Takedown Report

Women’s Wrestling News (2021) – # 19 {International}

TDR Editor’s Notes ; Catching up on stories of women’s international level wrestling from before the Olympics and Fargo tournaments last month. Read on and enjoy the wrestling news. Contact us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com Blog # 2972 (8/30/21)
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1 } – Mensah-Stock learned to balance her power and her sweetness to become a World champ and ‘21 Olympian
By Mike Finn
In addition to her roles as World champion and 2021 Olympian for Team USA, Tamyra Mensah-Stock is a big fan of Anime, the Japanese animation series where certain characteristics turn the cartoon characters into superheroes. Perhaps one of those characters should be called Tamyra because this 28-year-old native of Katy, Texas, admits her philosophy of life and the sport would be perfect for Anime … and she could also be the female version of one of Anime’s top characters. “There are some people who always call me an Anime character because that is something I grew up with,” laughed Mensah-Stock. “Watching Dragon Ball Z, I idolized Goku. He is a top-notched superhero, the strongest in the world. His wife has to bring him down to earth. Being a goofball, he’s super lovable and easy to talk to; so loving. But at the same time, he’s a powerful force of nature that has to save the world again and again.
This story appeared in the May 5, 2021 issue of WIN Magazine. Click here to subscribe to WIN Magazine or call 888-305-0606.
“And then there is Lucy from One Piece (series), who is a raw talent who doesn’t care what people think. He loves trying to get people to join in and have fun with him. He doesn’t take life too serious even though he has the greatest mission in the world.” Mensah-Stock also mentioned she has been a fan of the Powerpuff Girls, an American animated television series that focus on three young girls with superpowers. … rest of story at https://www.win-magazine.com/2021/05/06/making-of-a-superhero/?mc_cid=987a3385bf&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b#utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=making-of-a-superhero

2 } – Afsoon Johnston: What I Learned From Tricia Saunders
Afsoon Johnston was a two-time World medalist, winning a bronze in 1989 and a silver in 1990. Johnston reflects on what she has learned from four-time World champion Tricia Saunders. 
SETTING THE TONE
Trish was really the one who set the tone and the direction for where women’s wrestling has come and for that quest for equality. In the beginning, there was so much with women’s wrestling that we had to fight for and we weren’t given anything. At the time, I was grateful for anything. A corner of the mat. Coaching advice. Anyone that would give anything to me.  What I learned from Trish is that we deserve more than that. We can fight for our share and we can fight for equality. And she would not take no for an answer. When she hit any roadblock, she would not only find a way to get around it but to continue to keep going. Not only for just us or herself at that time but really set the pathway for this entire next generation and generations after her. What I’ve learned from Trish is to fight for that equality and not take no for an answer and that we deserve equality. She was so good at going after it. 
THE FIGHT FOR EQUALITY
Trish and I served on the board of USA Wrestling together. We would sit in those meetings and everybody in those meetings would tell us what we wanted to hear. … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1620447546303&twSessionId=khoqspefhm&postId=1169611135&mc_cid=1c5f62dded&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And Shannon Williams: What I Learned From Afsoon Johnston
Shannon Williams was a four-time World silver medalist (1991, 1993, 1994, 1997). Afsoon Johnston was the first medalist for the United States at the inaugural women’s World Championships in 1989. She also picked up a silver medal at the 1990 World Championships. Williams reflects on her time as an athlete and what she learned from Johnston during the formative years of women’s wrestling. 
PARTY TIME
We were such a great team because we were all about women’s empowerment. She was already on the team for one year before I joined. The very first year I went to the World Championships was in 1990 and she had gone the year before — I think there were like two or three that went the year before. Once I made that team and we went to Sweden, … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1624505046262&twSessionId=vtfwrdixvz&postId=1201228135&mc_cid=43f68cbfb0&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – 2021 Women’s Nationals Preview
This week the women get a change to make some world teams in Texas. The annual Women’s Nationals(formerly Body Bar) is taking place with competition at the 14U, U15, Cadet, Junior, and U23 age levels. There will be 19 competitors from Indiana participating with some doubling up in age divisions. Competition starts today and will run through Sunday.
UWW Juniors
Four girls will be taking the mat in the Junior age group. Leading the way is Alara Boyd who was a team member in 2019. She was 4^th at the Olympic Trials and is a favorite to make another world team. Three others that are still in high school will take the mat against a mixture of high school and college stars. State champions Trinity Malave and Torieonna Buchanan will be at 50kg and 53kg respectively. The last one to participate is Delta’s state runner-up anna Krejsa at 57kg.
U23
Three girls will be on the mats for this age division with … rest of story at https://indianamat.com/index.php?/articles.html/international-news/2021-womens-nationals-preview-r1073/&mc_cid=1c5f62dded&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } -WHO’S GOING TO SENIOR PAN-AMS?
Who’s ready for another international tournament before the Olympic Games? We certainly are!
Next up is the senior Pan-American Championships in Guatemala City, Guatemala May 27-30. Team USA will send 10 women’s freestyle (WFS) wrestlers to compete including 5 of the 6 Olympians and two National Team members. Head National Women’s Coach Terry Steiner and Assistant Coach Clarissa Chun will be their team coaches. The Trek To Tokyo continues for our Olympians. Pan-Am will be a great tournament to get that international competition feel before heading to Japan. … rest of story at https://www.wreaperwrestling.com/whos-going-to-senior-pan-ams/?mc_cid=3a3b8bc793&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – Junior team set for Pan-Am Champs
OAXTEPEC, Mexico – The Canadian junior wrestling team will be back in action for the first time since 2019, competing at the Junior Pan-American Championships in Mexico. The team of 14 athletes will compete June 10 to 13. Despite the break in competition, the team will step on the mats with plenty of international experience. On the women’s side Serena Di Benedetto and Nyla Burgess are both two-time Cadet Pan-Am medallist. Makitha Bristol also took home silver from the 2019 Cadet Championships. The team also has Junior experience in Jolie Brisco who medalled at the event in 2019. … rest of story at https://wrestling.ca/junior-team-set-for-pan-am-champs/?mc_cid=9db4763a85&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – THREE AMERICANS FINISH FIFTH IN WOMEN’S FREESTYLE AT THE POLAND OPEN
It was a tough afternoon for the American wrestlers competing in the Poland Open. Team USA went 0-3 in bronze medal matches, recording three fifth place finishes. At 50 kg, Erin Golston fell to Russia’s Mariia Tiumerekova, 9-7, on a buzzer-beating last-second takedown. The match was a back-and-forth affair, with the lead changing on four separate occasions. Down 5-2 in the second period, Golston scored a takedown and transitioned into a trapped arm gutwrench, to pull ahead 6-5. Golston added a step out point, which was nearly a takedown, to extend her lead to 7-5. However, she was unable to prevent Tiumerekova from earning two step-out points and the match-winning takedown in the last 40 seconds of the bout. Tiumerekova is a five-time age-group World medalist. Jennifer Page fell in the 62 kg bronze medal match to Ilona Prokopevniuk of Ukraine, 16-4. The bout was even at 4-4 with Page trailing on criteria  … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/June/10/WFS-day-1-medal-round-poland?mc_cid=b1fff1ca32&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – Skylar Grote Joins The Beaver Dam RTC
Saturday evening, Senior-level women’s freestyle athlete Skylar Grote announced her new training situation. Grote, a New Jersey native, will move across the country and train at Oregon State’s “Beaver Dam RTC”. The RTC has already bought into supporting women’s wrestling, as Grote will be the fifth woman to join the team. She’ll train alongside Adeline Gray, Mallory Velte, Alyssa Lampe, and Alex Glaude. Grote wrestled in high school at fabled Blair Academy, then moved onto Ontario’s Brock University for college. Before getting to Brock, Grote was a part of two Pan-American Junior teams. She came home with a silver medal in 2014 and a gold in 2015. Since the pandemic has died down, Grote has been active on the Senior level. She was a runner-up at Senior Nationals in October while competing at 68 kg. A month later, … rest of story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/24696?mc_cid=df40ca5986&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – JOB POSTING: BEAT THE STREETS NEW YORK CITY SEEKS GIRLS’ HEAD COACH
Job Title: Head GirlsCoach
Job Type:Full-time, Salaried
Summary:Beat the Streets (BTS), established in 2006, is a sport-based youth development organization whose mission is to develop the full human and athletic potential of urban youth and to strengthen the wrestling culture within New York City. BTS works with an average of 2,500 male and female student-athletes in all five boroughs, aged 10-18. Programs include the Academy, the Junior League and the Training Center. In addition, BTS partners with the NYC Department of Education’s Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) that sponsors a boys and co-ed wrestling season in the winter and a girls wrestling season in the spring. Reporting to the Director of Programming, the Head Girls Coach will play a critical role in delivering positive youth development in settings that take place on and off the mat in all five boroughs of New York City. The primary responsibility for the Head Girls Coach is to serve as a mentor by building strong relationships with our female student-athletes and to motivate and support them in all that they do.  … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/June/25/Beat-the-Streets-NYC-girls-coach-job-posting?mc_cid=95cb484a12&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – Four Different Countries Claim Junior Women’s Titles at #WrestleOaxtepec
OAXTEPEC, Mexico – It was all women’s freestyle action today at the Cadet and Junior Pan American Championships, where 12 athletes claimed gold medals in Oaxtepec, Mexico. This week, the top-eight in the Olympic weights of the Junior divisions will earn bids to the 2021 Junior Pan American Games in Cali, Colombia, in December. Four different countries collected titles in the Junior women’s division. The champions included Amani JONES (USA) at 55 kg, Mayra PARRA ALVAREZ (VEN) at 57 kg, London HOUSTON (USA) at 59 kg, Yolanda CORDERO VARGAS (CUB) at 62 kg, Nyla BURGESS (CAN) at 68 kg and Yelena MAKOYED (USA) at 76 kg. Parra’s win at 57 kg was the first gold for Venezuela since 2017. In the Cadet division, USA won four of the six weights with gold medals … rest of story at https://uww.org/article/four-different-countries-claim-junior-womens-titles-wrestleoaxtepec?mc_cid=84503a987c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – FEARNSIDE AND MOLINARI CLAIM BRONZE AS WOMEN’S FREESTYLE ACTION CONCLUDES AT THE POLAND OPEN
Fearnside and Molinari claim bronze as women’s freestyle action concludes at the Poland Open The women’s freestyle portion of the Poland Open wrapped up this afternoon, with two more Americans bringing home bronze medals. At 53 kg, Amy Fearnside gutted out a tough win over Russia’s 2019 World bronze medalist Ekaterina Poleshchuk. Fearnside trailed 1-0 at the break after allowing a passivity point. However, Poleshchuk was put on the clock in the second period, and Fearnside fended her off to earn a passivity point of her own. Russia threw the brick on a last-ditch challenge attempt with short time remaining but to no avail. Fearnside walked away with a 2-1 victory and the bronze medal. The second American to wrestle in this afternoon’s session was Forrest Molinari at 68 kg. Molinari squared off with one of Russia’s  … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/June/11/WFS-Poland-Day-2-finals?mc_cid=84503a987c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

11 } – U.S. WOMEN SCORE SEVEN GOLD, TWO SILVER AND ONE BRONZE AT CADET AND JUNIOR PAN AMS
OAXTEPEC, Mexico – Team USA continued its impressive performance adding 10 more medals to its count with U.S. Cadet and Junior women’s freestylers earning seven gold medals, two silvers and one bronze on Friday at the 2021 Cadet and Junior Pan American Championships in Oaxtepec, Mexico.
There were no team trophies today as both division still have competition tomorrow. The tournament continues Saturday with the remaining weights in Junior women’s freestyle and Cadet women’s freestyle as well as the opening of the Junior men’s freestyle and Cadet Greco-Roman tournaments. Action begins at 9 a.m. CT live on FloWrestling. Check out the detailed schedule for more information.
Junior women’s freestyle
The USA qualified three more weights for the 2021 Junior Pan American Games … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/June/11/Cd-Jr-Pan-Ams-recap-3?mc_cid=84503a987c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

12 } – Alesha Zappitella once was told to give up wrestling to focus on ‘girl’s sports,’ now an Invicta champion
When Alesha Zappitella first took up the sport of wrestling, it never really occurred to her that she was the only girl on a team filled with nothing but boys. Growing up in a small town in the most northeastern corner of Ohio, the future Invicta FC atomweight champion was interested in wrestling from a very early age thanks to her older brother. In her world, she never even contemplated that this was a sport meant for any particular gender, despite her school not actually having a program for girl’s wrestling. “I honestly never really even put it together that I was the only girl until it was pointed out to me,” Zappitella told MMA Fighting. “My brother started wrestling when I was like 1 [year old] and I would go to his practices, and I just started running around on the mats and doing takedowns. I learned how to walk, I learned how to run, I learned how to shoot. To me, it was normal. “I thought they were all doing it because it was fun and I wanted to join the fun, too … rest of story at https://www.mmafighting.com/2021/5/21/22446383/alesha-zappitella-once-told-needed-give-up-wrestling-focus-girls-sports-now-shes-an-invicta-champion?mc_cid=ce44cea415&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

August 31, 2021 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized