#WomensWednesday: Throwback to first Women’s College Nationals in 2004 held at Missouri Valley College
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Image of Toccara Montgomery at the 2004 Olympic Games courtesy of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
As we head into a new college wrestling season, women’s wrestling is growing like crazy. There are almost 90 women’s college teams, either competing or in formation. The NCAA has approved Emerging Sport Status for all three of its divisions. The NAIA enters its third year with a National Invitational Championships. Junior College teams will hold their first national event in 2021. The WCWA Nationals recently announced it will continue for its 14th straight year.
Although women’s college wrestling seems new to many, it actually goes back to the mid 1990’s, when a few U.S. colleges started programs. These pioneer teams competed against each other, entered numerous USA Wrestling Senior and age-group tournaments, and often travelled north of the border to compete against women’s college programs in Canada. There were regular national rankings for women’s college athletes and teams in those early years.
In 2004, the coaches of many of these teams made a decision to start their own college national championship, setting the event for March 20, 2004 at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo.
At that time, there were regular U.S. Women’s College Rankings, and for most of the season, Cumberland College of the NAIA held the No. 1 team ranking. Coached by Kip Flanik, the Patriots were led by four No. 1 ranked wrestlers going into this historic event: Suekoiyla Shelly at 55 kg/121 lbs., Alaina Berube at 59 kg/130 lbs. Shelly Ruberg at 63 kg/138.5 lbs. and Toccara Montgomery at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.
Missouri Valley of the NAIA, led by coach Carl Murphree, was ranked No. 2 as a team, with one No. 1 ranked wrestler, Mollie Keith at 67 kg/147.5 lbs., but a strong lineup with considerable depth. Holding the No. 3 position was Pacific University, an NCAA Div. III team in Oregon, coached by Scott Miller. The No. 4 spot in the polls was NAIA school Menlo College in California, coached by Lee Allen. A four of these teams were scheduled to compete
The race was expected to be close, based upon the regular season. At the International Duals held at Pacific University, Cumberland College defeated Missouri Valley, 19-13. Missouri Valley upset Canadian power Simon Fraser by tiebreaker, 16-16, while Simon Fraser defeated Cumberland, 21-11.
"This is a big event for us. We have been focusing all season on it," said Murphree. "We still have a long way to go with this National Championship. It is hard to get things started, but we all (coaches) knew it was needed. But we need an identifiable college championship to move forward," he said.
We are excited to wrestle in the first-ever Women's University National Championship, but a little disappointed at the timing because of Spring Break," said Flanik. "We are pretty tired going into this tournament. It has been a long season, but I hope our team performs."
Here is how that historic event worked out, based upon the article on TheMat.com.
Missouri Valley College has four champions in first Women’s College National Championships
By Amy Ufnowski
March 20th, 2004 was a historic day in Women's collegiate wrestling. For the first time, women crowned their own individual college wrestling national champions. Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo. hosted the first National College Women's Wrestling Championships.
It was the host Vikings who claimed the team title with 97 points. Rivals Cumberland College and Pacific University came in second and third respectively with 87 and 55 points.
Missouri Valley crowned four champions: Debbi Sakai at 112 pounds, Brooke Bogren at 130 pounds, Mollie Keith at 138.75 pounds, and Kelly Branham at 158 lbs. The Vikings also had two runners up: Brandy Golt at 147 lbs., and Stephany Lee at176 lbs. Missouri Valley's continued dedication throughout their spring break paid off in the end by winning the team title.
Sakai upset No. 1 ranked Kapua Torres of Pacific in the finals with a score of 16-5. Both are natives of Hawaii, and competed against each other on other occasions. Bogren scored a 3-2 overtime victory over Iris Mucha of Cumberland in the finals. Keith also needed to go into overtime before beating Suekoilya Shelly of Cumberland, 3-2. Branham pinned Othella Lucas of Cumberland in the finals in 4:20.
Cumberland College was only 10 points behind champion Missouri Valley with 87 points. Cumberland placed five women in the finals, with two champions and three runners-up. Many of the Patriots athletes were competing in weight divisions higher than their normal
Capturing individual titles were Alaina Berube at 147 lbs. and Toccara Montgomery at 176 lbs. Berube usually competes at 130 pounds, while Montgomery is regularly at 158.5 pounds. Berube pinned Brandy Golt of Missouri Valley College in the finals in 4:20.
Montgomery and Missouri Valley's Lee moved up in weight and met in the finals, where Montgomery scored a 5-2 win. The top ranked wrestlers who normally compete at 176 pounds, met in the bronze-medal match, where freshman Misty Stalley of Menlo College pinned No. 1 ranked Megan Goldsmith of UM-Morris in 1:23.
Pacific University and Menlo College both had one individual champion. No. 3 ranked Desiree Lockhart of Pacific knocked off her teammate, Alexis Gonzalez, to win at 121 pounds in a 10-0 technical fall. For Menlo, Sara Fulp-Allen won the105.5-pound title, beating Kristen Fujioka of Pacific by a 10-0 technical fall. She is coached by her father, Lee Allen, a former Olympic Greco-Roman coach, who is the women's coach at Menlo.
Organizers expect the tournament to grow and improve next year. It is just the beginning of things to come in women's collegiate wrestling.
2004 Women’s College Nationals
Held at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo.
Championship Finals
105 – Sara Fulp-Allen (Menlo) tech. fall Kristen Fujioka (Pacific), 10-0
112 – Debbi Sakai (Missouri Valley) dec Kapua Torres (Pacific), 16-5
121 – Desiree Lockhart (Pacific) tech. fall Alexis Gonzalez (Pacific), 10-0
130 – Brooke Bogren (Missouri Valley) dec. Iris Mucha (Cumberland College), 3-2, ot
138 – Mollie Keith (Missouri Valley) dec. Suekoila Shelly (Cumberland College), 3-2, ot
147 – Alaina Berube (Cumberland College) pin Brandy Golt (Missouri Valley), 4:20
158 – Kelly Branham (Missouri Valley) pin Othella Lucas (Cumberland College), 4:20
176 – Toccara Montgomery (Cumberland College) dec. Stephany Lee (Missouri Valley), 5-2
Top Three Teams
1. Missouri Valley College, 97
2. Cumberland College, 87
3. Pacific University, 55
Editor’s Note: Montgomery, already a two-time Senior World silver medalist, made the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team in women’s freestyle which competed in Athens, Greece, the first time women’s wrestling was in the Olympic Games. She won two college national titles. Fulp-Allen won three college national titles in three tries (and did not compete in her junior year),, and also went on to make a number of U.S. Senior Women’s National Teams. Berube ended up as a three-time college national champion and also a Women’s National Team member. Bogren and Branham won two college national titles. This event was held for four years, until the women’s college wrestling community created an organization to oversee the sport, the Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association. The WCWA Nationals is still being held
As we head into a new college wrestling season, women’s wrestling is growing like crazy. There are almost 90 women’s college teams, either competing or in formation. The NCAA has approved Emerging Sport Status for all three of its divisions. The NAIA enters its third year with a National Invitational Championships. Junior College teams will hold their first national event in 2021. The WCWA Nationals recently announced it will continue for its 14th straight year.
Although women’s college wrestling seems new to many, it actually goes back to the mid 1990’s, when a few U.S. colleges started programs. These pioneer teams competed against each other, entered numerous USA Wrestling Senior and age-group tournaments, and often travelled north of the border to compete against women’s college programs in Canada. There were regular national rankings for women’s college athletes and teams in those early years.
In 2004, the coaches of many of these teams made a decision to start their own college national championship, setting the event for March 20, 2004 at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo.
At that time, there were regular U.S. Women’s College Rankings, and for most of the season, Cumberland College of the NAIA held the No. 1 team ranking. Coached by Kip Flanik, the Patriots were led by four No. 1 ranked wrestlers going into this historic event: Suekoiyla Shelly at 55 kg/121 lbs., Alaina Berube at 59 kg/130 lbs. Shelly Ruberg at 63 kg/138.5 lbs. and Toccara Montgomery at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.
Missouri Valley of the NAIA, led by coach Carl Murphree, was ranked No. 2 as a team, with one No. 1 ranked wrestler, Mollie Keith at 67 kg/147.5 lbs., but a strong lineup with considerable depth. Holding the No. 3 position was Pacific University, an NCAA Div. III team in Oregon, coached by Scott Miller. The No. 4 spot in the polls was NAIA school Menlo College in California, coached by Lee Allen. A four of these teams were scheduled to compete
The race was expected to be close, based upon the regular season. At the International Duals held at Pacific University, Cumberland College defeated Missouri Valley, 19-13. Missouri Valley upset Canadian power Simon Fraser by tiebreaker, 16-16, while Simon Fraser defeated Cumberland, 21-11.
"This is a big event for us. We have been focusing all season on it," said Murphree. "We still have a long way to go with this National Championship. It is hard to get things started, but we all (coaches) knew it was needed. But we need an identifiable college championship to move forward," he said.
We are excited to wrestle in the first-ever Women's University National Championship, but a little disappointed at the timing because of Spring Break," said Flanik. "We are pretty tired going into this tournament. It has been a long season, but I hope our team performs."
Here is how that historic event worked out, based upon the article on TheMat.com.
Missouri Valley College has four champions in first Women’s College National Championships
By Amy Ufnowski
March 20th, 2004 was a historic day in Women's collegiate wrestling. For the first time, women crowned their own individual college wrestling national champions. Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo. hosted the first National College Women's Wrestling Championships.
It was the host Vikings who claimed the team title with 97 points. Rivals Cumberland College and Pacific University came in second and third respectively with 87 and 55 points.
Missouri Valley crowned four champions: Debbi Sakai at 112 pounds, Brooke Bogren at 130 pounds, Mollie Keith at 138.75 pounds, and Kelly Branham at 158 lbs. The Vikings also had two runners up: Brandy Golt at 147 lbs., and Stephany Lee at176 lbs. Missouri Valley's continued dedication throughout their spring break paid off in the end by winning the team title.
Sakai upset No. 1 ranked Kapua Torres of Pacific in the finals with a score of 16-5. Both are natives of Hawaii, and competed against each other on other occasions. Bogren scored a 3-2 overtime victory over Iris Mucha of Cumberland in the finals. Keith also needed to go into overtime before beating Suekoilya Shelly of Cumberland, 3-2. Branham pinned Othella Lucas of Cumberland in the finals in 4:20.
Cumberland College was only 10 points behind champion Missouri Valley with 87 points. Cumberland placed five women in the finals, with two champions and three runners-up. Many of the Patriots athletes were competing in weight divisions higher than their normal
Capturing individual titles were Alaina Berube at 147 lbs. and Toccara Montgomery at 176 lbs. Berube usually competes at 130 pounds, while Montgomery is regularly at 158.5 pounds. Berube pinned Brandy Golt of Missouri Valley College in the finals in 4:20.
Montgomery and Missouri Valley's Lee moved up in weight and met in the finals, where Montgomery scored a 5-2 win. The top ranked wrestlers who normally compete at 176 pounds, met in the bronze-medal match, where freshman Misty Stalley of Menlo College pinned No. 1 ranked Megan Goldsmith of UM-Morris in 1:23.
Pacific University and Menlo College both had one individual champion. No. 3 ranked Desiree Lockhart of Pacific knocked off her teammate, Alexis Gonzalez, to win at 121 pounds in a 10-0 technical fall. For Menlo, Sara Fulp-Allen won the105.5-pound title, beating Kristen Fujioka of Pacific by a 10-0 technical fall. She is coached by her father, Lee Allen, a former Olympic Greco-Roman coach, who is the women's coach at Menlo.
Organizers expect the tournament to grow and improve next year. It is just the beginning of things to come in women's collegiate wrestling.
2004 Women’s College Nationals
Held at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo.
Championship Finals
105 – Sara Fulp-Allen (Menlo) tech. fall Kristen Fujioka (Pacific), 10-0
112 – Debbi Sakai (Missouri Valley) dec Kapua Torres (Pacific), 16-5
121 – Desiree Lockhart (Pacific) tech. fall Alexis Gonzalez (Pacific), 10-0
130 – Brooke Bogren (Missouri Valley) dec. Iris Mucha (Cumberland College), 3-2, ot
138 – Mollie Keith (Missouri Valley) dec. Suekoila Shelly (Cumberland College), 3-2, ot
147 – Alaina Berube (Cumberland College) pin Brandy Golt (Missouri Valley), 4:20
158 – Kelly Branham (Missouri Valley) pin Othella Lucas (Cumberland College), 4:20
176 – Toccara Montgomery (Cumberland College) dec. Stephany Lee (Missouri Valley), 5-2
Top Three Teams
1. Missouri Valley College, 97
2. Cumberland College, 87
3. Pacific University, 55
Editor’s Note: Montgomery, already a two-time Senior World silver medalist, made the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team in women’s freestyle which competed in Athens, Greece, the first time women’s wrestling was in the Olympic Games. She won two college national titles. Fulp-Allen won three college national titles in three tries (and did not compete in her junior year),, and also went on to make a number of U.S. Senior Women’s National Teams. Berube ended up as a three-time college national champion and also a Women’s National Team member. Bogren and Branham won two college national titles. This event was held for four years, until the women’s college wrestling community created an organization to oversee the sport, the Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association. The WCWA Nationals is still being held
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