Junior Nationals Memories: First Junior Nationals for girls in 2002: Montgomery, Ripley, Rosenbrock top stars
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Photo of Rachel Holthaus of Minnesota from the 2002 Junior Nationals for girls by Sonja Stanbro.
Wrestling for girls and women is exploding all across the nation and world, with more and more opportunity at every level of the sport. Girls high school wrestling has grown in size every year since 1990, something which is helping make wrestling a larger and more diverse sport. There are currently 28 state high school associations which have official girls high school programs, with more expected in the next few years.
One of the biggest milestones for the growth and popularity for girls high school wrestling came in 2002, when USA Wrestling added a Junior girls division at the combined Junior/Cadet National Championships in the Fargodome in Fargo, N.D. This was the first year in which USA Wrestling state associations began bringing teams of high school girls to compete alongside the boys at the largest wrestling tournament in the world.
Prior to this, high school girls could compete in national competitions which led to making U.S. age-group World teams. The first UWW Cadet Nationals for girls was held in Las Vegas, N.M. in 1996, followed by the UWW Junior Nationals for women, which was first held in Metairie, La. in 1998. A number of wrestling leaders made a push to add a girls division at USA Wrestling’s most recognized age-group competition in Fargo.
In 2002, USA Wrestling opened the door for high school girls to come to Fargo to test themselves against the nation’s best girls, and to battle for those coveted Junior National stop-sign trophies. The 2002 year had another huge milestone for women in wrestling, as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that women’s wrestling would be added as an official sport for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
For a first-year event, the field was impressive in Fargo for 103 Junior athletes representing 24 states. Many of the participants had been at other USA Wrestling national-level events and came in with some impressive credentials. Others were participating in their first big USA Wrestling event. For all, being part of the Junior and Cadet Nationals was a new experience. This was not an open event like other national tournaments; teams were organized through their USA Wrestling state associations. The boys teams had state branded gear and equipment in Fargo, and now the girls did also.
After preliminary competition, a gold-medal finals was showcased, with the athletes competing on the raised stage on the floor of the Fargodome. History was being made from the first whistle.
The opening match featured the completion of the 95-pound roundrobin, and Rachel Holthaus of Minnesota was dominant in a pin of Bernadette Javier of Hawaii. Holthaus went 2-0 in the three-athlete bracket, and when her hand was raised, she became the first Junior girls champion in history.
The finals were in weight order and the next two matches were considered “mild upsets.” At 101, Gina Heinzelmann of Michigan was able to secure a pin over Sara Fulp-Allen of California. Coming in, Fulp-Allen had many USA Wrestling achievements, including a fifth place at the 2002 Senior Women’s Open, while Heinzelmann was not well known outside of her state.
Probably a bigger surprise came at 110, where Californian Melinda Ripley edged Illinois star Mary Kelly, 4-0. Kelly had already won three age-group World medals, with a Cadet World title in 1999, a Cadet World silver medal in 1998 and a Junior World silver medal in 2000. Kelly had also reached No. 3 on the Senior National Team. Ripley battled to get her points and did not allow Kelly to get her offense untracked. The weight also included another talented young star, Na’Tasha Umemoto of Oregon, who finished third.
The Outstanding Wrestler Award went to Amberle Montgomery of Washington, the 119-pound champion. Montgomery scored a 10-0 technical fall in the finals over Rachel Groft of Pennsylvania, and had crisp technique throughout the tournament.
The biggest name in the field was the 138-pound champion Brandy Rosenbrock of Michigan, who had reached No. 2 on the Senior level earlier in the season. Rosenbrock was named the ASICS Girls High School Wrestler of the Year prior to the finals, then flashed the skills that made her so dominant. She pinned Wendy Casey of New York in the finals in 3:54.
Three teams had two individual champions. Michigan was represented by Heinzelmann and Rosenbrock on champions row. Joining Holthaus as another champion from Minnesota was Alica Mena, the 175-pound champion, who secured a 54 second fall in the finals over Misty Stalley of California. Along with Ripley, Lindsay Owens was also a champion from California, taking the 138-pound crown with a 7-5 win over Shawn Swarzlender of Oregon.
Two other successful athletes coming into the tournament also became champions, Heather Martin of Ohio at 150 and Samantha Lang of Oregon at 165. Lang won her finals with a 10-0 technical fall, while Martin edged talented Ali Bernard of Minnesota by an 8-6 score.
None of the individual champions from 2002 went on to make a Senior World Team, but all were important to the establishment of this great tournament for girls in the future. Ripley later trained at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, and has become a fixture at the Junior Nationals as one of the top women’s wrestling coaches for California USA Wrestling. Rosenbrock, now known with her married name of Brandy Green, is the head women’s wrestling coach at Limestone College, and can be seen on the floor of the Fargodome coaching girl wrestlers from South Carolina.
Of the finalists, Bernard had the most successful career, winning a pair of Junior World titles, a Senior World medal and wrestled in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. Kelly made a Senior World Team. Fulp-Allen also made numerous Senior Women’s National Teams. Bernard and Fulp-Allen are leaders in developing women’s wrestling at this time, with Bernard coaching in her native Minnesota, and Fulp-Allen providing leadership in Virginia.
The first Junior Nationals for girls was a very exciting time for those who were there, and everybody predicted the event would grow. That proved to be the case as the Junior Nationals girls division has increased in size, prestige and skill levels ever since. The Women’s Junior National Duals were started in 2005, and remained in Fargo for 12 years, until it grew to the point of leaving Fargo and being held alongside the boys Junior National Duals in June each year. A Cadet Nationals (now 16U Nationals) was created in 2011. This one event is considered the “must-attend” tournament where girls can be seen and recruited for the growing number of college programs that are developing all over the United States.
In 2002, the first girls were able to raise a USA Wrestling Junior National stop-sign trophy as Junior National champions. The 2020 Junior Nationals were set to be the 19th Junior Nationals for girls, but we will have to wait another year to see the next group of Junior National champions.
2002 Junior Nationals girls champions
95 – Rachel Holthaus (Minnesota)
101 – Gina Heinzelmann (Michigan)
110 – Malinda Ripley (California)
119 – Amberle Montgomery (Washington)
128 – Lindsay Owens (California)
138 – Brandy Rosenbrock (Michigan)
150 – Heather Martin (Ohio)
165 – Samantha Lang (Oregon)
175 – Alicia Mena (Minnesota)
Excerpt from USA Wrestler, Sept./October 2002
Montgomery named Outstanding Wrestler in strong field
as historic first Junior Nationals for girls held in Fargo, N.D.
It was a historic weekend, as the world’s largest wrestling event added female athletes for the first time.
Amberle Montgomery of Washington, the champion at 119 pounds, was named Outstanding Wrestler at the first Junior Nationals for girls, concluded with an exciting gold-medal round at the Fargodome in Fargo, N.D., July 27.
Montgomery was dominant in her finals match, overpowering Rachel Groft of Pennsylvania with a 10-0 technical fall in just 2:39. Montgomery, who will be just a sophomore in the fall, displayed great skills throughout the tournament.
The first Junior Nationals girls champion ever was Rachel Holthaus of Minnesota, who clinched the gold medal at 95 pounds with an 11-0 technical fall over Bernadette Javier of Hawaii to open the finals round. This was a roundrobin match, and the win gave Holthaus the gold and Javier the bronze. The silver went to Peggy Whitaker of New York, who pinned Javier in 1:34, but lost to Holthaus, 11-1.
Wrestling for girls and women is exploding all across the nation and world, with more and more opportunity at every level of the sport. Girls high school wrestling has grown in size every year since 1990, something which is helping make wrestling a larger and more diverse sport. There are currently 28 state high school associations which have official girls high school programs, with more expected in the next few years.
One of the biggest milestones for the growth and popularity for girls high school wrestling came in 2002, when USA Wrestling added a Junior girls division at the combined Junior/Cadet National Championships in the Fargodome in Fargo, N.D. This was the first year in which USA Wrestling state associations began bringing teams of high school girls to compete alongside the boys at the largest wrestling tournament in the world.
Prior to this, high school girls could compete in national competitions which led to making U.S. age-group World teams. The first UWW Cadet Nationals for girls was held in Las Vegas, N.M. in 1996, followed by the UWW Junior Nationals for women, which was first held in Metairie, La. in 1998. A number of wrestling leaders made a push to add a girls division at USA Wrestling’s most recognized age-group competition in Fargo.
In 2002, USA Wrestling opened the door for high school girls to come to Fargo to test themselves against the nation’s best girls, and to battle for those coveted Junior National stop-sign trophies. The 2002 year had another huge milestone for women in wrestling, as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that women’s wrestling would be added as an official sport for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
For a first-year event, the field was impressive in Fargo for 103 Junior athletes representing 24 states. Many of the participants had been at other USA Wrestling national-level events and came in with some impressive credentials. Others were participating in their first big USA Wrestling event. For all, being part of the Junior and Cadet Nationals was a new experience. This was not an open event like other national tournaments; teams were organized through their USA Wrestling state associations. The boys teams had state branded gear and equipment in Fargo, and now the girls did also.
After preliminary competition, a gold-medal finals was showcased, with the athletes competing on the raised stage on the floor of the Fargodome. History was being made from the first whistle.
The opening match featured the completion of the 95-pound roundrobin, and Rachel Holthaus of Minnesota was dominant in a pin of Bernadette Javier of Hawaii. Holthaus went 2-0 in the three-athlete bracket, and when her hand was raised, she became the first Junior girls champion in history.
The finals were in weight order and the next two matches were considered “mild upsets.” At 101, Gina Heinzelmann of Michigan was able to secure a pin over Sara Fulp-Allen of California. Coming in, Fulp-Allen had many USA Wrestling achievements, including a fifth place at the 2002 Senior Women’s Open, while Heinzelmann was not well known outside of her state.
Probably a bigger surprise came at 110, where Californian Melinda Ripley edged Illinois star Mary Kelly, 4-0. Kelly had already won three age-group World medals, with a Cadet World title in 1999, a Cadet World silver medal in 1998 and a Junior World silver medal in 2000. Kelly had also reached No. 3 on the Senior National Team. Ripley battled to get her points and did not allow Kelly to get her offense untracked. The weight also included another talented young star, Na’Tasha Umemoto of Oregon, who finished third.
The Outstanding Wrestler Award went to Amberle Montgomery of Washington, the 119-pound champion. Montgomery scored a 10-0 technical fall in the finals over Rachel Groft of Pennsylvania, and had crisp technique throughout the tournament.
The biggest name in the field was the 138-pound champion Brandy Rosenbrock of Michigan, who had reached No. 2 on the Senior level earlier in the season. Rosenbrock was named the ASICS Girls High School Wrestler of the Year prior to the finals, then flashed the skills that made her so dominant. She pinned Wendy Casey of New York in the finals in 3:54.
Three teams had two individual champions. Michigan was represented by Heinzelmann and Rosenbrock on champions row. Joining Holthaus as another champion from Minnesota was Alica Mena, the 175-pound champion, who secured a 54 second fall in the finals over Misty Stalley of California. Along with Ripley, Lindsay Owens was also a champion from California, taking the 138-pound crown with a 7-5 win over Shawn Swarzlender of Oregon.
Two other successful athletes coming into the tournament also became champions, Heather Martin of Ohio at 150 and Samantha Lang of Oregon at 165. Lang won her finals with a 10-0 technical fall, while Martin edged talented Ali Bernard of Minnesota by an 8-6 score.
None of the individual champions from 2002 went on to make a Senior World Team, but all were important to the establishment of this great tournament for girls in the future. Ripley later trained at the U.S. Olympic Training Center, and has become a fixture at the Junior Nationals as one of the top women’s wrestling coaches for California USA Wrestling. Rosenbrock, now known with her married name of Brandy Green, is the head women’s wrestling coach at Limestone College, and can be seen on the floor of the Fargodome coaching girl wrestlers from South Carolina.
Of the finalists, Bernard had the most successful career, winning a pair of Junior World titles, a Senior World medal and wrestled in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. Kelly made a Senior World Team. Fulp-Allen also made numerous Senior Women’s National Teams. Bernard and Fulp-Allen are leaders in developing women’s wrestling at this time, with Bernard coaching in her native Minnesota, and Fulp-Allen providing leadership in Virginia.
The first Junior Nationals for girls was a very exciting time for those who were there, and everybody predicted the event would grow. That proved to be the case as the Junior Nationals girls division has increased in size, prestige and skill levels ever since. The Women’s Junior National Duals were started in 2005, and remained in Fargo for 12 years, until it grew to the point of leaving Fargo and being held alongside the boys Junior National Duals in June each year. A Cadet Nationals (now 16U Nationals) was created in 2011. This one event is considered the “must-attend” tournament where girls can be seen and recruited for the growing number of college programs that are developing all over the United States.
In 2002, the first girls were able to raise a USA Wrestling Junior National stop-sign trophy as Junior National champions. The 2020 Junior Nationals were set to be the 19th Junior Nationals for girls, but we will have to wait another year to see the next group of Junior National champions.
2002 Junior Nationals girls champions
95 – Rachel Holthaus (Minnesota)
101 – Gina Heinzelmann (Michigan)
110 – Malinda Ripley (California)
119 – Amberle Montgomery (Washington)
128 – Lindsay Owens (California)
138 – Brandy Rosenbrock (Michigan)
150 – Heather Martin (Ohio)
165 – Samantha Lang (Oregon)
175 – Alicia Mena (Minnesota)
Excerpt from USA Wrestler, Sept./October 2002
Montgomery named Outstanding Wrestler in strong field
as historic first Junior Nationals for girls held in Fargo, N.D.
It was a historic weekend, as the world’s largest wrestling event added female athletes for the first time.
Amberle Montgomery of Washington, the champion at 119 pounds, was named Outstanding Wrestler at the first Junior Nationals for girls, concluded with an exciting gold-medal round at the Fargodome in Fargo, N.D., July 27.
Montgomery was dominant in her finals match, overpowering Rachel Groft of Pennsylvania with a 10-0 technical fall in just 2:39. Montgomery, who will be just a sophomore in the fall, displayed great skills throughout the tournament.
The first Junior Nationals girls champion ever was Rachel Holthaus of Minnesota, who clinched the gold medal at 95 pounds with an 11-0 technical fall over Bernadette Javier of Hawaii to open the finals round. This was a roundrobin match, and the win gave Holthaus the gold and Javier the bronze. The silver went to Peggy Whitaker of New York, who pinned Javier in 1:34, but lost to Holthaus, 11-1.
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