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By Dennis Anderson 4/4/03
Advertiser Staff Writer

After exactly a year away from competition for shoulder surgery, rehabilitation and rest, Moanalua High graduate Stephany Lee proved she still has the heart of a champion.

Lee won the U.S. Girls Wrestling Association Can-Am (Canadian-American) collegiate championships last weekend in both the folkstyle she wrestled throughout high school and in freestyle — which she had never wrestled before.

Last spring, Lee won her third straight Hawai'i high school girls wrestling championship and her first USGWA national high school championship. After graduation from Moanalua, she had arthroscopic surgery in June to relieve the shoulder pain she had endured for three years because of stretched tendons and a partially torn labrum that were aggravated repeatedly.

Because of her surgery, Lee had to defer acceptance of a scholarship to Missouri Valley College. She tried to satisfy her appetite for wrestling by working as an assistant coach at Farrington.

Last week, Lee and her coaches from Hawai'i USA Wrestling decided to "test the waters" at the USGWA championships in Lake Orion, Mich.

Lee won nine matches and two championships in two days.

In freestyle — the first time she has wrestled the style used by colleges and in the Olympics — Lee won her first match by a "technical fall" score of 14-3, and the next three by first-round pins. In her final match of the 154-pound division, Lee handled World Team Trials qualifier Mollie Keith of Missouri Valley, 7-2.

"Freestyle is more fun," Lee said. "It's like the name implies, more freedom, not as many restrictions on holds you can use."

The next day she wrestled in the more familiar folkstyle division, in which the 154- and 145-pound weight classes were combined. Lee won by a pin, by decisions of 16-0 and 10-1 and beat Kelly Branham of Missouri Valley in the final, 11-8.

"There was a little bit of pain, but nothing serious," Lee said.

Lee has entered USA Wrestling's University Nationals April 11-13, the U.S. Senior Women's National Championships in Las Vegas May 8-10 and has qualified for the World Team Trials in June at 147.5 pounds.

"I want to go to the Olympics," she said. "If I am not picked for the Olympic Training Center, I will go to Missouri Valley."

• Remiticado third: Iolani grad Jill Remiticado of Oregon's Pacific University lost a national tournament match for the first time. Remiticado was trying for her fourth straight USGWA national championship, but finished third at 121 pounds in freestyle.

• Leigh Jaynes of Wahiawa and Missouri Valley won the 138-pound freestyle championship with an overtime pin. Mid-Pacific grad Jennifer Miyahara of Menlo finished sixth, losing her final on a 90-second pin.

• Radford grad Donell Bradley of Missouri Valley placed third in both folkstyle and freestyle at 165 pounds.

• Castle grad Tanya Miyasaki of Menlo beat another Castle grad, Cathy Migita of the Rainbow Wahine Club, 8-1, en route to sixth place at 121 pounds; Migita took seventh and followed with third in folkstyle.

• Castle grad Kristin Fujioka of Pacific (107 pounds) had to withdraw from freestyle after she aggravated a knee injury.

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The best in the nation

By Mark Foyer-Half Moon Bay Review--Photo by Paolo Vescia 4/2/03

It's the perfect end to her high school athletic career. And it's the beginning of a brand-new career.

Sara Fulp-Allen, a senior at Half Moon Bay High School, is now the best high school girl wrestler in her weight class in the United States. It's the second straight year she has claimed that title.

Last weekend, she won the 105-pound division at the United States Girls Wrestling Association High School Nationals, held at Lake Orion, Mich. Fulp-Allen defeated Jessica Hsieh of Vallejo 8-2 to earn the title.

"I saw her side of the bracket, and thought she had a good chance to make it to the finals," Fulp-Allen said. "It was good to have two wrestlers from California battle for the title."

Her sister, Katherine Fulp-Allen, a freshman at Half Moon Bay, made a strong showing, as well: She had two pins and went 2-2 in the 100-pound division.

For Sara Fulp-Allen, the national win is just the start of her run at collegiate wrestling - and, hopefully, a shot at making the American Olympic team in 2004.

Sara Fulp-Allen began the high school national tournament by defeating Elise Cretel of Pleasant Hill, Mo., by technical fall.

She then pinned Aspen Crouter of Concrete, Wash. She defeated Shannon Reeves of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, 13-3 in the quarterfinals, then beat Elizabeth Torres of Kahuku, Hawaii 10-2 to advance to the finals.

That set up the final match with Hsieh.

Fulp-Allen dominated that match from the beginning.

Katherine Fulp-Allen, wrestling in the 100-pound division, pinned Gabriella Bruscianella of Katy, Texas - but then lost to Genevieve DiNatale of Lancaster, Mass.

She defeated Maribeth Grim of Vallejo in the second round of the consolation bracket, butt ended it when she fell to Alyssa Lampe of Tomahawk, Wisc.

Sara Fulp-Allen said she is planning to attend Menlo College, where her father Lee Allen is a coach.

"That was my farewell to high school wrestling," Fulp-Allen said. "I'm glad it's over. I'm now looking forward to college."

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LOCAL SPORTS: DiCesare tops in nation again

BY THE EVENING NEWS SPORTS STAFF 03/31/2003

Monroe’s Laura DiCesare won her third national championship in high school wrestling.

LAKE ORION - Laura DiCesare has won a national championship in high school wrestling for the third time in the last four years.

The Monroe senior went 4-0 during the weekend to win the 165-pound title. She was trailing by four points in the third period of the championship match but pinned Liz Sanders of Iowa at the 5:22 mark.

DiCesare has completed her high school career with a 63-3 record. She won seven state championships along with the three national titles.