No longer boys only
By Jeff Kolpack, The Forum
Published Friday, July 29, 2005
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The girls from the state of Texas couldn't have jumped up and down more if
they had ropes.
The Texas Lady Lone Stars won the first USA Wrestling Junior Women's Dual
Tournament at the Fargodome, beating California 32-12. The significance was
twofold: It was another step in the growth of the sport and it was the first
team title on a national scale for girls.
"I think it's awesome for the sport to have that opportunity," Texas
wrestler LeAnn Barney said. "I'd like to see more teams."
Texas won three matches in the eight-team, one-day dual. It left little
doubt in the pin-happy final, winning all of its six mat matches by pin and
picking up two more victories by forfeit.
California won its three matches by fall.
RELATED CONTENT
More on USA wrestling
Photo gallery: USA Wrestling 2005
"I was never expecting to have a national title," Lone Stars wrestler Carrie
Clark said.
Several years ago, nobody in Texas could have expected girls wrestling on
the main stage of the Fargodome. It took the boys programs many years before
the Texas University Interscholastic League sponsored the sport.
Texas is now one of only two states, Hawaii being the other, to have
state-sponsored girls wrestling championships.
The Texas freestyle team was put together in May based on results of the
state tournament.
"It was nice to finally get this set up," Texas coach Chuck Brown said.
"We've been fighting for it for the last three or four years."
Clark wanted the tournament format because she wants to wrestle in college.
Barney enjoyed the team concept for the education of it.
For the most part, the eight-day USA Wrestling Junior and Cadet tournaments
are an individual event. That took a vacation on Thursday.
"You learn how to be on a team," Barney said. "The girls on this team are
really awesome. It teaches you to be more social and how to meet new
people."
The women's dual has room to grow. Brown said Michigan and New York could
have had teams in the tournament.
On the state level, Texas had 46 teams compete at the 2005 state tournament.
The numbers are expected to increase.
"Every year we get more girls," Barney said. "You just have to convince
people, just convince them that they can be 'girly' and still do this. It's
the feeling of being a part of a great accomplishment."
There was no questioning their feeling when they were presented the national
title trophy. The first order of business was a team photo.
It was one for the USA Wrestling history books.
"Nobody can take that away from us," Barney said. "The biggest one is always
the first one."
Tressa Yocum may be El Paso's best ever
El Paso Times All City Wrestling Teams
All Greater Houston Girl Wrestlers
Amarillo High state wrestling champion Hannah Skinner usually
isn't
satisfied with anything less than first place.
She made an exception to that rule last weeknd.
The 138-pound senior finished second at the U.S. Girls Wrestling Association
National Championships at Lake Orion (Mich.) High School. She lost 2-1 to
Oregon's Natasha Umemoto in the finals, losing on a stalling call late in
the match.
Skinner, who splits her athletic time between the weight room and the
softball diamond, said a national title would have been nice, but she's
satisfied with how she wrestled in the tournament because she achieved a
personal goal.
"It (the atmosphere at the tournament) was amazing," Skinner said. "I went
in there with no expectations except to have fun. I had a blast."
Amarillo High senior teammate Clarissa Dalke finished 12th in the country at
165. Dalke finished second at the state meet, losing in the finals to El
Paso Eastwood's Tressa Yokum, who has pinned 75 straight opponents and was
featured in Sports Illustrated's "Faces In the Crowd" last week.
Skinner and Dalke anchored a Lady Sandies team that was once incapable of
filling every weight class in 2003-04 to a fifth-place place finish at the
state tournament in 2004-05.
AHS head coach Charles Rose said Skinner's and Dalke's performances on a
national level will help him recruit future wrestlers to the budding
program.
"It's going to make a huge difference for our program," Rose said. "I think
it could really get some girls interested in coming in."
Skinner said she is uncertain about her wrestling future. She said she has
been offered opportunities to wrestle in college but won't make a decision
until she sees something in writing.
Right now, she and Dalke are preparing for the April 9 Texas Dream Team
Tournament at South Grand Prairie High School.
Skinner said she wants to make a good showing at the tournament, but even if
she doesn't, she will be satisfied with her season.
"This entire year has been a blessing God has granted me," Skinner said. "I
can't even explain it.
''He has blessed me so much in my wrestling, allowing me to experience the
joy of winning."
Final Results of the 2005 Texas UIL Girls State Wrestling Championships
Tressa Yocum (Sports Illustrated)
Two Minute Video Report (Scroll down to RL Turner)
On April 9th the following ladies will be competiting in the
Dream Team
Duals representing our state. This should be a great showcase for our tough
and talented wrestling Ladies of Texas.
95 - Maria Salas - Houston Lee - 2004 All American
102 - Crystal Molinar - South Grand Prairie - 2004 State Champ, All
American & 1st Texas female with more than 100 victories
110 - Lillian Marques - Coppell - 2004 State Runner-Up
119 - Laurie Ashby - Katy Taylor - 2004 State Runner-Up
128 - Karen Howe - The Woodlands - 2004 State Qualifer
138 - Hannah Skinner - Amarillo - 2004 State Qualifer
148 - Candy Guevara - Arlington - 2004 State Placer
165 - Clarissa Dalke - Amarillo - 2004 State Runner-Up, 2003 All
American
185 - Katy Klammer - Lake Highlands - 2004 State Placer & All American
215 - Emerald Soloman - Killeen Shoemaker - 2005 State Champion
Coaches
Chuck Brown - Frisco
Shawn Hoover - South Grand Prairie
Charles Rose - Amarillo
There is a Freestyle/Greco tournament at SGP prior to the duals! This will
be a great opportunity for all of the young wrestlers in Texas to see the
best wrestlers in the nation competiting. Come to wrestle and then to watch!
When the New England Patriots won their third Super Bowl in four years Feb.
6, the big buzzword in the media became, "Dynasty."
Everyone seemed to have an opinion on what the qualifies a team for dynasty
status.
The Caprock girls wrestling team made its argument Feb. 25-26 at the Delco
Center in Austin, coming from behind to win its third state title in six
years and second in a row with a 76-75.5 nipping of El Paso Hanks.
Since 1998, Caprock has also finished second, fourth and fifth at the state
tournament, won three state duals titles and six Region 1 titles. The team
has won 42 of the 49 tournaments it has entered or qualified for.
This year's title has some added weight. This was the first time the UIL got
enough participation from all four regions to expand the brackets in each
weight division at the state meet from eight to 16 wrestlers. For the first
time, every state qualifier had to finish in the top two at a district
tournament and the top for at the regional tournament.
"It was just so much more competitive," Caprock head coach Scott Tankersley
said.
While many coaches would shy away from a word with the magnitude of dynasty,
Tankersley said it can be used to inspire future wrestlers.
"It can be great for our program," Tankersley said.
"It can be great motivation for the kids. It gives them something to try to
live up to, something to shoot for."
Caprock sophomore Maci Alvarado, who finished sixth at state, defined
dynasty as, "A big family that rules."
She also said the Caprock program qualifies.
"We're a big family, and we ruled" Alvarado said. "We dominated. Oh yeah,
and Tank (Tankersley) is our big daddy."
The dynasty appeared ready to crumble in January.
The Amarillo High girls went over to Caprock on Jan. 10 and snapped
Caprock's 41-dual-win streak with a 30-28 win.
The win vaulted AHS into the state duals - a meet Caprock had won three
straight years - where they won six duals to claim the crown.
The Lady 'Horns rebounded Feb. 5, winning the District 5 Meet 121-108 over
second-place AHS. It was their third straight district title.
The next weekend, they claimed their fifth straight regional title, but they
needed some late heroics from Erica Martinez to do it.
In the final match of the meet in El Paso, Martinez took the mat against El
Paso Americas' Ashley Ivy needing at least a major decision - an eight-point
win - to give her team a come-from-behind victory. Martinez won 12-4, and
Caprock nipped El Paso Eastwood 125.5-123.
Tankersley said the regional title was nice, but the chances of defending
their state title were not good because the team qualified just four
wrestlers for state.
"We had eight at the district meet and six at the regional but just four at
state," Tankersley said. "Every time I turned around, we were missing two
more wrestlers. There was just a slim, slim chance because so many other
schools had six, even seven, wrestlers going to state. It seemed like it was
going to be mathematically impossible to win it."
Crucial Wins
After the first two rounds of the state tournament, Caprock was in prime
position, sitting in second place 2.5 points behind Austin LBJ.
After the semifinals, the Lady 'Horns had slipped into third place, five
points behind LBJ and 4.5 points behind El Paso Hanks.
Then came more heroics.
Crystal Valdez knocked LBJ out of the race beating its 95-pound finalist Luz
Hernandez 8-6 to claim her second individual title.
Caprock was in position to win, but two things had to happen. Amenda Howland
had to pin El Paso Socorro's Norma Rueda in the 128-pound final, and Hanks'
Chris Ybarra had to lose to Killeen Shoemaker's Emerald Solomon in the
215-pound final.
Rueda took charge against Howland, dominating the match for 21/2 periods and
running up a 6-3 lead.
With 40 seconds left, Rueda gambled and tried to shoot in at Howland's legs,
but Rueda did not get low enough on her shot and left her outside arm
exposed.
Howland reached around, grabbed Rueda's shoulder and flipped her completely
over her body. While Rueda was in mid-air, Howland spun her around and
planted her shoulders on the mat.
Howland came down on top and fought for 15 seconds, trying to get enough
leverage for the pin. With 25 seconds left on the clock, the official
slapped the mat, signifying a pin.
"I was worried," said Howland. "I had wrestled her before, and she's a
strong wrestler. But as soon as I threw her over and pinned her in the
grapevine, I was like, 'Oh my God.'"
Tankersley had a different reaction.
"After Amenda won, I started thinking, 'Hey, I think we're ahead. If the
Hanks girl loses, we win state,'" Tankersley said.
Solomon beat Ybarra 7-5.
Tankersley did not know the result of the match until it was relayed to him
in the hallway. He said he was too nervous to watch.
Martinez, who finished sixth at state, said she expected a better personal
finish, but she said she'll take a team title over an individual title any
day.
"I was all down because I expected to do a lot better," Martinez said. "But
as soon as I found out we still had a chance, it made me happy. That (a team
title) is what we really wanted. We only had four girls, and nobody thought
we could do it. Other teams had six girls and seven girls, but we all put
our hearts into winning as a team and we did it."
Alvarado said the team can't let talk of a dynasty affect the performance of
next year's team.
"You have to work even harder to keep it going," Alvarado said. "Our best
seniors are gone, so we're going to have to work twice as hard."
Lake Highlands senior Katie Klammer finished her high school wrestling
career with the ultimate achievement: a dramatic pin for the state
championship.
Trailing by five points in the second round, Klammer pinned Vista Ridge's
Carrie Clark for the 185-pound championship at the UIL state meet at the
Delco Center in Austin.
"All the emotions going through my head were happiness and excitement,"
Klammer said. "It was a great shock and a great ending."
Klammer became the first state champion for Lake Highlands coach Pete
Grieder in his 19 years of coaching.
It didn't come easy. Clark took down Klammer and maintained control to end
the first period with a 3-0 lead. Klammer fell behind two more points during
the second.
"I made the mistake of starting out on top, and she got around behind me,"
Klammer said. "When she got behind me again I figured I could roll her. She
went straight to the mat, and I pinned her."
Next up for Klammer will be freestyle wrestling at various tournaments
before she wrestles for Dream Team in April. Dream Team is an event in which
one state's best wrestlers face a national all-star squad. For the first
time, Texas will be the host team.
After Saturday's triumph, Klammer called her father in Dallas to inform him
of the victory. Not long after that, Klammer's brother, Karl, called home
from his Marine station in Iraq.
On Sunday, Katie got to personally talk to her brother on the phone.
"He told me congratulations and asked if I was OK," Klammer said. "He also
said, 'I can't believe you made a girl cry.' "
Klammer clarified that Clark sobbed after the defeat because she was leading
and appeared to be on her way to winning.
"That girl is just a sophomore, so it's great what she did this year and how
good she's going to be," Klammer said.
For Klammer, it was as good as it can get in wrestling.
AUSTIN - Caprock head coach Scott Tankersley did not see the
match that gave
his Lady Longhorns their third state title in six years and second in a row.
When Killeen Shoemaker's Emerald Solomon beat El Paso Hanks' Chris Ybarra
7-5 in the finals of the 215-pound weight division - giving Caprock a
76-75.5 win over Hanks - Tankersley was too nervous too watch.
"I was out in the hallway," Tankersley said. "I couldn't even watch."
Amarillo High finished fourth with 65 points, and Tascosa finished 10th with
37.5.
Caprock trailed Austin LBJ by five points and Hanks by 4.5 points entering
the finals. Crystal Valdez (31-1) opened the finals with an 8-6 win over
L.B.J.'s Luz Hernandez (22-3), making it a two team race.
"I knew it was the last match I was ever going to wrestle," Valdez said. "I
was going to give it my all. She was the strongest girl I've ever wrestled."
In the 128 final, Amenda Howland (34-1) gave Caprock the half-point lead,
pinning El Paso Socorro's Norma Rueda (31-8) with 25 seconds left in the
match. Howland trailed 6-3 with 1:52 left, and was getting physically
dominated. With 40 seconds left, she caught Rueda's head and far-side arm,
flipped her across her body, followed her to the mat and pasted her
shoulders to the mat, giving the Lady Longhorns six points and a chance.
"I knew she was tough," Howland said of Rueda, who she had beaten twice this
year by a total of four points. "I kept trying things against her, but they
just wouldn't work. As soon as she shot at me, I knew I could get her."
Tankersley said this year's expansion from eight wrestlers in each weight
division to 16 makes this special.
"It was so much more competitive," Tankersley said. "It was nothing but a
dogfight down to the last match."
Tankersley said the title is also special because he dedicated it to his
mother, Shirley.
"It's her birthday today," he said. "I just talked to her on the phone. She
said it was the best birthday present she ever had."
AHS - a fourth-year program that couldn't even fill all the weight divisions
a year ago - got a state championship from Hannah Skinner at 138 and a state
runner-up finish from Clarissa Dalke at 165. Skinner (40-2) scored a 9-1
major decision against Frisco's Vanessa Epps in the finals. Dalke (22-3) was
pinned by Eastwood's Tressa Yokum (45-0), who has pinned every opponent she
has faced this year and has won 82 consecutive matches.
"It's been so amazing," Skinner said. "We have such great coaches. Coaches
(Charles) Rose and (Gregg) Clear are like second dads to all of us. We have
a great program at Amarillo High, it's just that not a lot of people know
it."
Rose, whose team won the state duals title in January, said the program has
made a quick ascension because of the attitudes of his wrestlers.
"I can't even explain what it has meant to watch these girls do what they
have this year," Rose said. "We're probably a better duals team than we are
a tournament team because we don't have a lot of super wrestlers. We have a
bunch of very good wrestlers who work hard."
Tascosa's 110-pound Angel Diaz (15-0), who won the state tournament at 102
in 2003 but did not earn a state berth last year, was named the tournament's
outstanding wrestler, pinning three of the four opponents she faced. She
scored an 18-1 technical fall win against Arlington Sam Houston's Tashia
Lewis in the final.
"It feels so good," Diaz said.
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
1. Caprock 76. 2. El Paso Hanks 75.5. 3. Austin LBJ 71. 4. Amarillo High 65.
5. Katy 64. 6. EP Eastwood 56.5. 7. Arlington Sam Houston 48. 8. Klein 46.5.
9. Shoemaker 45. 10. Tascosa 37.5. (ALSO) 47. River Road 7.
State Champs
The Caprock girls wrestling team defended its state crown, edging El Paso
Hanks 76-75.5.
More on Tressa and Hanks High)
Haley Hale (Cinco Ranch High School)
Hanks High School Girl Wrestlers
Hard work paying off for LBJ girls ; Through raising funds,
preparation,
program has grown into state contender
Butch Hart, AMERICAN-STATESMANCORRESPONDENT. Austin American Statesman.
Austin, Tex.: Feb 25, 2005. pg. D.6
Selling corndogs at University of Texas football games has led six LBJ girls
wrestlers to the state high school tournament. The corndog selling was one
of the fund-raisers that enabled the 22- member squad to pay for appearances
at tournaments from Amarillo to Houston, which Coach Albert Gallo credits as
the key to the Jaguars' success.
"The best girls teams in Texas are in Amarillo and Houston. We wanted to
take the girls there and expose them to the situation and the quality of
wrestlers so that they would be prepared to wrestle at that level," Gallo
said.
It paid off. Six Lady Jaguars will be in the state meet, which begins today.
The LBJ girls program has grown from four wrestlers in 2003 to 22 this
season. The team has worked together on fund-raisers, from selling corndogs
to washing cars, creating not only the cash to help defray expenses but also
the teamwork to make it all worthwhile.
Luz Hernandez and Helen Timmons won their respective divisions at the
regional tournament, while Raquel Woodruff and Deanna West were runners-up.
Freshman Katie Brackin and senior Marquesa Martinez finished fourth at
regionals, drawing the final qualifying spots for state in their weight
classes.
In all, 50 boys and girls wrestlers from Central Texas made the state meet,
from 17 schools. Fourteen of those 50 are girls.
Other regional winners among the girls are Crockett's Sarah Macias, Travis'
Sasha Avila, Bowie's Geneva Matthews, Pflugerville's Jamie White and Vista
Ridge's Carrie Clark.
Timmons has a 20-1 record and is unbeaten in her 102-pound weight class.
West is in her first year of wrestling; Martinez has been wrestling for two
years. Woodruff, meanwhile, is the team's "thinker" on the mat, Gallo said.
"She works the angles and is working to stay one step ahead of her
opponent," said Gallo, in his third year at LBJ. "She is very thoughtful."
Brackin, a freshman, is an all-around athlete, also excelling in soccer and
track and field.
"This has been a great year and some of the hardest work, from practice to
fund-raising and on the road trips, but the girls have really come together
and supported each other," Gallo said. "It's been a great season."
(from box)
UIL state wrestling meet
When: ThroughSaturday
Where: Delco Center
Tickets: $10 adults, $5 students per session. All-tournament passes $18.
Schedule: Matches begin at 9 a.m. today and 9 a.m. Saturday
AUSTIN - After Friday's first two rounds of the University
Interscholastic
League state wrestling tournament at the Delco Center in Austin, the Randall
boys are in a prime position to capture their first team title, and the
Caprock girls are in a position to successfully defend their title.
Team scores for the boys were not available at press time Friday night. A
UIL official said a computer malfunction created a situation in which team
results would not be made public until this morning.
Randall, with three wrestlers in the semifinals, appears to be one of the
schools with a strong shot to capture a championship.
The Caprock girls are in second place, two points behind leader Austin LBJ
and 2.5 points ahead of third-place El Paso Hanks. The Amarillo High girls
are seventh with 23 points. Tascosa is 11th with 17.
Randall's Brandon McDonald (103 pounds), Michael Gerber (140) and Gator
LeGrand cruised into today's semifinals.
"Al three of those guys had excellent matches in the quarterfinals," Randall
coach David Quirino said. "What these kids have to do tomorrow will be
tough, but I know all three of them can do it."
McDonald earned a 16-0 technical fall against Alex Hill of Rockwall in the
first round and a 7-3 decision against Chris Wilcox of Lewisville Hebron. He
will face Azle's Michael Hortman in the semifinals.
Gerber, last year's state champ at 130, pinned Henderson's Kashmere Sears in
0:48 in the first round and scored a 10-0 major decision against Azle's Shay
Lauderdale in the quarterfinals. He will face Houston Strake Jesuit's Mike
Brown in the semifinals.
"I'm feeling pretty good about the way I wrestled today, and I think I can
come out and win it tomorrow," Gerber said.
LeGrand outlasted Cypress Ridge's Nick Loucks 12-9 in the first round - a
match which was as close as 7-6 at the end of the second period - but had no
trouble in the quarterfinals, pinning Coppell's Josh Mayo in 1:30. LeGrand
will face The Woodlands' Matt Cole in the semifinals.
The boys 103-pound weight class might produce the most interesting
semifinals and finals, with three of the four wrestlers still alive coming
from Amarillo-metro teams. McDonald, Caprock's Harvey Suarez and River
Road's Kalvin King are in the semifinals.
Suarez topped Wylie's John Evans 7-1 in the first round and scored a 10-2
major decision against Austin Bowie's George Gogonas 10-2 in the
quarterfinals. Gogonas was 45-0 coming in.
King pinned Klein's Chris Nguyen in 5:46 in the first round and beat South
Grand Prairie's Darren DeLaCruz 7-0 in the quarterfinals, taking a 5-0 lead
in the second period and never letting up.
"I was just trying to stay after him," King said. "I was attacking his legs
and staying on him, just staying aggressive and never giving up."
Borger advanced brothers Kris Luna (135) and Kaleb Luna (140) to the
semifinals. Kris will face Klein Oak's Kody Williams, and Kaleb will face
Arlington Martin's Matt Sansone in the semifinals.
Dumas advanced two to the semifinals and was a point away from advancing
three. Taylor Torisk (152) scored two pins and will face Coppell's Spencer
Covey in the semifinals. Jason Logan (160) scored a late takedown to beat
Azle's Bennett Horton 7-6 and advance to meet San Antonio Churchill's Aaron
Pelletier in the semifinals. Kyle Cambern (171) lost 4-3 to Arlington
Martin's Ben Rodermeyer in the quarterfinals.
Tascosa's Joe Quinto (130) pinned La Joya's Christian Sandoval in 5:09 and
beat Bryan's Jonathan Taylor 6-3 in a match Quinto dominated from the
whistle, setting up a semifinal with Rockwall's Cory Falcon.
"I'm going to win it," Quinto said. "I'm going to go all the way."
Hereford's Juan Alvarez (145) scored a 19-3 technical fall against The
Colony's Wade Stowe and held off an escape attempt from The Woodlands' Jeff
Fogg for 28 seconds in a 4-3 win, setting up a semifinals match with
Arlington Bowie's Kamarudeen Usman.
The Caprock girls have three wrestlers in the semifinals, but head coach
Scott Tankersley said he is more concerned with Maci Alvarado, the one of
his four who will be wrestling through the consolation bracket. He said his
team's chances of defending its state title will be determined by the number
of points - out of a possible 16 - she earns today.
Caprock has Crystal Valdez (95), Amenda Howland (128) and Erica Martinez
(185) in the semifinals. Amarillo High has Hannah Skinner (138) and Clarissa
Dalke (165) in the semifinals. Skinner will face Arlington Martin's Kacey
Wimpy, and Dalke will face Pflugerville's Jamie White.
"It would be great to win a state title the same year we won the duals
title," Skinner said of her team's slim chances to win gold, "I'd love for
it to happen, but it's just not very likely."
Tascosa's Angel Valdez (110), who won the state title at 102 in 2003, picked
up two pins and will face defending state champion Crystal Molinar in the
semifinals.
Taylor Girls Dominate at Districts
FRISCO - Something stood out about Vanessa Epps as she fought and scrapped
for rebounds during freshman tryouts for Frisco.
It wasn't her bleached hair or her pinpoint shooting touch.
It was her aggressiveness. Her willingness to be rough-and-tumble under the
boards. That physical want-to led Frisco's ninth-grade basketball coaches
not to put her on the basketball team, but to suggest to wrestling coach
Chuck Brown that the sport new to girls in Texas might be for Epps.
It was a very good idea.
Epps, in her second year in wrestling, is on her way to Austin, where she
will be a favorite to win the 138-pound division at the UIL State Wrestling
Championships, which begin Friday at the Austin ISD Delco Center.
Epps has momentum heading into state. She was voted the outstanding wrestler
last weekend at the Region II meet at Arlington Martin. She capped a stellar
meet in the finals when she beat her rival, Arlington's Sasha McElroy, who
handed Epps a defeat earlier this season when Epps was forced to default
because of a knee injury.
Epps was down 3-0 in the regional final with a minute to go. She rallied to
win five points.
"I've always beat up boys," Epps said. "So I know I can do it to girls. I
have a natural toughness that I can express in this sport without being
fouled out for it."
Epps got by on her toughness as a freshman, making it to regionals and
earning a spot as a state alternate. She has improved her technique this
year, going 37-2. She can still come out and overpower the opposition, but
like in the regional finals against McElroy, she can also use her skills to
win close matches.
"When you watch her wrestle, it's hard to remember she's a sophomore," Brown
said.
Where her wrestling acumen came from is hard to tell. Her mother, Nicole
Parker, is a dancer. Epps hasn't spoken with her father in years, but says
he wasn't an athlete either. Wrestling has just worked for her.
"I wouldn't say it was hard for me; it came natural," Epps said. "Now I have
stuff I need to work on as far as technique. It's frustrating having him
[Coach Brown] on my back all the time."
Brown, who coached at Hurst L.D. Bell and DeSoto, gets on Epps because he
believes she can be the best girls wrestler ever to come out of Texas. But
don't expect Epps to follow Allison Hopper, Frisco's first female college
wrestler, to Cumberland College, the nation's top women's program.
Epps wants to follow Patricia Miranda, who won a bronze medal at the 2004
Summer Olympics, to Stanford. Epps wants to wrestle for a club team there
and study pediatrics because of her affection for children.
You get the feeling that, with how her high school wrestling career has
started, Epps is a good bet to make that happen, too.
"She has a will not to lose," Brown said. "She's always going to find a
way."
Carroll freshman gets leg up on wrestling opponents
Leg strength comes largely from riding in equestrian events
06:04 PM CST on Saturday, February 12, 2005
Carroll freshman Jordan West succeeds in handling wrestling opponents
despite the fact she weighs only 93 pounds. That's due in part to the fact
she's accustomed to handling much more weight - one-half ton or more - in
equestrian events.
West was 11-7 entering Saturday's Region II wrestling meet, in which she
finished third and qualified for the state meet. Teammate Tiff Larriba, a
two-time state qualifier, said she has been impressed with West's
performance.
This is your first year in wrestling. How did you get interested in it?
My brother, Perry West, he got me interested. I thought it would be a lot of
fun.
Wrestlers get their faces smashed into mats and get their arms and legs bent
in awkward positions. Has there been much pain involved?
I haven't been in a lot of pain this year. Tiff Larriba has taught me a lot
of moves. I like physical sports.
What do you like about wrestling?
I like it because whether you win or lose, it's all up to you.
Where are you strongest?
In my legs, because I ride horses.
Why do you get strength from riding horses?
That's how you lead horses. You use your legs to nudge them and give them
little kicks. You use a lot less of the bridle than you think.
When do you ride horses?
In competition. I participate in events where you follow a course and jump
over obstacles.
What's the best you've done in equestrian events?
I've won a region championship for the Beginner II level.
How long would you like to compete in equestrian events?
I would like to make the Olympics someday.
How long would you like to wrestle?
I'm not sure. I don't know how good I am yet.
How is participation in girls wrestling these days?
It's getting bigger, and that's pretty exciting. We didn't have a lot of
95-pound wrestlers in this region, though. We only had five, and four
qualified for state.
What other sports would you recommend for people your size?
They can swim, too. They can run cross country, but I don't want to do that.
What are your goals for high school wrestling?
This year, I hope to win a couple of matches at state. Next year, I want to
make the state semifinals, maybe the finals.
What weight class will you compete in next year?
I'm confident that I can stay at this weight.
Hanks girls surprise many with their run
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jenny Franco isn't exactly an imposing figure.
The Hanks High School wrestling captain possesses a small frame, a
delightful smile and a casual demeanor that couldn't be mistaken for any
sort of maliciousness.
But at the Region 1 Wrestling Championships on Saturday at Bowie High
School, Franco was anything but tranquil.
The senior plowed through her competition and emphatically pinned River
Road's Ashley Underwood 36 seconds into the first period of their 119-pound
championship match to win her first regional title and earn her first trip
to the state tournament.
"I love it, since it's my first one and it's my last year," Franco said of
her crown. "It's awesome that there's four of us going to state."
Joining Franco on the trip to Austin will be Awbrey Lowe (102 pounds); Jamie
Gonzalez (185); and Christine Ybarra (215). Lowe and Ybarra both won their
respective classes to help Hanks lead El Paso girls with gold medals. Their
efforts netted a third-place finish with 103 points. Defending state
champion Amarillo Caprock finished first with 125.5 points and Eastwood was
second with 123.
The Troopers were led by 165-pound defending state champion Tressa Yocum,
Eastwood's lone gold-medal winner. But as astounding as Yocum is, the day
belonged to Hanks, who surprised many with their run.
"I'm really proud of them," Ybarra said of her teammates. "We take time to
look at our mistakes and correct them. I'm just happy."
On the boys side, defending regional champion Canyon Randall won the team
title with 191 points. Dumas was second with 134.5 points, and Amarillo
Tascosa was third with 130 points.
Girls qualifying for the state tournament by virtue of their finish are:
Montwood's Nicole Silva (95); El Paso High's Bethany Piņa (110); Socorro's
Norma Rueda (128); and Andress' Kristen Rod-riguez (148).
Boy qualifiers are: Eastwood's Angel Medina (103), Alex Aguirre (135),
Justin Rios (160), Miguel Garcia (180) and Eddie Noriega (275); Coronado's
Logan Davis (112); Franklin's Danny Caraveo (119) and Robert Guzman (215);
Ameri-cas' Kevin Jury (125); Socorro's Abel Borunda (125) and Chris Cerros
(189); Hanks' Anthony Valenzuela (130) and Jacob Valdez (135); Del Valle's
Alex Grijalva (140); and Fabens' Danny Ontiveros (189) and Eric Saucedo
(215).
For the Tascosa boys, it was about turning around a season.
For the Caprock girls, it was more of the same.
The Tascosa boys squeaked out a 176-174 victory over second-place Caprock -
in a meet that saw seven points separate first and third place - at the
District 5 Meet at Palo Duro Saturday. The Caprock girls outlasted Amarillo
High 121 to 108 to capture their fourth consecutive district crown.
On the girls' side, the difference for Caprock was three pins in the finals.
Crystal Valdez (97) pinned AHS's Toni Cortez after getting her in a cradle
early in the second period. Melissa Chavez (104) pinned AHS's Erica Stewart
in the first period with an aggressive attack. Erica Martinez (187) took a
7-2 lead into the third period against Tascosa's Marissa Schrepel before
registering the pin early in the third.
"I've only wrestled her a couple of time," Martinez said. "She really
fights. I thought I was going to have to win by points, but I was able to
get the pin."
AHS, which won a state duals title Jan. 15, kept it close in the finals with
key wins. Clarissa Dalke (167) pinned Tascosa's Jennie Ziegler with four
seconds left in the third period, and Hannah Skinner (140) scored a 9-3
decision over Caprock's Maci Alvarado.
The Palo Duro's Mercedes Ontiveros (121) qualified for the regional, pinning
AHS's Whitney White at the 1:46 mark.
Palo Duro lost two of its strongest wrestlers to injuries. Sasha Rivera
(167) suffered a broken arm in the first round, and Brittany Owens, who won
state at 119 last year, suffered a broken collarbone in the semifinals.
Tascosa's Angel Diaz (112), Stephani Hignight (140) and Tyra Taylor
qualified for the regional. Diaz pinned Caprock's Lisa Martinez, and Taylor
pinned Caprock's Krista Guzman.
"I didn't think I was going to lose, but I knew I would have to wrestle hard
to beat her." Taylor said. "She's really good. Knowing I can beat her, I
know I can beat anybody."
Katie Klammer (Lake Highlands)
http://www.amateurwrestlingphotos.com/
(Lone Star Duals)
GRAND PRAIRIE - Texas' already blossoming girls wrestling
movement received
another boon Friday when 17 teams competed at the Lone Star Duals at South
Grand Prairie High School.
Officials said they usually expect nine or 10 girls teams to participate at
the Duals.
The increase should be no surprise, however, given the state's pioneering
role in girls wrestling. Texas and Hawaii are the only states that sanction
a high school state championship in the sport.
Frisco coach Chuck Brown said that this year's state championship will
feature 160 girls, compared with 80 in past years. And make no mistake:
That's 160 of the meanest girls in the state.
"I am really mean," said Frisco sophomore Vanessa Epps, who will wrestle in
the final of the 138-pound weight class today. "I was cut from basketball
freshman year because my coach thought I was a little too mean."
Frisco graduate Jamie Odom, who wrestled at Frisco, knows the feeling.
"I broke a girl's nose in a basketball game," Odom said. "I was kind of
mean, too."
Arlington senior Candy Guevara advanced the final in the 148-pound weight
class. She laughs when she recalls her start in wrestling.
"I started sophomore year because I had guy problems and I had a lot of
anger," Guevara said. "I needed to take it out on some people."
Brown and Arlington coach Henry Harmon said the next step for girls
wrestling in Texas is to generate more fan support.
"We still have a ways to go," Brown said.
No. 1 seeds set for boys tournament
The top 12 boys teams in Friday's pool play advanced to today's tournament.
By winning their pools, Arlington Martin (5-0), Katy (4-1), Austin Bowie
(4-1) and Colby (Kan.) (4-0) received first-round byes and No. 1 seeds.
Several ranked teams in college competition
The college competition will feature seven of the nation's top 25 teams
according to the National Wrestling Coaches Association poll, including No.
4 Nebraska, No. 5 Michigan and No. 10 Oklahoma.
Hannah Skinner had to get the pin.
And she did.
With 4.8 second left in the match, the Amarillo High senior flipped Caprock
sophomore Laci Alvarado and plastered her shoulders to the canvas to advance
the Lady Sandies to the state dual meet with a 30-28 win.
The Lady Sandies, who were ranked second in the region behind Caprock coming
in, will wrestle in the program's first state dual meet Jan. 21 at Grapevine
High School. One school from each UIL district can advance to the state
meet, making Monday night' dual an all-or-nothing meet for both teams.
In the late meet, the Caprock boys staved off a late Sandie charge to hold
on for a 39-37 dual win.
Caprock's Amenda Howland pinned Lilli Cortez at the 4:27 mark to give the
Lady Longhorns a 28-24 lead heading into the final match, meaning Skinner
needed at least a technical fall to give the Lady Sandies the win.
It was apparent early that Alvarado was not going to surrender a technical
fall, keeping the score within 2-1 after the first period and 5-3 after the
second. Skinner gained control with 1:25 left to take a 7-3 lead, and knew
she would need the pin to give her team a trip to Grapevine.
"Honestly, I didn't think I had it in me," Skinner said. "I'm doing this for
God, and he gave me the strength to finish it off."
She finished it off by gaining control of Alvarado's inside arm on the flip
and taking her shoulders straight to the mat, improving her record to 21-0
on the season.
Skinner said she was inspired by the performance of Cortez, who held off the
pin until the third period despite wrestling with an injured shoulder.
"Lilli Cortez, that girl has heart," Skinner said. "She was my inspiration.
I just wanted to go out and wrestle for her and my team."
AHS girls coach Charlie Rose said he wouldn't have wanted anyone else on the
mat with the win on the line.
"That was the most exciting dual I've ever seen," Rose said. "Hannah's been
my toughest wrestler all year. That's only the second time this year she's
been scored on."
Amarillo High started with a 6-0 advantage as Marchay Coffey received the
match's only forfeit in the 215-pound weight division, but Caprock tied it
6-6 when AHS's Kayla Reed couldn't answer the call with 1:47 left in the
second after injuring her shoulder against Krista Guzman in the 148-pound
division.
In 165, AHS's Clarissa Dalke pinned Christina Rodriguez at the 1:10 mark to
give AHS a 12-6 lead.
Caprock stormed back to an 18-12 lead with pins from Erika Martinez and Erin
Ramon in the 185 and 95 divisions respectively.
AHS tied it back up when Erika Stewart rallied from a 5-0 deficit to pin
Crystal Valdez with 13.3 seconds left in the first period. Caprock then took
a 22-18 lead on Lisa Martinez's 15-1 major decision over Beth Courkamp.
AHS grabbed a 24-22 lead when Whitney White pinned Jenna Wright at the 2:22
mark in the 119 class before Howlend's pin gave Caprock it's final lead.
On the boys side, it came down to the final match of the night.
Caprock led 39-33 with just the 180 class remaining. AHS's Adam Ramos took a
4-0 lead in the first, but Devon Woods scrambled back with two reversals to
tie it at 4-4. Ramos led 7-5 after two periods, and Woods was noticeably
worn out. With Ramos working for the pin, Woods surrendered 10 third-period
points including four on stalling calls, but all Ramos could manage was a
17-8 major decision, and Caprock held on for the two-point win.
In the two most exciting matches of the night, Caprock's Dustin McCree got a
late pin against Jake Wheeler in the 130 class, and AHS's Tyler Dalke
registered an escape as time expired for a 5-4 win over Eloy Morales in the
160 class.
McCree went back-and-forth with Jake Wheeler. Wheeler registered an escape
as the buzzer sounded in the second period to tie the score at 4-4. McCree
took a 6-5 lead with 1:05 left, forcing Wheeler into a position where he had
to take a chance to grab the win. Wheeler tried to put a move on McCree, but
McCree countered with one of his own to get the pin that ultimately gave
Caprock the team victory.
"I knew he was going to come out strong because I'd wrestled him before,"
McCree said. "I just knew if I was smart, I could take advantage if he made
a mistake. He tried to put me in a guillotine, and I countered with a
Caprock. I hooked his leg and used a hip heist to get him over."
The Palo Duro boys and girls wrestling teams matched up well head-to-head
against Caprock on Tuesday night at Palo Duro but could not overcome the
points they forfeited.
The Caprock boys held off the Dons, 50-33, benefitting from four forfeits
(24 points). The Longhorns girls captured a 33-18 win, benefitting from
three forfeits (18 points).
On the boys' side, Caprock's Eloy Morales put on a clinic in the 160-pound
weight class, defeating Anthony Bichard by a technical fall 16-1 with 1:47
left in the second period. Morales took control with an early takedown and
methodically racked up points, allowing just one escape early in the second
period.
Caprock's Nathan Black turned in one of three Caprock pins, pasting Terrel
Calhoun's shoulders to the mat at the 1:29 mark. Calhoun had taken control
early with a takedown, but Black didn't panic. Black quickly escaped
Calhoun's control and reversed it to take a 3-2 lead. He added a takedown to
take a 5-2 lead before registering the pin.
"I got inside control, and snapped and got him in the double leg," Black
said.
Black said the team win is big for the team's confidence.
"It really boosts the team's morale and gets everybody hyped up for the next
match," Black said.
Carlos Ornelas and Devon Woods also recorded pins for Caprock in the 140-
and 180-pound weight classes respectively.
Thomas Harris registered Caprock's most exciting win, a 6-4 overtime
decision over Paz Acosta in the 112-pound weight class. Acosta controlled
the match until midway through the second period, holding a 4-0 lead. Acosta
then took a chance and tried to put Harris in the cradle. Harris broke free
and reversed for two points. He established control for two more points to
tie it at 4-4 with 20 seconds left in the second. After a scoreless third
period, Harris got position on Acosta, flipped him over and gained control
for two points 30 seconds into the period.
Palo Duro's Htoo Aung and Demarco Smith highlighted the Dons' effort.
In the 189-pound weight class, Aung staved off a comeback attempt from
Jeremiah Johnson. After taking a 6-2 lead in the first period, Aung let
Johnson rally with a reversal in the second period and another with 50
seconds left in the third. Johnson appeared to have Aung beat, but Aung
exploded for an escape with 25 seconds left for a 7-6 win.
Smith gave the Dons six points, pinning Antonio Chavez in the 215-pound
weight class. Chavez controlled the match, taking a 9-0 lead early in the
second period. With 1:47 left in the second, Smith got his ankle caught
underneath the weight of both wrestlers trying to escape.
The official stopped the match, but Smith opted to continue. Chavez took an
11-1 lead into the third, but Smith came out with renewed intensity in the
final period, overpowering Chavez and pinning him with 1:11 left.
"He's tough," said Palo Duro assistant Caleb Holt who stood in for head
coach Steve Nelson who was serving a suspension for violating a UIL rule. "I
thought he was down and out, but he fought through it. That was big win for
him."
On the girls side, Caprock made its 18-0 forfeit-point lead hold up, getting
key wins from Maci Alvarado, Kristie Guzman and Christina Rodriguez.
Alvarado defeated Shani Kenyon by a technical fall 16-1 in the 138-pound
weight class. Guzman needed just 47 second to pin Ballie Lomeli in the
148-pound weight class. Rodriguez defeated Sasha Rivers by a technical fall
21-4 in the 165-pound weight class.
Palo Duro got pins from Brittany Owens (110 pounds) and Mercedes Ontivero
(119 pounds) and a disqualification win by Leticia Rodriguez (128 pounds).
Coaches who don't communicate well with their athletes don't
typically find
high levels of success.
Since the inception of Caprock's girls wrestling program in 1998, head coach
Scott Tankersley has guided the Lady Longhorns to a United States Girls
Wrestling Association national title (1999-2000), two state titles
(1999-2000 and 2003-04) and one state runner-up finish (1998-99).
All of those accomplishments, topped by his Caprock girls' second state
championship, make Tankersley one of the Globe-News' Headliner Award winners
for 2004.
Along the way, communication has proven to be Tankersley's most powerful
tool - and his greatest obstacle.
Tankersley is deaf.
"I find that my voice stands out in a crowd, which makes it an advantage for
me," Tankersley said. "My athletes are the only ones who can understand me
on the mat. The other team will say, 'What did he say? How do they
understand him?'"
Tankersley, a 1982 Caprock graduate who was an all-district selection at
linebacker his junior year, dreamed of coaching from the time he was a
child. He said he never doubted himself in his pursuit of that dream. He
said he did not have reason to doubt himself. He had plenty of others who
did that for him.
"In order to succeed, one must develop a thick skin," Tankersley said. "One
must be immune to other people's negative opinions or remarks concerning
their dreams. When I was in middle school, I had to write a paper on what
kind of career I would like to have. I knew I wanted to be a coach, despite
my deafness and my speech. I wrote a paragraph on why I wanted to be a
coach.
"The teacher handed the paper back to me and said, 'Scott, you can't be a
coach. You're deaf, and you don't speak well enough to be a coach. Look for
a non-people-related career. Please write another paper.'
"I wrote, 'I WILL BE A COACH.'"
Tankersley got his shot to be a coach in 1989. He started at West Texas
Christian and moved to San Jacinto Christian Academy where he won state
titles in basketball and football in 1995.
In 1998, he was hired to coach wrestling at Caprock. It was a dream come
true.
"He bleeds orange and white - he really does." said assistant wrestling
coach T. J. Johnson, who is in his 10th year at Caprock. "I know he's had
some offers to go other places, but this is where he wants to be. He grew up
here, and he knows how to relate to the kids. I probably shouldn't say this,
but some coaches are too proud to stoop and to try to relate to them. We
have athletes come back up here five, six years after they graduate just to
see him. I think they look at him and say, 'If he can do it, I can do it.'"
Johnson said Tankersley's success doesn't stem from technical wrestling
knowledge.
"It's his enthusiasm," Johnson said. "When he walks into a room, he's got a
glow about him. He's always got a smile on his face. He's happy to be doing
what he's doing, and it rubs off on everybody around him."
Tankersley, who spends countless hours studying and dissecting film, tries
to maintain a high level of intensity during every practice.
"You have to passionately love your job," Tankersley said. "It's all about
attitude. Enthusiasm is a state of mind and it causes people to put their
dreams into action.
"Enthusiasm is very contagious. I strongly believe in the law of attraction.
Positive people will attract other positive people and negative people will
attract negative people.
"Enthusiasm will attract other enthusiastic people who want to work hard to
succeed. Enthusiasm will cause athletes to work harder.
"Believe me, I've seen it."
Lady Sandies win state duals title
From staff reports
GRAPEVINE-In just its fourth year of existence, the Amarillo High girls
wrestling team has a state championship trophy.
The Lady Sandies knocked all five opponents they faced to capture the
2004-05 state duals title at Grapevine High School on Saturday. The six-team
field advanced to the tournament through regional rankings. AHS defeated
each team in the pool-play style tournament.
"The girls turned in their best performance of the year," AHS head coach
Charles Rose said. "It's an incredible feeling because it wasn't just one or
two girls - it was the whole team. Everybody wrestled great. They just
pulled it all together and got it done. It's been a dream year."
AHS opened the tournament with a 49-6 win over The Woodlands. Toni Cortez
(95 pounds), Erica Stewart (102), Clarissa Dalke (165) and Kristina
Pendergrass (185) received forfeits. Bethany Courkamp (110), Whitney White
(119), Lilli Cortez (128) and Melissa Paxton (148) all recorded pins for
AHS.
Lilli Cortez, who wrestled despite a shoulder injury, went 2-1 in the
tournament with both wins coming via pin. Rose substituted Bridgette Carillo
for Cortez against Frisco Centennial and Arlington High to give her shoulder
a rest.
"She came up to me and said she wanted to wrestle, but I knew we could come
up with enough points to win those without having to wrestle her," Rose said
of Lilli Cortez.
In the second dual, AHS toppled Arlington Bowie 39-18. Toni Cortez, Stewart,
Courkamp, Lilli Cortez and Dalke registered pins. White scored a 6-2
decision over Emily Erwin.
AHS then topped Frisco Centennial, 30-24. Courkamp pinned Emily Barton, and
Hannah Skinner (138) pinned Haley Hunter. Toni Cortez, White and Carillo
were pinned, and Stewart and Kayla Reed (148) lost decisions. Dalke,
Pendergrass and Marchay Coffey (215) won by forfeit.
"That was the only dual that was even close. We benefitted from the forfeits
in that one," Rose said. "In all the others, we really dominated."
In a 33-14 win against Arlington High, AHS got pins from Toni Cortez,
Stewart, Courkamp, White and Dalke. Skinner defeated Sasha McElroy 8-3.
The Lady Sandies closed the deal with a 42-12 pasting of Frisco, getting
pins from Courkamp, White, Reed and Dalke.
Dalke, a senior, said the title is gratifying because of the teamwork.
"It's awesome," Dalke said. "It's been so phenomenal because so many of the
underclassmen went out and put their hearts out there. We just have a bunch
of team unity. Everybody came together because everybody knew what this
meant."
Athletes of the Week: Youngsters provide needed victories for AHS wrestlers
With one senior hampered by a shoulder injury, another wrestling in the
toughest weight division in the state and another coming off knee surgery,
the Amarillo High girls were going to need points from younger members of
the team to bring home the state duals title.
They got those points - and ultimately brought home the crown - because of
sophomore Bethany Courkamp and freshman Whitney White.
Courcamp, wrestling in the 110-pound weight division, pinned all five of her
opponents Saturday at Grapevine High School, propelling the Lady Sandies to
a championship in their first trip to the state duals. White (119) went 4-1
during the weekend.
Courkamp's five pins (30 points) were a major factor for the Lady Sandies,
and her six-point pin of Frisco Centennial's Emily Barton was the difference
in a 30-24 dual victory.
The Globe-News has selected Courkamp the Amarillo National Bank Female
Athlete of the Week.
AHS coach Charles Rose said he thought Courkamp could win three tournament
matches. He never imagined she could win five - especially by pin.
"She did a great job," Rose said. "She was pretty good last year, but she
didn't work that hard and didn't push herself. This year she's
self-motivated and pushes herself, and it paid off."
Senior Hannah Skinner, who entered the tournament 31-0, wrestled in the
tough 138-pound weight division and went 3-2 during the weekend. Senior
Lilli Cortez (128) was able to wrestle in three of the five duals because of
a shoulder injury. Senior Clarissa Dalke (165) was wrestling in her second
tournament since having anterior cruciate ligament surgery. Erica Stewart
(102) was the only senior at full strength.
Courkamp said she didn't think about the importance of her role.
"I just went out there and went after them and did my best," she said. "If I
went out there and gave my best, I knew good things would happen."
Cortez, who Courkamp described as "the momma of the team," said she has
enjoyed watching the sophomore grow up on and off the mat.
"When she first came in here, I knew she could be good," Cortez said. "She
was kind of timid at first, kind of quiet, but she has really taken her
place on the team."
Cortez said she knew Courkamp had the ability to be a factor at the state
duals, but she wasn't sure how she would perform.
"At the beginning of the season, she wasn't wrestling like we knew she
could," Cortez said. "But this weekend she shined. She stepped up to the
plate and hit a home run every time."
With Palo Duro's defending state champion Brittany Owens wrestling at 110,
Rose said Courkamp will have to continue to improve to advance out of the
district and region and into the state tournament.
He said the confidence she gained from her performance at the state duals
could be the boost she needs.
"For Beth to get out of district, it will be tough," Rose said. "But if she
gets out of the district, wrestling like she wrestled this weekend, she's
got it made."
Six Lady Tigers Make Wrestling Their Sport
Girls Wrestling Internet Highlight Film
'Perfectionist' wants 2nd wrestling title
SGP's Molinar keeps pushing herself, even cutting out ice cream
02:14 AM CST on Thursday, November 11, 2004
By RANDY JENNINGS / The Dallas Morning News
South Grand Prairie senior wrestler Crystal Molinar admits there is pressure
associated with trying to defend the state title she won in the 110-pound
weight class.
"Everybody expects me to win again," she said, "and I expect it, too."
Molinar said she's is trying to ease the pressure by putting last season in
the background and focusing on every match. The season begins tonight.
What is the quality that makes you a good wrestler?
I'm a perfectionist. I want to have my moves down so I can do them over and
over again. And I know how to push myself in my training.
How did you get into wrestling?
It was my freshman year. It looked interesting. I'd say Coach [Mike] Eaton
talked me into it, but it was stronger than that. I did it to get him off my
back.
What medals or trophies does a state champion receive?
I got a medal, a little plaque and the completed bracket of my weight class
in a gold frame. The medal is hanging with my other medals I've won in my
room. The plaque and the bracket are on the floor.
You are working with a new coach this year, Shawn Hoover. What have you
noticed about him?
Coach Hoover runs practice like Coach Eaton did, as far as conditioning. It
is much tougher than last year. I'm getting conditioning and technique.
In many states, girls don't have their own divisions. They wrestle against
guys. Texas separates the two. Which do you think is better?
There is a big gap in strength. It makes girls tougher to wrestle guys, but
I don't think girls that wrestle guys get as much work on technique. I wish
we could practice against them, but that is against the rules.
Do you have any sympathy for a boy that loses to a girl?
No sympathy at all. When we compete, we aren't girls or boys. We're
wrestlers. Guys say it is a lose-lose situation for them. If they win, they
are supposed to win. I have beaten boys. To me, it is not that big a deal.
It just makes me feel better because of the people that say girls shouldn't
wrestle.
Maintaining weight is important for wrestlers. What is your secret?
I eat a lot healthier during the season. I don't drink soft drinks. I just
pick out a day before the season and start eating completely healthy.
What is the enemy of your diet?
Fast food, cherry limeades from Sonic, Starbucks and ice cream from
McDonald's. I had a cone every day for a week before the season. When the
season ends, look out, McDonald's!
What are some of your outside activities in addition to wrestling?
I'm the sports editor for the yearbook and the photographer for the
newspaper. And I'm on the Student Empowerment Team. Four days a week, we go
to elementary schools and work with students that have problems and need a
friend. The kids just love us. When it is time for us to leave, they ask for
just five more minutes. Each kid has a different problem. We reassure them
everything is OK. It is good for the kids and for us.
Do you enjoy being around kids?
I love it. At one time, I wanted to be a child psychologist. Now, I'd like
to be an elementary school teacher. Kids have such spurts of random energy.
The main thing I remind myself is that they are kids and not to get stressed
out.
MEET CRYSTAL MOLINAR
School, class: South Grand Prairie, Sr.
Sport: Wrestling
Notable: Is a member of the National Honor Society and ranks 22nd in her
class. ... Is the defending state champion at 110 pounds.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Online at:
http://www.txcn.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/city/grandprairie/stories/111104dngrpmeet.7e751.ht
http://www.txcn.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/city/grandprairie/stories/103104dngrpsgpnotes.5d43a.htmlmlhttp://www.txcn.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/city/grandprairie/stories/111104dngrpmeet.7e751.html
Effort pleases coach
Accustomed to success, new wrestling coach has teaching to do
04:46 PM CDT on Saturday, October 30, 2004
By RANDY JENNINGS / The Dallas Morning News
First-year wrestling coach Shawn Hoover said there is still much to teach
his team, but he appreciates the work ethic he has seen in the first week of
practice.
"Coming from a program in Minnesota that routinely finished in the state's
top five, this is a change for me," Hoover said. "We are very young. But the
kids are working hard."
Hoover has 50 boys and girls in the program, a number that can present
challenges for the coach because of the varying skill levels.
Hoover said he couldn't ask for a better leader than defending state
champion Crystal Molinar.
"She works hard, makes good grades and is a team player," Hoover said of the
senior. "She just has a few technical little things she needs to work on."
Molinar will wrestle at 110 pounds again this season.
Juniors Darren De La Cruz (103 pounds) and Andrew Konkle (275) are
developing into the boys leaders, the coach said.
The Warriors' first matches will be against Bishop Dunne and Lancaster on
Nov. 11 at home.
If there's one thing above all others that gives high school
coaches
credibility in the eyes of their athletes, it's practicing what they preach.
Right now, Palo Duro wrestlers are getting a lesson in finishing what they
start.
PD wrestling coach Steve Nelson, who was suspended for a week in January for
allowing a male wrestler to compete against a female in a Dec. 10 Santa Fe,
N.M., tournament, made a preliminary proposal June 12 to the University
Interscholastic League Policy Council. Nelson proposed that the
interpretation of the rule that prohibits wrestlers of different genders
from squaring off against each other be evaluated and re-interpreted as it
applies to out-of-state meets.
Texas and Hawaii separate boys and girls wrestling into two distinctly
different divisions. In the other 48 states, girls must wrestle in the boys
divisions.
The UIL's interpretation of its own rule requires coaches to treat
out-of-state meets as if they were in-state meets. If a coach from Texas
takes a team to a meet in New Mexico, Oklahoma or Kansas -three states in
which many Texas teams participate in dual meets - the coach is forced to
forfeit any match that pits a male against a female and vice versa.
Nelson thinks Texas schools should be allowed to abide by the rules of the
state sanctioning the meet. His biggest argument being that football teams
that play out-of-state games follow the rules of the state in which the game
is played.
Nelson's proposal passed and will be voted on in October by the UIL
Legislative Council.
For those who are not familiar with Nelson, I'd better give you a quick
rundown.
Nelson has a polarizing personality. Most people either love him or they
hate him. He makes some people uncomfortable. He's a little hard to read. He
has a reputation as a bit of a maverick. He has a reputation as a bit of a
publicity hound.
Nelson, who has been at Palo Duro since 1988, also has a reputation as a
good coach (see girls state championships in 2001 and 2003). He has a
reputation as a tough-love coach who has strong views of what is right and
wrong and who will fight for what he thinks is right and against what he
thinks is wrong - sometimes to the dismay of people around him who don't
like to rock the boat.
That being said, some will look at what Nelson is doing as simply stirring
up trouble, trying to garner some attention and publicity. Others will look
at it as Nelson standing up for something in which he believes.
When this issue first surfaced in January, I wasn't sure how I felt about
it. Nelson told me he was proud to take the suspension - which was smartly
levied by the AISD to avoid a possible UIL-levied suspension - because he
felt he was standing up for his kids. He also told me he was preparing a
proposal to take before the UIL.
At the time, I didn't know Nelson well enough to know whether or not I could
trust him.
I talked to others involved with the situation and was told to be careful. I
was informed that Nelson typically means well but that he has a tendency to
grandstand when he gets a chance.
I also had some doubts about the potential proposal. In my mind, Texas and
Hawaii are the only two states which have the right idea. If they were to
switch to a one-division, males-and-females-together format, it could stymie
what is a growing sport for females. If females are forced to compete with
males for the chance to represent their schools in a particular weight
division, it could certainly discourage females from wrestling in the first
place and ultimately hurt the sport.
In the last six months, I've had a chance to get to know Nelson a little
better. I used him as a source for stories during wrestling season, and he
has sent me repeated e-mails since, updating me on the proposal process.
Do I trust him?
I trust him enough to believe him when he says he's pursuing this course of
action because he cares about the kids. It's not because of anything he's
told me or not told me, or because of anything I've heard or not heard from
other parties. I trust him because he has made a clear distinction in his
proposal - which I have seen in full - to make sure the re-interpretation
would apply only to out-of-state tournaments.
In other words, he knows the importance of Texas' and Hawaii's views of how
the sport should be legislated when it comes to gender. He knows how much
damage he could do to girls wrestling if his proposal were misinterpreted
and Texas was to join the 48 states that have approached girls wrestling the
wrong way.
He just wants to make sure he doesn't have to continue to ask one of his
wrestlers, who has worked hard to earn a spot and make weight, to forfeit a
match at an out-of-state tournament because the scheduled opponent is not of
the same gender.
His proposal probably will pass. It's logical, reasonable and fair.
But no matter how the October vote goes, Nelson will have succeeded. He will
have succeeded in the eyes of all the student-athletes he has advised to
never give up when it comes to fighting for something in which they believe.