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College wrestling battles to keep its place
By BLAIR KERKHOFF
The Kansas City Star 3/20/03
Wrestling officials recently have seen a stabilization of numbers, and, ironically, an influx of women wrestlers. Abbott estimates there are 5,000 females wrestling competitively. Seven college programs have varsity teams, and women's freestyle wrestling has been awarded full medal status for the 2004 Olympic Games.
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Cumberland, Missouri Valley share No. 1 ranking in U.S. women’s college wrestling
3/19/2003
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling
Going into the major year-end tournaments, Cumberland College and Missouri Valley College share the No. 1 team ranking in TheMat.com U.S. Women’s College Rankings for March 2003.
Cumberland held the No. 1 ranking last month, with Missouri Valley at No. 2. The rest of the team rankings remain the same as in Febraury 2003. Both Cumberland and Missouri Valley each have three individual athletes ranked No. 1 in their weight classes this month.
The No. 1 ranked wrestlers for Cumberland College are Jessica Shirley at 121 pounds, Alaina Berube at 138.75 pounds and Toccara Montgomery at 158.5 pounds.
The No. 1 ranked wrestlers for Missouri Valley College are Marianne Vollmer at 112 pounds, Leigh Jaynes at 130 pounds and Hillary Leith at 168.5 pounds.
Also holding No. 1 individual rankings are Mary Kelly of Neosho County CC at 105.5 pounds and Elena Mena of Neosho County CC at 147.5 pounds.
Many of these teams will meet at the USGWA Can Am Championships in Michigan at the end of March.
Then starts the USA Wrestling national season. College women wrestlers will compete at the University National Championships and the FILA Junior National Championships in St. Joseph, Mo. in April. The final major event featuring many of these college women wrestlers will be the U.S. Senior National Championships in Las Vegas, Nev. in early May.
1. (tie) Cumberland College
1. (tie) Missouri Valley College
3. Neosho County
4. Pacific Univ.
5. UM-Morris
6. Menlo College
7. Princeton
8. Cal-State Bakersfield
9. Hawaii
TheMat.com U.S. Women's college individuals
48 kg (105.5 lbs.)
1. Mary Kelly, freshman (Neosho County)
2. Liz Short, sophomore (UM-Morris)
3. Kristen Fujioka, sophomore (Pacific)
4. Rachel Bernardes, senior (Missouri Valley)
5. Amantha Hordagoda, freshman (Cal-Bakersfield)
6. Reona Kumagai, freshman (Princeton)
7. Tabathia Ramsey, freshman (UM-Morris)
8. Danielle Bowen, freshman (Missouri Valley)
51 kg (112 lbs.)
1. Marianne Vollmer, junior (Missouri Valley)
2. Sarah Hayes, senior (Cumberland College)
3. Patrice Crenshaw, sophomore (UM-Morris)
4. Tanya Miyasaki, freshman (Menlo College)
5. Ophelia Pickard, sophomore (Missouri Valley)
6. Yvette Madrid, freshman (Neosho County)
7. Christie Rafanan, freshman (Missouri Valley)
8. Colleen McKinney, freshman (Cumberland College)
55 kg (121 lbs.)
1. Jessica Shirley, sophomore (Cumberland College)
2. Desi Lockhart, sophomore (Pacific)
3. Kiersten Hyatt, senior (Missouri Valley)
4. Melina Hutchison, sophomore (Menlo College)
5. Jill Remiticado, senior (Pacific)
6. Erin Soli, sophomore (Missouri Valley)
7. Audrey Pang, sophomore (Princeton)
8. Sarah Tolin, sophomore (Neosho County)
59 kg (130 lbs.)
1. Leigh Jaynes, senior (Missouri Valley)
2. Lindsey Owens, freshman (Menlo College)
3. Jamie Alvesteffer, junior (Cumberland College)
4. Brooke Bogren, freshman (Cumberland College)
5. Sharon Jacobson, freshman (UM-Morris)
6. Linse Meadows, freshman (Neosho County)
7. Raquel Magdaleno, freshman (Menlo College)
8. Shelly Ruberg, freshman (Cumberland College)
63 kg (138.5 lbs.)
1. Alaina Berube, freshman (Cumberland College)
2. Jennifer Miyahara, freshman (Pacific)
3. Issa Alvarez, junior (Cumberland College)
4. Aja Smith, freshman (Cumberland College)
5. Emilee Murphree, freshman (Missouri Valley)
6. Ranae Faaborg, freshman (UM-Morris)
67 kg (147.5 lbs.)
1. Elena Mena, freshman (Neosho County)
2. Tina Arnds, senior (Missouri Valley)
3. Mollie Keith, junior (Missouri Valley)
4. Kelly Branham, freshman (Missouri Valley)
5. Randi Miller, sophomore (Neosho County)
6. Brandi Golt, sophomore (Missouri Valley)
7. Salome Gipson, freshman (Pacific)
8. Lisa Bisers, sophomore (Johns Hopkins)
72 kg (158.5 lbs.)
1. Toccara Montgomery, sophomore (Cumberland College)
2. Megan Goldsmith, freshman (UM-Morris)
3. Alicia Mena, freshman (Neosho County)
4. Donnell Bradley, junior (Missouri Valley)
5. Jessi Clifton, freshman (Cumberland College)
6. Beth Deroy, freshman (Cumberland College)
77 kg (169.5 lbs.)
1. Hillary Leith, sophomore (Missouri Valley)
2. Jenna Pavlik, sophomore (Lock Haven)
3. Wendy Hunter, sophomore (Cumberland College)
4. Holly Kenneda, freshman (Neosho County)
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O'Donnell, Arnds among top performers at Missouri Valley Women's International Open
3/15/2003
Gary Abbott/USA Wrestling
It took three matches, but by the end, she got it right.
Tela O'Donnell, a USOTC resident athlete from the Dave Schultz WC, lost her first match in a wild shootout, but rebounded with a pair of technical fall victories to defeat Leigh Jaynes of Missouri Valley in the best-of-three series at 59 kg/130 lbs. at the Missouri Valley Women's International Open in Marshall, Mo., March 15.
Jaynes shocked O'Donnell in the opening match by a 14-11 margin. A number of times, Jaynes used her powerful hips to counter an O'Donnell shot and put O'Donnell on her back. One of the throws had O'Donnell close to being pinned. O'Donnell tried to rally late in the match, but Jaynes won the positions to take a three-point victory.
O'Donnell came back in the next two matches to score a pair of 13-1 technical falls, both in the first period of the matches. She was able to stop Jaynes from hitting her throws, and also was able to turn Jaynes from the mat seemingly at will. Based upon the competitive nature of the series, and her dominance in the final two matches, O'Donnell was named Outstanding Wrestler of the competition.
"Leigh is tall," said O'Donnell. "I stood up too much and got myself extended. She kicked my butt with her hip throws. I worked on lowering my level, so I wouldn't get my hips up. When she tried her hip throws, I didn't try to go behind her. I stayed out in front of her."
It was a busy day for O'Donnell, who, in addition to her three matches against Jaynes, also won a pair of exhibition matches.
In a battle of veteran college stars, Tina Arnds of Missouri Valley pinned Mollie Keith of Missouri Valley, and went on to win the gold medal at 67 kg/147.5 pounds. Arnds has been wrestling up one weight class from her normal 63 kg/138.75 pounds. Keith holds a No. 2 Senior National rank at this weight class, after placing second at the 2002 World Team Trials last summer.
Winning four matches, Kiersten Hyatt of Missouri Valley captured the title at 55 kg/121 lbs. Her closest bout was a 4-2 win over runner-up Erin Soli of Missouri Valley. Hyatt was dominant in her other victories, including a pin, a technical fall and a 12-4 decision.
Claiming a Missouri Valley International Open title for the second straight year was Marianne Vollmer of Missouri Valley at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. Vollmer won her best-of-three series against Ophelia Pickard of Missouri Valley in two straight bouts, a 10-0 technical fall and an 11-3 win.
Capturing the gold medal at 48 kg/105.5 lbs. was Rachel Bernardes of Missouri Valley, who won both of her matches by technical fall. In her opening win, Bernardes launched Monica Harris with a spectacular five-point back souplesse, on the way to the technical fall. Her other victim was runner-up Jessica Dougherty.
Claiming the title at 72 kg/158.5 pounds, unopposed, was Donnell Bradley of Missouri Valley. Bradley also claimed a pair of exhibition wins.
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CIS Wrestling Championship - Final Results
3/2/03
The SFU women finished with 51 points to win the team title. Calgary finished in second with 33 points and Brock third with 26.
SFU took home five medals including two gold, two silver and a bronze. #1 seeds Carol Huyhn (48kg) and Emily Richardson (61kg) captured gold with Sara White (53kg) and Kristina Wolfe (77kg) adding silver and Ashlea McManus (70kg) bronze. Sara White was recognized as the Outstanding Female Rookie.
Calgary captured four medals in total with one silver an three bronze. Erica Sharp placed second at 61kg for silver with Andrea Ross (53kg) and Stacey Williamson (48kg) capturing bronze.
Three women also defended their CIS titles from a year ago with Heather Sweezey (Brock) (57kg), Martine Dugrenier (Concordia) (70kg) and Tara Hedican (Guelph) (65kg) all winning gold. Hedican was named the Female Outstanding Wrestler.
#1 seeds Belinda Chou (53kg) and Pam Wilson (77kg) also captured gold in their individual weight classes.
Coach of the Year honours went to Mike Jones - SFU (Women's Coach of the Year) and Mitch Ostberg - Calgary (Men's Coach of the Year).
Winning the Fair Play Award were Jamie Macari (Brock), Mickey Jutras (Sakatchewan) and Roozbeh Banihashimi (SFU).