Women’s Wrestling Week: 10 most recent American women’s wrestling highlights
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Ronna Heaton of the United States waves the American flag after winning the 49 kg Cadet World gold medal in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzogovina, Photo by Sachico Hotaka, United World Wrestling.
In many of the articles posted during Women’s Wrestling Week in both 2015 and 2016, we have focused on milestones, including historic firsts in our women’s program, as well as the special athletes who have had the most success at different levels of the sport.
Today, we switch it up. Instead of celebrating the “firsts” for women’s wrestling, we are going to celebrate 10 recent successes of our women’s program. We compiled these updates from stories on TheMat.com over a number of years.
Most recent Senior World Champion
Adeline Gray, 75 kg World champion, September 10, 2015
It was the second day of women’s wrestling at the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas, Nev., and Team USA had four athletes on the mats, Helen Maroulis (55 kg), Alli Ragan (58 kg), Erin Clodgo (63 kg) and Adeline Gray (75 kg). Maroulis and Gray reached the gold medal finals, and it was Maroulis who wrestled first, winning an 11-0 technical fall over Irina Olgonova of Russia. Gray wrestled later in the night, in the finals against Qian Zhou of China. After giving up the first takedown, Gray got things going and almost scored a pin, later ending the match with her dynamic ankle-lace turn, scoring a 13-2 technical fall for her third World title and fifth World medal. Gray and Maroulis posed together with their gold medals. "I don't think there's a girl out there who can beat me. It's just about stepping on that mat and making sure I'm disciplined enough to get my job done that day. If I stay healthy, I think I can win,” said Gray.
Most recent Olympic medalist
Clarissa Chun, 48 kg Olympic bronze medalist, August 8, 2012
It was the final day of women’s freestyle wrestling at the London Olympics, and Team USA was still seeking its first wrestling medal of the Games. Clarissa Chun (48 kg) and Elena Pirozhkova (63 kg) were the American entries. Chun, who was fifth at the 2008 Olympic Games, opened with a 5-0,1-0 win over Sasha Zhou of China. Pirozhkova dropped her opener and was not drawn back into repechage. In her second match, Chun fell to 2009 World champion Maria Stadnyk of Azerbaijan, 0-2, 0-3. Stadnyk reached the finals, pulling Chun back into repechage, where she pinned tough Iwona Matkowska of Poland in the second period. She reached the bronze-medal bout against three-time World champion Irini Merlini of Ukraine, a 2004 Olympic champion. Merlini had beaten Chun in the 2008 Olympic bronze-medal round. This time, Chun was in control, getting a takedown and an arm throw, to sweep the match in two periods, 1-0, 3-0. She was able to carry the U.S. flag on the mat and get up on the podium as an Olympic medalist. "This time, I learned from Beijing that I didn’t get in the emotional roller coaster ride. I just stayed calm, cool and collected for the opportunity. I’m just so grateful for every opportunity I have to step on the mat,” said Chun
Most recent Senior World Medalist
Leigh Jaynes-Provisor, 60 kg bronze medalist, September 11, 2015
It was the final day of women’s freestyle at the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas, Nev. and there was only on U.S. woman on the mat, Leigh Jaynes-Provisor at 60 kg, while three men’s freestyle athletes were competing. On the men’s side, Kyle Snyder won a gold medal at 97 kg that day. Jaynes-Provisor reached the semifinals, where she was caught and pinned, and qualified for the bronze-medal match against Azerbaijan’s tough Petra Netreba. Jaynes-Provisor kept it close in a gritty bout, and in the final moments scored a turn on Netreba to tie the bout at 4-4 and win by criteria. In her third try at the World Championships, at the age of 34, Jaynes-Provisor was a World medalist. “It’s an amazing feeling, and I’m very grateful for everyone who believed in me,” said Jaynes-Provisor.
Most recent Junior World Champion
Victoria Anthony, 48 kg champion, July 23, 2010
Victoria Anthony of California came to the 2010 Junior World Championships in Budapest, Hungary as a returning champion, after winning a Junior World title at 44 kg the year before in Ankara, Turkey. This time, Anthony moved up to 48 kg and competed again a new set of opponents. She scored victories in the preliminaries over opponents from Mexico, Slovakia and Germany to reach the finals for the second straight year. Her opponent in the gold-medal match was Davaasuren Bayarmagnai of Mongolia. After a scoreless first period, Anthony scored from the clinch for a 1-0 win. In the second period, she scored a takedown and multiple turns with an ankle lace for a 6-0 win. At the time, you had to win two of the three periods, and Anthony swept it in two straight periods. Teammate Helen Maroulis won a bronze medal at 55 kg that day as well. “I was excited for the match. I couldn’t calm down the whole time. I think I brought that to the match, that intensity. And just not holding back. Opening up was the big thing for me,” said Anthony.
Most recent Junior World medalist
Becka Leathers, 55 kg bronze medalist, August 14, 2015
It was the final day of women’s freestyle at the 2015 Junior World Championships in Salvador, Brazil, and Becka Leathers joined teammates Cody Pfau (48 kg), Mallory Velte (63 kg) and Rachel Watters (72 kg) on the mats. Although none of the U.S. wrestlers reached the finals, all four of them qualified for bronze-medal matches. Leathers faced European Junior champion Patrizia Liuzzi of Italy in the bronze-medal round. Leathers jumped to a 2-0 lead, and later countered an attack by Liuzzi, drove her to the mat and pinned her in 2:12. The Oklahoma native was the only American to win a medal that night. “I really wanted that bronze medal. I knew she was going to come in and take lots of shots. My game plan was to snap her down and spin behind. I hipped in, she went over and I finished it,” said Leathers.
Most recent Cadet World Champion
Ronna Heaton, 49 kg champion, August 27, 2015
South Dakota native Ronna Heaton was one of five U.S. wrestlers competed at the Cadet World Championships in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzogovina that day. She got on a run in the preliminaries at 49 kg, beating opponents from Turkey and Russia, before pinning Ukraine’s Yevgenia Pavlova of Ukraine in the semifinals. Her finals opponent was Saki Igasrishi of Japan. Heaton scored the only two takedowns of the finals and emerged as a 4-0 winner and World champion. Her U.S. teammate Kayla Marano took a bronze that day at 65 kg. "I'm just really, really happy. I'm still like in shock from the whole thing. I am just pumped. It was a really good day. I really wanted to win this,” said Heaton.
Most recent U.S. Senior Open champion
Tamyra Mensah, 69 kg champion, December 19, 2015
On the final day of the U.S. Open, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, there were three Senior Women’s weights being contested, 48 kg, 63 kg and 69 kg. The first two finals were won by pin, as Cody Pfau of OKCU Gator RTC (48 kg) and Amanda Hendey of the Titan Mercury WC (63 kg) claimed titles. The last match was a showdown between young Tamyra Mensah of the Titan Mercury WC and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Randi Miller of the U.S. Army. Mensah scored a 5-2 win over Miller and was named the Outstanding Wrestler in the women’s division. “It just lets me know that everything I’ve been working for at the OTC or Wayland, wherever I go, I keep excelling and just keep moving forward. It means a lot that I’m not going backwards and I like it,” said Mensah.
Most recent WCWA Women’s College Nationals champion
Tiaira Scott, Campbellsville University, February 13, 2016
The last match of the finals of the 2016 WCWA Women’s College Nationals featured defending national champion Tiaira Scott of Campbellsville against Payten Smith of Simon Fraser at 191 pounds. The team title had already been decided, as King University had three champions and won for the third straight year. Scott came in with high energy and passion. She scored a four-point double leg takedown and added three other two-point takedowns to secure a 10-0 technical fall, and a second straight WCWA national title. She joined teammate Kayla Miracle, who won at 136 pounds, as a two-time champion. “This year started off pretty rough. I lost to some pretty good girls. I came back and I’m glad I won again. It doesn’t matter how you start, as long as you work hard and get back to where you need to,” said Scott.
Most recent four-time WCWA Women’s College National champion
Emily Webster, Oklahoma City University, February 14, 2015
Only three women have won four WCWA Women’s College National titles. The first to do so were American wrestlers who competed in Canada for Simon Fraser, Victoria Anthony and Helen Maroulis, who claimed the feat in 2014. At the 2015 WCWA Nationals at Missouri Baptist University, Oklahoma City’s talented 101-pounder Emily Webster was attempting to finish her senior year as a four-time champion. She had not lost a match in her college career. After powering through her half-bracket, Webster drew freshman Marina Doi of King, a past Cadet and Junior World medalist for the USA. In the finals, Webster showed her motivation and grit, scoring takedowns and turns for a 10-0 technical fall, a fourth WCWA title and an unbeaten college career. “I never stop wrestling and I am never going to. I stayed calm and focused on the goal,” said Webster.
Most recent Fargo Junior/Cadet double champion
Gracie Figueroa, Team California, July 21, 2015
When USA Wrestling added a women’s Cadet division to the ASICS Vaughan Junior and Cadet Nationals back in 2011, it created a new opportunity for some talented young athletes. Athletes who were 15 or 16 years old, and also were in high school, could enter in two divisions, the Cadet division (15-16 year olds) and the Junior division (Grades 9-12). There have been a few very special athletes who have won a Fargo women’s “double title” by taking both tournaments the same year. At the 2015 Junior Nationals women’s finals, a double champion was crowned early, when McKayla Campbell of Ohio won the 97 pound Junior title, to add to her 95-pound Cadet title a few days earlier. However, California’s Gracie Figueroa matched that feat three matches later, winning her Junior title at 117 pounds with an 11-0 technical fall over New York’s Michaela Beck. Figueroa had won the Cadet Nationals at 115 pounds, beating Ronna Heaton of South Dakota in the finals, 5-0. “(The Junior division) was a step up. The Juniors are more aggressive and they take more shots and I had to go out there and be more aggressive and be smart with the things I do,” said Figueroa.
This is just a sampling of recent achievements in women’s wrestling in the United States. In most cases, it won’t be long until somebody new comes along and becomes the most recent to achieve some of these great things. Like all growing sports, the next generation keeps coming and advancing the sport to a new level.
Each day for the rest of Women’s Wrestling Week, TheMat.com will post a story on women’s wrestling history in the United States.
ABOUT WOMEN’S WRESTLING WEEK
USA Wrestling has declared the week of March 5-13 as Women’s Wrestling Week in the United States. Any female athlete who is not a member of USA Wrestling is invited to come out and try the sport at a chartered club practice. USA Wrestling will provide a complimentary membership for March 5-13, the time covered by Women’s Wrestling Week.
USA Wrestling chartered clubs have been encouraged to allow females of all ages to attend their practice free of charge during World Wrestling Week. To find a club program in your area, visit the link below:
http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Membership/Athletes/Find-a-Club
Additionally, female athletes with prior wrestling experience who would like to participate in a USA Wrestling sanctioned event may do so on both weekends of March 5-6 and March 12-13. USA Wrestling extended the week to cover two weekends in order to provide even more opportunity for young women to try the sport. Athletes who will attend practices or events with the complimentary membership are asked to confirm their attendance in advance with the club leader or event host before going to the activity.
In many of the articles posted during Women’s Wrestling Week in both 2015 and 2016, we have focused on milestones, including historic firsts in our women’s program, as well as the special athletes who have had the most success at different levels of the sport.
Today, we switch it up. Instead of celebrating the “firsts” for women’s wrestling, we are going to celebrate 10 recent successes of our women’s program. We compiled these updates from stories on TheMat.com over a number of years.
Most recent Senior World Champion
Adeline Gray, 75 kg World champion, September 10, 2015
It was the second day of women’s wrestling at the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas, Nev., and Team USA had four athletes on the mats, Helen Maroulis (55 kg), Alli Ragan (58 kg), Erin Clodgo (63 kg) and Adeline Gray (75 kg). Maroulis and Gray reached the gold medal finals, and it was Maroulis who wrestled first, winning an 11-0 technical fall over Irina Olgonova of Russia. Gray wrestled later in the night, in the finals against Qian Zhou of China. After giving up the first takedown, Gray got things going and almost scored a pin, later ending the match with her dynamic ankle-lace turn, scoring a 13-2 technical fall for her third World title and fifth World medal. Gray and Maroulis posed together with their gold medals. "I don't think there's a girl out there who can beat me. It's just about stepping on that mat and making sure I'm disciplined enough to get my job done that day. If I stay healthy, I think I can win,” said Gray.
Most recent Olympic medalist
Clarissa Chun, 48 kg Olympic bronze medalist, August 8, 2012
It was the final day of women’s freestyle wrestling at the London Olympics, and Team USA was still seeking its first wrestling medal of the Games. Clarissa Chun (48 kg) and Elena Pirozhkova (63 kg) were the American entries. Chun, who was fifth at the 2008 Olympic Games, opened with a 5-0,1-0 win over Sasha Zhou of China. Pirozhkova dropped her opener and was not drawn back into repechage. In her second match, Chun fell to 2009 World champion Maria Stadnyk of Azerbaijan, 0-2, 0-3. Stadnyk reached the finals, pulling Chun back into repechage, where she pinned tough Iwona Matkowska of Poland in the second period. She reached the bronze-medal bout against three-time World champion Irini Merlini of Ukraine, a 2004 Olympic champion. Merlini had beaten Chun in the 2008 Olympic bronze-medal round. This time, Chun was in control, getting a takedown and an arm throw, to sweep the match in two periods, 1-0, 3-0. She was able to carry the U.S. flag on the mat and get up on the podium as an Olympic medalist. "This time, I learned from Beijing that I didn’t get in the emotional roller coaster ride. I just stayed calm, cool and collected for the opportunity. I’m just so grateful for every opportunity I have to step on the mat,” said Chun
Most recent Senior World Medalist
Leigh Jaynes-Provisor, 60 kg bronze medalist, September 11, 2015
It was the final day of women’s freestyle at the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas, Nev. and there was only on U.S. woman on the mat, Leigh Jaynes-Provisor at 60 kg, while three men’s freestyle athletes were competing. On the men’s side, Kyle Snyder won a gold medal at 97 kg that day. Jaynes-Provisor reached the semifinals, where she was caught and pinned, and qualified for the bronze-medal match against Azerbaijan’s tough Petra Netreba. Jaynes-Provisor kept it close in a gritty bout, and in the final moments scored a turn on Netreba to tie the bout at 4-4 and win by criteria. In her third try at the World Championships, at the age of 34, Jaynes-Provisor was a World medalist. “It’s an amazing feeling, and I’m very grateful for everyone who believed in me,” said Jaynes-Provisor.
Most recent Junior World Champion
Victoria Anthony, 48 kg champion, July 23, 2010
Victoria Anthony of California came to the 2010 Junior World Championships in Budapest, Hungary as a returning champion, after winning a Junior World title at 44 kg the year before in Ankara, Turkey. This time, Anthony moved up to 48 kg and competed again a new set of opponents. She scored victories in the preliminaries over opponents from Mexico, Slovakia and Germany to reach the finals for the second straight year. Her opponent in the gold-medal match was Davaasuren Bayarmagnai of Mongolia. After a scoreless first period, Anthony scored from the clinch for a 1-0 win. In the second period, she scored a takedown and multiple turns with an ankle lace for a 6-0 win. At the time, you had to win two of the three periods, and Anthony swept it in two straight periods. Teammate Helen Maroulis won a bronze medal at 55 kg that day as well. “I was excited for the match. I couldn’t calm down the whole time. I think I brought that to the match, that intensity. And just not holding back. Opening up was the big thing for me,” said Anthony.
Most recent Junior World medalist
Becka Leathers, 55 kg bronze medalist, August 14, 2015
It was the final day of women’s freestyle at the 2015 Junior World Championships in Salvador, Brazil, and Becka Leathers joined teammates Cody Pfau (48 kg), Mallory Velte (63 kg) and Rachel Watters (72 kg) on the mats. Although none of the U.S. wrestlers reached the finals, all four of them qualified for bronze-medal matches. Leathers faced European Junior champion Patrizia Liuzzi of Italy in the bronze-medal round. Leathers jumped to a 2-0 lead, and later countered an attack by Liuzzi, drove her to the mat and pinned her in 2:12. The Oklahoma native was the only American to win a medal that night. “I really wanted that bronze medal. I knew she was going to come in and take lots of shots. My game plan was to snap her down and spin behind. I hipped in, she went over and I finished it,” said Leathers.
Most recent Cadet World Champion
Ronna Heaton, 49 kg champion, August 27, 2015
South Dakota native Ronna Heaton was one of five U.S. wrestlers competed at the Cadet World Championships in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzogovina that day. She got on a run in the preliminaries at 49 kg, beating opponents from Turkey and Russia, before pinning Ukraine’s Yevgenia Pavlova of Ukraine in the semifinals. Her finals opponent was Saki Igasrishi of Japan. Heaton scored the only two takedowns of the finals and emerged as a 4-0 winner and World champion. Her U.S. teammate Kayla Marano took a bronze that day at 65 kg. "I'm just really, really happy. I'm still like in shock from the whole thing. I am just pumped. It was a really good day. I really wanted to win this,” said Heaton.
Most recent U.S. Senior Open champion
Tamyra Mensah, 69 kg champion, December 19, 2015
On the final day of the U.S. Open, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, there were three Senior Women’s weights being contested, 48 kg, 63 kg and 69 kg. The first two finals were won by pin, as Cody Pfau of OKCU Gator RTC (48 kg) and Amanda Hendey of the Titan Mercury WC (63 kg) claimed titles. The last match was a showdown between young Tamyra Mensah of the Titan Mercury WC and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Randi Miller of the U.S. Army. Mensah scored a 5-2 win over Miller and was named the Outstanding Wrestler in the women’s division. “It just lets me know that everything I’ve been working for at the OTC or Wayland, wherever I go, I keep excelling and just keep moving forward. It means a lot that I’m not going backwards and I like it,” said Mensah.
Most recent WCWA Women’s College Nationals champion
Tiaira Scott, Campbellsville University, February 13, 2016
The last match of the finals of the 2016 WCWA Women’s College Nationals featured defending national champion Tiaira Scott of Campbellsville against Payten Smith of Simon Fraser at 191 pounds. The team title had already been decided, as King University had three champions and won for the third straight year. Scott came in with high energy and passion. She scored a four-point double leg takedown and added three other two-point takedowns to secure a 10-0 technical fall, and a second straight WCWA national title. She joined teammate Kayla Miracle, who won at 136 pounds, as a two-time champion. “This year started off pretty rough. I lost to some pretty good girls. I came back and I’m glad I won again. It doesn’t matter how you start, as long as you work hard and get back to where you need to,” said Scott.
Most recent four-time WCWA Women’s College National champion
Emily Webster, Oklahoma City University, February 14, 2015
Only three women have won four WCWA Women’s College National titles. The first to do so were American wrestlers who competed in Canada for Simon Fraser, Victoria Anthony and Helen Maroulis, who claimed the feat in 2014. At the 2015 WCWA Nationals at Missouri Baptist University, Oklahoma City’s talented 101-pounder Emily Webster was attempting to finish her senior year as a four-time champion. She had not lost a match in her college career. After powering through her half-bracket, Webster drew freshman Marina Doi of King, a past Cadet and Junior World medalist for the USA. In the finals, Webster showed her motivation and grit, scoring takedowns and turns for a 10-0 technical fall, a fourth WCWA title and an unbeaten college career. “I never stop wrestling and I am never going to. I stayed calm and focused on the goal,” said Webster.
Most recent Fargo Junior/Cadet double champion
Gracie Figueroa, Team California, July 21, 2015
When USA Wrestling added a women’s Cadet division to the ASICS Vaughan Junior and Cadet Nationals back in 2011, it created a new opportunity for some talented young athletes. Athletes who were 15 or 16 years old, and also were in high school, could enter in two divisions, the Cadet division (15-16 year olds) and the Junior division (Grades 9-12). There have been a few very special athletes who have won a Fargo women’s “double title” by taking both tournaments the same year. At the 2015 Junior Nationals women’s finals, a double champion was crowned early, when McKayla Campbell of Ohio won the 97 pound Junior title, to add to her 95-pound Cadet title a few days earlier. However, California’s Gracie Figueroa matched that feat three matches later, winning her Junior title at 117 pounds with an 11-0 technical fall over New York’s Michaela Beck. Figueroa had won the Cadet Nationals at 115 pounds, beating Ronna Heaton of South Dakota in the finals, 5-0. “(The Junior division) was a step up. The Juniors are more aggressive and they take more shots and I had to go out there and be more aggressive and be smart with the things I do,” said Figueroa.
This is just a sampling of recent achievements in women’s wrestling in the United States. In most cases, it won’t be long until somebody new comes along and becomes the most recent to achieve some of these great things. Like all growing sports, the next generation keeps coming and advancing the sport to a new level.
Each day for the rest of Women’s Wrestling Week, TheMat.com will post a story on women’s wrestling history in the United States.
ABOUT WOMEN’S WRESTLING WEEK
USA Wrestling has declared the week of March 5-13 as Women’s Wrestling Week in the United States. Any female athlete who is not a member of USA Wrestling is invited to come out and try the sport at a chartered club practice. USA Wrestling will provide a complimentary membership for March 5-13, the time covered by Women’s Wrestling Week.
USA Wrestling chartered clubs have been encouraged to allow females of all ages to attend their practice free of charge during World Wrestling Week. To find a club program in your area, visit the link below:
http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Membership/Athletes/Find-a-Club
Additionally, female athletes with prior wrestling experience who would like to participate in a USA Wrestling sanctioned event may do so on both weekends of March 5-6 and March 12-13. USA Wrestling extended the week to cover two weekends in order to provide even more opportunity for young women to try the sport. Athletes who will attend practices or events with the complimentary membership are asked to confirm their attendance in advance with the club leader or event host before going to the activity.
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