'm going to be happy. It's going to take a little bit of time,'' Dye said. ``Right now it's real overwhelming.''

Dye, a senior, could do no wrong in the hearts of the Huntington Civic Arena crowd, which gave her a standing ovation afterward.

Dye's strength in the tournament has been to get ahead of her opponents, but Valles was in control throughout their match.

The sophomore scored a two-point takedown midway through the first period, then earned three points for a near-pin in the second period despite being beneath Dye.

``I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to get that first takedown because she's usually real fast off the whistle,'' Valles said. ``I'm glad I got it.''

Valles scored four points in the final period on a reversal and an escape.

As the final whistle blew, Dye sat on one leg looking down, her energy spent.

``I'm very proud. Win or lose, she's had a hell of a year,'' said her father, Kenny. ``When you get a girl placing in the boys states, that's pretty great.''

Valles also beat Dye in last year's third-place match.

``I just thought she was just another wrestler, she's not anything special,'' Valles said. ``If she wants to be out there with us, she's got to wrestle like us.

``She got this far. She deserved to be here.''

Several coaches congratulated Dye after she accepted her second-place award, and even the referee of her match came over to shake her hand.

Dye finished her career with a 100-21 record. Next month, she will compete in the U.S. high school girls nationals ``and end my season on a good note, hopefully,'' she said.

She also inspired the United States Girls' Wrestling Association to hold a state tournament at Wirt County in March.

For now, she doesn't see herself wrestling in college, saying she is tired of nine years of nonstop competition and training, and the fact that few colleges offer women's wrestling.

All season, she rarely discussed her future in order to keep her focus on the state tournament.

Now, ``it's time to get onto that stuff,'' Dye said.

Her impact on the sport may only grow as other girls decide to take up wrestling, many at an earlier age.

``There's a lot of girls in the last few years that have really looked up to her,'' her father said. ``It's building.''

As much as Dye's accomplishment stood out, it was equally as clear that she was accepted as legitimate.

``If it wasn't for her long hair, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference,'' said her teammate, Daniel Allen. ``She is so tough.''

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Dye trying-Wirt County girl hopes to improve on fourth-place finish of a year ago

Thursday February 21, 2002

By The Associated Press

HUNTINGTON - Wirt County's Erica Dye would like a better view of the crowd at this year's state high school wrestling tournament.

Namely, from the top of the awards podium.

Dye became the first girl to place in the tournament when she took fourth at 103 pounds in Class AA-A last year.

Her goal this time is to finish higher - if not win it all - when the tournament begins today at the Huntington Civic Arena.

"I plan on it,'' she said without hesitation. "I have a good chance. I'm really ready.

"My main goal is to be satisfied with myself. If I give it everything I've got, I'll be all right. I'll be happy with myself.''

Few gave her the chance to succeed four years ago. Some grumbled at the thought of a girl beating a boy in a traditionally boy's sport.

Those perspectives have changed over her career.

"They take me seriously. They have for a while now,'' she said. "It's not unexpected for me to do well this year. I don't plan on going down there and choking like I have before.''

Dye, who listens to heavy metal groups such as AC/DC and Guns 'N' Roses as motivation, practices with her team twice a day. She attributes her improvement to watching herself on tape and overcoming nervousness.

"She's a very good technician, and she's really strong for a girl,'' said her assistant coach, Scott Moore. "The boys' strength doesn't overpower her.''

She's gotten so good that Dye competed in girls tournaments last summer in Switzerland and Sweden, finishing fourth and first, respectively.

Next month, she'll compete in the U.S. high school girls nationals. She also inspired the United States Girls' Wrestling Association to hold a state tournament at Wirt County in March.

Despite her determination this week, Dye, a senior, doesn't see herself wrestling much once she graduates - a decision based on nine years of nonstop competition and training and the fact that few colleges offer women's wrestling.

"I'm really tired of it. It wears on you. It's intense,'' she said. "I'm not sure what I want to do.''

Her initial plans are to concentrate on college if she can secure an academic scholarship, wrestling only in national and international tournaments.

All season, she rarely discussed her future with Moore to keep her focus and minimize the pressure of facing life after high school.

Moore admits he'll be disappointed if Dye puts wrestling on hold because he's afraid the layoff will hurt her chances of getting to the next level.

"Girls wrestling is just starting. There's not girls wrestling in the Olympics, but I'd say by the next Olympics [in 2008], there will be,'' he said. "I would think she'd have a chance to get there.''

For now, Moore is just hoping Dye becomes the best in the state - girl or boy.

Dye (32-6), who won her regional, will meet Braxton County freshman Adam Ridler (24-10) in the first round today. Her top opponent is expected to be Madonna's sophomore Anthony Valles (37-3), who wouldn't face Dye until the finals if both advance.

"If she wrestles up to her capabilities, I honestly feel she's got a chance to win it all,'' Moore said. "She's worked hard since the state tournament last year. Her confidence has really increased.''

Dye even thinks Wirt County has an outside shot at unseating five-time defending champion Oak Glen in the Class AA-A meet. Oak Glen qualified five regional champions and 13 wrestlers overall, while Wirt County qualified four champions and 12 wrestlers.

In Class AAA, three-time defending champion Parkersburg South placed second at its regional meet behind host Parkersburg and brings six regional champions to the state tournament.

Parkersburg South has won six of the last seven titles and 12 overall. Only two schools from outside Parkersburg have won the Class AAA title since 1987. North Marion was the last to do it in 1998.

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Girls no longer grapple with wrestling

02/21/2002

Ember Brettmann grappled with many worries when she started wrestling:

What will people think?

Will boys still like me?

You mean I have to wear that singlet?

More than three years later, the Arlington Sam Houston senior still
worries before wrestling matches. But now she thinks about her technique, her
strategy, her opponent's strengths.

More and more athletes such as Brettmann are proving that wrestling
isn't just a boys sport. The UIL sanctioned wrestling before the 1998-99
season, creating separate boys and girls divisions.

Seventy-seven schools signed up to participate in girls wrestling the
first year, UIL assistant athletic director Mark Cousins said. That number
has climbed to almost 150.

Sam Houston, which finished second in the state last year, qualified
five wrestlers for this weekend's state tournament. Brettmann, the Region II
champion in the 165-pound weight class, won a bronze medal at 185
pounds last year.

She tried wrestling as a freshman at a friend's suggestion. But
remember those worries? They made her question if she wanted to compete.

"But I decided that after I'd worked hard in practice and put in all
that effort, I needed to do it," Brettmann said.

And because she competed, Brettmann got hooked on the sport. All it
took was the first adrenaline rush of a victory. Soon she stopped worrying about
other people's perceptions.

As it turned out, she didn't have that much to worry about. Sure, there
will always be people who don't approve of girls wrestling.

But Brettmann has experienced plenty of positive responses. Some boys
will say, "You really wrestle? Cool."

Perhaps the most common misperception encountered by girls wrestlers is
the same one faced by their male counterparts.

"People think we're like the WWF," explained Sam Houston sophomore
Monica Coleman.

With a 22-2 record, Coleman is one of the favorites in the 215-pound
weight class at the state tournament. Like Brettmann, she followed a friend's
lead into wrestling and got hooked when she started winning.

Teammate Glory Dalton, a junior, started wrestling as a freshman after
her father read about the sport in the paper. Dalton won a silver medal at
last year's state meet in the 138-pound weight class.

Wrestling has made her less shy, she said. Friends who watch Dalton
compete are surprised to see how aggressive she becomes on the mat.

"No one can believe it when they watch me," Dalton said. "They say,
'You're too sweet to be doing that.' I tell them, 'No, I'm not.' They say that
now they've seen another side of me."

Sam Houston has boasted a strong girls program for a long time, but
Dalton and Brettmann have seen the growth at other schools. The biggest change
at tournaents?

"It takes a lot longer," Dalton said with a laugh.

Events that used to end in the early evening now stretch late into the
night. Brettmann remembers when a tournament would have only one or two
girls in each weight class. Now, many of the brackets are full.

"You're going to get better if you compete more," Brettmann said. "You
get a better feel for everything."

A change closer to home is that the Sam Houston girls team now has its
own coach. That coach, Tommy Bonds, hopes he can recruit even more
wrestlers by targeting girls who play other sports but aren't the stars of their
teams.

Wrestling isn't for everyone, he said. It requires a lot of discipline
and grueling practices.

But if more girls just give wrestling a look, Bonds thinks some of them
will realize it's the sport for them.

Brettmann, who used to play volleyball and basketball, found she liked
the individual responsibility of wrestling.

"It's all you," Brettmann said. "You're not just known as part of a
team. I'm not just part of the Sam Houston Texans. I'm Ember Brettmann. You
can make a name for yourself."

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PD looking for repeat title

By Steve Brannan 2/24/02
sbrannan@amarillonet.com

The memories of a state championship never have been far from the minds of the Palo Duro girls' wrestling team.

How could they be?

With a team that was dominant on both the state and national level, the Lady Dons won the 2001 girls' wrestling title long before the final matches ever hit the mat.

Repeating would be nice, although most of those wrestlers are gone, lost either to graduation or attrition. Nonetheless, the Lady Dons' championship aspirations are based on something more than talent alone.

"We always tell each other, even though we had a bunch of seniors who graduated, we still have the heart of the team here," Lauren Lindsey said. "Last year we won with a lot of talent, and it was a great season. But we still have the heart of the team."

Thus when the UIL wrestling tournament begins Friday in Austin, Palo Duro remains a prohibitive favorite to capture the girls' team crown. The Lady Dons send five wrestlers to the event hoping to be the first team in the tournament's four-year history to repeat as champion.

Such a thought may have been far-fetched a few months ago. Even Palo Duro coach Steve Nelson admits that most people saw this as a rebuilding year for the Lady Dons.

Even when Palo Duro went undefeated during the first semester, difficult times were just around the corner. Two wrestlers were hit with injuries before the Region I tournament in El Paso, and two more of the Lady Dons' All-America wrestlers from last season chose not to continue with the sport.

Instead, the five Palo Duro wrestlers heading to Austin - Stormy Grear, Brittany Owens, Lindsey, Roberta Gallegos and Theresa Fennell - have taken the weight of the team's championship hopes on their collective shoulders.

"I feel they have something to prove to the other teams," Nelson said. "They want to show everybody that Palo Duro can't be counted out."

With the five wrestlers at the tournament, the Lady Dons should match up well against the likes of Arlington Sam Houston, El Paso Hanks and Tascosa, all teams that could take the team title with enough individual championships.

Lindsey is the only wrestler making a return trip to the state tournament for Palo Duro after winning the 119-pound class a year ago. Grear did not advance to Austin last season but gained considerably more experience after wrestling with the varsity team last season.

Overall, there is a great sense of youth on a Palo Duro team that does not feature a senior on the roster. Still, the Lady Dons' greatest strength could be the team's continuity.

"A lot of it is just being there for each other," Grear said. "We may not hang out with each other all the time, but we help each other out. We trust and believe in each other."

Palo Duro's belief as a team continues to grow exponentially, too. Although they lost both district and regional titles to rival Caprock within the last month, the Lady Dons are in what they hope is a perfect position to win consecutive crowns.

Yet after winning state and national titles last season, one more championship trophy might feel even better.

"Last year we wrestled on pure talent," Nelson said. "This year we're wrestling on pure heart. I think it would be more gratifying to win it with this team."

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