A wrestler and a hockey player are this week's Brock University athletes of the week.
Earning top female honours was wrestler Jasmine Mian.
The Barrie native helped lead the Brock women's wrestling team to a third-place showing at the Guelph Open.
After opening with a loss to Olympic champion Carol Huynh in the 48-kilogram division, Mian won three straight matches to capture the bronze medal. Her final victory came over reigning Canadian junior champion Jasmine Slinn
Female Wrestler Fighting for Equality
Vida en el Valle, News Report, Daniel Casarez, Posted: Jan 26, 2010
SELMA, Calif. -- Biridiana Mendoza sits on the wrestling mat
alongside 20 teammates on Selma High School's wrestling team listening
to coach Sam López talk about commitment.
The 16-year-old junior is the lone female on the Selma Bears team.
Crystal Padilla is out indefinitely due to a knee injury.
López's words about commitment are encouraging, but he also
hands out some harsh criticism about the lack of pride at winning
smaller and less-competitive tournaments. Mendoza and her teammates
react with smiles and frowns.
Biri -- as Mendoza is known to her teammates -- is ranked sixth
nationally in the 132-pound division.
Her titles include last year California Girl's Hanford Invitational
(the unofficial state tournament), the Napa Valley Classic, the Castro
Valley Classic, and the Queen of the Mat in Antioch.
As the boys prepare for a weekend tournament in southern California,
Biri readies for the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF)
Southern Girl's Regional on Jan. 22-23 in Covina. She finished second
in last year's regional.
Wrestling against males most of her career has prepared Biri.
She remembers being in the first grade and joining her parents
José and Antonia Mendoza -- immigrants from Guanajuato,
México -- watch José Jr. learn wrestling at the Selma
Wrestling Club.
José, Sr., a truck driver and general laborer, asked Biri if she
wanted to wrestle too, and she accepted.
"My mom was OK with it, but only because she didn't think that I would
do it when I'm older," said Biri. "She gets really nervous and afraid
when I wrestle against boys. My hair gets all crazy ... and I get all
sweaty."
Eleven years later, Biri, who also plays softball for the Bears, has
impressed dozens of coaches while defeating hundreds of opponents, both
male and female.
"She has over 150 wins against boys," boasts longtime club coach Diego
Quintana. "She was the junior high state champion."
Mendoza won the junior high crown three times.
Biri is among the less-than five percent of female high school
wrestlers nationwide who compete on boy's teams. In 2004, women's
wrestling became an Olympic sport.
She wants to go to college, but will not follow her older brother to
California State University, Bakersfield. He competes on the men's
wrestling team in the PAC-10 conference, but they have no women's team.
José graduated from Selma last year after winning a Central
Sequoia League title and qualifying four times for the state
tournament. He finished his high school career as a state finalist with
a 49-4 record.
Biri hopes to compete on the women's team at Menlo College. She admits
working out with the boys is difficult, but believes the payoff will be
huge when it comes to finding a college team.
"I enjoy being on the guy's team. It's a lot more challenging and it
makes you better. Guys have a greater advantage because they're
stronger than girls," she said. "If I was a little bit stronger, I
could probably do so much better."
Biri is currently 15-3 with the losses coming against boys. Her overall
high school record is 65-19.
"She has great technique but the guys are so much stronger," said
Quintana. "Skillwise, she's as good or better than most guys. As for
girls' wrestling, she's one of best tacticians around."
Her parents are supportive and hope a wrestling scholarship will
eventually pay for a four-year degree.
"I think this could lead to better things for her, just like it did
with José," said Biri's father.
The Mendozas plan to introduce Biri's younger siblings, Tony, 10,
Chelsy, 8, Melanie, 7, to the sport.
Alex Cisneros, Selma's 103-pound state champion said, "She's really
competitive and strong. Biri pushes herself to the limit and I think
she can get everything she wants."
In last weekend's youth wrestling tournament for kindergarten through
fifth graders presented by the Selma Wrestling Club several females
competed, including Madi Ramírez, 9, of Dinuba.
"She really likes it. She's getting stronger wrestling against the
boys," said her mother, Noelia Ramírez.
Alleida Martínez won the 53-pound division after she defeated
José Moreno.
"He was the hardest (to wrestle)," said Martínez, 9.
"Sometimes we worry that she might get hurt, but everything in life is
hard," Alleida's mother, Esbeide Martínez.
"I want to let my daughter do the things she wants to do," responded
Esbeide Martínez to some parents' pulling their daughters away
from wrestling boys.
"I used to train with four-time world champion, Tricia Saunders. She's
probably one of the pioneers of women's wrestling," said Eric
Albarracin, an assistant to Olympic gold medal winner, Henry Cejudo.
"In the local area, there's not a lot of support, but as you go toward
the national level, there is women's junior nationals, and they do have
women's rankings."
 Central Union High’s Katarina Perez won her fourth consecutive girls’ CIF wrestling title. |
Timeout with ... Casey Mather, sophomore, Stanwood, wrestling
|
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - The King College women's wrestling team ended the regular season with the program's first dual-match victory Friday as the Lady Tornado defeated Lindenwood (Mo.) University 24-20.
King started the evening by losing a 25-14 decision to national powerhouse Oklahoma City University.
Anna Cummings (Marcellus, N.Y.) opened the scoring against Oklahoma City with a win, 6-2 and 7-0. She also scored a win via forfeit in the Lindenwood match.
Tatiana Perez (Woodbridge, Va.) won via a pin as she moved up a weight class to the 51-kilogram bout over Oklahoma City's Logan Rich. Against Lindenwood, she was also a forfeit winner later against Lindenwood.
Morgan Pittsford (Daleville, Ind.) added five points for King thanks to a fall over Laura Ponshock. Pittsford also picked up a pin in the first period against Lindenwood's Lauren Houlk.
Angeline Miranda (Kissimmee, Fla.) gave King the lead in the Lindenwood match thanks to points in her 59 kilogram match with a 3-0 and 1-0 decision victory.
King secured the victory with three straight wins from Shanna Young (Rocky Mount, Va.) and Alana Jimenez (Katy, Texas) along with Pittsford.
Next for the Lady Tornado will be the WCWA National Championship on Jan. 31 in Marshall, Mo.
King 14, Oklahoma City 25
King 24, Lindenwood 20
The mustangs were shut-out at the high calibre Guelph Open, January 23 where both men’s and women’s teams failed to win any individual medals. Three women mustangs broke top six in their weight class, with Jennifer Nguyen taking 4th in the strong 51 kg class. The Open tournament attracted top wrestlers in Canada as it is used to accumulate national and provincial carding points. Mustang, Liz Sera placed 5th at 59 kg ahead of London-Western teammate Olivia Gunnell who placed 6th. Rookie, Larissa D’Alleva placed 6th at 63 kg. The women’s division featured several world level wrestlers including Beijing Olympic champion, Carol Huynh (48 kg), and world champion Ohenewa Akuffo (72 kg).
Both the men and women teams will travel to the Ontario Junior Championships (U20) in Sudbury, January 30.
The mustangs will host the Western Open February 6 in Thames Hall gymnasium, the final OUA tournament prior to the OUA Championships which Western will host in Alumni Hall, Feb 20.
The Oaks opened the event by nearly pulling an upset against No. 7 Missouri Valley, only to succumb 19-17. Menlo lost later on Saturday to No. 1 Oklahoma City, 34-4. In Sunday's fifth-place dual, the Oaks were forced to forfeit a pair of matches en route to a 31-8 loss.
Senior star Katherine Fulp-Allen shone bright for Menlo once again, winning all three of her matches at the event. Fulp-Allen, currently ranked No. 2 at 51 kg, pinned No. 7 Brittany Bertolani in her first match before defeating No. 1 Natasha Umemoto 64, 2-2, 1-0. It was the third time in the span of nine days that Fulp-Allen defeated Umemoto, who she is sure to replace atop the individual ratings the next time they are released. In her final match of the weekend Fulp-Allen won a 6-0, 6-0 decision over No. 7 Odeatha Marshal.
Freshman Keaton Long, currently ranked No. 6 nationally, continued to stand out for Menlo by winning a pair of matches. Long defeated Samantha Richardson in her opening match, 1-0, 3-0, before dropping a tight decision to No. 7 Brittney Roberts, 7-9, 6-0, 4-2. Long cruised 4-0, 5-0 against Lindenwood's Amanda Duran.
No. 5 Brittany Caoile won once at 95 kg, defeating sixth-ranked Morgan Touhey of Missouri Valley, 1-0, 3-0. Freshman Sherylyn Sabado earned the Oaks other victory by forfeit to begin the competition.
Menlo finishes its dual slate with a 2-7 record and will not compete again until the Women's College Wrestling Association Nationals on Jan. 30.
No. 7 Missouri Valley 19, No. 8 Menlo 17
44 - No contest
48 - Sherylyn Sabado (Menlo) by forfeit
51 - Katherine Fulp-Allen (Menlo) pin Brittany Bertolani, 7-0, 3:07
55 - Rachael Pike (MV) dec. Jacque Davis, 6-0, 1-0
59 - Summer Sistad (MV) dec. Rachael Skrotch, 4-2, 3-0
63 - Randi Beltz (MV) pin Kayla Garza, 0:53
67 - Keaton Long (Menlo) dec. Samantha Richardson, 1-0, 3-0
72 - Venus Barron (MV) dec. Rebecca Medeiros, 4-0, 3-0
82 - Jordan Hagerman (MV) by forfeit
95 - Brittany Caoile (Menlo) dec. Morgan Touhey, 1-0, 3-0
No.1 Oklahoma City 34, No. 8 Menlo 4
44 - Stephanie Waters (OC) by forfeit
48 - Nicole Woody (OC) inj. def. Sherylyn Sabado
51 - Katherine Fulp-Allen (M) dec. Natasha Umemoto, 6-4, 2-2, 1-0
55 - Michaela Hutchison (OC) pin Jacque Davis, 6-0, 3:05
59 - Ashley Hudson (OC) pin Rachael Skrotch, 6-0, 3:16
63 - Tessa Plana (OC) pin Kayla Garza, 7-0, 3:33
67 - Brittney Roberts (OC) dec. Keaton Long, 7-9, 6-0, 4-2
72 - Melissa Simmons (OC) pin Rebecca Medeiros, 1:12
82 - No contest
95 - Brittany Delgado (OC) pin Brittany Caoile, 1:09
No. 11 Lindenwood 31, No. 8 Menlo 8
44 - Jenny Garza (L) by forfeit
48 - Maria Henriquez (L) dec. Brittany Lucero, 3-0, 2-5, 1-0
51 - Katherine Fulp-Allen (M) dec. Odeatha Marshal, 6-0, 6-0
55 - Shauna Isbell (L) pin Jacque Davis
59 - Sarah Zamora (L) pin Rachael Skrotch
63 - Courtnei Mudge (L) by forfeit
67 - Keaton Long (M) dec. Amanda Duran, 4-0, 5-0
72 - No contest
82 - Des Martinez (L) dec. Rebecca Medeiros, 4-0, 5-0
95 - Angela Vyborny (L) pin Brittany Caoile, 1:18
SPRING, Texas — For the 13 members of the Kelso girls wrestling team, what happened in Texas didn't stay in Texas.
The Lassies won two individual titles and had four others claim second-place finishes as they won the 28-team Klein Collins Hurricane Invitational girls wrestling tournament on Saturday.
All 13 of Kelso's wrestlers placed in the top six of their respective weight divisions, as the Lassies ran away with the team title (162.5 points). Host Klein Collins was a distant second with 98 points, with Lyndon B. Johnson High of Austin, Texas, third with 94.
It was an all-Kelso final at 119 pounds as Elle Mustion remained undefeated after beating teammate Emma Destromp, and Shae Workman brought home the title at 128.
Also finishing second were Brittany Carterby (102), Hannah Baron (165) and Alisha Beach (185), and placing third were Grace Tolby (110) and Colleen Reynolds (148).
McKenzie Cramer (110) and Jessica Melone (119) finished fourth, Kayla Schleinz (138) and Mykie Baron (148) were fifth, and Laci Kyllo (95) was sixth.
USOEC women's wrestler Carlene Sluberski gets 4.0 GPA for fall semester |
||
| U.S.
Olympic Education Center (USOEC) freestyle wrestler and freshman
Northern Michigan University (NMU) student Carlene Sluberski scored a
perfect 4.0 grade point average (gpa) for the 2009-2010 fall semester
at NMU. Sluberski passed 12 credit hours with all 'A's while accumulating 48 quality points for her efforts. Quality points are the product of credit hours taken and grade point average (in this case 12 x 4 = 48) and reflect a students progress towards graduation; or, more credits + plus higher grade point average = higher quality points. Freshman NMU student Cassandra (Cass) Schmidt earned straight 'A's while taking 14 credit hours and amassing 54.20 quality points in her first semester. Schmidt was awarded a 3.87 grade point average for her hard work. This marks the third and fourth time that USOEC freestyle wrestlers were able to capture straight 'A's at NMU: Nicole Darrow 4.0 gpa 2008 fall semester; Amy Borgnini 4.0 gpa 2008 winter semester. The USOEC freestyle team averaged 12.3 credit hours per student and also a 2.66 team grade point average. In February, 1989, the U.S. Olympic Committee named Northern Michigan University as the nation's only United States Olympic Education Center (USOEC). The USOEC's main focus is the resident athlete training program, where athletes actively train for the Olympic Games while also continuing their education. Generally, athletes in this program must be nationally ranked and also approved by their national governing body (NGB), the USOEC, and NMU. The USOEC has resident athlete training programs in freestyle wrestling, short track speedskating, Greco-Roman wrestling, boxing, and weightlifting. |
||
0
