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Missouri Valley College women's team travels to China for competition and training

6/19/2002
Katie Quatman/USA Wrestling

A group of Missouri Valley College wrestlers recently made history as they became the first women’s college team to participate in a training tour in China.

After four months of fierce fundraising efforts, the wrestlers finally arrived in Beijing on June 6 to begin a week of intense workouts with China’s National Team, Army Team, and University Team.

Missouri Valley College was the No. 1 women's college program in the United States this year. Many of the athletes on the China tour will be competing this weekend at the World Team Trials.

“China’s Women’s Team, the 2001 World Champions, is very disciplined and talented,” said Mike Machholz, Missouri Valley Wrestling Coach. “They are great wrestlers in par terre position, which is why this trip was an excellent opportunity for our women to gain experience, pick up technique, and trade secrets.”

During their first practice session, Team China, currently preparing for the Asian Games (similar to our Pan-Am Games), put Missouri Valley’s endurance to the test.

While a few of the Missouri Valley women had been training for the upcoming World Team Trials, others had not seriously trained since their college season ended a few months back.

China’s coach had designed the practice in such a way that the Missouri Valley girls were constantly sparring while China team members switched their members in and out, a form of "sharkbait" training.

“It was funny to watch from my end,” Machholz admitted. “However, I know the girls did not find it quite as enjoyable. They just had so many more team members than we did, all of whom were in great training shape. The next day I designed a practice that would not be as exhausting for us.”

“Yeah, they shark-baited us that first day,” said Satrinina Vernon, who placed third in the U.S. Nationals at 72 kg. “Other than that, though, it was a very enjoyable and beneficial experience. All of their wrestlers were very friendly and training with them gave us exposure to a wide variety of styles.”

In the mornings, the practice sessions consisted mainly of technique and drilling, but in the afternoons the women faced off in live competition.

“China takes their women’s wrestling very seriously,” said Machholz. “They have a lot more participants in their programs and unlike our girls who are limited to their training time during the school year, China’s University team members are actually wrestling students who devote all of their study to the sport.”

Despite China's advantages, several of the Missouri wrestlers competed very well. In fact, Tori Adams, who took third in the U.S. Nationals at 63 kg, compiled a 3-1 record including a victory over World Champion Hai Tan Xu, 3-2.

“This trip was excellent mental preparation for the World Team Trials,” Adams expressed. “It’s not often you get the opportunity to train and learn techniques from top competitors in other countries.”

Although wrestling was the focus of the trip, Coach Machholz arranged for plenty of sightseeing and cultural adventures. With their own private tour guide and interpreter, the team experienced such activities as a boat ride on Lake Kunming, a visit to the ornate Temple of Heaven, a tour of the famed Ming Tombs, and even a workout of climbing the Great Wall.

“The entire trip was a lot of fun,” said Clarissa Chun. “I had a great time training and making friends with the various China teams. The sightseeing was unbelievable, and bargaining with vendors while we were shopping was an interesting experience.”

With the trip being scheduled so close to the World Team Trials, some of the girls were a little worried about the time difference and jet lag. However, upon their return, Vernon, Adams, and Chun expressed nothing but confident anticipation and feelings of being more focused than ever.

“I think this trip really helped bring the team together,” Machholz reported. “It gave us all exposure to a completely new culture, and despite a few bouts of sickness from the food, we ate enough rice to power a couple of Hondas."

“The China teams were also very happy with the experience and invited us back in the future,” said Machholz. “Traveling internationally is definitely a worthwhile experience, and we will certainly look into returning to China at some point. As for next year, we are strongly leading toward Paris, France."

In addition to the women wrestlers, three members of Missouri Valley College's men's team also attended the trip and participated in matches against top Chinese freestyle wrestlers.

MVC vs CHINESE NATIONAL TEAM 6/08/02

WOMEN’S COMPETITION
Monica Harris vs Yuan Zhi Gao L 0-10
Clarissa Chun vs Hui Lee L 0-10
Marianne Volmer vs Yan Liang L 0-10
Erin Soli vs Li Yun Chu L fall3:50 (losing 1-2)
Kierstin Hyatt vs Li Quing Tang L 2-10
Tori Adams vs Hai Tan Xu (World Champ) W 3-2
Mollie Keith vs Ting Liu L 13-2
Nina Vernon vs Hui Hua Sue W fall 4:12 (leading 8-0)

MEN’S COMPETITION

MATCH #1
Lukie Christian vs Chao Han W fall :33 (leading 3-0)
Jory Dick vs Quan Lee L 4-5
Adam Nuru vs Bao An Ying L 0-10

MATCH #2
Lukie Christian vs Chao Han W fall 1:14 (leading 5-0)

MVC vs CHINESE ARMY TEAM 6/09/02

WOMEN’S COMPETITION

MATCH #1
Monica Harris vs Xiu Lian Wang L 0-10
Rachel Bernardes vs Shan Shan Yang L 9-11
Clarissa Chun vs Jing Nie W 9-7
Marianne Volmer vs Li Wang L 0-10
Erin Soli vs Xiao Shuang Zhang L 3-12
Kierstin Hyatt vs Yan Pang L 1-11
Tori Adams vs Qian Song W fall 2:00 (leading 8-0)
Nina Vernon vs Rong Chen W fall 2:50 (leading 5-0)

MATCH #2
Erin Soli Xiu Lian Wang L 0-11
Kierstin Hyatt Xiho Shuang Zhang W fall 5:00 (leading 11-5)
Tori Adams Xu Wang L 0-11
Nina Vernon Xu Wang L 2-7

MVC vs CHINESE ARMY TEAM 6/09/02

MEN’S COMPETITION
MATCH #1
Lukie Christian vs Quan Hue W fall :20
Jory Dick vs Zheng Chuang Chen L 3-13
Adam Nuru vs Bao An Yin W fall 5:30 (leading 13-5)

MATCH #2
Lukie Christian vs Chao Han W fall 1:14 (leading 5-0)
Jory Dick vs Lui Tao Yang W 10-0
Adam Nuru vs Hai Wen Liu W fall 2:25 (leading 8-2)

MVC vs CHINESE NATIONAL TEAM 6/08/02

WOMEN’S COMPETITION

Monica Harris vs Yuan Zhi Gao L 0-10
Clarissa Chun vs Hui Lee L 0-10
Marianne Volmer vs Yan Liang L 0-10
Erin Soli vs Li Yun Chu L fall3:50 (losing 1-2)
Kierstin Hyatt vs Li Quing Tang L 2-10
Tori Adams vs Hai Tan Xu (World Champ) W 3-2
Mollie Keith vs Ting Liu L 13-2
Nina Vernon vs Hui Hua Sue W fall 4:12 (leading 8-0)

MEN’S COMPETITION

MATCH #1
Lukie Christian vs Chao Han W fall :33 (leading 3-0)
Jory Dick vs Quan Lee L 4-5
Adam Nuru vs Bao An Ying L 0-10

MATCH #2
Lukie Christian vs Chao Han W fall 1:14 (leading 5-0)

MVC vs CHINESE ARMY TEAM 6/09/02

WOMEN’S COMPETITION

MATCH #2
Erin Soli Xiu Lian Wang L 0-11
Kierstin Hyatt Xiho Shuang Zhang W fall 5:00 (leading 11-5)
Tori Adams Xu Wang L 0-11
Nina Vernon Xu Wang L 2-7

MVC vs CHINESE ARMY TEAM 6/09/02

MEN’S COMPETITION

MATCH #1
Lukie Christian vs Quan Hue W fall :20
Jory Dick vs Zheng Chuang Chen L 3-13
Adam Nuru vs Bao An Yin W fall 5:30 (leading 13-5)

MATCH #2
Lukie Christian vs Chao Han W fall 1:14 (leading 5-0)
Jory Dick vs Lui Tao Yang W 10-0
Adam Nuru vs Hai Wen Liu W fall 2:25 (leading 8-2)

MVC vs CHINESE BEIJING UNIVERSITY TEAM 6/11/02

WOMEN’S COMPETITION
Monica Harris vs Xiu Lan Lee L 0-12
Rachel Bernardes vs Xiao Yi Zhoi L 0-10
Clarissa Chun vs Lin Lin Zhao L 2-12
Marianne Volmer vs Yan Feng Guo L 3-11
Erin Soli vs Ziao Juan Wu L 2-12
Kierstin Hyatt vs Shuang Xu L 3-14
Tori Adams vs Xiao Na Yang W 10-1
Mollie Keith vs Xiao Ming Lee L 0-10

MEN’S COMPETITION
Lukie Christian vs Bing Lui W fall (leading 8-0)
Jory Dick vs Hong Wu Zhou W 9-5
Adam Nuru vs Xu Ming Wang L 0-10

MVC vs CHINESE BEIJING UNIVERSITY TEAM 6/11/02

MEN’S COMPETITION
Lukie Christian vs Bing Lui W fall (leading 8-0)
Jory Dick vs Hong Wu Zhou W 9-5
Adam Nuru vs Xu Ming Wang L 0-10

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Notes from the World Team Trials: Zadick receives delay; Montgomery moves up in weight

6/20/2002
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling

Two top seeds change, as Zadick takes extension and Montgomery moves up…

Two of the top seeds for the 2002 World Team Trials changed at the weigh-in, as a pair of national champions caused adjustments to the draw.

Bill Zadick (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC), as the top seed at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. in men’s freestyle, exercised his right to extend his final series due to injury. U.S. Nationals runner-up Jamill Kelly moves up into the No. 1 spot at the weight class. Zadick has the right to challenge the winner of this weekend’s event in a best-of-three Special Wrestle-off at a later date prior to the World Championships.

Toccara Montgomery (Cleveland, Ohio/Sunkist Kids), the U.S. Nationals champion at 67 kg/147.5 lbs. in women’s wrestling, decided to move up in weight class to compete at the Olympic weight division of 72 kg/158.5 pounds. She gives up her position as the top seed, and was placed in the Challenge Tournament at her new weight division. Montgomery, a 2001 World silver medalist, received the No. 1 seed in the Challenge Tournament. She had indicated a week ago in an interview with TheMat.com that she intended to drop to 138.75 pounds, but chose to go up instead. When Montgomery vacated her top spot, U.S. Nationals runner-up Katie Downing (Pendleton, Ind./UM-Morris) assumed the No. 1 seed at her division.

Two wrestlers arrive late and miss weigh-in, eliminated from the draw…

A pair of freestyle wrestlers, Ramico Blackmon (Colorado Springs, Colo./Team Excel) and Celso DeAnda (Colorado Springs, Colo./Team Excel) arrived at the weigh-in area at the Radisson Hotel in Saint Paul after the end of the weigh-in time, and was unable to enter the event, eliminated from competition.

Blackmon placed third at 74 kg/163 lbs. at this year’s U.S. Nationals, while DeAnda was eighth at the U.S. Nationals at 66 kg/145.5 lbs.

1996 Olympian Dave Zuniga to try his hand in freestyle, again

David Zuniga (New Brighton, Minn./Minnesota Storm) has entered the World Team Trials again, but has returned to freestyle wrestling for the first time in a dozen years.

Zuniga, a member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman team, also competed on a number of U.S. World teams in the classic style. After a time away from the sport, he has decided to switch back to freestyle.

In 1990, Zuniga placed second to John Smith at the U.S. Freestyle Nationals. That same season, he was second in the NCAA Championships as a Minnesota Gopher to Tom Brands of Iowa. After recovering from a knee injury, Zuniga chose to pursue Greco-Roman on the international scene, becoming one of the nation’s best for a decade.

World silver medalist Eggum gets No. 2 seed in Challenge Tournament

In spite of winning a silver medal at the 2001 World Championships, the best performance of any U.S. freestyle wrestler at the event, Brandon Eggum (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) received the No. 2 seed in the Challenge Tournament at 84 kg/185 lbs. In effect, the seeding committee of club coaches predicted that Eggum was the third best wrestler in the weight class in the United States, although he is right now considered No. 2 in the world.

Eggum was a replacement at the World Championships for Cael Sanderson, who missed the event when it was moved from New York and delayed until November due to college responsibilities. This year, Eggum did not compete at the U.S. Nationals due to injury, and Sanderson claimed the No. 1 spot there. Earning the top seed at the weight class is Lee Fullhart, the 2002 U.S. Nationals runner-up behind Sanderson. Without a doubt, this will be one of the most hotly contested divisions in the event.
Those who didn’t come this year included…

… Matt Lindland, the 2000 Olympic silver medalist and 2001 World silver medalist, who has been concentrating on his career in mixed martial arts…

…Rulon Gardner, the World and Olympic champion who was severely injured with frostbite this winter, who has not yet recovered enough to compete this season…

…Brian Dolph, the 2000 Olympic Trials runner-up, who returned to the mats in April and placed sixth at the U.S. Nationals at 74 kg/163 lbs…

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2002 European Results

5th International Hans-von-Zons-Tournament / FILA-Tournament
Germany

63 kg (7 entrants) - Viola Yanik - 2nd

(Viola Yanik vs Nikola Hartmann-Dunser)

67 kg (7 entrants) - Meagan Buydens - 4th

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Viola Yanik receives Sask Sport Inc.

March Athlete of the Month Award
Viola Yanik of Saskatoon is the recipient of the Sask Sport Inc. March Athlete of the Month Award.

Yanik, 19, won the gold medal in the women's 68-75 kg class at the Saskatchewan Open Provincial Wrestling Championships in Regina. She followed that performance with a gold medal at the Junior National Championships in Winnipeg, and a bronze medal at the CIS Championships in Thunder Bay. A member of the Saskatoon Wrestling Club, Yanik now qualifies for the Senior National Championships next month. She was nominated by the Saskatchewan Wrestling Association.

The other nominees were the Bruno Axemen Broomball Team, and Chelsea Stone, Regina, taekwon-do.

For more information contact Diane Stephan at (306) 975-0816.

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2002 Senior National Wrestling Championships

May 4-5, Guelph, Ontario

Female / Femme

48 KG (7)
1. Carol Huynh - Burnaby Mountain W.C. (BC) - won by a decision, 7-0
2. Julie Harris - Brock W.C. (ON)
3. Tania Mair - Guelph W.C. (ON)
4. Melissa Hillaby - Bears W.C. (AB)
5. Krista Wells - Kingston W.C. (ON)
6. Audrey Carrasco - Lexus Titans (ON)

51 KG (6)
1. Lyndsay Belisle - Burnaby Mountain W.C. (BC) - won by a decision, 6-0
2. Teresa Piotrowski - Guelph W.C. (ON)
3. Belinda Chou - Cattown W.C. (SK)
4. Lyndsay Rushton - Brock W.C. (ON)
5. Shannon Briginshaw - Burnaby Mountain W.C. (BC)
6. Andrea Ross - London A.W.A.C. (ON)

55 KG (6)
1. Jen Ryz - Burnaby Mountain W.C. (BC) - won by a decision, 2-1 at 9:00
2. Tonya Verbeek - Brock W.C. (ON)
3. Ellen Macro - Hamilton W.C. (ON)
4. Kate Eckfeldt - U of Calgary W.C. (AB)
5. Amber Binney - Black Bears W.C. (NB)
6. np

59 KG (9)
1. Emily Richardson - Burnaby Mountain W.C. (BC) - won by a decision, 3-1
2. Helen Hennick - Black Bears W.C. (NB)
3. Breanne Graham - U of Calgary W.C. (AB)
4. Katie Patrock - Thunderwolves (ON)
5. Heidi Kulak - Bears W.C. (AB)
6. Melissa Kindratsky - U of Calgary W.C. (AB)

63 KG (2)
1. Tara Hedican - Guelph W.C. (ON) - won by a decision, 13-6
2. Viola Yanik - Saskatoon W.C. (SK)

67 KG (8)
1. Shannon Samler - Burnaby Mountain W.C. (BC) - won by grand superiority, 10-0 at 2:52 of the match
2. Megan Dolan - Brock W.C. (ON)
3. Tamara Medwidsky - Montreal W.C. (PQ)
4. Evy Yoller - Thunderwolves (ON)
5. Megan Buydens - Saskatoon W.C. (SK)
6. Samantha Johnson - Guelph W.C. (ON)

72 KG (4)
1. Pam Wilson - Hamilton W.C. (ON) - won by a fall at 5:58 of the match
2. Martine Desgrenier - Montreal W.C. (ON)
3. Ohenewa Akuffo - Guelph W.C. (ON)
4. Rachelle Pinet - Club de lutte acadia chaleur (NB)

Team Standings
1. Burnaby Mountain W.C. (British Columbia) - 50 pts
2. Brock W.C. (Ontario) - 24 pts
3. Guelph W.C. (Ontario) - 20 pts
4. Hamilton W.C.(Ontario) - 12 pts
5. Montreal W.C. (Quebec) - 10 pts
6. Black Bears W.C. (New Brunswick) - 9 pts

Province Standings
1. British Columbia - 50 pts
2. Ontario - 42 pts
3. Alberta - 11 pts
4. New Brunswick - 10 pts
5. Quebec - 10 ps
6. Saskatchewan - 9 pts

Outstanding Wrestler - Pam Wilson - Hamilton W.C. (72 KG)

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