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Four-time world champ visits Kahnawake
Queen of the Canadian mat gives clinic at KSS

By: Bob Oliver

2/21/2000

When Kahnawake Survival School wrestlers Karla McGregor, Jenny Lahache and Margaret Standup learned they’d be attending a wrestling clinic given by Canada’s four-time women’s world wrestling champion, Christine Nordhagen, their reaction was predictable.

"Cool !" they responded in unison, summing up their enthusiasm in one word.

"We knew in November Christine was coming to Kahnawake and we were so excited," said McGregor who lost only one match this season, but avenged it by beating the same opponent in the Phoenix Invitational bronze-medal match in Kitchener last weekend. "She’s so nice and she’s so knowledgeable. There’s so much to learn from her."

As KSS coach David Canadian told The Easatern Door on Saturday afternoon, if the girls remember just one thing she teaches them at the clinic, then having Nordhagen come to town will have been a booming success.

That being the case, it would be safe to say the whole affair was indeed an overwhelming triumph. Nordhagen certainly helped the girls, and in doing so, left her indelible mark.

"She taught us to always maintain a positive attitude even when you’re losing a match," said Lahache. "She said you can’t think of losing, you always have to THINK WIN!"

"She taught us to be confident," added Standup. "She said half the battle in any sport is to have a strong mental attitude that will, more often than not, serve you better than being physically strong. She told us to always try to visualize a number of moves instead of focusing on just one."

One thing Nordhagen instilled in all the minds of the girls at the clinic was the fact that she began her career in the very same fashion as her young, attentive prodigies. With a strong mind, determination and plenty of hard work she’s adamant anyone can be on top of the world - and their wrestling opponents - like she has.

"I was talked into taking a wrestling class in my second year at the University of Alberta in 1991," said Nordhagen, who looks more like a Hollywood model than a wrestler. She teaches physical education, math and dance at Ernst Manning High School in Calgary and this past year married Canadian team member and wrestling coach, Leigh Veirling. "I was the only girl but I liked it and I did well. So, at the end of the year I joined the wrestling team," she recalls. The rest is history.

The following year Nordhagen won the Canadian Senior Women’s wrestling championship and turned the trick for the next six consecutive years. She was Canada’s Female Wrestler of the Year from 1993 to 1998 and International Female Wrestler of the Year for 1997. In 1994 at an international meet in Bulgaria she won the first of her four World Senior titles. Last year Nordhagen finished third at the World Championships, but she’s confident she’ll be back on top of the podium this year.

"Standing on top of the podium with your gold medal and hearing the national anthem, you know there’s not a drug in the world that could make you feel higher," she confessed as her closing speech at the KSS clinic held 25 girls and seven coaches from Quebec and Ontario spellbound. "But never forget that it takes a lot of hard work to get there."

It’s difficult, if not impossible, to say what the girls in attendance were thinking. But it’s a safe bet judging by their expressions that many of them were daydreaming about duplicating Nordhagen’s feat one day in the not-too-distant future.

The Canadian Wrestling Federation sanctions the promote-women’s-wrestling Nordhagen clinic and proposed the idea of bringing it to Kahnawake. Without a hem or a haw, (David) Canadian and assistant coach Patrick Montour jumped at the opportunity. Nordhagen only gives four clinics a year and her stopover in Kahnawake was fortuitous for the KSS wrestlers. The four-time World champion demonstrated strategies and techniques, and in the short time she was here she managed to cover all the mental and physical aspects that are pertinent to the sport of wrestling.

"I love these clinics. It gives me a chance to go to places I’ve never been to before," she said. "It’s difficult because there are such a wide variety of levels (of wrestlers) but I try to use the basics most of the wrestlers have already learned and I show them different moves, strategies and tactics to use. The timing is good. The year-end championships are coming up soon and (the students) can use some of the things I taught them in those meets."

One thing Nordhagen truly hopes will come from her visit is that the girls not only go on to have banner wrestling years but enhance the sport and its numbers by becoming coaches one day. In an effort to keep her sport alive and growing, she’s currently coaching male and female wrestlers in western Canada.

"Last year we only had a six-woman Canadian (Senior) team but we managed to pick up a silver, a bronze and a fourth-place finish at the Worlds. There aren’t a large number of women wrestlers in Canada, or in the world for that matter, but it’s growing bigger with each year. In places like South America and Africa, women’s wrestling is just starting to take off. But because it now exists I’m proud to say that our sport takes place on every continent on Earth."

Nordhagen’s next clinic is scheduled for February in Saskatoon. Shortly after the KSS-based clinic she boarded a plane for France to prepare for an upcoming international meet. Between teaching and giving clinics, Nordhagen fills the rest of her time training vigorously twice a day. Besides wrestling training and general fitness, she hits the weight room and works on her cardio-vascular; a couple of necessary evils she believes are essential requisites to becoming a world-class wrestler.

While she was here she left behind a wealth of wrestling knowledge the girls at the clinic likely will never forget. By the same token, it’s highly likely Nordhagen will always have fond memories of her stopover in Kahnawake.

"The (Survival) school is so nice and the Montreal and surrounding area is beautiful," Nordhagen said while she and the entire clinic entourage took time out for lunch at a local eatery that had a breathtaking view of the Montreal skyline. "The girls have been so sweet, the hosts have been terrific and the whole time I’ve been here everyone has gone out of their way to make me feel right at home."

A safe assumption is that both parties had an equally good time.

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Kalama grad wrestles with athletic talent

By Matt Glade The Daily News

3/15/2000

ELLENSBURG ---- Tiffany Toteff believes in being well-rounded.

During her days at Kalama High School, she was known to try just about anything in the name of athletic endeavor, lettering in four different sports. That attitude has taken her far, but nobody envisioned it would take her here.

Toteff, a freshman at Central Washington University, recently finished up her first full season with the Wildcats' wrestling team.

Wrestling was one of the few sports Toteff didn't do in high school, but with the ever-growing popularity of the sport among women and the creation of Title IX, it was one she could participate in at Central.

"My sister did it two years at Central and she used to tell me how much fun it was," said Toteff, whose older sister, Laura, is married to the Wildcats' wrestling coach.

Kevin Pine, Toteff's coach and brother-in-law, actually pushed for Toteff to join the team. In the beginning, it seemed like a far-fetched idea.

"At first it was just kind of a joke. 'Yeah, we'll put your name on the roster. Ha, ha,'" she recalled. "Then he said you should really try out. Then when I got back (from winter break), I thought maybe I should try this ... I've always loved conditioning. This was perfect."

And so Toteff became Central's only female wrestler this season. She actually outlasted two other women who were with the team on the first day, but both left the team for personal reasons by season's end.

It hasn't been easy. Toteff's first roadblock was convincing Dad that this was a good idea.

Jim Toteff said he started to wonder what was happening to Daddy's little girl, the one he watched excel in volleyball, basketball, track and softball during her days at Kalama.

From the time she was a ninth-grader, Toteff was a standout. Her first two years in softball, in fact, Kalama won the state title and took third. As a sophomore, she led the team with a .500-plus batting average. The next year, she decided to give up what looked like a promising career in softball to dabble in track. That year she ended up breaking the school record in the 800 meters.

"You'd think that she'd do softball again, but she didn't," said Jim Toteff, who doesn't recall his daughter showing any interest in wrestling as a youngster.

"I really didn't want her to wrestle in the first place. But now that she's doing it, I encourage it. She was my little girl. I loved to watch her swing a bat or kill a volleyball."

Or sink a half-nelson. Or throw an opponent on her back.

At Central, the only time Toteff wrestles men is during practice. It can be a huge advantage to learn the sport, and take her lumps from the men, she said. But as for real competition, she's forced to take what she can get.

Most colleges still don't have women on their wrestling teams. Meanwhile, some schools, such as Minnesota-Morris, have teams made up completely of women.

Since women don't compete against men in the college ranks, Toteff often has to take a wait-and-see approach when it comes to finding competition.

Sometimes, like when Central wrestled Simon Fraser ---- a team with women ---- this season, she will wrestle three or four times in a day, just to get mat time. In close to 20 matches this season (the men wrestle nearly 60 matches in a season), the 19-year-old, 136-pounder was winless. She often faced off against women who had been very successful at the high school level. Most were high school national champions.

"My very first tournament, I wrestled five girls in one day. I was having so much fun," she said. "I wasn't very nervous at all. I just wanted to get out there and try."

To their credit, she said, the men at Central have been nothing but supportive. From day one, their only concern has been helping their new teammate learn as quickly as she could. Of course, Toteff had to prove herself first.

"I was kind of nervous the guys would be like, 'Oh, this is a girl,'" she said. "But I think I kind of proved myself, just by going on runs and working out with them. I went as far as I could go to show them."

As the season progressed, and Toteff improved, it was evident that the men started to take her more seriously on the mat.

"At first, they would hold back a little bit because I was so new to it. They didn't want to break my arm. Next year, I think they'll step it up. I'm sure there will still be that line where it's still just my second year. But they won't hold back," she said.

Neither will Toteff.

Among other things, like deciding what to major in ---- she's leaning toward civil engineering or communications ---- Toteff will compete in some freestyle tournaments over the remainder of the school year. The freestyle nationals are being held April 20-22 in Las Vegas. Toteff will be there, she said. Central will begin its freestyle practices after spring break.

Add freestyle wrestling to the list of sports Toteff has never done. A list that, by the way, is growing shorter all the time.

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Lyle prepares for her latest wrestling test

By Chace Bryson 3/16/2000

The Times-Standard

EUREKA -- For Kaci Lyle, the time is now.

This weekend, Lyle will take her already storied career as a dominant female wrestler at Eureka High School on a trip not so unfamiliar to her or her coach, Ron Perry.

Holding the number one ranking in the state and a ranking of third nationally, Lyle will begin a cross-country crusade this weekend that she hopes will take her to the World team trials and provide a possible shot at Olympic competition.

The first stop on Kaci's ambitious itinerary comes this Friday when she sets off for the Cal-Hi State Finals in Stockton. Expected to join Kaci at the state finals as well as on the trip to nationals the following week are fellow Logger wrestlers, Bridigett Sjoquist, See Yang, and Chantel Downing.

"They are all quality wrestlers," said Perry. "Obviously, the expectations for Kaci are very high, but we expect the others to show extremely well also."

Kaci, who compiled a record of 20-17 this year for the Loggers in the 152 pound weight division, has already has accepted a full scholarship to the women's wrestling program at Missouri Valley College. As she did last year, she is expected to coast through the finals in Stockton this weekend. From there, the next stop on the journey for her will take place in Detroit, Mich. the site of the U.S. High School Nationals.

However, making that trip will not be quite as easy. The Eureka High Wrestling Club has spent the last few months in widespread fund raising attempts. According to Perry, the cost to send Kaci and any others to nationals will fall in the vicinity of $3,000.

"To send the girls to all these places, raising the money is going to be everything," said Perry. "It's not until one places in the top three in nationals that things start getting paid for."

Kaci accomplished that feat last year when she placed second in the high school nationals losing her final match by a very close margin. Following the national tournament in Detroit, Kaci will set her bearings for the lights of Las Vegas, the site of the National Open Tournament for girls up to the age of 21.

The top 8 placers in Las Vegas qualify for the world team trials and a possible shot to compete this summer in Sydney as an exhibition event.

Kaci's ranking of third in the nation places her behind Katie Downing, a junior at University of Minnesota--Morris, and Sandra Bacher, a 32-year-old and two-time Olympian in judo.

"She's a great kid and has a great shot to go further than she has in previous years," said Perry.

Those who wish to help Kaci and the other wrestlers' cause, can send donations to the Eureka High Wrestling Club at Eureka High School, 1915 J Street, Eureka, 95501.

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Female wrestler vies for state title
Davison's LaBelle proves formidable in 103-pound class

By David Goricki / The Detroit News

3/9/2000

DETROIT -- No girl has ever been an all-state wrestler in Michigan. But Keristen LaBelle might be about to change that.
LaBelle, a trend-setting sophomore from Davison High School, will wrestle today in the first round of the state wrestling finals at Joe Louis Arena. If she finishes in the top eight of her 103-pound class this weekend, she will achieve all-state honors.

But some believe she will do even better than that.
"I think she can tear up the state at 103 this year," teammate Joe Whitman said. "I expected this (success) out of her."
Said Davison Coach Ron Hall: "Let's look at reality. She's one of the best in the state at wrestling ... boy or girl."
It has been a remarkable year for LaBelle. She has a 50-10 record, including 17 pins, and became the first female to win an individual regional championship two weeks ago. Last week, she helped her team win the Division I team state championship.
With success has come attention. Former tennis star Mary Carillo of HBO interviewed her at home Sunday and at school Monday for a story that will air April 10. A reporter and photographer from USA TODAY were at Davison High on Tuesday.
"It's been real busy. It's pretty cool, but it kind of gets annoying after a while," LaBelle said. "I've never had a point in the season when I said I'm having a great season.' It still won't be a great season if I fall on my face this weekend. I don't think that will happen, though. I have a lot of confidence in myself."
Until this year, only one girl had wrestled in the state finals. Cynthia Harrold of Saginaw Buena Vista competed last year but lost her two matches in the double-elimination format. Two other girls qualified for the finals this year: Caledonia freshman Lynde Baltrusaitis (44-12) and Mason County Central senior Sandra Padnon (23-9). They also will wrestle at 103 pounds, with Baltrusaitis in Division II and Padnon in Division IV.
Last year at Davison, LaBelle was behind two all-state wrestlers -- Shaun Newton and John Whitman -- on the depth chart at 103 so she wrestled at 119 pounds despite weighing just 100. She still finished a respectable 14-15.
"That was hard," said LaBelle, who is 5-foot-3. "I was wrestling people three times my size."
Newton, a senior, and Whitman, a sophomore, returned this season with Whitman being ranked the No. 1 wrestler in the state -- regardless of divisions -- at 103. But LaBelle defeated Whitman, 3-1, and Newton, 2-0, in the first wrestle challenge for the starting spot. Newton (45-7, 112) and Whitman (40-16, 119) also have qualified for the state finals.
LaBelle's older brothers wrestled, but she took a major interest in the sport when watching her father, Steve, help coach a Mid-Michigan Wrestling Association Youth team when she was 10.
"On the way home she said: Dad, I think I can beat those 9- and 10-year-olds. I'd like to give it a try,'" Steve said. "I told her girls don't wrestle against boys. Her mom told me to give her a chance, that she would just get killed and quit. She never quit. She always wanted to get better."
LaBelle was 1-24 competing as an 11-year-old. Steve, a former boxer, helped her get stronger through weightlifting. LaBelle became the first girl MMWA state champion the following year, earning the 11- and 12-year-old title. She has been making a name for herself in the sport ever since.
Write to David Goricki at 615 W. Lafayette Blvd., Detroit 48226.

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Hypocritical Girls Tournaments

From: Boys & Girls Wrestling Coach
Email: mitchell@lancaster.k12.pa.us
Date: 13 Feb 2000
Time: 17:50:28

Comments
I am not sure that you fully understand the requirements of Title IX. I, too, feel that namecalling hides a weak argument, so I must hope that you do not feel that by stating this I have launched some sort of personal attack;it is merely a philosophical difference of opinion.

While Title IX does prohibit gender discrimination in any publicly funded educational setting, this does not mean that a boy should be given the opportunity to compete in a girls' wrestling tournament. The legislation merely requires that anyone should have the right to compete in the sport, or educational program of their interest. It does not state that the opportunity must be together....hence boys and girls track, cross country, tennis, etc. If there are seperate programs for boys and girls an institution is in compliance with Title IX . In areas where school districts have sanctioned varsity girls wrestling programs, the girls can be legally denied the opportunity to compete on the boys' program. Conversely, coaching in a hotbed of field hockey (which,in North America, is a primarily female sport), I have seen several occurances of males being granted the opportunity to compete on girls' teams due to the lack of a male program.

I could only support your premise that boys should be allowed the opportunity to compete in female wrestling tournaments if their high school does not sponsor a team for boys.

I do speak with some knowledge on the subject. I have a Master's Degree in Athletic Administration, and wrote several research articles on Title IX. I have also started a state championship for girls in my homestate...one which privately sponsored and supported by girls and boys!

I would be more than happy to speak more on this topic to anyone that is interested. E-mail me and I can give more information.