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Pioneering girls start tradition
Newcomers to wrestling enjoy being role models
01/31/2003
By ANDRES CARDENAS
THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE
The growth of girls' wrestling will carry several athletes from Colton and Rialto Eisenhower to a state championship meet in Vallejo on Saturday.
Colton's Michelle Graf, ranked No. 1 in the state in the 152-pound class by California Girls Wrestling, said her sister got her started.
"I said, 'Well if she tried it, I can try it,' " Graf said. "When I moved here (from Chino) I met some of the other wrestlers and they introduced me to the coach, and it just trickled in."
Last week, Graf competed and won her weight class at the first girls' tournament held at Eisenhower. The Eagles are ranked No. 9 in the state with five girls, four of whom are ranked.
Peter Phun -Amanda Kiggundu, Eisenhower senior |
"I enjoy it a lot," said Eisenhower's Felicia Quevedo, who is ranked No. 4 at 138 pounds and has been wrestling for two years. "I think I would do a lot better now if I was wrestling since I was little."
Quevedo said she got into the sport because teammate Christina Perez wanted another girl to join her. Perez, like most of the girls, knows what it is like to wrestle against boys during meets and the preconceptions they have.
"I have wrestled guys that are, like, 'I've got to wrestle her' and stuff like that," Perez, who is ranked No. 3 in the 134-pound class, said. "But that makes me want to try harder and do better."
Most of the girls at Eisenhower said their families, especially their fathers, thought they could not be successful in a traditionally male sport.
"I am pushing myself harder to do this because my dad told me I couldn't do it," said Eagles senior Amanda Kiggundu, No. 4 at 165 pounds. "I am doing better now, and I guess I am proving to him that I could do it, too."
These pioneers recognize that they are laying the groundwork for future generations despite their limited experience.
"I like the idea because I hope that we are role models," said Eisenhower junior Patricia Bernard, ranked No. 7 in the state at 144 pounds. "I hope that a lot of girls see us and want to do as good or better."
Graf has been wrestling for two years and one day would like to become a girls' wrestling coach.
"I feel like I am setting the way for other girls to go, and that is my goal," the senior said.
In a response to the growth of girls' wrestling, the California Interscholastic Federation announced this month it will hold up to 16 girls' matches at the state tournament in Stockton in March. Wrestlers will be chosen by a selection committee that will look at performance and academic records.
"The exhibition is simply a way to showcase girls' wrestling and hopefully build interest in the sport for girls," said CIF spokesman Jim Duel. "Whether this will lead to an eventual state championship for girls will be determined down the road. I think a lot would depend on if the sport continues to experience growth for girls."
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USGWA State Championships
1/31/03
Pleasant Valley junior Griselda Mata placed fourth out of 18 competitors in the 130-pound bracket at the U.S. Girls Wrestling Association State Championships in Vallejo. Mata went 3-2 on the day with three pins
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CAN WOMEN SOLVE WRESTLERS' PROBLEM?
Dayton Daily News; Dayton, Ohio; Jan 31, 2003
Title IX sparks tensions
The scene was the main building at a county fairgrounds in central Ohio
a couple of years ago. The occasion was the first weekend of the
three-weekend state wrestling tournament.
Sitting in a corner was a wrestler who had just lost a match to
determine who would move on to the second weekend. The match ended his season.
His head was buried in his hands. It had been for 40 minutes. He had
not looked up once.
In another corner, about 20 yards away, the wrestler who beat him was
being interviewed by a local newspaper reporter.
After all, this was only the second time in Ohio that a girl had moved
on to the second weekend.
Actually, though, the girl wrestler was not all that unusual. Hundreds
of girls are wrestling on boys teams around the country. Quite a few girls
have advanced to the final weekends of their state tournaments - to the
all-important, all-prestigious "state." In Michigan a few years ago,
the 103-pound weight class at state had three girls. (Generally, the lower
the weight class, the better the girls do. And 103 is the lowest.)
Ohio has been slower than some states to catch this wave. But in
southwestern Ohio this season, at least three girls have wrestled in
varsity matches.
In two states - Texas and Hawaii - some high schools have female
wrestling teams in female leagues. Ironically, this progressive move has
resulted, in some measure, from conservative impulses. The Texans were appalled at
the idea of girls wrestling boys. But they couldn't legally keep girls from
wrestling. So they created girls teams.
A handful of colleges have women's teams, and the number is growing,
even as the number of male college wrestling teams shrinks.
Which brings us to Title IX. In the past 20 years, the number of
collegiate wrestling programs in this country has shrunk by at least a third, to a
couple hundred. As the editorial in the space next to this one notes,
the colleges are proceeding on the (dubious) premise that they are under
pressure to have gender ratios in sports that mirror their gender
ratios in the classroom. That means expanding opportunities for women. It also
has meant cutting opportunities for men.
So Title IX is deeply unpopular in wrestling circles. Deeply.
A wrestling organization is suing to get the impact of Title IX
changed.
Girl wrestlers - as if they don't have enough problems as barrier
breakers and threats to the male ego - must, in some settings, contend with the
male feeling that females are getting all the breaks. (Guys can't play on a
girls volleyball team, one form of the he-man whining goes; why should girls
be allowed on a boys wrestling team?)
The girl wrestlers - who identify with the world of wrestling, not the
world of political activism - often see some merit in their teammates'
various complaints.
Ironically, though, some people are saying a solution to the problem
caused by women athletes may be more women athletes - in wrestling.
It has occurred to some college wrestling coaches that their teams
might be less jeopardized if wrestling weren't seen as a purely male enclave, if
you couldn't shut down wrestling without hurting some women.
If women's wrestling is to get anywhere in college, it must - as is the
case with other sports - take the form of women's teams, not women wrestling
on previously all-male teams. Some people are dreaming about the day when
a lot of colleges have such teams.
The cynics among the male wrestlers will tell you that's no solution to
their problem. The colleges will just shut down the male teams and let
the females keep going.
True, some male teams have been shut down in two-gender sports such as
gymnastics. But in gymnastics, the female side of things seems to be
the bigger sport. It'll be a long time before that's true in wrestling.
Just shutting down the men in wrestling would look very strange.
The guys (and their mothers) who are appalled by what's happening to
wrestling like to point to horror stories like this:
The coach of the women's crew team at a certain college was, in an
effort to fill her roster, reduced to roaming through the cafeteria looking for
strapping females who might be willing to give the sport a try. And
this was allegedly happening even as the eager, experienced and accomplished
male wrestlers had just been put out of business.
Instead of just telling that story, maybe the wrestlers ought to ask a
question about it: Did it work?
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton
Daily News. He may be reached at 225-2288 or by e-mail at
mgottlieb@coxohio.com.
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By Anthony Andro 2/2/03
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
ARLINGTON - A couple of days filled with off-the-mat issues couldn't keep the District 14 wrestling meet from ending with familiar results.
For the fifth consecutive year, the Martin boys won a district title, while the Sam Houston girls defended their league crown Saturday at Lamar High School.
The wrestling capped a busy week, which included the suspension of Sam Houston girls coach Tommy Bonds on Thursday and an eligibility inquiry Saturday morning.
According to Lamar principal Jimmy Jones, the district executive committee voted 6-2 Saturday morning to allow Arlington school district wrestlers who had previously been academically ineligible to compete in the meet. The vote was necessary because of a difference in the Arlington school district calendar and the UIL calendar about when such an athlete regains eligibility.
"We don't want our kids to be penalized by an adult error," Jones said.
According to the Arlington calendar, athletes became eligible to compete Friday afternoon. The UIL calendar said they do not become eligible until Monday. The executive committee voted to allow the athletes to compete, and Jones said he would call the Texas Education Agency on Monday to notify it of the decision.
South Grand Prairie wrestling coach Mike Eaton, who said some of his wrestlers did not compete because SGP followed the UIL calendar, said his school would notify the TEA on Monday that it is protesting the ruling.
Whatever the final ruling, it won't take away from solid performances from the Warriors and Lady Texans.
Martin outpointed Bowie 215-185 to win the title behind district titles from Corey Miller (103 pounds), Parker Ryan (112), Matt Sansone (135), Kyle Frank (171) and David Cedeno (180). Lamar was third with 139 points and SGP was fourth with 134.
"The kids just flat-out wrestled tough," Martin coach Tony Warren said. "We wanted to win a fifth district title in a row, and we did it. We're just going to keep getting better and better the next couple of weeks."
The top two wrestlers in each weight will participate in the Region II meet Friday and Saturday at SGP.
Sam Houston's girls won despite losing their coach. Sam Houston athletic coordinator Kenny Perry said Bonds was suspended indefinitely and wouldn't elaborate further. With Chris Scroggins coaching in Bonds' place, the Texans won four of the 10 weight classes.
"We needed this," said senior Glory Dalton, who won the 138-pound title over SGP's Cindy Ramirez with a pin in 38 seconds. "I expected us to do well. I'm really proud of the way we responded."
Sam Houston finished with 138 points to SGP's 85 1/2. Arlington finished third.
Sam Houston's Yadira Aguilera (148), Dulce Mendoza (185) and Monica Coleman (215) also won individual titles.
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Montwood, Hanks claim wrestling titles
Pablo Villa 2/2/03
El Paso Times
Some things refuse to change.
But just because Saturday's outing at the District 3-5A/4-5A Wrestling Tournament at Montwood yielded three repeat champions, don't chalk that up to repetition.
Hanks and Montwood bulled their way to district titles behind a stalwart group that displays an undaunted work ethic. And that work is what has earned them area bragging rights for another year.
For Hanks, it was another pair of trophies to add to a jammed case, as the Knights' boys and girls claimed their fifth and fourth consecutive District 3-5A titles, respectively.
"It's just our work ethic," Hanks coach Anthony Carter said. "It's become a tradition. I believe that each class doesn't want to let the class beneath them down. And that class is always looking to outdo the class above them."
For the Hanks girls, that class includes Tina Chavarria (110 pounds), Kim Quiñonez (119), Jenny Franco (128), Diane Reveles (165) and Celia Mergy (215) who all took meet championships.
The Montwood girls surely outdid themselves, as well. A year after sliding into a first-place finish, the Rams muscled their way to a runaway meet win.
Montwood's twin sister duo of Mariana and Marisol Chavira claimed the Rams' only individual titles, although neither girl had to wrestle a match.
"I don't like taking the easy way out," Mariana Chavira said of her gimme title. "But oh yeah, I'll be ready next week."
Montwood won the tournament with 124 points, tabbing itself the District 4-5A champion for the second year. Hanks finished second in the team standings, and first in 3-5A, with 99 points.
Both districts were combined in the girls' division due to a limited number of competitors and in order to give girls valuable mat time. Regular University Interscholastic League bracketing rules applied, and both districts will have two representatives in the regional tournament.
"This is what we look for," Montwood coach Leo Garcia said while clutching the meet trophy. "It was a fight. All the girls pulled through. Not seeing some of the girls wrestle was a little disappointing. But regionals is going to be a true test for them."
The only usurper Saturday was Americas High. The Trailblazers claimed their second District 4-5A title in four years.
Americas had Manny Padilla (125 pounds), Manny Rodriguez (130), Kris Jury (140) and Phil Huerta (189) all win individual titles, more than any other Blazer team in school history to supplant Socorro as the District 4-5A champion.
"They performed beyond belief," Americas coach Kevin Jury said. "Everybody did well. This was a true team win."
The Hanks boys rounded out the day with a slew of first place finishes from, among others, returning state champion Lou Perez (103), Danny Hernandez (125), Steve Gutierrez (130), Kris Summers (135), Beto Villagrana (152), Scott Whetstone (160), Aaron Hogue (171), Reggie Armstrong (180) and Aaron Aragon (189).
District 2-5A
The El Paso High girls mustered enough of an effort to get by a powerful first-year Chapin team at the District 2-5A tournament at Fabens.
The Tigers won the tournament with 89 points behind the effort of meet outstanding wrestler Bethany Piña. Chapin finished second with 83 points, followed by Burges with 57.
The Fabens boys captured their second consecutive district title with 163 points. They were led by 119-pounder David De La Rosa. Chapin finished second with 146 points and Bowie was third with 125.5 points.
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Sheboygan South’s Ripple considers her first season on Redwings’ wrestling team a success
By Dave Lubach 2/2/03
Sheboygan Press staff
t wasn’t a typical win for Drew Hammen.
The 103-pound sophomore wrestler from Random Lake pinned his opponent in just 25 seconds during a match at Sheboygan South on Dec. 12.
Such rapid pins are rare in the sport, and are usually cause for celebration.
But Hammen didn’t sound all that excited about the feat. His opponent that night was Redwings sophomore Tiffany Ripple, a girl.
“It’s different,” Hammen said. “You can’t wrestle the way you normally do. There are different body parts. … It’s just weird.
“There’s a lot of pressure. (The girls) aren’t expected to win, and if you lose, you’ll likely be made fun of.”
A Dad’s surprise
Jon Ripple remembers approaching his daughter Tiffany about wrestling when she was in middle school.
The reaction he got wasn’t surprising.
“I’m sure,” was all Tiffany said, in a tone so sarcastic, Dad knew she wasn’t interested.
So imagine his surprise a few years later when Tiffany said she was trying out for Sheboygan South’s team.
“I thought she was kidding,” he said.
Jon Ripple wasn’t the only skeptic. The list of doubters included her coach, classmates and perhaps even a teammate or two.
But here we are, nearing the end of the wrestling season, and there’s Tiffany, still competing at 103 pounds and preparing to wrap up her first season with the Redwings.
Her record currently stands at 4-8, and all of her victories have been because of forfeits. Her last match was Friday night, a 7-1 loss at Plymouth.
Still, Ripple, 16, considers her first foray into wrestling a success.
“I proved to people that I can do it, that I wouldn’t quit,” she said. “And I made my parents proud.”
Not everyone associated with the sport is as excited as she is.
A touchy subject
The number of girls competing in high school wrestling in Wisconsin is about 30, a small percentage certainly, but enough to get people discussing it.
Girls’ increased presence in the sport seems to be an uncomfortable topic for coaches and athletes to discuss. Many people who were interviewed for this story started their remarks with a grin or by saying, “that’s a hard question.”
But none of them questioned Tiffany’s dedication or sincerity in wanting to compete.
Rob Bautch, Random Lake’s wrestling coach, even said that in general, girls’ work ethic is better than boys’.
Still, that doesn’t mean he’s keen on the idea of boys wrestling with and against girls.
“We’re taught as teachers not to be alone in a room with a girl,” Bautch said. “As a coach you sometimes do things like pat an athlete on the behind and you’d have to make sure you don’t do stuff like that. It puts coaches in a very uncomfortable position.”
“We teach ethics about what to do and what not to do about girls,” added Oostburg coach Steve Rogers. “Then they get on the mat and we’re telling them to throw that away?”
Rogers understands why his athletes may be uncomfortable wrestling a girl, so he gives them the option of not facing them.
“That’s putting the kids in an awkward position,” Rogers said. “I don’t make my kids wrestle them, but if they do go out there, I expect them to wrestle hard.”
Jon Ripple never faced any girls during his prep career at Westfield High, where he competed from 1973 to 1975, but he understands a boy’s trepidation to wrestle a girl.
“My son wrestled a girl in middle school and got beat, and he just said ‘Gee, I didn’t want to hurt her,’ ” he said.
Teammates all for it
If there is any animosity on the South team about having a girl on the squad, it’s hidden well.
Captain Brian Mai said he and the rest of the Redwings support Tiffany in full.
“I’m glad (Tiffany) is on the team,” said the senior 130 pounder. “We’ve had girls go out in the past, but they haven’t stuck with it. She’s stuck with it and tries really hard. Plus, she fills a weight class.”
At South, that in itself should be considered a positive. Despite being a school of more than 1,500 students, just 15 of them are on the wrestling team.
Tiffany, a former Tae Kwon Do student who was halfway to earning her black belt, is the team’s lone competitor at 103. That instantly gave her a varsity spot and didn’t give her time to develop against lesser wrestlers in junior varsity competition.
That sometimes leads to tough situations, like during this year’s North-South match, when Tiffany would have had to face North state qualifier Brandon Schad. Even though the result of the match was still in doubt when her weight class came up, South coach Brent Cole kept her sidelined instead of subjecting her to such a difficult opponent.
“I would have been just as happy for her to wrestle JV, but there’s no one else,” Jon Ripple said. “The coaches are good about using her though. The Brandon Schad match, I didn’t have a problem with her not wrestling.”
Even though she’s only won forfeits, her efforts have helped South in close dual meets. Simply by her being there to raise her hand when the opposing team has no 103 pounder, the Redwings get six team points they wouldn’t normally earn.
“She’s really helped out,” said Cole, a 1995 state runner-up at Oconto Falls. “All I can ask of her is to show up and try to keep learning.”
There are a few special preparations Cole has to make with Tiffany on the squad. Of course, she has to change in separate locker rooms, and he has to call in advance to make sure the hosting school has a woman supervisor available at weigh-in.
During this one season Cole has worked with Tiffany, he’s been impressed with her work ethic and her efforts to improve.
“She’s a feisty one,” Cole said. “As soon as the whistle blows, she’s ready to go. She’s got a wrestling attitude, an attitude to be successful.”
The future
Tiffany didn’t try out for wrestling as a publicity stunt.
She said she has no agenda, no desire to try and prove that anything boys can do she can do, too.
And she’s not doing it to “roll around on the mat with boys,” as some classmates have accused her of doing, according to Jon Ripple.
No, Tiffany said her reason was a simple one: cheerleading isn’t for her, and neither is being a student manager.
“I feel like I have to explain myself about why I went out, but I don’t know what to tell people,” she said. “I joined because I wanted to.”
Tiffany still hasn’t determined if she will return for a second season. With college looming, she said her class load may not allow her to take on another season of sports.
If that’s the case, Jon Ripple can still be considered a proud dad.
“I haven’t missed a match yet,” he said. “At her last event (a loss by technical fall at Green Bay Preble), she fought so hard so the opponent wouldn’t pin her, and her teammates congratulated her and showed their support.
“They treated her like she was part of the team.”