Story Photos
 Photo by Roger Werth Veronica Mendoza, left, takes down Shannon Hicks during an intrasquad match Wednesday night. |
Kelso surges to forefront of girls varsity wrestling
Saturday, December 2, 2006 11:32 PM PST
By Ben Zimmerman
Printable version
E-mail this articleWhen she heard that the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association was sanctioning girls wrestling as a varsity sport, Kelso senior Alicia Sweet had one thought.
Finally.
Sweet had wrestled at Kelso for three years on an exhibition basis. Her parents weren't comfortable with her wrestling boys, so Sweet figured she wouldn't wrestle as a senior.
"I was really excited when I found out there would be girls wrestling as a sport," Sweet said. "I made signs in my leadership class and posted 100 fliers around the school advertising it."
Sweet's enthusiasm paid dividends. After two weeks of practice, the first girls wrestling roster in Kelso history is 17 deep. And don't be fooled -- this is no lark. Athletes such as Sweet and fellow seniors Alicia Skreen, Veronica Mendoza and Aly Wilson aren't wrestling for the novelty of it, or to brag about it, or just to say they did something different.
"We're out to win," Mendoza said. "It's not, 'Oh, we're so hard-core.' It's not for attention. We want to be part of the Kelso wrestling tradition. The program is so respected, and we want to be part of that."
"We're part of the first girls wrestling team ever at Kelso," added Skreen. "We take that seriously."
So do Kelso's coaches.
Hilanders head coach Bob Freund asked Erinn Morton, the Kelso junior varsity soccer coach, to join the staff as head girls coach, and he and his assistants, including Pat Connors, have found time to drill the girls team on technique every day -- despite a massive boys turnout of more than 80.
"He (Freund) is genuinely excited about this," said Sweet.
"He thinks we can be successful," added Skreen, "so we think we can be successful."
A typical week sees the girls practice separately from the boys for four days, then drill with the boys on Friday "because we want their intensity level to pick up," Freund said.
"I'm a beginner myself," said Morton, who said Freund asked her to coach because he wanted "an athletic female."
"I don't have any experience with wrestling," she added. "For most of the girls, this is their first experience with wrestling. We're all sort of learning from scratch."
A new opportunity
Each of the previous three Mat Classics -- Washington's two-day, all-classifications state wrestling championships in the Tacoma Dome -- have crowned champions in girls wrestling. But this year will be the first that uses regional qualifiers and keeps team scores.
High schools across the state are still in the process of reporting their numbers to the WIAA, but once that information is collected, a state championship format will be set.
"Right now there are 10 weight classes," said Freund. "When the WIAA gets the numbers at each weight, it will determine whether an eight-girl bracket is big enough. Do we need a 12-girl bracket at state? Sixteen? They will also determine whether we need to add another weight class on the lower end."
It's only a matter of time, Freund said, until girls wrestling is as large and well-organized as the boys' version. For now, there will probably be two regional tournaments, east and west, used for state qualifying.
That may be unfair. In the infant stage of the sport, far more girls have turned out for wrestling on the west side of the Cascades. But it is simple. As participation increases, a four-region playoff system is inevitable, as is a format where wrestlers compete in their respective classifications.
"It might take one year, it might take two," Freund said. "But it is going to happen."
Kelso has wrestlers in every division -- no surprise, given the Hilanders' wrestling program has been one of the best in the state for a decade. Other schools, such as Inglemoor and Hoquiam, have double-digit turnouts, while others -- including Washougal, Camas and Columbia River -- have decent numbers. By January, Freund hopes Kelso can compete in a dual match or two.
Until then, the girls team will travel to tournaments that have a girls division on weekends.
The ultimate workout
Most of the girls who have turned out for wrestling at Kelso are established varsity athletes in other sports. Skreen has competed in the state track meet multiple times and used to play soccer. Mendoza is a four-year track and cross country standout with a background in gymnastics. Wilson is a cross country veteran and distance relay specialist in track.
Their winters usually consist of individual training.
Not any more.
"I guess I just kind of got sick of running," Wilson said. "I decided to try something new. I wanted to stay in shape, physically, and I really like the mental strength you gain from wrestling."
Mendoza was excited "beyond belief" when she heard that wrestling would be offered as a varsity sport.
"We get to take advantage of something that has never been offered before," she said. "Seeing 20 girls out doing something that is completely break-neck, at the same time ... it's great."
Elite distance runners are used to running at least 50 miles per week, but the intensity of wrestling training puts those workouts to shame.
"There are no easy days," said Mendoza.
Daily conditioning drills "are the hardest 15 minutes you can imagine," Sweet added. "You get so much out of it. It is so rewarding. Wrestling is unique. If you do well in wrestling, there is nothing better. It's a different world, and people who don't understand it dis' (disrespect) it."
In wrestling, "every muscle is involved," said Skreen, but that only begins to explain the challenges that confront beginners.
"Wrestling is so technical," Morton said. "For every move, there is a counter. For every counter, there is a counter."
Something to prove
Kelso's dedicated coaching staff isn't coddling its newcomers, either. New techniques are demonstrated and drilled each day. Sometimes, said Wilson, "it seems like we learn 10 new things a day."
And the girls love it.
"We're anxious to show boys that girls can do this, too," Wilson said. "We have a we'll-show-you attitude."
More than carrying the banner for their gender, Kelso's female grapplers are passionate about representing their school and their program. They said Freund and his staff's love of the sport, and dedication to the program, are contagious.
There are subtle but meaningful gestures from the boys' program that show an embrace of the girls' program as a Kelso brand. For instance, Morton is from Battle Ground, a longtime Kelso wrestling rival. The other coaches "pitch me crap about that," she said.
"Coach Freund has big plans," added Sweet. "The coaches aren't slacking and neither are we. This is a privilege and an honor."
Their male teammates have been extremely helpful, the senior girls agreed.
"When we struggle, they stop and show us a move," said Skreen. "And something very important they do is encourage us when we do things right."
The Kelso boys "are ready to help at any time, demonstrating technique, and they are always cheering the girls on," added Morton. "The coaches are also very patient with the girls and with me. They want to build a hard-working, dedicated program."
"When you are dealing with 70 kids, some coaches just focus on the best wrestlers, the winners," said Mendoza. "Our coaches know us as individuals. They are there for each and every one of us."
That personalized attention has bred a solemn commitment to excellence.
"We want to be the start of a great program," said Sweet.
"Girls wrestling is here," added Freund, "and it is not going away."
Ben Zimmerman is a sportswriter for The Daily News. He can be reached at 577-2528 or zim@tdn.com.
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