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sportsillustrated.cnn.com 2/24/03
Vicki Scheeler, New Berlin, Wis.
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Wrestling
Vicki, a senior at New Berlin West High, became the first female wrestler in Wisconsin to win a Woodland Conference championship. Competing in the 103-pound class exclusively against boys, Vicki, one of two female wrestlers in the conference, has 65 victories.
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By Lee Wagner 2/25/03
Star-News Correspondent
The first annual United States Girls’ Wrestling Association North
Carolina state championships will be held Saturday, March 8 at Southern Nash
High School.
North Carolina presently has no female wrestlers rated in the top eight
in the country, but attending this meet and doing well is the first step
to getting national recognition.
For further information contact USGWA director and founder Kent Bailo
at 1-248-627-8066 or 1-248-224-5068.
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For Marion, Zac Ewert took third at 130 pounds, Jordan Trapp took third at 140 pounds, Steven Boone took third at 171 pounds and Chelsea Arnhold took fourth at 103 pounds. Arnhold is the third girl in Kansas history to advance to state, and returns to state for the second year in a row.
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Rush City girl misses try for wrestling history
John Millea, Star Tribune
Published Feb. 23, 2003 PMAT23
RUSH CITY, MINN. -- Rachael Holthaus doesn't wrestle with gender equity, societal barriers, Title IX or history.
She just wrestles.
The Royalton High School sophomore was determined to qualify for this week's state tournament at Xcel Energy Center, but she fell short Saturday in the Rush City gymnasium. The 103-pounder was beaten in the semifinals of the Class 1A, Section 6 individual tournament, then injury-defaulted her next match because of the lingering effects of bronchitis.
The top two individuals in each weight class advance to the state meet. Had she qualified, Holthaus, 16, would have been the first female to do so in the Minnesota tournament's 66-year history.
Her father, John, is the Royals coach. He and his wife, Deb, have been keeping a close eye on their daughter's health. She was diagnosed with bronchitis 10 days ago and was too ill to compete in last weekend's section team tournament.
Deb questioned whether her middle child -- Victoria, 18, and Michael, 9, both play hockey in the winter -- should compete this weekend. But Rachael told her, "Mom, I don't care what you say; I'm going to the state tournament."
She opened the section meet Friday night by pinning Braham seventh-grader Allen Kelling. In Saturday's semifinals she lost to Pierz freshman Kyle Bednar 15-0. She finished the season with an 18-3 record.
Holthaus is ranked No. 1 nationally in the 100-pound weight class for high school girls. She has aspirations of being on the U.S. team for the 2004 Olympics in Greece. On March 5 she will travel with other U.S. female wrestlers to an international tournament in Sweden; her father will be an assistant coach.
She said the national and international competition is more important to her than the high school season, "because that's where the Olympics will be, with the women's team."
She entered her first wrestling tournament as a third-grader, and said she is so used to competing against boys that "I never even think about it. I've never paid any attention to it."
As Royalton assistant coach Rick Beam explained, "She's just like any other wrestler. She's one of the guys, only with longer hair."
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Akiyama breaking new ground for Eastside at Mat Classic
2003-02-21
by Lena Tibbelin
Journal Reporter
TACOMA - -- When Newport's sophomore Leilani Akiyama walks out to the wrestling mats today in the Tacoma Dome today she makes history.
Akiyama is the first female wrestler from Kingco to qualify for the state tournament.
She will be wrestling in the 112-pound bracket and earned her spot in the tournament by placing fourth at the Region I tournament in Bellingham last weekend.
Akiyama won her first match at regionals, defeating Brian Seeley of Meadowdale 13-6, then lost the semifinal to Juan Ortiz of Burlington-Edison, 8-1. But, she came back to clinch the state berth by defeating Brad Hayes of Sedro-Woolley 6-2 in the consolation semifinals.
``I was so happy even though I lost the previous match,'' Akiyama said. ``I was thinking `I get to go to state.'
``It's such a big accomplishment.''
Newport coach Mike Chenoweth thought at first that it would be good for Akiyama to be at the state tournament for the experience, but as the regional tournament progressed Chenoweth realized that Akiyama can be competitive at state.
``She wrestled well,'' Chenoweth said. ``She got better every match. She's still learning all the time.''
Akiyama is in her second year of wrestling. She has a 23-5 season record and won the Liberty Invitational and also is a two-time Kingco runner-up. Akiyama started out in judo and one of Chenoweth's coaching challenges is to get Akiyama to stop with judo and actually wrestle. Akiyama began with judo as a 7-year-old and has won 15 national and five international judo titles.
Akiyama says wrestling is a greater challenge, mostly because she is competing against boys, whereas in judo she competes against girls.
No girl has placed at the state tournament and Arielle Bradbury of Montesano is the only girl to have won a match, when she went 1-2 in 1998.
Akiyama likes the friendly atmosphere among wrestling circles, where people come up to her and compliment her efforts in matches.
``Everyone is so nice,'' Akiyama said.
At the state tournament, she'll have the support of her older brother Jimmy, a senior wrestling at 135 pounds.
``I think it is really cool,'' Akiyama said. ``It's our last year together. It's his last year and I get to go to state and know what it feels like.''
It will be Jimmy's second state tournament appearance and Akiyama was watching in the stands a year ago.
``When I saw the walk of champions when there are thousands of people watching, I was, `wow.''' Akiyama said. ``It was amazing.''
She knew then she wanted to be part of the ceremony and that's her goal for the tournament. History aside, Akiyama wants to be wrestling Saturday.
``I really want to be in the walk of champions.''