guest writer Shannyn Gillespie
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Women’s wrestling at the Olympic Games (2004), in College (1994), & World Championships (1987) is a relatively new phenomenon when compared to men’s wrestling which started about 100 years earlier in Olympic, World, & College competition (1903 & 1904). However, African-American women (and men) have been trailblazers in women’s wrestling from the start of USA fielding teams…
Tamyra Mensah-Stock became the first African-American Olympic Champion at the 2020 Tokyo Games and second African-American women wrestler to be crowned World Champion in 2019. She accomplished this feat at 68kg and also won a World Championships silver medal in 2021 and a bronze medal in 2018. In college, she was a 2X WCWA National Champion and 4X all-American for Wayland Baptist University. Mensah-Stock is from Texas (where high school girls wrestling has been sanctioned since 1999) and won 2 state titles while finishing as runner-up her sophomore year for Morton Ranch H.S.
Women's Wrestling
CLARISSA CHUN NAMED IOWA WOMEN’S WRESTLING HEAD COACH
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Clarissa Chun has been named head coach of the University of Iowa women’s wrestling team. The announcement was made Thursday by Gary Barta, Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Director of Athletics Chair.
“Clarissa is the perfect fit to lead us in our journey to build a championship women’s wrestling program,” said Barta. “Her credentials speak for themselves, and her approach and philosophy match well with our Win. Graduate. Do it Right. values.”
Chun is the first head coach in the history of the program. Iowa announced on Sept. 23, 2021, that it was adding women’s wrestling as an intercollegiate program, becoming the first NCAA Division I, Power Five conference institution to offer the sport.
“It is an honor to be involved in a historic and exciting opportunity for young women across the country to compete as Hawkeyes in women’s wrestling,” said Chun. “I want to thank Gary Barta, Barbara Burke and Tom Brands for their initiative and leadership, which is going to make a positive and lasting impact on the wrestling world. This didn’t happen overnight; it took a lot of hard work and investment from community members and the University of Iowa’s administration, and I send a sincere thank-you to all who have worked to make this happen.
“It is a privilege to be a part of the Hawkeye brand. With that comes great responsibility and high expectations. I am ready to meet those challenges and I am excited to build a winning program in Iowa City, Wrestling Town USA.”
“Gary Barta and Barbara Burke said from the beginning that they would target the best person for the job and that’s exactly what they did,” said Iowa men’s wrestling head coach Tom Brands. “Clarissa Chun has charisma. She has credentials. She has championships. She commands respect and the wrestlers that come to school here are going to love her. This is a big deal for the University of Iowa.”
Chun joins the Iowa women’s wrestling program from USA Wrestling, where she was an assistant coach on the women’s national team from 2017-21. Working on staff with former Hawkeye national champion and women’s national team head coach Terry Steiner, Chun helped lead the United States to 17 World medals, including seven gold, four silver and six bronzes, as well as an Olympic gold, Olympic silver and two Olympic bronzes.
“I am grateful for Coach Terry Steiner’s leadership and mentorship and look forward to continuing our partnership and developing future national, world and Olympic champions for the United States of America. I cannot thank USA Wrestling enough for helping me grow as a person and coach,” said Chun.
In the United States’ most recent showing at the 2021 World Championships in Oslo, Norway, the women’s team won two gold, two silver and three bronze medals, a historic seven-medal performance that led Team USA to a second-place finish.
Prior to being hired at USA Wrestling, Chun was among the most accomplished athletes in international wrestling.
A two-time Olympian, she took fifth at the 2008 Beijing Games before earning a bronze medal at the 2012 London Games, competing at 48 kg. Chun wrestled at five Senior World Championships, which included a gold-medal performance at the 2008 Worlds in Tokyo. She also competed at the 2000, 2009, 2011 and 2012 World Championships.
During her career, Chun won five U.S. Open titles. She was a 2011 Pan American Games silver medalist and won four gold medals at the Pan American Championships. She was a runner-up at four U.S. World Team Trials and three U.S. Opens, in a career which spanned 18 years competing at the Senior level.
Chun competed for Missouri Valley College, where she was a star on one of the pioneer women’s college wrestling team programs. She made the Senior Women’s National Team while still a student at Missouri Valley.
After leaving college, Chun became a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete for many years, but has also trained at Regional Training Centers on college campuses.
Chun has coaching experience at both the international and college levels. She was a member of the men’s wrestling staff at West Virginia University, serving as the program’s Operations Assistant while also training at the Regional Training Center.
Chun will be inducted in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in June, 2022. She is one of only four females bestowed Distinguished Member honors. In 2018, Chun was inducted into the Missouri Valley College Hall of Fame, Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame, and Roosevelt High School Hall of Fame.
CATARINA MACARIO, CHLOE KIM AND MORE: 20 FEMALE ATHLETES TO KNOW IN 2022
As 2021 comes to an end, it’s time to look forward to the year ahead in sports.
With the Winter Olympics in February, March Madness on the calendar and a landmark NWSL season to come, women’s sports fans are in store for an exciting year.
Here are the 20 athletes to know or get reacquainted with in 2022:
[Read more…] about CATARINA MACARIO, CHLOE KIM AND MORE: 20 FEMALE ATHLETES TO KNOW IN 2022Promoting the Growth Of Girls And Women’s Wrestling
The ‘She Can Wrestle’ campaign encourages and promotes the growth of girls’ and women’s wrestling across America. She can wrestle because donors and supporters like you recognize the value of providing girls and women in the sport of wrestling opportunities.There is also the critical need for funding of these opportunities and programs. Whether you give a big or small contribution, all of it will go towards helping advance the mission of Wrestle Like A Girl to empower girls and women using the sport of wrestling to become leaders in life. SUPPORT THE SHE CAN WRESTLE CAMPAIGN You can support us by raising funds for the She Can Wrestle campaign. Any contribution — no matter how big or small, makes an impact. Thank you in advance for your support!Support GET INVOLVED WITH WRESTLE LIKE A GIRL WEDNESDAYSWe are encouraging wrestling clubs to open their doors to girls who wrestle or want to wrestle. Every Wednesday in October wrestling clubs across American can join Wrestle Like A Girl and USA Wrestling by introducing the sport of wrestling to girls and women in your area. Our goal is to get 200 wrestling programs participating nationwide.Get Involved! Thank You To Our Partners: |
OLYMPIAN MIRACLE MAKES WORLD TEAM IN WOMEN’S FREESTYLE; BURKERT WINS IN DECIDING THIRD BOUT FOR FOURTH WORLD TEAM
By Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Jenna Burkert of Army WCAP celebrates after her stunning win at the World Team Trials. Photo by John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com
Six new U.S. Senior World Team members in women’s wrestling were determined during the Championship Series at the Senior World Team Trials in Lincoln, Neb.
The winners join four Tokyo Olympic medalists from the USA to form the 10-athlete team competing in Oslo, Norway, October 2-10.
2020 Tokyo Olympian Kayla Miracle of the Sunkist Kids will also compete in the World Championships in Oslo after defeating 2018 World bronze medalist Mallory Velte in two matches at 62 kg. Miracle won the first bout, 5-3, but was able to open up her offense in a 10-2 victory in bout two. This will be Miracle’s second Senior World team, to go along with the Olympic berth.
Making her fourth Senior World Team was Jenna Burkert of Army WCAP, who needed three full matches to defeat 2019 World champion and 2020 Olympian Jacarra Winchester of the Titan Mercury WC at 55 kg. All three bouts were close, with exciting finishes.
[Read more…] about OLYMPIAN MIRACLE MAKES WORLD TEAM IN WOMEN’S FREESTYLE; BURKERT WINS IN DECIDING THIRD BOUT FOR FOURTH WORLD TEAMTAMYRA MENSAH STOCK WINS SECOND U.S. WOMEN’S WRESTLING GOLD MEDAL IN HISTORY
By Karen Price
Freestyle wrestler Tamyra Mensah Stock stood wrapped in the U.S. flag, alternating between sobs of joy and bouncing up and down with excitement.
The newest Olympic champion in the 68 kg. class had just accomplished what she said she knew she could from the moment she started in the sport.
The 28-year-old from Katy, Texas, won the gold medal.
“I knew I could do it,” she said. “I knew it would be hard. I prayed I could do it. In my wildest dreams I knew.”
The reigning world champion rolled through the Olympic tournament, finishing with a 4-1 victory over Nigeria’s Blessing Oborududu in the gold-medal match in Tokyo on Tuesday night. Immediately after, she raised her hands above her head in a heart shape, as she’s done throughout, and the emotion swept over her face. She broke down in tears as she hugged her coaches and clutched the flag for a victory lap.
[Read more…] about TAMYRA MENSAH STOCK WINS SECOND U.S. WOMEN’S WRESTLING GOLD MEDAL IN HISTORY10 Reasons Why Kids Should Wrestle
Wrestling is one of the most unique sports on the planet. It is definitely not the most popular sport, but that is quickly changing as more and more people become aware of the incredible benefits that a career in wrestling can provide.
1. Wrestling Develops Athleticism
Balance, strength, coordination, and overall body awareness is fundamental in having success in the sport. Year after year kids will start practice with gymnastics, calisthenics, and activities that develop these skills. It provides a foundation of athleticism.
2. Wrestling Promotes Personal Responsibility
As an individual sport the only person responsible for success or failure is the individual themselves. Wrestling teaches self-awareness and how to be responsible for your actions. What you put in is what you get out.
3. Wrestling Develops Mental and Emotional Resilience
Like no other sport, wrestling triggers the emotions of athletes. When you suffer losses and setbacks they are often painful and uncomfortable. However, through the process individuals can develop resilience that will last a lifetime.
4. Wrestling Teaches About Nutrition and Weight Management
Through competition athletes become aware of weight-classes. If done correctly, this can encourage athletes to learn about food and how proper nutrition can impact their performance.
5. Wrestling Develops Leadership Skills
Leadership is both verbal and nonverbal. A wrestling room has the ability to create an environment where leaders emerge. You will quickly see young athletes push each other, teach each other, and support one another.
6. Wrestling Teaches Discipline and Accountability
Discipline and accountability are requirements for achieving success in the sport of wrestling. There is literally no way to achieve ultimate success in the sport without choosing to do hard things even when you don’t want to and athletes must hold themselves accountable for their own actions if they want to succeed.
7. Wrestling Brings People Together From All Backgrounds and Cultures
Wrestling is an international sport and doesn’t require anything to participate. People from all corners of the planet and from all different economic and social backgrounds can compete in the sport.
8. Wrestling Promotes Self-Mastery and Focus
Wrestling has been described as the most difficult martial art to master. It takes years of practice and experience to understand the positions of wrestling. The sport teaches individuals to have a long-term perspective and requires a high level of passion to pursue the elite levels of the sport.
9. Wrestling Teaches Self-Defense
The best way to ensure that you’re not a victim of physical violence is by learning self-defense. Wrestling is the most important skill-set required in combat sports today because it has the ability to control where the battle goes. Knowing how to wrestle could very easily help anyone in a situation of self-defense.
10. Wrestling Can Provide Opportunities to Travel and Further Education
There are so many opportunities to travel the country and see the world while competing in youth and high school wrestling. In addition to traveling, there are endless opportunities to wrestle in college. Individuals can use the sport to create educational opportunities that might not otherwise have existed.
Ola’s Amani Jones wins gold at Junior Pan American Championships
Amani Jones, fresh off her graduation from Ola, made history at the Junior Pan American Championships in Oaxtepec, Mexico.
Jones became the first Georgia high school girls wrestler to win a gold medal at the games, taking the freestyle title at 55 kilograms with a dominating 10-0 win over Mexico’s Victoria Chazez in the finals. The U.S. team won gold in the event with 176 points, finishing ahead of runner-up Mexico’s 147 and third-place Cuba’s 101.
“This is a huge step for Amani,” Ola coach Joey DiNino said. “She has international level aspirations and this is a step in the right direction. We are extremely proud of Amani.”
Jones, a North Central College (Ill.) recruit, won high school state championships the past three seasons, the first three the Georgia High School Association sanctioned wrestling. She also is a Girls USA Cadet Freestyle National Champion, a Girls Super 32 National Champion and a USA Today Atlanta Sports Female Wrestler of the Year.
IHSA Board Sets Schedule For Inaugural Individual Girls Wrestling State Finals, Extends Two State Final Hosting Contracts
The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors met for its regularly scheduled meeting, which included both virtual and in-person attendance, on Monday, June 14, 2021, where the Board finalized the schedule and location of the first-ever IHSA Individual Girls Wrestling State Finals in 2022.
The Board approved the tournament structure developed by the IHSA Wrestling Advisory Committee to conduct the first-ever girls state finals at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington on Friday and Saturday, February 25-26, 2022. The IHSA previously conducted its Dual Team Wrestling State Finals on this Saturday and will now extend that tournament to two days, running it concurrently with the Individual Girls Wrestling State Finals at Grossinger Motors Arena.
“This is an exciting development for the IHSA and for female wrestlers around the state,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “The number of female participants continues to grow, and we are proud to be able to offer an incredible venue and stage to recognize them on. This is an important step for Illinois high school wrestling as a whole.”
The IHSA Individual Girls Wrestling State Finals will consist of the quarterfinal round and the first two rounds of wrestlebacks being contested on Friday morning and afternoon. The semifinals, consolation rounds, and place matches will follow on Saturday morning and afternoon. The event will culminate with a Grand March of the finalists, followed by the state championship matches in 14 different weight classes.
The IHSA Board first approved the formation of the IHSA Individual Girls Wrestling State Finals at their meeting in June, 2020, before asking the IHSA Wrestling Advisory Committee to develop the tournament schedule and structure.
Over 800 girls from IHSA schools were eligible to wrestle during the 2019-20 school year after completing the required testing to determine their weight class. In 2020-21, the IHSA wrestling season ran from April 19 to June 12 as a result of the pandemic and the IHSA was not able to conduct a postseason.
Richards High School’s Mia Palumbo (above) made history on February 15, 2018, when the then-freshmen became the first female wrestler to win a match at the IHSA Individual Wrestling State Finals.
ACTION ITEMS
1. The Board approved a recommendation to a modification of the IHSA Scholastic Standing By-laws (3.022 and 4.022) for the first semester of the 2021-22 school term. The Board had modified the by-laws in December to help ease scholastic issues brought about by remote and hybrid learning during the pandemic.
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson:
“The Board continues to recognize the challenges faced by many students in the spring and believes that continuing the academic modifications make sense as schools transition back to a more normal manner of service for the 2021-22 school year.”
2. The Board approved a recommendation to extend the IHSA Bass Fishing State Final hosting contract with Carlyle Lake in Carlyle for three more years. The contract extension will encompass the 2022, 2023, and 2024 state finals.
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson:
“The city of Carlyle, Carlyle High School, the Army Corp. of Engineers who oversee Carlyle Lake, and a host of volunteers from around the area have been with us since day one. They helped us realize the dream of a bass fishing state championship and have embraced the event as a community in every way possible. We are proud to return there to conduct the event for three years.”
3. The Board approved a recommendation to extend the IHSA Speech-Individual Events State Final hosting contract with the Peoria Civic Center for five more years. The contract extension will encompass the state finals from 2022-2026.
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson:
“The Peoria Civic Center provides a great setup and space for this event and has been a wonderful setting for it since 2010. We appreciate their support of IHSA activities and look forward to our continued partnership.”
4. The Board approved a recommendation to allow a one-year Cooperative agreement in the sport of football between Olympia High School and Delavan High School.
5. The Board approved a recommendation to use the actual enrollment, and not IHSA classification enrollment, when determining the membership assessment of single-gender schools.
6. The Board approved a recommendation to reduce the number of required students on a team in order to be eligible for the IHSA Academic Team Award.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
Minutes from all Advisory Committees can be viewed by clicking here.
1. The Board approved the consent items, from the Advisory Committees in the following sports & activities:
Badminton, Basketball, Bowling, Cheerleading, Chess, Dance, Sportsmanship, Gymnastics, Journalism, Music, Officials, Scholastic Bowl, Soccer, Speech, Student Advisory, Swimming, Wrestling, Athletic Administrators and Activities Director.
Consent items are recommendations that received approval from the sport/activity advisory committee, the Athletic Administrators Advisory Committee and the IHSA staff. Consent items can be viewed by clicking here.
One non-consent item was approved:
Student Advisory Committee
1. The annual Student Advisory Committee retreat will be held on August 1, 2021.
HEARINGS & APPEALS
1. The Board held a hearing with administrators from Grayslake North High School to discuss the school violating IHSA by-laws 2.010 and 6.011 by knowingly allowing an ineligible student-athlete to participate in a football contest this year.
DISCUSSION ITEMS
At each meeting of the Board of Directors, there are certain items the Board discusses, but upon which no action is taken. The following is a report of those items from the June 14, 2021 agenda:
1. The Board heard a report on the three new by-laws that will take effect on July 1, 2021, as a result of the membership’s annual legislative process in November and December. A full release on the new by-laws and by-laws changes can be found by clicking here.
2. The Board heard a report from the Executive Director on the future of an IHSA State Series in esports.
3. The Board reviewed a request for an enrollment waiver for LaMoille High School/Amboy High School cooperative, but took no action.
4. The Board agreed to work on creating a timeline and process for gathering input from member schools during the 2021-22 school year concerning the possible implementation of the shot clock as early as the 2022-23 school year.
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson:
“I expect to have a good discussion with the membership on this topic over the next school year. I could envision the shot clock being phased in over the next handful of years to allow the membership adequate time to become accustomed to the shot clock, purchase the necessary equipment, and identify workers who will be able to manage the clock.”
5. The Board recognized outgoing Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) Executive Director Steve Endsley, who will retire on June 30 after over 20 years of service to the IESA and its membership.