Andres NanezWRESTLING
HEIDELBERG
Last week: Last week: Nanez, a senior who placed third in Europe at 145 pounds last year in his first season as a wrestler, completed an unbeaten campaign at that weight Saturday by winning the South Sectional qualifying tournament at Vicenza, Italy. According to his coach, Jason Duckworth, Nanez, who will take an 18-0 mark into his opening match Friday at the two-day European championships at Wiesbaden Army Airfield, posted three falls and a major decision in winning the sectional. “As you might imagine,” Duckworth said Tuesday in an e-mail, “he is a very hard worker and very disciplined.” Nanez possess other assets that helped him rise so far, so fast. “He’s got a martial-arts background,” Duckworth said. “He’s got good body control and is dominating on the mat. He’s given up fewer than 16 points all season.” Most of those points, however, were erased when Nanez posted one of his 12 falls in 18 bouts this season. “He’s a coach’s dream on and off the mat,” Duckworth concluded.
Emily CartwrightBASKETBALLAVIANO
Last week: Last week: Cartwright, a 5-foot-8 senior forward, scored 16 points Saturday to help the visiting Lady Saints earn a 60-30 victory over the American Overseas School of Rome and claim the American Schools in Italy League (DODDS’ Region IV) championship. “Emily Cartwright is the glue that holds our team together,” Aviano coach Michael Williams said Monday in an e-mail after Cartwright’s scoring and defense helped Aviano rebound from its first loss of the season, 44-40 on Friday at AOSR. “She rebounds, plays defense, gives out assists and when needed scores baskets to close out games when others fear making mistakes.” Saturday’s victory was essential to a fourth-straight ASIL crown for Aviano. A second loss would have allowed AOSR to tie the Lady Saints. Williams reported that Cartwight’s defensive work on AOSR’s high-scoring Martina Mannozzi was key to his team’s success on Saturday. Mannozzi, who scored 27 points on Friday, managed just 20 points on Saturday, most of them long after Aviano’s 27-11 first-half run had put the game away.
Selected by Stars and Stripes staff