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By Rick Mauch 2/27/2000
Special to the Star-Telegram
Members of the Sam Houston girls wrestling team went to bed Saturday night thinking they had successfully defended their state championship.
They woke up yesterday morning as state runners-up.
A correction of a scoring error gave the championship to Amarillo Caprock. It was originally announced at the tournament that the Texans had won by a margin of 1.5 points, but the correction gave Caprock a 90.5-88 victory.
"We took our award after the ceremonies and left," Sam Houston wrestler Brandy Killingsworth said. "We didn't find out until [yesterday] when we saw it in the paper. My mom called [Sam Houston] coach [Roy] Shultz and he told her that was the first he'd heard of it and that he was going to start looking into it."
Killingsworth said the team members were originally surprised when the Texans were announced as champions. She said, by their calculations, they thought Caprock had already won the title.
"We were figuring among ourselves, the girls, and we didn't think we'd won," Killingsworth said. "But then they announced us, and we knew they'd been having computer glitches all day."
Shultz said he told tournament officials that his score keeping showed Caprock ahead of the Texans as well. He said he has no problem giving the trophy to Caprock, but he said expects an explanation and apology to the team from tournament officials.
"Caprock is a good team, they deserve it," Shultz said. "But I believe somebody from the tournament should come here in person and apologize to these girls for what they put them through. And I want them to bring ballot sheets to prove where they made their mistakes.
"They were trying to give points to Caprock at 138 pounds. Caprock didn't have anyone competing at 138 pounds. And that's just one of the things I pointed out to them."
Arlington High wrestling coach Henry Harmoney was present when the correction was announced and said his original calculation had Caprock winning the title.
"It's heartbreaking, what happened to those girls and the way it happened," Harmoney said. "But Caprock had more points and more people in the finals when they began."
The Texans' second-place finish ends a string of three consecutive girls state team titles by an Arlington-area team. Before Sam Houston's 1999 championship, Arlington High won in 1997 and 1998. Rick Mauch, (817) 548-5479
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Computer glitch denies Sam Houston girls title
02/27/2000
Arlington Morning News
AUSTIN - Due to what was termed a computer glitch, Amarillo Caprock was awarded the girls team state championship at the UIL State Wrestling Championships held at the Austin Convention Center on Saturday, taking away a state title Sam Houston had been awarded approximately three hours before.
Originally, Sam Houston had edged Caprock for the title, 88 to 86.5 points. But after the error was found, the modified total was 90.5 points for Caprock, 88 for Sam Houston.
"I know this is a horrible thing to say and I know those with Sam Houston will be mad, but the bottom line was that it was a computer glitch," said UIL tournament official and Austin Reagan head coach Jim Grimm. "We went back and checked it by hand and it came with Caprock having 90.5"
Caprock head coach Scott Tankersley said around nine people said it was like a calculator that added wrong. He said around nine people spent two hours checking the numbers.
Sam Houston head coach Roy Shultz was in transit back to the Arlington area late Saturday night and could not be reached for comment.
Sam Houston's did have a state champion in Brenda Malott at 128 pounds, a repeat state championship for her. Malott's state championship was critical for her team's hopes before the error was found because she edged Caprock's Miny Garcia, 9-8, in the rubber match between the wrestlers this season. Bowie's Angela Martinez (102 pounds) and Arlington High's Geanie Jaffe (165) also won individual state titles.
Malott jumped to a 9-3 lead in the second period, and held off a late rally by Garcia and flirting with giving a penalty point for stalling, after giving up one with 12 seconds left.
"I don't know what I feel right now. It will probably come to me later," Malott said.
Sam Houston had three state runners-ups: Cathy Cotter (110 pounds), Maria Garza (165) and Latasha Gillian (215). Cotter's was bittersweet because she lost to Klein Oak's Heather Morris by pin with nine seconds left in the first period, after nearly getting a pin 30 seconds into the match. Cotter lost to Morris in the 110-pound state title match last year.
While also giving credit to the team, Sam Houston head coach Roy Shultz said Garza's finish was big before the error was found. Shultz may also deserve credit for double-checking numbers.
"Maria beat a girl (Casey Brittain of Amarillo Palo Duro) that she lost to three times this year. Not bad for a first-year wrestler," Shultz said.
Sam Houston had two surprises that hindered its state-title hopes this weekend. On Friday, Racquel Reyes, the Region II champion at 148 pounds, was declared academically ineligible and did not participate in the meet.
The biggest surprise was formerly undefeated Brandi Killingsworth getting pinned in the quarterfinal round at 185 pounds. Killingsworth, last year's 165-pound champion and 27-0 coming into the tournament, had a 10-3 lead on El Paso Austin's Veronica Contreras going into the third period. But Contreras got Killingsworth to her back and pinned her with four seconds left in the match.
Killingsworth won three matches to finish in third place, including a pin of Contreras in the third-place match.
"I bridged when I should have posted. That's what got me on my back," Killingsworth said. "I'm still a little shocked. Maybe this will inspire me for the future too."
Martinez became the first Arlington girl to win three state titles, winning with surprising ease. Martinez got a first-period pin of Waller's Jennifer Znidarsic for the title. Martinez extended Bowie's streak to four years of having at least one state champion in boys or girls wrestling.
"This was a lot harder than before, but I was doing it for coach (David Mudgett)," Martinez said. "He spent so much time away from his family to help me. I didn't want to mess up the streak either."
Jaffe was not as quick in winning her state title, but her technique was sound in getting a third-period pin of Garza. Jaffe is 6-0 lifetime against Garza, but she had a different approach in wrestling her in the state title match.
Jaffe was the 1998, 185-pound state champion, but lost the 165-pound title to Killingsworth, who she said she admired.
"I pretended like I never wrestled Maria before. I just hung on to her and wore her down," Jaffe said. "It's better the second time around because I had a large support group. I didn't matter to me that Killingsworth went to 185, but I have a lot of respect for her because she made the move for her team."
Jaffe led Arlington High to a ninth-place finish with 34.5 points. Martinez's one-girl gang performance let Bowie finish 11th with 30.5 points.
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Shultz looking for an apology
Sam Houston coach upset about scoring glitch at state
02/28/2000
By Rick Kretzschmar , Arlington Morning News
Sam Houston wrestling coach Roy Shultz said he concedes that his girls team finished second to Amarillo Caprock in the University Interscholastic League State Wrestling Championships on Saturday - even though the championship trophy is currently in the Lady Texans' possession.
Shultz said he will give the trophy up, but two conditions will have to be met.
"First, I want to see all of the bout sheets so we can add up the points by hand," Shultz said. "Second, I want them (the UIL) to apologize to these young ladies.
"The people who ran this . . . you just don't do that to people."
Caprock was awarded the title late Saturday night - about three hours after Sam Houston was originally crowned the girls team state champion. UIL officials said there was a computer glitch that originally gave Sam Houston the title with 88 points to 86.5 for Caprock.
The modified score gave Caprock 90.5 points, while Sam Houston's total remained the same, ending the championships with a footnote of infamy. It also denied Sam Houston a chance to repeat as the team state champion.
The Sam Houston team left Austin shortly after the first championship ceremony, putting them out of contact when the mistake was discovered. Shultz said he first heard of the mistake at about 1 a.m. Sunday from a phone call made by the parents of Sam Houston wrestler Brenda Malott, after they found out about it on the Internet.
Shultz said when he found out, he had funny feeling that the numbers weren't right. However, when he figured up the totals himself, his numbers differed from the modified total by the UIL.
"What I have is 87.5 for Caprock and 86 for us," Shultz said. "For the UIL to add up points wrong at the state meet, there is no excuse."
Shultz said the only other wrestler he talked to Sunday was Brandi Killingsworth, Sam Houston's contestant in the 185-pound division. Killingsworth entered the championships undefeated at 27-0, but she was upset by Veronica Contreras of El Paso Austin in the quarterfinals. Killingsworth did rebound to finish third in her weight class.
"She was upset when I told her. It was a bad weekend for her," Shultz said. "But I'm not disappointed with her or the team's effort. We went down there and we wrestled hard.
"We have seven girls coming back for next year, and we'll recruit the school hard. We'll be back."
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UIL girls state wrestling results
02/27/2000
Amarillo Caprock, 90.5
Arlington Sam Houston, 88
Amarillo Palo Duro, 69
Waller, 57
EP Hanks, 55.5
Killeen Ellison, 41
Katy, 38
Hereford, 37
Arlington, 34.5
Austin Lanier, 34
Arlington Bowie, 30.5
Coppell, 27
The Woodlands, 24
Klein Oak, 23.5
W.T. White, 16
SA MacArthur, 15.5
Katy Taylor, 12
EP Austin, 11
Austin McCallum, 9
Con. Oak Ridge, 8
Houston Reagan, 7
South Grand Prairie, 6.5
EP Franklin, 6
EP Jefferson, 3
95 POUNDS
First round
Vicky Morales, EP Hanks pin Meggie White, Katy Taylor, 3:18.
Semifinals
Khouanchay Inthirath, Ama. Palo Duro pin Ashley Wilson, Hou. Scarborough, 1:18.
Morales dec. Satisca Brown, Kel. Ellison, 13-4.
Championship
Inthirath pin Morales, 3:27.
Third place
Brown dec. White, 13-11 (OT).
102 POUNDS
First round
Angela Martinez, Arl. Sam Houston dec. Brandi Burns, Lake Highlands, 20-3.
Tabitha Ramsey, Aus. Lanier pin Stephanie Jenkins, EP Hanks, 3:06.
Semifinals
Jennifer Znidarsic, Waller, by forfeit.
Martinez dec. Ramsey, 17-8.
Championship
Martinez pin Znidarsic, 1:50.
Third place
Ramsey pin Jenkins, 1:22.
110 POUNDS
First round
Stephanie Olivas, Ama. Caprock dec. Jennifer Barrett, Coppell, 16-2.
Heather Morris, Klein Oak pin Kenra Howe, Con. Oak Ridge, 2:52.
Kristin Baldon, Katy Taylor dec. Jessica Cotton, Aus. Lanier, 6-3.
Cathy Cotter, Arl. Sam Houston dec. Kimberly Quinonez, EP Hanks, 12-9.
Semifinals
Morris dec. Olivas, 21-5.
Cotter dec. Baldon, 7-4.
Championship
Morris pin Cotter, 1:51.
Third place
Quinonez dec. Howe, 18-1.
119 POUNDS
First round
Jennifer Johnson, Ama. Caprock pin Amanda Eisele, Waller, 1:53.
Simone Smith, Arl. Sam Houston pin Angela Hamm, Aus. Crockett, 0:59.
Carmen Shelly, S. Grand Prairie pin Kiara Baugh, Aus. Westlake, 3:17.
Kelly O'Hargan, The Woodlands dec. Lauren Lindsey, Ama. Palo Duro, 12-0.
Semifinals
Johnson pin Smith, 4:57.
O'Hargan pin Shelly, 4:55.
Championship
Johnson pin O'Hargan, 3:51.
Third place
Eisele pin Lindsey, 0:58.
128 POUNDS
First round
Miny Garcia, Ama. Caprock pin Orquidea Cumpian, EP Endress, 2:48.
Linse Meadows, Katy dec. Suekaila Shelly, S. Grand Prairie, 14-7.
Brenda Malott, Arl. Sam Houston pin Diana Mato, Katy Taylor, 3:38.
Katherine Quinonez, EP Hanks pin Jennifer Starnes, SA MacArthur, 3:49.
Semifinals
Garcia pin Meadows, 1:31.
Malott dec. Quinonez, 5-2.
Championship
Malott dec. Garcia, 9-8.
Third place
Meadows dec. Quinonez, 7-2.
138 POUNDS
First round
Rachel Rodriguez, Hereford pin Jade Williams, S. Grand Prairie, 0:24.
Jasmin Moody, W.T. White pin Tiffanie Griffith, Aus. Lanier, 3:31.
Krista Hartman, Katy pin Gladys Alexander, Aus. McCollum, 0:34.
Emmalea Smith, Coppell pin Jennifer Meyer, EP Jefferson, 1:33.
Semifinals
Rodriguez pin Moody, 3:01.
Hartman pin Smith, 2:48.
Championship
Hartman pin Rodriguez, 1:22.
Third place
Moody pin Smith, 0:59.
148 POUNDS
First round
Tori Adams, Ama. Caprock dec. Shannon Talley, Katy, 21-6.
Melisa Rutledge, Aus. McCollum pin Sarah Rousch, Hurst L.D. Bell, 1:36.
Janice Gooden, Ama. Palo Duro pin Mellissa Hilliard, Hou. Reagan, 3:09.
Semifinals
Adams pin Tai Ingram, SA MacArthur, 2:57.
Gooden pin Rutledge, 1:50.
Championship
Adams pin Gooden, 1:14.
Third place
Ingram pin Rutledge, 4:30.
165 POUNDS
First round
Casey Brittain, Ama. Palo Duro pin Nakea McCrae, Kil. Ellison, 1:33.
Maria Garza, Arl. Sam Houston pin Kate Moore, Katy Taylor, 0:38.
Danielle Garza, Hereford pin Jamie Bottomley, Aus. Lanier, 2:45.
Semifinals
M. Garza dec. Brittain, 12-3.
Geanie Jaffe, Arlington dec. D. Garza, 15-0.
Championship
Jaffe pin M. Garza, 5:04.
Third place
Bottomley pin dec. Garza, 2:47.
185 POUNDS
First round
Rosa Gayton, EP Franklin dec. Jillian Grisel, Richland, by default.
Angela Whitley, Kil. Ellison pin Jessica Bunner, The Woodlands, 0:48.
Erica Coburn, Waller pin Zerlynda Cervantes, PSJA Memorial, 1:09.
Veronica Contreras, EP Austin pin Brandy Killingsworth, Arl. Sam Houston, 5:56.
Semifinals
Whitley dec. Gayton, 12-7.
Coburn pin Contreras, 2:55.
Championship
Coburn pin Whitley, 4:28.
Third place
Killingsworth pin Contreras, 4:32.
215 POUNDS
First round
Ashley Kologinczak, Hou. Reagan pin Dyana McIntyre, Ama. Palo Duro, 0:54.
Latosha Gillian, Arl. Sam Houston pin Jennifer Grimm, Aus. Reagan, 0:42.
Kara Armstrong, Arlington pin Tamara Harris, Kil. Ellison, 3:54.
Marie Hernandes, Ama. Caprock pin Danielle Campbell, The Woodlands, 4:28.
Semifinals
Gillian pin Kloginczak, 5:08.
Hernandes dec. Armstrong, 3-2.
Championship
Hernandes pin Gillian, 5:09.
Third place
McIntyre pin Harris, 1:59.
