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7th Annual IGL Wrestling Tournament
Spencer High School
Spencer, Iowa
Sunday, January 26, 2003
"High School Age" Division:
103 lbs.
1st – Nikki Pender (Mingo, IA) pinned Niki Patel (Clive, IA) 3:37.
2nd – Susie Schneidermann (Spencer, IA) pinned Avani Vora (Clive, IA) :41.
3rd – Niki Patel (Clive, IA) dec. Avani Vora (Clive, IA) 11-7.
Prelims:
Pender pinned Vora 1:00.
Schneidermann maj. dec. Patel 13-3.
Pender pinned Schneidermann 2:54.
110 lbs.
1st - Chandra Peterson (Lake Mills, IA) pinned Kelsey Dietrich (Graettinger, IA) :54
2nd – Jordan McDaniel (Spencer, IA) pinned Kelsey Dietrich (Graettinger, IA).
Prelims:
Peterson pinned McDaniel 1:24.
115 lbs.
1st –Krista Harmisa (Colfax, IA) pinned Shaeli Griffith (Spencer, IA) :53.
2nd – Shaeli Griffith (Spencer, IA) pinned Megan Madson (Spencer, IA) :24.
Prelims:
Madson pinned Harmisa 2:28.
120 lbs
1st – Ashley Bice (Clinton, IA) pinned Amy Lynn Hume (Monroe, IA) :50.
2nd – Ashley Pender (Mingo, IA) dec. Amy Lynn Hume (Monroe, IA) 12-6.
Prelims:
Bice dec. Pender 8-2.
123 lbs.
1st – Rachel Becker (Spencer, IA) dec. Alissa Griffith (Spencer, IA) 12-5.
2nd –Alissa Griffith (Spencer, IA) pinned Jenny Rust (Spencer, IA) 1:11.
Prelims:
Becker pinned Rust :30.
130 lbs.
1st – Amanda Lowe (Spencer, IA) pinned Leslee Naber (Primghar, IA) :53.
2nd – Kelsi Lindemann (Spencer, IA) dec. Leslee Naber (Primghar, IA) 3-1.
Prelims:
Lowe pinned Lindemann 1:57.
135 lbs.
1st – Maraela Ferguson, (MPLS, MN) pinned Cassie Barrick (West Des Moines) :59.
2nd – Paige Storm (Spencer, IA) pinned Cassie Barrick (West Des Moines) 1:22.
Prelims:
Ferguson pinned Storm :45.
140 lbs.
1st – Chelynne Pringle (Hugo, MN) pinned Brittany Winter (Spencer, IA) 3:17
2nd – Brittany Winter (Spencer, IA) pinned Jessica Mazour (West Des Moines) 1:49.
Prelims:
Pringle maj. dec. Mazour 23-7.
155 lbs.
1st – Casey Johnson (Spencer, IA) dec. Susan Scott (Fayette, IA) 6-1.
2nd – Ashley Culp (West Des Moines) dec. Susan Scott (Fayette, IA) 6-4.
Prelims:
Johnson pinned Culp
165+ lbs.
1st – Lizz Sanders (Newton, IA) Inj. Def. Betsy Johnson (Spencer, IA).
2nd –Megan Johnson (Spencer, IA) dec. Betsy Johnson (Spencer, IA) 2-0.
Prelims:
Sanders pinned M. Johnson 3:17.
"Middle School Age" Division
95 lbs.
1st – Nikki Pridie (Sioux City, IA) pinned Hope Fox (Orange City, IA) :59.
Prelims:
Pridie pinned Fox :25.
150 lbs.
1st – Caitlin Dammann (Spencer, IA) pinned Jamie Webster (Spencer, IA) :16.
2nd – Katie Hijar (Spencer, IA) pinned Jamie Webster (Spencer, IA) 1:22.
Prelims:
Dammann pinned Hijar 1:29.
"Elementary School Age" Division:
65 lbs.
1st – Paige Heesch (Titonka, IA) pinned Kady Mortenson (Terril, IA) :49.
2nd – Shayla Simms (Gilmore City, IA) pinned Kady Mortenson (Terril, IA) 1:58.
3rd –Kady Mortenson (Terril, IA)
Prelims:
Heesch pinned Simms 1:32.
Heesch win by FFT Donnahoo.
Simms pinned Donnahoo :24.
Dammann pinned Thomas 0:10.
80 lbs.
1st – Chelsy Reineke (Spencer, IA) pinned Mary Slater (Sioux Rapids, IA) :30.
2nd – Mary Slater (Sioux Rapids, IA) maj. dec. Katie Johnson (Spencer, IA) 9-0.
Prelims:
Reineke tech fall Johnson 15-0.
130 lbs.
1st – Kelly Webster (Spencer, IA) dec. Taylor Jepson (Terril, IA) 5-1.
Prelims:
Webster maj. dec. Jepsen 11-0.
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Real winner: Wrestling girl wins by decision
aberdeennews.com 1/5/03
A girl on the wrestling team? A silly idea. A waste of time. Politically correct nonsense. Unless, of course, that girl is someone like my niece Jorie.
Jorie grew up in a wrestling family. Her dad had been a more than decent high school wrestler. All of her uncles wrestled. Two of them were exceptionally good: among the top-rated wrestlers in northern California. And Jorie's grandpa (my dad) was probably the most loyal high school wrestling fan in the community, almost never missing a match - even after his sons' careers were long finished.
It wasn't surprising, then, that 6-year-old Jorie wanted to be something more than a tagalong at her older brother's matches. She wanted in on the action herself. And, encouraged by everyone in the family, Jorie went on to enjoy four tremendous seasons in that most exciting of all sports, freestyle wrestling.
Jorie was good. She was quick and agile, and she had all the moves. Single and double leg takedowns. A standing switch. Wizzer. Cross-face. Head and arm. Near-side cradle. And (her favorite) the crotch lift.
At most tournaments, Jorie finished among the medal winners. And sometimes she won what (in our family) was the most coveted of wrestling trophies: the seeding chart that the winner of a weight class gets to take home after the tourney ends.
Jorie's mom (my sister Marta) had a great time at Jorie's matches. With her short hair and dressed in the T-shirt-under-the-singlet style that lots of young wrestlers like, Jorie looked like just another competitor. "That your kid?" a spectator would say to Marta, "a real tiger."
"Yeah," Marta would say, "she's pretty good."
"She????"
While the spectators sometimes didn't know Jorie was a girl, her opponents usually did. Most of them walked onto the mat thinking, "This is going to be easy." Again and again, Jorie wiped the smirks off the faces of the over-confident guys - and forced them to treat her as a serious opponent.
"You're the boss, Jorie," my dad would yell as she took the mat.
As Jorie got older, the matches got tougher. She didn't win as often. She got hurt more. And, at age 10, she decided it was time to hang up the singlet.
But, like almost everyone who has ever wrestled, Jorie still feels deep inside the call of the mat. Now 13, she's talked to her junior high wrestling coach about trying out for the team. "Cool!" he says. But he warns her: there are lots of good wrestlers out there. There's no guarantee she'll make the squad.
Jorie knows the odds are against her. From the beginning, her mom had warned her that, unless she was exceptionally strong, wrestling was going to be over "when she turned into a real girl." And Jorie's not as comfortable wrestling against guys as she was when she was younger. Trying the crotch lift would be kind of weird, says Jorie.
Fortunately, Jorie doesn't lack for athletic opportunities. She's an outstanding soccer player, a fine swimmer, and a great softball player. And (lucky kid) she's learning to surf. But, still, I really wish she had an opportunity to keep wrestling in an environment where she had some chance of success. A girls' wrestling team? "That would be awesome," says Jorie.
But even if she never hits the mat again, wrestling has made Jorie a winner. She's learned how to handle pressure and how to be gracious in both victory and defeat. Most of all, she's learned to keep fighting no matter what.
And as she faces the tough struggles of every day life, I'm sure that in the back of her mind she still hears grandpa's voice.
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100-pound grappler making giant strides
Korah’s Medaglia looking for city repeat after silver win at Ontarios
By PETER RUICCI
Wednesday, February 05, 2003 - 09:00
Local Sports - She weighs less than 100 pounds, yet Mary Medaglia is on her way to becoming a giant on the local wrestling scene.
The 15-year-old, Grade 10 student at Korah Collegiate earned a silver medal in the 41-kilogram, Cadet Division (14-15 years) last weekend at the Ontario Cadet and Juvenile Wrestling Championships in St. Catharines.
Friday, beginning at 4 p.m., Medaglia hopes to repeat her championship of a year ago in the City High School Wrestling Meet at Sir James Dunn Collegiate.
Seventy-five local wrestlers will battle for spots at the Northern Ontario Secondary Schools Association (NOSSA) Championships, scheduled for Feb. 14 at Korah.
“My goal is just to do better than I did last year,” said Medaglia, who placed second at NOSSA and fourth at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association (OFSAA) Championships in 2002.
“I’m pretty confident going into this weekend. I’d like to win city and NOSSA and I definitely want to place higher than fourth at OFSAA.”
Colts’ coach Frank Pozzebon has been impressed, both by Medaglia’s ability and her work ethic.
“She has lots of potential,” he said. “She’s smart, she has the toughness and she’s strong for her size. If she doesn’t make any mistakes at OFSAA this year, she could win a gold medal. I love having her here.”
Describing herself as being “pretty aggressive,” Medaglia enjoys the physical benefits that come from wrestling.
“I like it because it keeps you in shape,” she said.
“Your whole body gets in shape and it keeps you toned. Plus, I love competitive sports.”
These days, all of her attention goes into wrestling. But in the past, Medaglia has competed in basketball, soccer, karate, swimming and gymnastics.
In particular, she enjoys the camaraderie involved in team sports.
“A wrestling team is like a family,” said Medaglia. “Our team isn’t big, but we’re very close. And Frank is a very good coach. Every day at practice there’s something new that I learn.”
Sir James Dunn enters Friday’s city tournament as the three-time defending boys and five-time defending girls champion.
Head coach Ted Fryia likes his team’s chances in both categories.
“I think we’d have to be the favourites again in both,” said Fryia. “We probably have the largest boys’ team with most of the weight classes covered. And, perennially, we’re very strong on the girls’ side.”
The SJD girls are led by Lisa Lamour and Amanda Gerhart, who are also Sault Wrestling Club members.
The pair secured gold medals recently at the Ontario Junior (ages 18-19) Wrestling Championships in Brampton.
Lamour, who wrestles at 44k, and Gerhart, who competes at 63k, have won the right to represent Ontario at the Junior Canadians.
The two-day event begins March 14 in Fredericton, N. B.
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Berkeley eyes return to state tournament
By TERRY JONES
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 4, 2003
TAMPA -- With three of its four state qualifiers and nearly all of the wrestlers who helped Berkeley Prep place second in a tough district last season back, the Buccaneers have been doing well this season.
In duals, they are 6-2, and two weeks ago, they won the 16-team Florida Christian Invitational Tournament in Miami. The tournament included some of the top Class A teams in Miami. "We don't have the potential to win the Class A state championship this year, but we have two and maybe three with the capacity to place," Berkeley coach Russ Schank said. "We do have a well-balanced team, though. Most of our power is in the middle, but we do have some lightweights who do an excellent job for us."
The Bucs also have a tough 217-pounder in Shane Serafin, who placed second in Miami. Mike Burke (125), Josh Deupree (135) and Nick Dorsch (160), all seniors, are returning state qualifiers. Dorsch and another senior, Jamie Keogh (154) won individual titles in Miami. Keogh didn't qualify for the state tournament last season, but Shank said he has the potential to do so this season. Joining Burke in the lightweights are eighth-grader Brock Reynolds at 103 and sophomore Dominique Molina at 112. Molina was the first Bucs girl to qualify for the region tournament when she placed third at district at 103 last season.
"The four seniors on our team are being looked at by Stanford, Columbia, Cornell, Duke and the University of Pennsylvania," Schank said. "They got the attention of the schools because of their high grades, but all have the ability to wrestle at those schools, too." Berkeley is scheduled to wrestle its district meet Feb. 13 at Tampa Prep. Jesuit, last year's district champ, should repeat and go on to do well at the state tournament.
Schank said he has confidence in his team even though it is young. The Bucs have an eighth-grader, four freshmen and a sophomore in their starting lineup.
"We have a tough district, but I really hope to qualify all 14 wrestlers for the regionals," Schank said. "Then I would be happy to get four back to the state meet. This is crunch time. We will now work on fine-tuning their conditioning and their mental attitude. They must be convinced in their mind they can do it."
IPPOLITTO RECAP: Rocky Cozart, a state contender at 152, won his class and was named outstanding wrestler of the tournament.
He capped the two-day event by upsetting defending state champion Trevor Fair of Bradenton Manatee 6-1. Brandon won with 343 points followed by Manatee (209), Bloomingdale (1771/2), St. Cloud (1701/2), Jesuit (145) and Durant (131).
Manatee and Bloomingdale won two individual titles, and Jesuit and St. Cloud won one. The Eagles won the other eight.
Bloomingdale senior 275-pounder Derek Saibi avenged his only loss of the season by pinning Brandon's Keith Simmons in the final. Simmons beat Saibi 2-1 in a dual meet last week.
One of the most intense matches was the 119 final between Brandon's sophomore state champion Cesar Grajales and Bradenton Bayshore's senior state qualifier Damian Van Metre.
Van Metre struck first, scoring a takedown during the first period, but Grajales came back with an escape before the buzzer. The battle was intense throughout with VanMetre leading until the last 11/2 minutes. Twice, the match was stopped to wipe blood from the the mat and the nose of Van Metre.
Grajales eventually won 9-7. Matt Frenz, a senior in his first season wrestling for the Eagles, had to drop nearly 12 pounds before the tournament to wrestle at 145 for ailing teammate and two-time state qualifier David Craig. In a very competitive class, Frenz reached the final, but a semifinal injury forced him to forfeit the match.
Craig returned to practice this week.
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I am woman, hit the mat
The snickers stop once Dominique Molina steps onto the mat for the Leto High School boys wrestling team. She has a 12-10 record and dreams of state championships.
By TERRY JONES
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 15, 2002
LUTZ -- Technically, Dominique Molina has a 12-10 record. But according to her mother, no one -- at least no boy -- truly can triumph against her daughter.
"For the boys she wrestles, it is a no-win situation," Lynn Molina said. "If they beat her, their friends say (it is) no big deal to beat a girl. If they lose, they are embarrassed."
Mom was sitting in the bleachers the night her freshman daughter qualified for a regional berth. The 14-year-old Cheval resident qualified Feb. 7 by placing third in the district tournament, pinning her opponent -- yes, a boy -- in the first period.
Molina, who wrestles in the 103-pound weight class for Berkeley Prep, sees action again today in a Class A regional tournament in Sebring. Any opponents unfamiliar with Molina best be prepared: Seven of her 12 wins were by pin.
"Domi is a legitimate athlete and exceptionally strong for 14," said her coach, Russ Schenk. "Every wrestler has to earn a spot on the varsity in a "wrestle-off.' They have to be the toughest at the weight they want to wrestle.
"She started at 112, but dropped down to 103 and has beaten some pretty good wrestlers. She could qualify for state."
Molina has been an athlete for years. She played in the Buccaneers' highly competitive volleyball program and previously trained in gymnastics.
"I looked at wrestling as something different for me, not a boys sport I wanted to invade," she said.
"I watched my brother Brandon wrestle for years, and I just decided to give it a try. Some of the guys I wrestle have been rude, but most aren't. One slapped me, but his mom came down after the match and pulled him by the ear to my coach, making him apologize."
Her older brother, Brandon, wrestled for Berkeley Prep for years. He was a state placer in his junior and senior years as a heavyweight and recently started working out with the Harvard University wrestling team.
In his first year, Brandon lost all his matches.
"When I first told my brother I was going to wrestle, he said I was crazy," Molina said. "Now he is supportive, but worries about me getting hurt or beat up. My family is supportive, even Mom."
The 5-foot-2 Molina said she has seen just as much support from her otherwise all-male teammates, calling them "just awesome."
"It makes me want to work harder to earn their support and pushes me to help the team do better," she said. "Coach Schenk is the greatest. He makes me earn everything I get and never hesitates to show me what I have to do to improve."
Schenk readily sings her praises too.
"Domi is one of the hardest workers in the room," Schenk said. "She gets respect with her hard work, determination and improving skill level."
At the college level, women wrestle women, but that's not possible for high school athletes in Florida. But it doesn't bother Molina.
"Right now I want to wrestle boys, not girls, because they are more aggressive and I take this sport serious," she said. "I really plan to stay with wrestling through high school and maybe I can continue at the college level."
Aware of the need to do well academically, she makes A's and B's in college preparatory courses at Berkeley.
Molina's goal is to make it to the state tournament, a feat few freshmen wrestlers achieve. To get there, wrestlers must place in the top four in each weight at districts, then repeat the feat in much tougher competition at the regionals.
"I have gone over the list of all the 103-pound wrestlers qualified for our region and I really believe she has a legitimate shot at qualifying for the state tournament," Schenk said. "If she does, she will be the second girl that I am aware of who has made it to that level."