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Wrestler calling on other females to take up sport

By David Grossman
Toronto Star Sports Reporter

Erica Kelly won her opening high school wrestling match of the season, but she was less than pleased.

While Kelly needed overtime to defeat Carolyn Martin by a point, the 5-foot-5 Martingrove Collegiate grappler didn't like the idea that she was forced to square off against a teammate because there were no other female competitors entered.

``It's not right . . . you shouldn't have to go up against someone on your team,'' said the 16-year-old Kelly, who competed Tuesday at the Etobicoke mini-meet that involved wrestlers from four schools.

``Wrestling isn't like other sports in school where students have the automatic skills . . . but I was hoping more girls would have got involved in this sport. It's fun and is a great way to improve fitness and athleticism.''

While Kelly is off on a winning note and hopeful of making the league finals in February, she remembers her initiation to the sport last year, losing most of her matches and yet refusing to give up.

``It may be an obscure sport to many but on our team we compete to have fun and respect each other, win or lose,'' said Kelly, who also plays in the school band, is on the athletic and student councils and runs leadership programs for studen

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Old Tappan girl pins down dream
Wednesday, December 31, 1997

By RON FOX
Staff Writer

It wasn't her intention to make history when Deirdre Mammano strode to the mat over the weekend.

"I think of myself as a wrestler; it never occurred to me that I'm a girl wrestler," says the Northern Valley at Old Tappan senior, who became the first female to compete in the Bergen County Coaches Holiday Wrestling Tournament in its 38-year history when she did battle in the 103-pound class Saturday.

To the surprise of the few who were at Paramus High School for the 10 a.m. preliminary-round bout, Mammano aggressively took a lead on Pascack Hills regular Eric Campagna before losing in the closing seconds, 16-15.

"She was winning by four [points] with 15 seconds left, but she's new to the sport and doesn't know the ins and outs yet," says Northern Valley coach Tom Lebovich, suggesting that wrestlers in the know will sit on a lead at that juncture. "Deirdre always goes 100 percent and she was still going for a headlock, looking to pin the kid when she got caught."

When Mammano decided to change sports two weeks prior to the winter season getting under way, many close to her were caught by surprise. She was an all-league and honorable mention All-Bergen County soccer player in the fall -- playing either center forward or center midfield -- and had run the distances in indoor and outdoor track.

"You're doing what?" friends asked.

"You want to try this? That's crazy," her father, Don, said as a reflex reaction before adding, "But if you do it, give it 100 percent [and don't quit]."

The rookie wrestler grins. "My dad didn't think it would get this far. But he's very supportive."

Her brother, Don, a freshman wrestler, was uncomfortable at first about having his sister as a teammate, but since has accepted it, the family says.

The pioneering 17-year-old began to feel hers was the right decision when she mentioned her intentions in the fall to male friends who are members of the wrestling team. They recognized Mammano as an accomplished athlete.

"You'll be great," was a typical reaction. "You'll kill everybody."

And Mammano quickly proved she belonged -- through her seriousness about the sport, a solid work ethic, and an ability to learn quickly. She has felt welcomed and encouraged from the start by the coaching staff and her teammates, and has heard no negative remarks from them.

Her decision was not of the overnight variety, the 5-foot-1 Mammano assures.

"My cousins and my older brother [Greg] wrestled, and just watching it always got my adrenalin pumping," she explains. "I always hated to see anybody getting pinned; I wanted to jump in there and help. I considered wrestling for a while last year, but this year I finally said, 'Yeah, I'll do it.'

"I have 10 varsity letters and I want to get 12, but I wanted to do something different instead of running indoors again."

It helped that she knew Lebovich as a junior varsity soccer coach and has known assistant wrestling coach Doug Kuizema since she was in kindergarten. Lebovich said he'd have no problem with her trying out for the team.

"You'd better not have a problem with it," he remembers her saying with her determined smile.

So before each practice or match, Mammano changes into her uniform in the girls locker room. She has so little trouble making weight, she steps on the scale for weigh-ins wearing a sweatsuit.

"The first practices were rough, but the coaches have been so supportive; they give me energy," she says. "And my teammates have plenty of patience with me as I learn."

Referring to herself as a tomboy who began playing soccer and softball as a tot, Mammano says wrestling has opened her eyes. "Every one of my muscles, including a lot of muscles I never knew I had, are in tone now. I felt in good shape in soccer, but wrestling puts you in the best shape."

Of her County loss, she says, "It's a nightmare, but I have to learn from it. I'm a senior in school, but a freshman in the sport."

"I told her she's our 103-pound varsity wrestler because she's the best we have, and for no other reason," Lebovich says. "She's a tough kid and she won wrestle-offs over our returning varsity 103. As far as I know, she's the only female wrestling in a varsity lineup in Bergen County, and she doesn't feel it's a big deal.

"This sport is not for every woman. But it's not for every man either."

She's 0-2 so far, and goes for her first win Jan. 7 at Ramapo.

Wrestling may prove to be a one-year experience for Mammano, who may have collegiate offers for track, having run a 5-minute 20-second mile last year. But between wrestling and college lies the spring season and probably another surprise, though not as dramatic as her winter change of pace.

"I've run outdoors three years, but actually, I want to try softball next," Mammano says with a laugh. "Something different."

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Buena Vista girl proud to march into wrestling finals, history

March 11, 1999

BY MICK MCCABE
Free Press Sports Writer

SAGINAW -- Cynthia Harrold's bright smile made her a natural as a cheerleader.

She flashed it on the sidelines when she led cheers for Saginaw Buena Vista's basketball team and on the football field when she was a baton twirler for the marching band.

About the only time she doesn't show even a trace of a smile is when she puts on a wrestling helmet.

But today she will have a difficult time suppressing a grin when she marches into Joe Louis Arena and becomes the first girl in Michigan high school history to wrestle in the state championship meet. She'll compete in the Division III 103-pound class.

Harrold, a senior, earned that honor when she finished second in the districts and fourth in the regional meet at Caro.

She's fulfilling a goal she set three years ago when she and her teammates traveled to Battle Creek to watch a Buena Vista wrestler compete in the state finals.

"When I saw everybody march in that day, I knew what I wanted to do," Harrold said. "I told myself I was going to be in that grand march someday."

That day is at hand, and it has been a long journey. When she first enrolled at Buena Vista, Harrold never dreamed she would compete in wrestling.

"My brother, Tony, was on the wrestling team and I wanted to see him so I kept the stats for the team," Harrold said. "After a while, the wrestler at 103 quit the team, so I asked the coach if I could try it and he let me on it."

Before Harrold could begin wrestling, however, she had to convince her mother, Pam.

That was no easy sell. Cynthia is Pam's only daughter, and wrestling is not a sport parents envision for daughters.

"I have to be honest," Pam said. "In the beginning, I wasn't like: 'Yeah, go for it.' She basically had to talk me into it. I thought it was too physical. She told me it was skill and technique and she would only wrestle people her weight. She told me that once you master the technique you can go far."

Harrold, 29-7 this season, has mastered enough techniques to record 96 career victories. She would be well past 100 had she not suffered an injured shoulder and missed half of her junior season.

"Cynthia's a little dynamo," Buena Vista coach Dale Pike said. "She's a tight ball of energy."

Randall Jackson was the Buena Vista coach when Harrold was a freshman. He encouraged her and challenged her to excel. Pike has refined her skills.

"She's got some equalizing moves," Pike said. "With my martial arts background, we've incorporated some of that and it's given Cynthia a little different look."

Pike has taught karate and tai chi chuan for 12 years. An English teacher at Buena Vista, he was the first person the team approached when Jackson left.

"Cynthia was the one who came and asked me to coach," Pike said. "When a kid asks you to do something you have to do it."

Buena Vista does not have a wrestling program on a par with that at Rochester Adams or Clarkston or newly crowned state champion Temperance Bedford. The team began the season with only 10 wrestlers and was down to six when the state tournament rolled around.

But for the two weeks since regionals, the other five -- four boys, one girl -- have been at practice each day to prepare Harrold for the individual state meet.

"I've gotten a lot of support from my teammates," she said. "All four of the guys play baseball and they could be practicing baseball right now. But they chose to help me on my way. I love every last one of them."

The team's support of Harrold became evident early this season when a Flint Southwestern Academy athlete refused to wrestle her.

"The guy said he would feel funny wrestling Cynthia because she was a girl, but that wasn't it," Buena Vista wrestler Anthony Genwright said. "He wrestled a guy from Flint Central first, and he was having a really tough time beating him. Then Cynthia pinned that Flint Central guy in the first period. So I guess he saw that and didn't want to wrestle her."

When the Southwestern Academy coach told Pike that his wrestler didn't want to compete against Harrold, the BV wrestlers met and decided not to wrestle anyone from Southwestern.

"This is what Cynthia's been fighting for," Genwright said. "I wanted to wrestle, but sometimes you have to prove a point."

Harrold said she was proud of her teammates' decision.

"I was so happy that I had a team that would back me up like that," she said. "My teammates are wonderful, my coach is wonderful."

Throughout high school, Harrold has also competed in softball and track. When she was a cheerleader she would have to shower quickly after wrestling practice to cheer at basketball games.

But she ultimately gave up cheerleading and decided that she liked wrestling best.

"I like the discipline and the competition," Harrold said. "It's just you and the other person. Your teammates can cheer for you, but they can't pass you the ball. You have to do everything yourself."

Harrold thinks she has at least a mental advantage in each match against a boy.

"A lot of boys come out and underestimate me," she said. "But when they see me fighting back it's like they say: 'Whoa.' "

The grabbing and touching that transpire during a match were one of her mother's initial concerns. But after she watched Cynthia compete, Pam's mind was at ease.

"She grabs them, too," Pam said. "You look at it like it's a sport. They're not looking where they're touching her. They're out there to take care of business."

Harrold said she doesn't worry that guys might grab her where they otherwise shouldn't.

"They're too worried about getting pinned," she said.

Opponents have a difficult time wrestling against Harrold, but it is even harder if they try to ask her out afterward.

"I don't allow that," Genwright said. "I'll walk around with her sometimes so they'll think I'm her boyfriend. If some guy tries hitting on her I tell them: 'That's not going to happen, so don't even try it.' She's a wrestler."

Jennifer Peters also wrestles on the Buena Vista team. She tried volleyball, softball and cross-country before a friend persuaded her to give wrestling a shot.

"Five girls started out on the team, but it ended up just me and Cynthia," said Peters, who wrestles at 119 pounds and faces many of the problems Harrold does. "People think they won't put us in certain moves because we're girls. But they'd be embarrassed to lose to us. They'll put us in anything to win. There are no hesitations, believe me. They'll hurt us."

Peters was keeping statistics during the regional meet and became chief cheerleader during Harrold's matches as she qualified for the state finals.

"I was on the mat yelling," Peters said. "Usually, she's the big crybaby. But when she made it I was crying and she was just smiling. She's like my hero. I tell her that all the time. We've become really, really close."

All of the Buena Vista wrestlers are close, because they train with and against one another.

"Yeah, Cynthia's beaten me," Genwright said with an embarrassed smile. "It gets really competitive in here. Everybody beats up on everybody. Cynthia is the most intense wrestler I've seen. She's really dedicated."

Next fall, Harrold will be a freshman at Central State in Wilberforce, Ohio. The school does not offer wrestling, but she plans to continue training with Pike's brother, Ed, who runs a youth program in nearby Xenia.

"I heard that in 2004 they're going to have female wrestling in the Olympics," Harrold said. "That's my goal."

For now, she will have to settle for her original goal -- the state finals and a place in the grand march into Joe Louis Arena today.

"It's just so surprising, now that it's going to happen I can't believe it," she said with a broad smile. "There will be 895 males and one female."

To pick out the one female, just look for the brightest smile.