Roosevelt alum Chun making her mark in Olympic wrestling

By Brian Gomez
The Gazette Updated at 2:45 p.m., Wednesday, June 3, 2009

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Most afternoons, Clarissa Chun felt so drained from teaching that she needed a big cup of coffee to stay awake. Most nights, she felt so frustrated with wrestling that she questioned why she had moved overseas to train.

Her Japanese kindergarten students were easy to please, as she loved helping them learn English, but several 20-person classes took their toll. Plus, she didn't progress much by practicing among college-aged guys 40 pounds heavier.

"It wasn't the ideal situation," Chun said.

The 2008 Olympian returned to Colorado Springs in February, four months after taking up roots in a small city three hours outside Tokyo, and she already has recaptured the determination that carried her within a win of a bronze medal in Beijing.

Chun, 27, earned a chance to defend her 105.5-pound world title, defeating Alyssa Lampe in Sunday's championship series of the U.S. world team trials in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The world championships are in September in Denmark.

Three Americans have captured back-to-back world crowns — Lee Kemp in freestyle in 1978 and 1979; John Smith in freestyle in 1989, 1990 and 1991; and Tricia Saunders in 1998 and 1999. Saunders (four) and former Olympic Training Center resident Kristie Marano (two) are the only U.S. women with multiple world golds.

Many familiar faces likely will stand in Chun's path, including Ukrainian Irini Merleni, who pinned Chun in the bronze-medal match in Beijing, and Japan's Chiharu Icho, a narrow winner over Chun in the Olympic semifinals.

The first Hawaiian to make an Olympic wrestling team, Chun looks ready, with more explosive setups, stronger finishing moves and improved hand and head positioning that she'll refine this summer at tournaments in Canada and Poland and in training with Keith Wilson at Rough House MMA and Fitness.

"I'm the one they're trying to come after," Chun said. "Gaining the credentials, being at the Olympics, winning a world title — it's everyone gunning for me. I need to know how to handle that pressure, handle that expectation. I need to wrestle the way I know I can wrestle and not let outside things bother me."

Chun enjoyed living in Nakatsugawa, an industrial city with 86,000 residents. She often mingled with the locals, developing an appreciation for "the Japanese culture, their way of life — it's so unique and different. They take the time, something as simple as creating a meal. If you had dessert, it won't be too sweet. It seems just right."

But few people there speak English, and Chun isn't fluent in Japanese. More troublesome, when Chun wrestled against women, "they threw five different girls at me and rotated them at me. Every time I would defend a shot, their coach would yell at them. It was kind of like a scouting session."

Chun feels relaxed being back in Colorado Springs. And she's confident.

"My wrestling career is only so long," she said. "I need to take it right now, keep riding that wave. I still have that fire to compete. ... I'll start with the world title again. That sounds real nice."

Roosevelt alum wins U.S. World Team Trials in wrestling

·        Advertiser Staff 6/5/09

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – 2008 World women's freestyle champion and Roosevelt alum Clarissa Chun continued her run of success by sweeping Alyssa Lampe in the finals at 48 kg/105.5 on Sunday night in the U.S. World Team Trials at Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Chun, fifth in the 2008 Olympics, threw and pinned Lampe just 17 seconds into the second bout.

"I didn't want it to go another match – I just wanted to get it done," Chun said. "I'm still hungry. I'm definitely stoked to want to repeat as World champion. I know it's hard, but I'm ready for the challenge."

2008 World champion Clarissa Chun highlighted this weight class. She has had a tremendous season winning her second career U.S. Senior Nationals title and second Pan American title. Chun also represented the U.S. at the Women's World Cup in China this year. She placed fifth at the 2008 Olympics, making her mark on the international level.

The champions in each weight class at the World Team Trials advanced to the World Championships on Sept. 21-27 in Herning, Denmark.

Chun seeks repeat of World wrestling title

 Press and Advertiser News Services 6/1/09

Hawai'i wrestler Clarissa Chun swept Alyssa Lampe in the women's freestyle finals of the U.S. World Team Trials last night and qualified for the World Championships in Herning, Denmark on Sept. 21-27

Chun, the 2008 World women's freestyle champion, threw and pinned Lampe just 17 seconds into the second bout of their best-of-three final of the 48 kg/105.5-pound division at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

"I didn't want it to go another match. I just wanted to get it done," said Chun, a Roosevelt alum, who finished fifth in the 2008 Olympics.

"I'm still hungry. I'm definitely stoked to want to repeat as World champion. I know it's hard, but I'm ready for the challenge."

Chun beat Lampe by decision, 4-0 and 1-1, in the first match. Chun was one of 10 champions crowned in the two-day event

2012 Olympic wrestling gold worth $250,000 to U.S. athlete

6/3/2009

Monterey County girls prep season was full of surprises

Meanwhile another Alberni Wrestling alumni and current coach James Messenger is in Turkey where he is coaching Canada’s Women’s FILA Cadet team (16-17 year olds) at an international tournament in Izmir. The Canadian Women’s team did well finishing third behind Turkey and Bulgaria. Alison Sokalski of North Vancouver took a bronze in the women’s 60 kg class. Alison was part of the Alberni Wrestling tour to China last summer. James and the team get a couple of days to explore parts of Turkey before coming home on Wednesday.

All the best.

Tom

Awards

VSSA 6/1/09

Athletes of the month

Female: Jen McGowan, Hamilton College lacrosse (May); Stephanie Frank, Essex softball (June); Erin Clodgo, Junior National women's freestyle wrestling (July);

Three area wrestlers win at U.S. Team Trials

Thursday, June 04, 2009
Mark K. Campbell

Pamela Abshire

By Heather Murtagh 6/1/09

As a strong, independent woman, Veronika Karlegan focused her time not participating in stereotypical activities but rather exploring ones for the fun of it. Seventeen-year-old Karlegan grew up in South San Francisco as the oldest of three girls. Often trying things simply to give it a go, Karlegan will graduate from El Camino High having tried a number of activities from peer counseling to wrestling. Looking ahead, Karlegan hopes to become a doctor and help others. “She is a very bright young woman, personable with peers as well as adults, unafraid to challenge herself to achieve excellence in all areas, academic, athletic and socially,” said Principal Adele Berg, who went on to note Karlegan’s a three-sport athlete who was awarded scholarships for these accomplishments. “She is a peer helper and students seek her out to help them to overcome their own personal challenges, a reflection of her ability to listen and be non-judgmental. Veronika is wonderful and we are very proud of her, expecting her to excel in all areas of her future.” As a child, Karlegan was a tomboy. She took karate for eight years; an activity Karlegan credits her dad for putting her into as a way to become an independent individual. She began taking classes at Buri Buri Elementary School but transferred to Mater Dolorosa School in fourth grade, where she stayed through eighth grade. Karlegan played volleyball and basketball in fourth grade, and continued through eighth grade. She also took Tahitian dance for two years, beginning when she was 11. Karlegan chose to attend El Camino High, where she had a few friends. Going from a school of 250 to a school of more than 1,000 took some adjusting. Thankfully, Karlegan is self-described as loud and outgoing. Sports stuck with Karlegan. Since she switched schools, Karlegan had missed the volleyball tryouts held over the summer. Instead, she gave softball a go. It wasn’t a fit. Sophomore year, Karlegan returned to volleyball. She played the following three years, ending her career as the team captain. In the same year, Karlegan joined Link Crew, a group that welcomes incoming students. Karlegan began competing in field, as she says, particularly in shot and discus. She stuck with track for the fun of it. Junior year, Karlegan joined wrestling at the urging of a friend. She was one of three girls that year. This year, the team grew to have six girls. Despite her success with sports, Karlegan doesn’t plan to continue competitively in college. Rather, she wants to focus on academics. Aside from sports, Karlegan joined the California Scholarship Federation junior year due to her good grade point average. She was awarded the CSF Scholar Athlete Scholarship recently. She has attended three teen leadership camps over the years — in seventh, eighth and ninth grades. Her senior year, Karlegan became a peer helper. In this position, she helped students work through problems together. Karlegan learned to be more patient by helping others. She was awarded the Outstanding Senior of the Year award. A major passion for Karlegan was dance. She took dance lessons on campus her junior year and continued her senior year. The class offered a fun, relaxing way to end each day. In the fall, Karlegan will be attending the University of California at Riverside studying biology and chemistry in hopes of becoming a doctor. She’s always had an interest in one day doing optometry, but is leaving her options open. “I want to help people,” she said. “To do something where I have the knowledge to help others.” El Camino High School graduation is 7 p.m. Friday, June 5.