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Wrestling world opens doors for Lynn
Melfort grappler eyeing step up to university competition

DARREN STEINKE
princealbert Thursday, April 03, 2003

The wrestling world is opening big doors for Melfort's Theresa Lynn.

Lynn, an 18-year-old Grade 12 student, is in her final weeks of representing the Prince Albert Wrestling club. She is expecting to jump to the university level next fall.

When she moves to college ranks, Lynn will follow a path laid by a number of Prince Albert male wrestlers, including Dean Schmeichel, Josef Tesar Jr., Apollo Bellisle and Chad Frey.

Because of her future plans, Lynn didn't have any sentimental remembrance after winning the Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association provincial title in the 56-kilogram class on the weekend.

She was happy to repeat as a provincial champion, but did not have any sadness about taking part in her final high school match.

"I am still going to be wrestling next year," said Lynn. "It is not exactly like it is my last tournament."

While Lynn was mum on where she will head next year, Prince Albert club coach Gary Frey said she has been offered a scholarship to attend the University of Regina and wrestle for the Cougars.

The offer was made possible because Lynn's marks in high school range from the high 80s to the low 90s.

"I am not exactly sure yet," Lynn said of her university destination. "I am going to miss living in the country."

Lynn took up wrestling in Grade 8 while living in Rocky Mountain House, Alta. Two years later, the family relocated to a farm in the Melfort area. She came with her family after they agreed she could continue wrestling.

The family contacted the Prince Albert club after seeing a newspaper story about Schmeichel's participation in the Olympic Games. Schmeichel spoke of Prince Albert coach Brian Vickers in the story.

When contacted, Vickers set Lynn up with the Prince Albert club and coach Frey. She excelled at the sport, winning the Canadian national club title in the 52-kilogram class in 2001, which remains her biggest highlight.

Lynn said her improvement has been "way lots" under the wrestling tutelage of Frey.

"They have been good," Lynn said about her time with the Prince Albert club. "I have learned a lot."

She continues in the sport because she likes its individual aspect. The grappler loves being in control of her own fate.

"You don't have to make up for a team or have a team make up for you," said Lynn.

Frey said Lynn has been a pleasure to coach, with plenty of positive attributes that will help her in the long run.

"Theresa listens to you," said Frey. "She is a very coachable athlete.

"University will bring her up another level. She will do a lot more training. She will become stronger."

Frey also said living in Saskatchewan has grown on Lynn, who was at first reluctant to leave Alberta.

"She wanted to stay in Rocky Mountain House," said Frey. "Wrestling brought her around. She very easily came onside."

Lynn is among about a dozen Prince Albert-area wrestlers heading to the cadet and juvenile national championships Friday to Sunday in Calgary. The group also includes Renee Faulds, Pawel Romanowski, Jason Church and Seth Bird, all of whom earned medals at the high school provincials on the weekend.

Frey said he will miss Lynn when she leaves.

"She has been an inspiration for the team," said Frey. "I will miss her.

"I will give her a big hug and wish her luck and tell her to keep in touch."

Lynn plans to major in education at university. She is unsure about competing beyond that, but would like to coach one day.

"I will see if I am tired of it by then," said Lynn.

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2003-2004 Pre-Season
High School Rankings

All Seniors who will graduate in June, 2003 have been removed. New ratings will be done in about a month. The project at hand presently is getting The Wrestling USA Magazine / USGWA All-American team ready for the May 30, 2003 issue of Wrestling USA magazine.

100 lbs.

1st - Rachael Holthaus, Little Falls, Minnesota / Little Falls HS / Junior
2nd - Alyssa Lampe, Tomahawk, Wisconsin / Tomahawk HS / Sophomore
3rd - Kelli Rasmussen, Winnebago, Minnesota / Blue Earth HS / Sophomore
4th - Sadie Kaneda, Honolulu, Hawaii / Roosevelt HS / Senior
5th - Whitney Conder, Puyallup, Washington / Puyallup HS / Sophomore
6th - Melissa Girard, Norway, Michigan / Norway HS / Senior
7th - Jen Hicks, Bellevue, Ohio / Bellevue HS / Junior
8th - Katherine Fulp-Allen, El Granada, California / Half Moon Bay HS / Sophomore

105 lbs.

1st - Jessica Hsieh, Vallejo, California / Napa Vintage HS / Senior
2nd - Madison Bangert, Midland, Michigan / H. H. Dow HS / Junior
3rd - Roxanne Soesbe, Clarion, Iowa / Clarion-Goldfield HS / Senior
4th - Susan Levitt, Danbury, Connecticut / Danbury HS / Junior
5th - Chelsea Arnhold, Marion, Kansas / Marion HS / Junior
6th - Amanda Breezley, Goshen, Ohio / Blanchester HS / Sophomore
7th - Sara Muster, Coventry, Ohio / Coventry HS / Junior
8th - Shannon Reeves, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio / Cuyahoga Falls HS / Junior

110 lbs.

1st - Caitlyn Chase, Bloomingdale, Illinois / Glenbard North HS / Sophomore
2nd - Claire DuPont, Leadville, Colorado / Lake County HS / Senior
3rd - Warry Woodard, Smithfield, Virginia / Smithfield HS / Junior
4th - Nicole Darrow, Pittsfield, Massachusetts / Mount Greylock Regional HS / Sophomore
5th - Rachel Kelly, Pueblo West, Colorado / Pueblo West HS / Senior
6th - Jessica Jauck, Ramona, California / Ramona HS / Junior
7th - Ashley Simmons, Richmond, Missouri / Richmond HS / Senior
8th - Brittany Woodall, Buckhannon, West Virginia / Buckhannon HS / Freshman

114 lbs.

1st - Rachel Groft, Abbottstown, Pennsylvania / New Oxford HS / Senior
2nd - Leilani Akiyama, Bellevue, Washington / Newport HS / Junior
3rd - Courtney Martell, New Haven, Vermont, Mt. Abraham HS / Senior
4th- Candice Pellerin, Kissimmee, Florida / Gateway HS / Senior
5th - Casey Strouse, South Boardman, Michigan / Fife Lake Forest Area HS / Senior
6th - Heather Faichney, Bartonville, Illinois / Illini Bluffs HS / Sophomore
7th - Sara Bergman, Elk River, Minnesota / Elk River HS / Senior
8th - Heidi Haughn, Whitehall, Michigan / Whitehall HS / Junior

118 lbs.

1st - Deanna Rix, South Berwick, Maine / Marshwood HS / Junior
2nd - Manuelita Swartzlender, Burns, Oregon / Burns HS / Sophomore
3rd - Ashley Bice, Clinton, Iowa / Clinton HS / Junior
4th - Leah Wood, Greenville, Michigan / Greenville HS /
5th - Lily Dorman, Berkeley, California / Berkeley HS / Junior
6th - Roslyn Maiava, Hauula, Hawaii / Kahuku HS / Senior
7th - Laura Ludwig, Foster City, California / San Mateo HS / Senior
8th - April Dick, Monticello, Illinois / Monticello HS / Senior

122 lbs.

1st - Na'Tasha Umemoto, Portland, Oregon / David Douglas HS / Junior
2nd - Krisha Childres, Goddard, Kansas / Goddard HS / Junior
3rd - Leilani Relator, Kahuku, Hawaii / Kahuku HS / Senior
4th - Chelsea Rountree, Crestwood, Kentucky / South Oldham HS / Senior
5th - Monica Gochioco, Hacienda Heights, California / Bishop Amat HS / Senior
6th - Lauren Primiano, Wahiawa, Hawaii / Punahou HS / Junior
7th - Sarah Peasley, Escanaba, Michigan / Escanaba HS / Sophomore
8th - Rachel Billerbeck, Pflugerville, Texas / Pflugerville HS / Senior

126 lbs.

1st - Cheyenne Stokes, Tulsa, Oklahoma / East Central HS / Freshman
2nd - Corey Jablonski, Okeechobee, Florida / Okeechobee HS / Sophomore
3rd - Kayla Chambers, Napa, California / Vintage HS / Junior
4th - Lauren Yee, San Mateo, California, San Mateo HS / Senior
5th - Hannah Espedal, Lakeside, California, El Capitan HS / Senior
6th - Bethany Harris, Valley Center, California / Valley Center HS / Junior
7th - Sarah Bond, Goodrich, Michigan / Ortonville Brandon HS / Sophomore
8th - Amy Woenkhaus, Fort Wayne, Indiana / Monroeville Heritage HS / Sophomore

130 lbs.

1st - Amanda Barley, Sunbury, Pennsylvania / Shikellamy HS / Senior
2nd - Vanessa Butanda, Covina, California / Northview High School / Senior
3rd - Jessica Pierce, Parish, New York / Altmar-Parish-Williamstown HS / Junior
4th - Jade Perry, Norwich, Connecticut / Norwich Free Academy / Senior
5th - Jessica Myrice, Toledo, Ohio / Southview HS / Senior
6th - Kylee Glant, Union City, Micigan / Union City HS / Junior
7th - Amber Miracle, Berlin, Wisconsin / Berlin HS / Freshman
8th - Samantha Gorman, Allendale, Michigan / Allendale HS / Freshman

134 lbs.

1st - Vanessa Oswalt, Mount Vernon, Ohio / Mount Vernon HS / Junior
2nd - Lauren Daniels, Vashon, Washington / Vashon Island HS / Senior
3rd - Shelby Brown, North Pole, Alaska / North Pole HS / Junior
4th - Natasha Douglas, Wasilla, Alaska / Wasilla HS / Senior
5th - Alisha Zahn, Minneapolis, Minnesota / Roosevelt HS / Junior
6th - Angel Grounds, Grovertown, Indiana / Knox HS / Senior
7th - Katherine Ensler, Norman, Oklahoma / Norman HS / Senior
8th - Nikki Caballero, Milan, Michigan / Milan HS / Senior

138 lbs.

1st - Stefanie Shaw, Waterford, Connecticut / Waterford HS / Junior
2nd - Chelynne Pringle, Hugo, Minnesota / Forest Lake HS / Junior
3rd - Elena Pirozhkov, Greenfield, Massachusetts, Greenfield HS / Junior
4th - Teri Lopez, Katy, Texas / Katy HS / Senior
5th - Alisha Swenson, LeRoy, Minnesota / LeRoy-Ostrander HS / Sophomore
6th -
7th -
8th - Amber Eberspeaker, Greenville, Michigan / Greenville HS / Senior

144 lbs.

1st - Ali Bernard, New Ulm, Minnesota / New Ulm HS / Junior
2nd - Anna Jenkins, Lake Orion, Michigan / Lake Orion HS / Sophomore
3rd -
4th -
5th - Tracy Faulkner, Bethel, Alaska / Bethel HS / Sophomore
6th -
7th -
8th -

152 lbs.

1st - Heather Martin, Wellington, Ohio / LaGrange Keystone HS / Junior
2nd - Amy Volz, Los Alamos, New Mexico / Los Alamos HS / Junior
3rd -
4th - Toni Copeland, McDonough, New York / Oxford Academy Central HS / Freshman
5th - Brooke Bonte, Beresford, South Dakota / Beresford HS / Junior
6th - Anela Iseke, Hauula, Hawaii / Kahuku HS / Junior
7th -
8th -

165 lbs.

1st - Samantha Lang, Tualatin, Oregon / Tualatin HS / Junior
2nd - Nickia Jensen, Eden Prairie, Minnesota / Eden Prairie HS / Junior
3rd -
4th - Colette Curtis, Gardner, Kansas / Gardner HS / Sophomore
5th -
6th - Jacquelyn Dollaway, Walden, New York / Montgomery Valley Central HS / Junior
7th - Cori Oram, Rustburg, Virginia / Rustburg HS / Junior
8th -

165+lbs.

1st -
2nd - Lizz Sanders, Newton, Iowa / Newton HS / Sophomore
3rd - Michael Kaufman, Flinton, Pennsylvania / Glendale HS / Junior
4th -
5th - Christina Bowman, Edgewood, Maryland / Edgewood HS / Junior
6th - Candy Bezanson, Orange Lake, Florida / Ocala Forest HS / Junior
7th -
8th - Cassie Pemberton, Manhattan, Kansas / Manhattan HS / Junior
9th - Dallas Monreal-Berner, Niles, Illinois / Skokie Niles Township West HS / Freshman

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Michigan Women's National Team Information

Coaching Staff: Tom Miller East Point
Kim Miller East Point
Coach Brown Midland Dow
Chaperone Director: Sharon Kline Oxford

With the increase in size of the women's team this spring we are in need of one, possible two more coaches. Interested persons should contact Coach Kline at dkline@lakeorion.k12.mi.us

The women's team will be taking up to three wrestlers in each of the following weight classes:

95 101 110 119 128 138 150 165 175

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Juneau wrestlers prepare for state at local tourney

JUNEAU EMPIRE 4/16/03

Several dozen young wrestlers from Juneau and Sitka faced off last Saturday in a tournament hosted by the Juneau Tornadoes wrestling club.

"The tournament ran well," said Tornadoes coach Bob Mahon. "We had a lot of people watching. ... And the big thing is that the kids had a lot of fun."

Wrestlers at the meet included boys and girls, ages 5 through high school, competing in various divisions based on age and weight.

One of those who had success was Tessa Otness, 10. Otness wrestled seven times on Saturday and took first place in her weight class in the Novice age division. She faced some much-larger opponents during the day's matches.

"It was fun," she said. "I enjoy getting the medals."

The meet was a tune-up for the state club wrestling tournament, to be held May 2-3 in Eagle River; Juneau will be well-represented at that event.

Twenty-five Juneau wrestlers are going to be participating in the state meet, Mahon said. In the past, Juneau's state contingent has not exceeded 15 wrestlers.

JUNEAU TORNADOES INVITATIONAL

Results from the Juneau Tornadoes wrestling club's tournament held April 12 at Riverbend Elementary School. Wrestlers from Juneau unless otherwise noted.

Pre-bantam

40 pounds - 1. Kelly Olson.

45 pounds - 1. Stetson Ercanbrack.

50 pounds - 1. Tyler Cole.

55 pounds - 1. Randy Nicholson; 2. Riley Moser.

60 pounds - 1. Kathryn Davidson; 2. Brady Mallinger.

Bantam

60 pounds - 1. Fred Elliot.

65 pounds - 1. Skyler High.

75+ pounds - 1. Donovan Culp; 2. Dugan Paddock.

Midgets

55 pounds - 1. Erik Otness.

65 pounds - 1. Chatham Lee (Sitka); 2. Nick Gough; 3. Gabe Regis.

75 pounds - 1. Billy Holbrook; 2. Peyton Millay.

87 pounds - 1. Laib Allensworth; 2. Annie Martin.

120 pounds - 1. Kayla Brown.

Novice

70 pounds - 1. Tessa Otness.

90 pounds - 1. Jacob Huston (Sitka); 2. Max Reifenstuhl (Sitka); 3. Alex Fisher.

95 pounds - 1. Austin Kesterson.

130 pounds - 1. Stafford Dragt; 2. Tavyn Gentry.

140 pounds - 1. Michael Brizgaloff (Sitka).

140+ pounds - 1. Alex Martin.

140++ pounds - 1. Taylor Kesterson.

Schoolboy/girl

70 pounds - 1. Ian Otness.

90 pounds - 1. Ciera Kendrick.

110 pounds - 1. Toria Lehman (Sitka).

Cadet

125 pounds - 1. Logan Harvey.

171 pounds - 1. John Kuterbach.

Junior

171 pounds - 1. Matt Majoras.

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Roosevelt grad Chun captures national wrestling championship

Advertiser Staff 4/14/03

Hawai'i's Clarissa Chun won a championship and Stephany Lee and Donell Bradley took second-place medals yesterday at USA Wrestling's Women's University National Championships in St. Joseph, Minn.

Chun, a 1999 Roosevelt High graduate who is a resident at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, rallied to win the 48kg (112.25 pounds) final, 11-6, over Mary Kelly of Chanute, Kan.

Kelly led after twice turning Chun in the first period. Chun tied the score with a headlock throw, then was able to turn Kelly to take the match. Chun also won the Most Falls award with two pins in 1:26.

Lee, a 2002 Moanalua High graduate who had won two national titles two weeks ago at the U.S. Girls Wrestling Association nationals, was runner-up in the 72kg (158.5 pounds) division to world champion Toccara Montgomery of Williamsburg, Ky. The score was 11-1 in 4:24.

Bradley, a 1999 Radford graduate and senior at Missouri Valley College, got the silver medal in the 77kg (169.5 pounds) division, losing the final 12-3 to Satrinina Vernon, an Olympic Training Center resident.

By finishing second, Lee and Bradley earned "funded access" to the Olympic Training Center, meaning they can use the center's facilities for clinics and instruction at no cost during the next year.

"I went for three weeks last summer," Bradley said. "They have sports psychologists or anything else you need help with."

Also in the University Division, Castle graduates Katie Kunimoto (51kg/112.5 pounds) and Cathy Migita (55kg/121 pounds) placed fifth and Radford senior Ku'u Johnson (67kg/147.5 pounds) took sixth.

Kunimoto also is an Olympic Training Center resident. Lee, Migita and Johnson represented the Wahine Wrestling Club.

In USA Wrestling's FILA Junior National Championships (ages 17-20) on Saturday, Mililani High senior Debbie Sakai won the 51kg (112.5 pounds) title. Migita 55kg (121) and Lee 67kg (147.5) finished second and Kailua High senior Danyelle Hedin was second at 56kg.

In the Cadet (ages 15-17) division, Sakai finished second at 56kg (123.5). Participation was scant in the younger divisions.

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Hawai'i girl wrestlers capture national titles

Advertiser Staff 3/31/03

click for larger picture "This is icing on the cake for me I'm so, so happy," Caylene Valdez said. Advertiser library photo

Moanalua's Caylene Valdez yesterday added a national championship to her four state high school wrestling titles and Mililani's Debbie Sakai brought Hawai'i a second national crown.

Valdez won the 114-pound division and Sakai the 110-pound gold medal at the U.S. Girls Wrestling Association high school championships at Lake Orion, Mich.

In addition, Nicole Fonda of Kahuku placed second at 100 pounds, losing a tiebreaker after a 3-3 tie in two overtimes.

Elizabeth "Kapua" Torres of Kahuku was third at 105 pounds, while Naomi Karlen of Punahou (100) and Jasmine Norman of Kealakehe (130) both finished fourth in their weight classes.

Of the 19 wrestlers representing Hawai'i, 13 finished ninth or higher in the tournament, which had 357 entries from 29 states. Hawai'i was third in state scoring.

For Valdez, victory was especially sweet after she finished a disappointing eighth in last year's nationals. "This is icing on the cake for me I'm so, so happy," Valdez said.

Two weeks ago, Valdez became the third person and first girl to win four Hawai'i high school state championships.

Although she lost only one match (an injury default) in six years in Hawai'i, Valdez's best previous finish at the national tournament was third place in 1999, when she was an eighth-grader.

In her semifinal match yesterday, Valdez dominated Yesenia De La Mora of El Cajon, Calif., 9-3. De La Mora had pinned her first three opponents, two in a minute or less.

In the championship match, Valdez avenged a loss last year to Rachel Groft of Abbottstown, Pa., 4-2, taking control with an escape and takedown in the second period.

"Today was hard," Valdez said. "It was colder inside the gym and it burned my throat way, way, way more, but I had to stick it out."

Joel Kawachi, who has coached Valdez since she seventh grade, said, "She doesn't like that pressure but once she gets on the mat she always performs."

Sakai, who finished third in Valdez's 114-pound division in the state tournament, moved down to 110 for nationals and was unseeded. She had to defeat the No. 3, 2 and 1 seeds to win her title, said her coach John Kerley.

Sakai was behind 8-3 after the first round of the final, but she turned Caitlyn Chase's aggressiveness to her advantage. When Chase shot in on her, Sakai pancaked the Bloomingdale, Ill., contender and pinned her in 20 seconds of the second round.

In her semifinal, Sakai buried Maika Watanabe of Napa, Calif., 17-3.

U.S. Girls Wrestling Association
National High School Championships

Places won by Hawai'i entries:

1st Debbie Sakai , Mililani (110)
Caylene Valdez, Moanalua (114)
2nd Nicole Fonda, Kahuku (100)
3rd Elizabeth Torres , Kahuku (105)
4th Naomi Karlen, Punahou (100), Jasmine Norman, Kealakehe (130)
5th Danyelle Hedin, Kailua (122)
6th Leilani Relator, Kahuku (122)
7th Roslyn Maiava. Kahuku (118)
8th Bernadette Javier, Leilehua (100)
9th Sadie Kaneda, Roosevelt (100), Lauren Primiano, Punahou (122), Jazmine Cockett, Kamehameha (130)

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All that Jasmine

By RON ELAND/ West Hawaii Today 4/15/03

Kealakehe senior fourth at national wrestling tourney.

Wrestling isn't just a guy's sport anymore - just ask Jasmine Norman.

The Kealakehe High School senior, who last month captured the girls state title in the 130 - pound division, recently returned from the mainland where she took part in the U.S. Girls Wrestling Association national high school championships. The event featured more than 350 wrestlers from 29 states - including a dozen from Hawaii.

Despite several injuries, Norman finished in fourth place in her weight class. And even though the competition was stiff, the climate proved to be her biggest nemesis.

"The Hawaii girls were having a tough time breathing," said of the meet which took place in Lake Orion, Mich. "There were a couple times when I dropped down and began coughing up blood because it was so dry back there. I could have handled the cold weather, but it was the dryness that really got to me."

Even though she went a perfect 3 - 0 on the first day of competition, she said her opening match proved to be one of the toughest.

"My first match was a good warm - up for me but it was also one of my hardest because I had to adjust to the dryness of the air. Just my luck, my first opponent was from Michigan and she could breathe," she said laughing.

Norman said she wasn't feeling any better on the second day of the event and to add to it, in her fourth match she faced the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the competition. She lost the match 4 - 0 and in the process injured her knew and fractured her thumb. In addition, she was nursing an ankle injury she has sustained in December.

She won her fifth match in double overtime and lost her sixth and final match, 5 - 1. She finished the event with four wins and two losses - her two defeats coming at the hands of the eventual second and third - place finishers.

"I was kind of disappointed because with so many injuries I didn't know what my true potential was," she said. "I really wanted to know where I stood. Bit, I guess fourth place in the nation is pretty decent."

Norman said she first became interested in wrestling in intermediate school and joined the Waverider wrestling team her freshman year. Being that girl's wrestling was, and still is, a relatively new sport in Hawaii, she often found herself facing boys in her weight class.

"I never saw it as wrestling a guy, I just saw the other person as an opponent," she said, noting that along the way she beat six boys on the Big Island.

This season was the first year that the state banned opposite sex matches. For Norman, that meant far fewer matches since the number of girls in or near her weight class in the league was very limited. Despite having fewer than 10 matches, she was still able to capture her weight division at the state tournament.

"When I won I kept asking myself, 'did I really win, was this really happening or was it a dream,'" she said. "I was afraid I was going to wake up and realize it was all just a dream - a pretty good dream."

Norman, who currently holds a 3.97 grade - point average, said there are less than 10 colleges in the nation which have women's wrestling teams. Two of those - Menlo College and Pacific University - have been recruiting her this year. She's learning towards Pacific with the hopes of some day becoming a pharmacist. And, she has her sights set on being a member of the 2008 Olympic wrestling team.

But in the meantime, she said she wants to help promote the sport of girl's wrestling on the Big Island.

"I would totally encourage girls to wrestle," she said, noting that she helped start a wrestling program through the YMCA. "It's physical but it also mind over matter. It really pushes your mind and body to its limits. I've played several different sports but nothing has challenged me as much as wrestling."