Long-Time Gold Medal Camper, Nicole Woody, named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week for July 17-23
- USA Wrestling

Nicole Woody (Odenton, Md./Team Maryland) has been named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week for July 17-23.

Woody made history by winning her fourth career ASICS/Vaughan Women’s Junior National title with an impressive effort at 102 pounds at the FargoDome in Fargo, N.D. on July 23.

Woody, a 2006 Junior World champion, took her fourth Junior Nationals gold medal with a 2-0, 8-1 victory over 2007 FILA Junior Nationals champion Amy Whitbeck of New York.

She was named Outstanding Wrestler in the tournament for her effort, the second time in her career.

Woody won six matches during the tournament, including a technical fall and a pin. She opened the tournament with a 6-0, 6-0 technical fall over 2006 Junior Nationals runner-up Keiko Akamine of Hawaii. In the round-robin in her pool she defeated Sarah Anderson of New York and Camie Yeik of Washington.

She is a graduated senior who will attend Oklahoma City University in the fall. She competes for the New York Athletic Club on the Senior level.

There’s history, there’s novelty, and then there’s championship ability.

Maryland’s Nicole Woody did one, disproved another and excelled at the third as she won her fourth Junior Women’s freestyle National Championship on Monday at the Fargodome in Fargo, N.D.

Woody, a two-period winner over New York’s Amy Whitbeck in the finals at 102 pounds, became the first wrestler in U.S. wrestling history to win four titles at the Junior Women’s level.

“I’ve been waiting for this for four years,” said Woody. “Ever since I stepped out on the mat and I won three years ago. I decided I was going to come back to become the first four-timer.”

She probably won’t have to wait long to have company, as California’s Tatiana Padilla won her third title roughly a half-hour after Woody had her hand hoisted skyward on the raised platform in Fargo.

And Woody didn’t have long to wait for company within the state of Maryland. Teammate Helen Maroulis picked up a fall in the second-period over Utah’s Candace Workman at 109 pounds to give the Old Line State back-to-back champions.

“WOOOOOOOO, WAY TO GO HEL-EN!” bellowed Woody from her post-match interview. “Oh man, that’s great! 100 percent of Maryland’s women’s female wrestlers won nationals.”

Woody had a tougher road to the championship this season with Camie Yeik of Washington and Amy Whitbeck of New York at the weight.

Yeik placed eighth in the Washington 3A state championships this season at 103 pounds, while Whitbeck was the first girl to qualify for the rugged New York State Championships.

Woody, by the way, was the first female state finalist in Maryland history, finishing as the runner-up at 103 pounds in the 4A/3A Division.

“It was a tough weight class,” said Woody. “There were several girls on the Asics team in the weight class. It feels good to win my fourth title and no one can so, ‘Oh you were in a bad weight class’.”

How tough was the weight? Well you had a high school state placewinner (Yeik) finish fifth.

Last year, Woody won her title in dramatic fashion, hitting a spectacular five-point high arching throw.

“I just wanted hit one five-point throw this tournament, but it didn’t happen, but I was more focused on wrestling and actually winning because I wanted to get that title than do fancy stuff,” said Woody.

Maroulis, who has picked up titles this year at the Canada Cup and Body Bar, had been flying under the radar so to speak before her round robin match with Michigan’s C.C. Weber.

“We knew who we had to beat, getting that win just solidified her confidence and she did very well,” said Maryland coach and former NCAA All-American Brandon Lauer. “She hadn’t beaten C.C. yet, and that was a real big win for her.”

Maroulis pointed out the benefit of training with now four-time champion Woody.

“It’s awesome. We’ve been training for months together, since St. Patrick’s Day, and talking about what we wanted to do in the finals and how we were going to train,” said Maroulis. “We’ve broken so many times and we just keep pushing each other.”

And now Maroulis has a rubber chicken to call her own. The chicken is something Team Maryland has tossed to the mat following championship victories in Fargo. Woody has four and Maroulis gives Maryland’s women’s freestyle program a fifth.

“I just wanted to catch it,” said Maroulis.

Lauer believes the pair of titles could be a source of inspiration wrestler in Maryland.

“It gives a lot of hope towards the younger girls that are coming up through the various junior programs and can look up to, someone to idolize and push them to get better and better and maybe get to this point one day,” he said.

Woody was virtually assured the Outstanding Wrestler trophy after winning her historic fourth – and as expected, hoisted the trophy following the completion of the finals.

Padilla was dominant in her 132 pound championship victory over fellow California wrestler Samantha Phillips.

Before the finals, Padilla was named Themat.com/Asics Girls High School Wrestler of the Year.

Alaska’s Michaela Hutchison shared the spotlight with her brother Eli last year as the pair became the first brother-sister combination to win Junior level national titles, and they did it the same year.

“I love this,” said Hutchison of her repeat title, beating California’s Jazzy Green with a fall in 39 seconds. “It’s pretty cool.
I was a little bit more nervous last year, but this year I calmed down a lot more.”

But now, it was Michaela alone that had the spotlight.

“I still like being (known as) Eli’s little sister,” she said.

Also winning a second title was South Carolina’s Brittany Delgado at 190. Delgado picked up a fall over Wisconsin’s Heather Miracle at 1:09 in the second period.

Lakia Henderson of Florida won her second title at 220 pounds, but had to wait a year. She won her first title in 2005 before winning the round robin tournament this year.

Erin Clodgo of Connecticut fell just short of repeating, dropping a 1-1, 0-1, 1-0 decision to Colorado’s Adeline Gray at 146 pounds.

In other finals: Hanna Martin of Oklahoma won the title at 95 pounds, beating Michigan’s Kristi Garr 10-3, 6-0. Randi Betz of Missouri topped Oklahoma’s Ashley Hudson in three periods at 124 pounds. … Veronica Carlson of Illinois beat Marina Picollotti 7-0, 4-0 at 139 pounds, while Michigan’s Page Rife beat Texas Lindsey Brooks at 153.

Puerto Rico crowned its first Junior Women’s champion as Dayanara Rivera beat Texas’ Jami Moore 4-1, 3-1 at 165 pounds.

- By Jason Bryant

Editor’s Note: Helen Maroulis is also a repeat Gold Medal Training Camper who won nationals.