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Opportunities keep growing for women’s wrestlers in Fargo
By Jason Bryant
jbryant@intermatwrestle.com
Fargo, N.D. – A line of young women filed in to the Fargodome on Thursday afternoon, a day before their individual tournament is to take place.
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| Texas celebrates its championship in the inaugural Women's Junior Freestyle Duals in Fargo, N.D. | |
That line of women represented eight states in the inaugural Junior Women’s Freestyle Duals.
On the age-group levels, USA Wrestling sponsors dual team events for state teams at the Schoolboy, Cadet and Junior levels, but with the inception of the first women’s tournament, there’s excitement amongst the athletes and coaches.
“This is what we’ve been fighting for ever since the inception of the individual tournament and we’re just proud to have the opportunity to be in it,” said Texas USA Wrestling Women’s Director Chuck Brown.
Texas, which sponsors a high school state championship for girls wrestling, leads the 2005 tournament in total entries with 25.
Brown had no problem filling his roster, but problems still arose because of the interest.
“Interest was very good, but it’s been very tough,” Brown said.
“The girls have made it tough on us because we have four really good girls at 102 and we took two of them in the duals.
“It’s been really tough, but we’ve been really excited. You can never have enough interest,” he said.
As California and Texas wrestled for the championship on the raised mat, chants of “Cali-fornia!” “Cali-fornia!” were prevalent.
The girls are really involved in the team concept.
“I think that’s based on how they’ve been brought up,” Brown said. “You look at volleyball and softball, they’re very supportive of the team concept, even though there’s a lot of individual talent.”
While only eight teams are involved in this year’s event, there is senior-level experience competing and even watching.
Na'Tasha Umemoto, a champion on both the junior and senior levels watches the competition with Connecticut’s Stefenie Shaw, another junior level wrestler with success on the senior level.
“(The duals) are going to get a lot more girls involved and it’s going to help with the experience,” Umemoto said.
“I know the first time I walked in the dome and saw the mats, I was like ‘Wow, I’ve got to wrestle in this’,” she said.
Ohio’s Vanessa Oswalt, a runner-up at last year’s Junior Women’s Freestyle Championships, is wrestling in the duals and the tournament.
“It feels pretty good,” Oswalt said. “More girls are getting involved in wrestling and it’s also good for women to have a chance to wrestle duals like the guys.”
Oswalt was concerned bout the timing of the event.
“It’s a good opportunity, but it’s kind of hard right before the individual competition.”
It’s growing pains and the coaches and athletes realize it.
“It’s not ideal, but we knew the first year it wasn’t going to be ideal,” Brown said.
“It’s tough being the day before the individual tournament because the girls on the dual team are going to have five matches before they turn around and wrestle in the tournament.”
Cumberland College women’s head wrestling coach Kip Flanik agreed.
“There’s been some criticism because this is right before the individual tournament, but it’s a start. That’s what people have to realize,” Flanik said.
“We can build from this. We can grow from here.”
The tournament will also help teams get more freestyle training.
“Coaches like myself and others want to be involved with the junior national teams so we can work with the girls more than a few times a year,” Flanik said.
Toccara Montgomery, a member of the first U.S. Women’s Olympic team, is hopeful that women’s wrestling will grow as a result of not only the individual tournament, which is still in its infancy, and the duals, which were born in Fargo.
“There’s really only one way to go – up,” Montgomery said.
“The Olympic teams now, will it be better than the past. They’re only going to be better and stronger.”
Montgomery and U.S. National Team member Heather Martin are coaching the Ohio team.
Montgomery is proud that she’s having the opportunity to coach at the junior level, much like several men’s national team members have coached their state teams in the past.
“It feels great,” Montgomery said. “I never thought I could be somewhere that younger girls could ask my opinion and work on their technique.
“Now to be in that position, it’s really great for me. I’ll give as much insight and technique as I have to offer,” she said.
Montgomery feels that events like the duals will help bridge the gap between the junior and senior levels. She feels she would have benefited from events when she was a junior.
“I’d have been more on my level with girls and been more successful in my wrestling,” Montgomery said. “I think I could have done a little better and more prepared to go out there and wrestle tougher opponents.
“I think it would have helped me come on to the senior level a little harder and a little stronger. My early years were a learning experience,” she said.
When it came time to battle in the placement rounds, Texas rolled to a 32-12 victory over California with falls and big throws, step-overs and loud cheers, not just from the team benches, but the stands as well.
During the 160-pound final, Monica Gonzalez got behind Texas’ Clarissa Dalke and immediately, a collection of junior wrestlers in the stands behind the media table started yelling “SUPE! SUPE!”
When Gonzalez didn’t get the toss, a collective groan came from the guys. They wanted a throw.
Texas got falls from Helen Timmons at 95 pounds, Raquel Woodruff at 110, LeAnn Barney at 128, Vanessa Epps at 138, Lindsay Brooks at 148, and Carrie Clark at 220 to cruise to the title.
In the future, the girls hope their event will be away from Fargo, serving as preparation for the Junior Nationals.
“I’m hoping that they make it with the guys’ duals or another time, just not right on top of each other,” Oswalt said.
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