Iryna MERLENI: Freestyle wrestling is not for women

The Olympic champion gives an optimistic assessment of how junior sport is developing and says that Ukraine will win medals at the 2010 Olympics

  By Yulia LYTVYN 1/21/10

Everyone who saw TV broadcasts of the Olympic Games, with Iryna Merleni taking part in freestyle wrestling competitions, or the project I Dance for You, is aware of her huge supply of energy. It is hard to believe that she is equally energetic in her everyday life. Iryna made immense efforts to become the world’s best female wrestler and Olympic champion. In 2004, female freestyle wrestling was included amongst the Olympic events for the first time. The athlete also proved her high level during the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 by winning a bronze medal. But even after reaching the summits, she does not give up, sets new goals, and wins. Iryna shares the secrets of her success in an exclusive interview for The Day.

Iryna, you began your sports career in Greece. What made you return to Ukraine and represent it?

“Stability. At the time sportsmen enjoyed real state support and the level of preparations for the Athens Olympic Games was very high. Sport was very well funded. The year 2004 was the first in the history of Olympic Games, when women competed. I remember that I was aiming for nothing but victory. I had a lot of ambitions, my fighting capacity, perfect shape and young age demanded nothing but victory. Besides, I had a strong stimulus – I was proud of Ukraine and grateful for everything it gave me.”

Do you feel that any changes have taken place in our country’s sports life?

“Yes, and they are significant. Today we are so scantily funded that we have to cancel or reduce the traditional trai­ning sessions for freestyle wres­t­le­rs. For example, three or four training periods used to be held in Alushta, but this year we have barely managed to organize a single one.”

On your side, do you encourage holding competitions? Do you continue to hold your own championships on freestyle wrestling,which were founded in 2006? They were intended to be held on a regular basis.

“I am going to renew the championships. They are also planned to be held in Kyiv, with girls between 14 and 17 participating. Previous competitions showed how much we need these kinds of events. The number of participants then was higher than we could accept – over 400 people – and they performed on a really high level. I know from my own experience, as I became world champion at the age of 17, that a victory achieved at that age gives a great impetus for future achievements. Therefore I did not grudge awards for young female athletes, and we introduced additional Best Technique and Will to Victory awards in our tournament. Prizes also went to all the athletes that had been injured.”

What personal victories can you boast of this year?

“Although I have not taken part in sports competitions recently, I still have two victories in my pocket. The first one is really important for me, it is the project I Dance for You. The second one is quite honorable, I will act as an ambassador at the Junior Olympic Games, which will take place in 2010 in Sin­gapore. This kind of work requires great responsibility, but I am ready for this. I am unable to express how important this is for me. I believe it will help develop children’s sport, and it will create a possibility to foster love for sport and healthy lifestyle in our children. This is important for developing both children’s bodies and vital energy, to prevent cases of children dying on PE lessons,”

Is Ukraine ready for these Junior Olympic Games?

“Of course! And I am sure that we will win many medals. Moreover, I already know the names of the future champions in freestyle wrestling. I know that quite a strong team will come from Lviv. Donetsk athletes have improved considerably, so have those in Kherson. A number of championships and competitions will be held on local and national levels. We will select the best from the best. In spring we will form a team and we will make efforts to prepare our juniors as well as possible.”

What about training bases for juniors, are those many of them outdated?

“It is not so bad. A lot of my frien­ds, like the world’s top swimmers De­nys Sylantiev and Yana Klochkova, are opening their own bases. Yana already has a couple of pools, where juniors also train. Lilia Podkopaieva trai­ns junior athletes. A further hall and a stadium, which is in excellent con­dition, are owned by the Lviv Physical Training School. I am personally mo­nitoring how the sports hall in the Ivan Bohun Military School, where I train eve­ry day, is being restored. In spite of all the hardships, our sportsmen con­tinue to show excellent results in in­ternational competitions. The 11th pla­ce among over 200 countries, achie­­ved by our combined team at the Oly­m­pic games in Beijing, is an excellent result.”

The last Olympic games were not all positive for you though. How is your injured knee?

“I agreed to undergo two surgeries, as the trauma was really serious. I am actively re-training my knee. Freestyle wrestling is not a female kind of sport. Regular scars and fractures are more painful for women in terms of aesthetic. In spite of everything, more and more girls are taking wrestling, kung fu, weightlifting, trying to realize themselves, achieve success and financial independence.”

Judging from the victories of the Ukrainian Olympic team, women are more successful in sport. How would you explain this fact?

“Women are more stubborn in sport, unlike men, they do not easily give up after defeats. Defeats only stimulate sportswomen to prove at any price that they can do more and better. Women are stronger, they are persistent and have clear purpose, which may be the most important thing in sport.”

Who supported you the most in sport?

“My younger brother Oleksii. He has always been immensely supportive. I took up wrestling quite late. Fifteen is not the best age to take up sport. I remember that when I told my father about my decision, he was against it. Once in the morning my whole family gathered for a council; both my father and mother unanimously declared that this is not a female kind of sport. Moreover, they thought that if I have given up chess, music, and gymnastics, I wouldn’t stay in wrestling for long. It seemed to be sheer whim. But my brother categorically objected, he told my parents that I would beat everybody. Those words boosted my stren­gth and certainty so much! Since then we trained together and at times wrestled with each another, and I frequently won. My brother even helped me to win in Athens. He could not be near me, but we made an agreement that he would be sending great energy from the tribunes so that I would defeat everybody. I felt it.”

Did you win over your husband?

“I did, but he was not very eager to wrestle with me. You know how it is to struggle with the girl you like.”

But you have completely “rehabilitated” you feminineness in the project I dance for You, haven’t you?

“Indeed it is very pleasant that even friends and relatives saw me as an attractive woman, not merely a sportswoman. They were impressed. Moreover, I realized my old childhood dream by dancing – to be an artist. It was really hard to change a sports hall for a beautiful hairdo, high heels, expensive costumes, but it was immensely pleasant, too. I really wanted to help Serhii Solntsev to recover.”

Were you sure that you would win?

“No! Serhii Kostetsky and I could not even dream about a victory, as there were many worthy dancers. However, I kept telling Serhii before every performance: be as it may, we will gather our strength and push ourselves to the limit.”

Did your sport training help?

“Yes, in the same way as in Athens and Beijing, where I was completely fo­cused on sport, dancing meant every­thing to me at that moment. When they declared us winners I felt as if I was receiving an Olympic gold. I had to control myself not to kiss eve­ry­bo­dy around me.”

What is the most important in victory?

“The victory itself, and the pleasure it brings. Understanding that I have made every effort to be the first.”

What do you dream about, as an Olympic champion?

“I dream about fulfilling the country’s hopes, being able to give our junior combined team the energy for victory so that Ukraine will win as many medals as possible. As a woman, I dream about giving birth to many other children, so that our son Artur has many brothers and sisters.”

A year ago you said that you would manage to give birth to a child and prepare for the London Olympic Games 2012. Have you plans remained unchanged?

“If I don’t manage to give birth to a child by 2012, I will choose family rather than sport. I plan to pay more attention to my family but so far regular business, the project I Dance for You, and now the Junior Olympiad have taken nearly all of my time and strength. I am not so interest in the next Olympic games. I have won all the titles possible, and it will not be so thrilling to achieve them anew.”

Would you reveal your secret? What way leads to the Olympic gold?

“If you have a wish, you must do everything for it. You must follow a diet, a regime, you must train and follow every word of your coach. Nothing else in the world can matter for you. I remember, when I was 17 years old, I went with my coach Mykola Tarada to the world championship in Bucharest. I said to him, ‘If you only knew how much I want to win.’ He said, ‘Iryna, evebody does.’ ‘Nobody wants as it much as I do,’ I replied. It was very hard, and I could not raise my hands because of exhaustion. But I set an imperative for myself – to win or die. Then I became the world’s champion.”

Coyote finds her way to Okotoks mat

A member of the Okotoks Wrestling Club knows a good thing when she sees it.

Miranda Lee Redpath wrestled for the Calgary Junior Dinosaurs Club last season. However, when the club closed its south Calgary location, Lee Redpath was looking for a club closer to her home in Chaparral.

Miranda Lee Redpath grabs the arm of Jazzy Singh at an Okotoks Wrestling Club practice on Thursday at Foothills Composite High School. Lee Redpath, who lives in Calgary, is the lone female high school wrestler with the club. photo by Bruce Campbell

“My school team (Centennial Coyotes in south Calgary) had practiced with Okotoks a couple times last year and I really liked it,” Lee Redpath said. “I really like the coaching here. They teach you the fundamentals and then they show you how to apply them.”

Lee Redpath is the lone high school female wrestler on the Okotoks club. Although Okotoks Wrestling Club coach Doug Watkins would like to have wrestlers from either Foothills Composite High School or Holy Trinity Academy he’s pleased to have a wrestler of Lee Redpath’s quality with the club.

“Because she wrestles for Centennial, she will have to go to the city championship to qualify for provincials,” Watkins said of Lee Redpath, who wrestles at the 48kg weight division.  “I think she is capable of finishing in the top three at cities, so she should get to provincials.”

Watkins will be there to urge her on as he will be coaching her — sort of.

“When Miranda is wrestling at a high school meet, the Centennial coach is in the corner coaching,” Watkins said with a chuckle. “I’m at the side of the mat offering suggestions.”

Coyotes’ coach Adam Sandbeck said he has a good relationship with the Okotoks coaches and he has no problem getting a little help.

“The Okotoks club is smaller than the U of C club, so I think Miranda is getting more personal attention,” Sandbeck said. “It is paying benefits. Right now, there are days when she is getting four hours of wrestling practice a day.”

Lee Redpath practices with the Coyotes throughout the week, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays she will hightail it to Okotoks after the Centennial practice to get some more wrestling in.

When she comes to Okotoks she either wrestles with junior high school grapplers Cassidy Barnert or Abby Watkins. At times she wrestles with Jordan Wallace — a member of Team Alberta last summer at the Canada Games at PEI.

“Girls use more hand control than guys,” Lee Redpath said. “The guys use more muscle, so I have to use finesse. It’s good practice for me.”

Coach Watkins said he expects to have female high school wrestlers from Okotoks in the local club next season because Barnert, a Grade 9 student at Okotoks Junior High School, will attend Foothills Composite High School in the fall.

Middle-school wrestlers compete in Kyrene tournament

by Coty Dolores Miranda - Jan. 20, 2010 09:54 AM
Special for The Republic

As with freestyle, the ultimate objective of collegiate wrestling is to pin the opponent to the mat. While three matches went on simultaneously, animated middle-school wrestling coaches shouted encouragement to their struggling wrestlers.

"This is a tough sport," said David Gatenbin, Centennial Middle School head coach and youth pastor at Ahwatukee's Foothills Baptist Church.

"Most of them stayed pretty tough this year - usually after 30, 60-seconds, the pain subsides and they go on," Gatenbin said.

Gatebin said 13-year-old Tyler Stedry, a Centennial Middle School eighth-grader broke his ankle late in the season, but didn't realize it was broken until after the meet. Even then, he returned to practice the following day wearing his boot brace.

At Centennial, he added, 30 wrestlers practice two hours after school, five days a week.

Among them is sixth-grader Sabrina Hernandez. Altadena Middle School's Alyssa Bambic, sixth grade, is the other Kyrene girl wrestler from Ahwatukee.

"We condition them every day," said CMS assistant coach Jeremy Dittrich. "They have to be able to last three, three-minute rounds, if it goes that far. We stay strict, demand a lot and make sure they do the moves right. They have to be responsible, aggressive and willing to take a loss and overcome some fears."

PHOTO BY ROMM PHOTOGRAPHY

Crestwood senior Paige Nemec recently registered her 100th win as a member of the Red Devils wrestling team.

MANTUA -- Nestled behind Crestwood High School is a no-frills wrestling room where, it would seem, a typical wrestling team is working out. It’s the end of practice and the Red Devils are jumping rope while coach Dave Wrobel stands in the center, motivating his team.

Jumping in the outermost circle is one of the captains of the team. The 103-pound senior is what makes this team extraordinary. But it’s not just because this athlete has a 19-5 record so far in the 2009-10 season and marked 100 career wins on Jan. 14.

 

Her name is Paige Nemec.

 

Like most great athletes, Nemec felt a desire to compete at a young age. She was only about 5 years old when she decided she wanted to wrestle after watching her cousins compete in a tournament.

 

“I asked my dad if I could wrestle after watching it,” she said. “He was like, eh, maybe next year when you’re a year older. I think he didn’t think I was going to stay with it. He thought if I got beat up I’d quit or something. But I’ve stayed with it ever since.”

 

When Nemec joined the Crestwood team as a freshman, Wrobel admits he wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about a girl on the boys wrestling team. But he said his expectations of her have changed dramatically.

 

“You know, I wasn’t sure what to expect,” he said of Nemec joining the team. “But she’s such a hard worker and she grows on you. Now, I think my expectations of her are even higher than she has for herself.”

 

Wrobel said he tries to have the same coaching approach with her as he does with his male athletes.

 

“Sometimes I do try to back off a bit,” he said. “I’m pretty hard on her, but sometimes I just back off, you know, with the yelling and try to make it more positive. She’s usually pretty coachable.”

 

Wrobel wasn’t the only one who had to adjust when Nemec joined the team. Her teammates also had to get used to it.

 

“Once they saw I was putting in the hard work, winning and doing good for the team they pretty much accepted me,” she said. “I’m cool with everyone. There’s no one that really gives me a hard time on the team and they joke around with me so it’s cool.”

 

Wrobel said the team respects her. “She’s very sound with technique, maybe even one of the best in this room. They know she’ll always give 100 percent, and she was voted as a captain, so that says something.”

 

Most people from Crestwood are used to Nemec as a wrestler, but she admits when she first started it took people some time to get used to seeing her out on the mat.

 

“When I first started, I got stares,” she said. “I could see them out of the corner of my eye, talking about me. But, I mean, I don’t see it being any different because I’ve been wrestling for so long, I’m just used to it.”

 

Nemec’s success has definitely earned her credibility among her teammates and other teams. At a recent home meet against Field and Waterloo, Nemec walked away with her 100th win, a goal she has pursued since freshman year.

 

“That was a big accomplishment for me,” she said. “Another one was when I made it to districts because I don’t think that many females have made it to districts. So it was big. I’d like to make it farther this year."

 

When it comes to competition, Nemec said she sometimes goes over the match in her head, figuring out what she’d do in certain situations. Once on the mat, she said, boys don’t go easy on her.
 

“It’s like the opposite,” she said. “I feel like they go 10 times harder because I’m a girl. They don’t want to lose to a girl. But some guys understand that I’ve been wrestling for a while so they respect the fact that, even if they lose, I’m a good competitor.”

 

Wrobel said the reactions from other teams are mixed, but never split.

 

“They either support or despise her,” he said. “Some teams will wrestle the other 103-pounders, but not her. Some won’t wrestle her until they know they have someone who can beat her, but it depends on the coach.”

 

To Nemec,  it shouldn’t matter since she is willing to work. “If you really want to do something, and are willing to put in the hard work, I think anyone should be able to do what they really want.”

 

With her senior season almost over, Nemec said she wants to take the next step and try to make it to the state meet. After this year, Nemec, who played soccer for the Red Devils and was the third-highest goal scorer in the Akron District this past season, will play soccer for Baldwin-Wallace College.

 

For Nemec, it’s not about trying to prove herself to others. It’s just about working hard and improving for herself.

 

“It’s the challenge,” she said. “I just like the challenge of pushing myself.”

HIGH SCHOOLS: Northview hosts girls wrestling region finals

By Favian Ng, channelnewsasia.com | Posted: 21 January 2010 1503 hrs

SINGAPORE: Wrestling, one of the traditional events from the ancient Olympic Games, remains one of the most misunderstood sports.

Mention "wrestling" and images of 'The Undertaker' or 'The Rock' from the World Wrestling Entertainment are likely to be the first to flood your memory.

"These are usually the first few questions that I receive from politicians and media," laughed Brent Sheldrake, Managing Director of the Wrestling Federation of Singapore when discussing the common impression people have of wrestling.

"I have to convince them that we are not the WWE. It's definitely not. That's entertainment and we are not trying to portray that," stressed the New Zealander.

Start clean this August by catching the true wrestling moves that will be on display at the Youth Olympic Games that has wrestling down as one of the 26 sports to be contested at the inaugural games.

Because it is a sport and not WWE, the action takes place on mats instead of a ring minus the extravagant pyrotechnics or scantily-clad ladies. There might be some spandex but that'll be worn by the wrestlers, but without capes and other outlandish gear.

Most importantly, there isn't room for trash-talking or taunting.

Respect for your opponent is one of the first lessons that all young wrestlers learn.

"Kids shake hands from the start. If someone dominates you, there is an element of respect that you have to respect because you are fighting in the same weight category," explained Sheldrake.

The 46kg to 96kg weight classification helps to level the playing field by reducing the size and strength disadvantages while limiting the chance of serious injury.

Setting eyes of 14-year-old Kester Leung, it seemed that the bespectacled kid with a skinny build had accidentally taken a wrong turn and ended up on the wrestling mat.

"It doesn't matter if you are big or small. A smaller wrestler can still bring down an athlete with longer limbs because of his increased agility," explained Sheldrake.

Kester proved that the moment he went into wrestling mode, transforming into a bundle of energy and repeatedly trying out moves to out-maneuver his teammates.

It was only in 2009 when the Singapore Wrestling Federation started venturing into schools to promote wrestling, that Kester took up the sport.

"They came to our school and introduced the sport to us and I decided to give it a try," said Kester who is the only representative from his school.

"One by one, they stopped coming from training and started making excuses for their absences. In the end, I was the only one remaining," said the Secondary Two student from Monfort Secondary.

The exodus was the result of wrestling's stereotyped image – violent and dangerous – reason enough for parents to discourage their kids from taking up the sport.

Kester's parents weren't any different in their perspective on wrestling but softened their stance on realizing their son's passion for wrestling.

"I told them I enjoyed the sport and even though they think that it can be dangerous, they supported my choice," said Kester.

"It is a fun sport and I do not need to worry about suffering serious injury because I am competing with people who are in the same weight category as me," added the boy who has no background in defensive arts.

Still, would training in judo, jujitsu or muay thai be useful for a wrestler?

"It's an advantage. Wrestling is similar to judo since both are classified as grappling sports and they use some of the same techniques," said Sheldrake.

"As for muay thai, it doesn't really help in terms of techniques as they are different. However, it is very useful when it comes to one-to-one close combat."

Despite being one of the youngest National Sports Association in Singapore, that hasn't stopped Sheldrake and his team from being confident of producing a wrestling champion, and to top that off, the prospects are set on 'the fairer sex'.

"I project that Singapore's first champion wrestler will be a girl," said the Managing Director of the Wrestling Federation of Singapore.

Although he hasn't set any specific timeline, he's hopeful of a good performance at the Commonwealth Games taking place in Doha at the end of the year.

The girl in the picture is a 16-year-old who first started out as a dancer.

Meet Natasha Puteri Erna anywhere but at a sports hall, and you'd not imagine the lanky lass who's as girly as the next giggly teen in pink is equally adept in wrestling and judo, which she switched to after dance.

"I was a former dancer but I decided to take up judo when I was in my secondary school," recounted the bubbly Natasha as she recalled how she was 'tricked' into trying out wrestling by her coach.

"One day, my coach told me to try out wrestling as he wanted to expose me to sports that are similar to judo. I was a bit hesitant because I felt that judo and wrestling are quite different sports but he kept telling me that it's the same," mused the two-time national judo champion.

"And the truth is that it's not the same!" she replied in mock agony before breaking out into a warm smile.

Still, after setting aside 'Judogi' and 'Kata', Natasha went on to emerge fourth in the Girls 60kg category during the recent Commonwealth Youth Wrestling Championship and is widely tipped to represent Singapore at the upcoming Youth Olympic Games.

"I know there's still a lot of room for improvement and I will be working very hard to achieve it," was the modest reply from the Secondary Four student from Assumption English School.

One area she will definitely be working on will be the scoring system.

"Even till now, there are times when I'm still unsure about the scoring system," said the newbie who has improved leap and bounds to become Singapore's wrestling brightest star.

"In my first competition, I was giving away points for reasons which I do not know why. It's the same when I was awarded the points. I do not even know why I deserve the points," she recalled in bemusement.

Despite being the best, Natasha believes that what she sorely needs is, competition.

"It can be quite difficult when it comes to training due to the lack of female sparring partners," said the teen who compensates by training with Melvynna Tambunan from the senior team.

"That is also not the ideal preparation as we are in different weight categories. She is lighter and faster than me so in the end I can only train my agility. Furthermore, she is also working and can't be available for training all the time," said Natasha.

This little setback is just one the Singapore Wrestling Federation has its sights on to overcome through a blueprint to increase participation among Singapore kids.

"We are getting it into schools for kids to try out. In the process, we try to create a massive base where we can then trim it out for the best talent," said Sheldrake.

As for the current group of young wrestlers, Sheldrake is proud but cautious.

Some of the wrestlers have only started training for 12 weeks, a stark contrast to competitors in countries such as Australia who have been training for 12 years.

There is plenty of catching up to do, Sheldrake acknowledges and much depends on changing the mindset parents have about wrestling.

"Like any other sports, kids can also learn lessons such as respect, discipline and time management from wrestling which they can't get from the books." - CNA

Dillard pinned Jaylsse Garcia at the 4:54 mark.

Ella Salkeld also pinned Kayla Mathieu in 2:59 at 119 pounds.

"Ella wrestled great last weekend, and she carried that into tonight," Lepper said. "She actually weighed in at 112 pounds, so she was wrestling up a class. She looks like she's ready for this weekend."

SEDRO-WOOLLEY 48, MOUNT BAKER 18

103: Emily Iverson (SW) p. Brittanni Meza 1:09. 112: Andrea Iverson (SW) p. Daniela Mata 2:53. 119: Ella Salkeld (MB) p. Kayla Mathieu 2:59. 125: Jessie Keach (SW) p. Roxanne Rosas 5:30. 130: Shanli Dillard (MB) p. Jaylsse Garcia 4:54. 135: Haylee Rabenstein (SW) by forfeit. 140: Moquin (SW) by forfeit. 145: Reed (SW) by forfeit. 152: Alysia Pohren (SW) by forfeit. 160: Double forfeit. 171: Jessic Taranenko (MB) by forfeit. 285: Makenzi Clark (SW) p. Adriana Adams 1:23.

Bill Wagner / The Daily News Kelso's Emma Destromp upends her Hoquiam opponent during a match at Kelso High School in 2008. Destromp and 12 of her teammates are heading to Texas on Thursday for a tournament.

You know that old saying, "Don't mess with Texas?"

Thirteen members of the Kelso girls wrestling team will be taking that dare.

The Lassies are scheduled to fly to Spring, Texas, on Thursday morning as the only Washington representative in the 28-team Klein Collins Hurricane Invitational wrestling tournament. Klein Collins High School coach Kenny Rucker invited Kelso coach Bob Freund to bring the team, which is excited to see new competition and test itself against elite wrestlers from the first state to sanction girls wrestling as a varsity sport.

"I'm excited and nervous," said Lassies senior Elle Mustion, who wrestles at 119 pounds and is undefeated this season. "As long as we're battling and doing our best, then win or lose, that's all you can do, and the rest takes care of itself. It will be fun to see new people and try new things on the mat. I'm always up for a challenge. I'm sure a lot of those (Texas) girls have been wrestling longer than we have."

Kelso will be in Texas through Monday morning. The tournament runs Friday and Saturday, and will award trophies to the top three teams and top four individual finishers in each of 10 weight classes.

Texas and Hawaii were the first states to sanction girls wrestling at the high school level. Washington joined the club in 2006 and New York recently came onboard.

Texas is the most organized "and established," Freund noted, and its sheer population makes it the gold standard for high school wrestlers to gauge their skill level.

"Hopefully on this trip we see some different girls and some different skill levels," he said. "We hope there are lots of wrestlers and large brackets. Texas is ahead of the game. They won the team title at the Fargo Freestyle Nationals. Their only loss in the dual team tournament came to California, who blew them out. We lost a tight match with California, and I expect some of our girls to be in a position to go down there and win."

The tournament should serve as a "great set up for the (state) postseason," Kelso girls wrestling coach Tyson Lindeman said.

"This is good for the sport in general and it gives Washington that legitimacy," he added. "We want to see where we're at and this will help. We'll face girls who really know how to wrestle. We've gotta bring our game face."

For Emma Destromp, a four-year program participant who wrestles at 119 but placed fifth in state at 112 last year, that won't be a problem.

"I'm excited to see how (Texas) has developed, compared to Washington," she said before practice on Wednesday. "We hope to bring back a few medals and make an impression on those Texas girls. This will be a lot like a state tourney, a test to see how things will go for us over the next couple of weeks. We're definitely going down there to bash heads."

"Wrestling is pretty big down there," added Shay Workman, who last season placed fourth at state at 125. "We'll get a lot out of this, experience-wise. We should learn a lot."

Alisha Beach has won two state titles for the Lassies. She and Destromp have been in the program for all four seasons of its existence. She has also won at the national level and expects to encounter freestyle opponents this weekend.

"Texas does have a good team," Beach said. "They've been going longer. They may be quicker and buffer. It should be way tougher than state. It will definitely get us ready for that.

"I think we've earned this opportunity," she added. "It's nice to be able to take a trip like this in my senior year. I'm just ready for a rockin' good time and some good competition."

Texas is "one of the powerhouses of girls wrestling," said Mustion, who took fifth at state at 119 last year. "We might get beat up a little, but that's a good thing. You can always take something out of a match whether you win or lose."

The team will be free on Sunday to relax and take a vacation day. Destromp, pondering the post-wrestling part of the trip, mentioned that "what happens in Texas, stays in Texas."

This won't prevent Kelso coaches from joining the entire team for pedicures.

"All of us," Freund said.

"Are you getting pink or blue?" Lindeman asked Freund.

"Blue and gold," the head coach replied. "With sparkles."

LMS wrestlers pin down division crown 

Cobb named head coach for new men and women's teams at Wayland Baptist
Rhane Jeffress Wayland Baptist Univ. 01/20/2010
PLAINVIEW, TX---Wayland Baptist University has announced the hiring of Johnny Cobb as head coach of its new men’s and women’s intercollegiate wrestling programs. Cobb, a two-time Texas Coach of the Year while at Amarillo’s Tascosa High School, is a member of the Texas Wrestling Ring of Honor and the Texas chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Okla. Dr. Greg Feris, Director of Athletics at Wayland, said that there were a variety of applicants for the position, but ultimately it was Cobb’s passion and knowledge, plus his long history of success in the state that led to his hiring. “Coach Cobb was a valuable resource in the university’s discussions and ultimate decision to begin an intercollegiate wrestling program at Wayland. He has been a pioneer in the sport of wrestling in this part of the state, and it just makes good sense that we bring him on board to continue that pioneering spirit as the first coach of our wrestling teams.” A native of Amarillo, Cobb was a three-time District Champion at Tascosa High School in the mid-60’s, losing only one high school match in three years of competition. He went on to wrestle at Oklahoma State University until injuries put a premature end to his collegiate wrestling career. One of the founding members of the Panhandle Amateur Wrestling Association, he also founded the first kid’s wrestling program in the Panhandle of Texas at the Maverick Boys Club in 1971. His teams won both elementary and junior high team state championships titles and over 50 elementary and junior high individual state titles. Cobb took over as wrestling coach for both the boy’s and girl’s programs at his alma mater in 1988. Between 1990 and his retirement in 2008, Cobb’s teams won three state championships and finished in the top ten 15 times. Twenty-one Tascosa High wrestlers earned individual state titles under Cobb’s tutelage, 28 were national qualifiers, and one, Brandon Slay, won the 2000 Olympic Gold Medal. “We are extremely excited about what Coach Cobb brings to the position and to the university,” added Feris. “His first hand knowledge of high school wrestlers and their coaches will be a big plus as we begin the recruiting process. I have no doubt that the Wayland teams Coach Cobb places on the mat will not only be a positive representation of the university but will also be a competitive force to be reckoned with from day one.” Feris said that although Cobb won’t officially be under contract with the university until March 1, he will begin recruiting immediately. “My job starts today,” said Cobb at a press conference announcing his hiring. “I am going to have some help, some excellent help, not only in an assistant coach, but I am going to draw on the expertise of the quality, quality coaches in this area to help make this program our program – the community’s program. “Now, I’m an old rascal, but there is still some fire in the furnace and when we jump into this program, it’s not going to be just mediocre. We’re going to build some character in the kids we have and we are going to be competitive, and I’m going to predict right now that we’re going to be competitive in our first year. “Believe me, I know the difficulties involved in starting up a first-year program, but I’m going to ask the kids to set the goals right when they come in, and that bar needs to be high. If they don’t make some of those goals it’s going to be with an effort that they can live with the rest of their lives. Simply put, my philosophy is that we are going to strive for excellence here and we are going to do it with integrity.”

Cobb confident he'll win quickly at WBU

Cobb retired after the 2008 season but said he couldn't pass up the opportunity to help area wrestlers be part of something special.

"We are going to give some kids the opportunity to follow a dream," he said. "Follow a dream they didn't have otherwise in Texas, not until Wayland Baptist stepped up to the plate. I'm firmly convinced that there is no other sport that builds character like wrestling does."

Cobb was a proponent in the process from the beginning. He took Wayland Baptist Athletic Director Greg Feris to several wrestling tournaments in the area. His influence ultimately led to him getting the job.

"Johnny has been a part of our conversations and ultimately giving us input into some of the decisions we've made," Feris said. "Once Johnny and I had some serious talks relative to this, it became very evident to me that here was somebody who was not only an excellent coach but would really be able to zero in on what we were attempting to do here at Wayland."

Cobb will coach the men's and women's squads. That is nothing new to him as he coached the boys and girls at Tascosa.

He became the first coach to win a boys and girls state title while at Tascosa. He won three titles overall.

Cobb hopes to draw on the experiences of coaches he knows in the Panhandle area, including some of his former athletes such as Palo Duro coach Steve Nelson and Randall coach David Quirino.

"I'm going to incorporate the help that is needed to make the program successful." Cobb said. "I'm planning on getting some of those guys in our wrestling room when I can. I want them to get a good feel for Wayland and I want the kids to know that. Even if it was once a month, to get one of these coaches down here for a clinic instead of listening to me all day it would be great. I'd take notes, too."

Cobb plans to win now.

"I'm kind of an old rascal but there is still some fire in the furnace," he said.

"When we jump into this program it's not just to be mediocre. We are going to build some character in the kids we have but we are going to be competitive. I'm going to predict right now we are going to be competitive in the first year.

"We are going to strive for excellence here, and we are going to do it with integrity."

Coaches are expecting intense matches as AHS, Tascosa battle

The third annual Maine High School Girls Wrestling Invitational Tournament will be Tuesday, Feb. 16 at Gardiner Area High School.

Girls have been allowed to compete against boys in wrestling in Maine since 1997, but until this tournament was started by Mt. Blue High School teacher and referee Arvid Cullenberg, girls didn't have the opportunity to compete against one another. The event was held at Mt. Blue in the past, but has moved to Gardiner to provide a more central location.

The tournament is open only to high school girls who are currently on a wrestling team roster at a Maine high school and registration must be done by the high school wrestling coaches. Wrestling is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.

Although Feb. 16 is a school vacation day, the later time is intended to allow more people to come watch the competition, according to Gardiner coach Matt Hanley, who expects the tournament to wrap up by 8 p.m.