Defending 180-pound gold medalist Justin Stokes of Seoul American uses a shoulder throw to fling Andrew Blankenship of Robert D. Edgren to the mat during Wednesday's individual free-style pool-play bouts in the 2008 DODDS-Pacific Far East High School Wrestling Tournament at Foster Field House, Foster Athletics Complex, Camp Foster, Okinawa. Stokes won the 180-pound bout by decision 2-0 (3-0, 1-0 overtime clinch). (Dave Ornauer / S&S)
Defending 180-pound gold medalist Justin Stokes of Seoul American uses a shoulder throw to fling Andrew Blankenship of Robert D. Edgren to the mat during Wednesday's individual free-style pool-play bouts in the 2008 DODDS-Pacific Far East High School Wrestling Tournament at Foster Field House, Foster Athletics Complex, Camp Foster, Okinawa. Stokes won the 180-pound bout by decision 2-0 (3-0, 1-0 overtime clinch). (Dave Ornauer / S&S)
Alex Suh of Seoul American secures El Kim Yoon of Daegu American in a head-in-arm hold during Thursday's 108-pound bout in the individual freestyle portion of the 2008 DODDS-Pacific Far East High School Wrestling Tournament at Foster Field House, Foster Athletics Complex, Camp Foster, Okinawa. Suh pinned Yoon in 1 minute, 24 seconds. (Dave Ornauer / S&S)
Alyssa Rodriguez, right, of Robert D. Edgren can't quite complete a leg-lace tilt on Geoffrey Furner of Seoul American during Thursday's 101-pound bout in the individual freestyle portion of the 2008 DODDS-Pacific Far East High School Wrestling Tournament at Foster Field House, Foster Athletics Complex, Camp Foster, Okinawa. Furner outlasted Rodriguez 2-1 (2-1, 3-5, 2-1). (Dave Ornauer / S&S)
Emily Albonetti of Osan American, left, tries to lock in a cradle on Champaigne Tatman of Robert D. Edgren during Thursday's 108-pound bout in the individual freestyle portion of the 2008 DODDS-Pacific Far East High School Wrestling Tournament at Foster Field House, Foster Athletics Complex, Camp Foster, Okinawa. Albonetti won by pin in 2 minutes, 31 seconds. It was the first time two girls faced each other in a Far East tournament, the first time a girl won a Far East tournament bout, and Albonetti can do no worse than sixth place at 108 pounds, making her the first girl to earn team points in a Far East tournament. (Dave Ornauer / S&S)
Tim Hernandez of Guam High secures a head-in-arm hold on Abraham Park of Seoul American during Thursday's 158-pound bout in the individual freestyle portion of the 2008 DODDS-Pacific Far East High School Wrestling Tournament at Foster Field House, Foster Athletics Complex, Camp Foster, Okinawa. Hernandez beat Park by decision 2-0 (11-2, 7-3). (Dave Ornauer / S&S)
Emily Albonetti wrapped up her opponent Champaigne Tatman in a side cradle, angling her shoulders toward the mat.
Whap! The referee’s hand slapped the mat, ending the bout in 2 minutes, 31 seconds — and turned Albonetti into a history maker.
The Osan American senior 108-pounder on Thursday became the first girl to win a bout in a DODDS-Pacific Far East High School Wrestling Tournament. Girls have wrestled in Far East tournaments since 1999.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” Albonetti said. “I’m so excited.”
She and Tatman became the first girls ever to face off in a Far East tournament bout. And in winning, Albonetti ensured she would finish no worse than sixth place in her weight group, and become the first female to earn points for her team at Far East.
Albonetti surged ahead 6-0 in the first period, tilting Tatman twice for two points each. But Tatman rallied and finished just two points behind Albonetti, 8-6, in the period.
The second period was all Albonetti, who tied up Tatman with the cradle and finished her off in short order.
“Right now, I’m happy for helping the team,” Albonetti said. “But in the long run, I’m excited knowing my place in history.”
“I was nervous,” Tatman said. “I’m not used to wrestling girls. I just wrestle [teammate] Alyssa [Rodriguez] in practice, and that’s it.”
Though disappointed with the outcome, Tatman said she was “happy about my part of it.”
None of the other four girls wrestling at Far East this year won any bouts. Rodriguez was eliminated in two bouts at 101 pounds, as were Sofia Hemmer (141) and Jordan Phillipe (115) of Osan. Kadena’s Shelby Gillas did not make weight at 101 pounds.
“Groups of death”: Wrestlers and coaches voiced the opinion Thursday that the 122-pound and 158-pound weight classes were the toughest in the tournament.
“Groups of death,” Yokota coach Brian Kitts labeled them.
The records of wrestlers in each group spoke for themselves:
The 122-pound lineup featured a slew of league champions and other competitive types, such as Craig Bell of E.J. King, Robert Rodell of Yokota, Daegu American’s Nicko Kim, Edgren’s Matt Eberhart, Guam High’s R.J. Lopez and Kubasaki’s Josh Bales.
“They’re tough,” Kim said of Bales, Lopez and Bell in particular. “In a group like this, it’s anybody’s ballgame. If I wrestle right, I know I can take any of them.”
The 158-pound group included such standouts as Kanto Plain champion Tony Presnell of Yokota, Okinawa champion Cody Cash, unbeaten Tim Hernandez of Guam High and Kenneth Radford of Edgren, with just one regular-season loss in 20 bouts.
“Cash is the best wrestler I’ve seen in a long time,” Presnell said after outlasting Cash 2-0. “Hernandez, his throws and upper body strength, you don’t see that in Kanto. Whoever comes out and wins 158 should be named Outstanding Wrestler.”
