Redmond High School senior Catherine Kelly didn’t get the finish she wanted, but she leaves behind a legacy of achievement unmatched in the Mustangs’ wrestling program. Kelly placed sixth in the 119-pound weight class of the Class 4A girls’ division at Mat Classic XXIII last Saturday at the Tacoma Dome.
Kelly was hoping for a higher finish after placing fourth last year at 112 pounds. But despite falling short of her state goals, she will be remembered as one of the top wrestlers to wear a Mustangs’ singlet. She is one of only a handful of two-time state placers from Redmond and the only wrestler ever to advance to state all three years in the program.
“I’m just so very proud of her,” said Mustang head coach Paul Mullen. “We didn’t wind up where we were aiming for, but for the only girl, the first girl at Redmond, she’s done a tremendous job.”
State newcomer Joe Glass (189), a senior, lost a tough opening-round match 8-6 on a takedown in overtime to Richland’s Mitchell Atwell and rebounded with a narrow 2-1 victory over Snohomish’s Nathan Proffit.
Needing a win to advance to Saturday’s action and earn a medal, Glass got pinned by Kent-Meridian’s Luke Barzie in 1 minute, 41 seconds. Simeon Simov (171), a junior, did not fare as well – getting pinned twice by Kentridge’s Jeff Seid (4:56) and Stanwood’s Kyle Bennet (3:47) – but gained some valuable experience as he will be the Mustangs’ only state returner next year.
“We were hoping to get (Glass) to second day, he wrestled his heart out and was close in that first match,” Mullen said. “Simeon making it here was huge for him.”
ICE AND IBUPROFEN
Kelly’s road to the state title got off to a great start as she pinned Union’s Kira Kelsey midway through in the third round in 3:53, but got derailed in a hurry as she suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to eventual second-place finisher Madeleine Wolczko of Vashon Island.
During that pivotal match, Kelly’s first loss to a girl since last year’s Mat Classic, the hard-nosed senior was forced to play through pain. “(Wolczko) picked up Catherine’s leg, and her leg got trapped… she pounded her down right on the knee she had surgery on in junior high,” Mullen recalled. “It popped and she was in pain.”
With the combination of adrenaline flowing through her veins and still being alive for the state title Kelly wanted so much, she fought hard but could not get a score on the board after Wolczko earned an escape.
“She kept taking shots at her, just couldn’t get a takedown,” Mullen lamented, adding that Kelly felt fine once she rested her knee after Friday’s action ended. “We iced it, and her mom gave her Ibuprofen.”
Kelly, who came back after the injury to rout Roxanne Rosas 15-1, gave no excuses for the loss.
“I got really frustrated and I wasn’t thinking that clearly,” she said. “I didn’t wrestle my match.”
On Saturday, Kelly advanced to the medal podium by defeating Federal Way’s Axa Molina 14-3, before setting for sixth place after a pair of three-point losses, to Kentwood’s Cassidy Meyers 7-4 and Maria Manzueta of Federal Way, 5-2, in the 5th/6th finals.
Kelly had a 2-0 record against Manzueta heading into the finals, but the third time was the charm for the Federal Way senior.
“She’s definitely a solid wrestler, I’ve faced her twice before this and I think she finally figured out how to wrestle me,” said Kelly, who plans to wrestle at the next level and is currently undecided between three colleges. “I hadn’t lost to a girl until this tournament, but it was a lot of good wrestling (preparation) for college. I’m really excited to go to college and wrestle.”
AT THE TOP
As many teams from 4A Kingco got to send just one, or sometimes none, to state, Mullen was happy to get three of his kids to the state stage, and he said he thinks the program is headed in the right direction even as turnout numbers were down across the league.
“We’re going to do some heavy in-school recruiting, trying to get some more bodies in here,” he noted. “I think we’re in a good place.”
As for Kelly, she can finally look back on three solid years of high-school wrestling, hopefully leaving a blueprint of success for future grapplers who want to reach the pinnacle of their sport.
“My best memory was coming in here as a sophomore, looking at this dome and going, ‘Wow, I’m finally here at the top,'” Kelly reminisced. “It’s an awesome feeling.”
While she initially turned many heads for being the first girl in the Mustangs’ program, the boys quickly became acclimated to the gender difference and accepted her for what she was, a tenacious athlete with a stellar work ethic.
“I really don’t know what it’s like to not have Catherine on the team,” said Glass, who came up through the program with Kelly. “Watching girls’ wrestling is interesting, because it’s really not that different (than boys’). She’s just one of us.”
To view and/or purchase action photos of Catherine Kelly wresting at Mat Classic XXIII, visit photographer Matt Campbell’s website at http://www.sportspixs.com/119_girls_2011
