by Ed Shepherd
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Evergreen has started off it's Seamount season in wrestling with a couple losses, first, to Renton, and, now, to Highline, 72-9, but, that's not what, really, is at show here, as, the Wolverines possess some serious, potential, power on this team this season, going forward, even, after the big loss to the visiting Pirates Thursday.

Not just any potential either. girl potential. Or, in other words....
Girl power!

For wrestling, that's usually not the lead headline, girl wrestlers, but, on this White Center school team, it's, definitely, the lead, as, no boys on this year's team went to state last season. But, one girl, 110-pound, Cecilia Vu, did, make state, as, did one other girl, 100-pound Lisa Nguyen, almost make state for the Wolverines, losing at regionals last season.

"They, pretty much, beat every girl wrestler they faced," said Hip Nguyen (no relation to Lisa), the Wolverines wrestling coach.

Nguyen is 1-1 this season, having won a match and lost one at a recent girls tournament.

And, Vu? She's 4-0, undefeated this season. And, she's beat some higher classification wrestlers, too, since the Wolverines are a 3A school, and, the team's wrestlers she beat were from 4A schools, like, Redmond, Foss, and, Puyallup, in a recent tournament.

Neither Wolverines' young lady wrestlers, Vu or Nguyen, wrestled against Highline, as, no girl wrestlers their weight class were able to be matched up with them from the Pirates. And, the whole match, the only points the Wolverines received were six points from a forfeit win, for Daniel Hyunh, at 185 pounds, and, three points from Alex Zamora, at 132, getting an 8-0 minor decision. Zamora's win made the score cut to 24-3 against the Pirates, a momentary reprieve, before Highline won all but the Hyunh forfeit win the rest of the match.

Of Zamora, Coach Nguyen said good words.

"He's good, I'm expecting him to go to state," he said.

Zamora used a strong couple moves throughout his wrestle to get his foe.

'Biggest thing was me being able to turn him over on his back a couple seconds a couple times," said Zamora, who received two near fall points in each of the first three rounds to go with a two-point, takedown, in the first round to explain his points.

Coach Ngyuyen gave praise to his young two ladies, who not only exhibit the most potential, besides, Zamora, but, also lead this team in the most dynamic of ways possible, as co-captains.

The Wolverines are 0-2 to start the season, but, that's not what is dwelled on, the least bit, in Lisa Nguyen's mind.

"We can always improve," said Nguyen. "It's a learning experience. We are all learning from our mistakes."
Nguyen lost a couple tough matches at regionals to end her season just shy of the Tacoma Dome state experience.

"The first match was really close, a couple points," said Nguyen. "The second was close, too, by points."
Tough losses, knowing that state was next. Tough to be at the Tacoma Dome, knowing she was close to making it there herself?
"Yeah," said Nguyen.

But, did she go root her teammate, Vu, on? And, teachers, please, don't listen to this next part.
"Of course,' said Nguyen, laughing. "I skipped school to go watch her."

And, for Vu, who made it to the Tacoma Dome last season, that was a nice feat, in itself, just getting there.
"I am a second year wrestler, I had a rough start to the season, didn't win very much," said Vu.
What changed, so, the improvement came enough to make it to state?

"I showed up to practice every day, hard work, and, good coaching from Hip and (Jon) Scheschy," said Vu, of Coach Nguyen, and, his assistant coach.

And, once at state, it was a rough draw for Vu to start competition against the best wrestlers in her 110-pound weight class in Washington.

"I, actually, wrestled, the state champ, in my first wrestle," said Vu. "Jasmine Pleasance of Thomas Jefferson."
Wasn't pleasant, then?

"No," said Vu, laughing. "She was only a freshman, too."

That taught Vu to keep fighting, though, not be discouraged, and, set a goal for herself in her second state match that, quite likely, was to last longer than the first match one of a pin in round one. And, Vu did just that.

"I lost by points my second match, but, I went all three rounds," said Vu.

And, Vu, had some words to say to her team, and, really, anyone that wants to listen for how to grow up through life as someone going out into the world and doing things to make a life.

"I like that how when you work hard and win, you feel great," said Vu. "Hard work pays off. Like life, you work hard and it's going to pay off at some point. I like wrestling. It's hard. You have to be resilient, and, keep fighting, and, not giving up. And, when your hand is raised for winningt, it's a great feeling."

One other wrestler Coach Nguyen mentioned was Luanna Tupa. She did wrestle, of these three girls, against a Highline wrestler, and lost, but she lost to Mikala Birdseye, who he said is very good.

"It's only Luanna's second match ever," said Coach Nguyen. "She doesn't know it, yet, but, she is going to be a monster. She almost beat a girl that was fifth in the state in a touranment this season. And, she wrestled again today, well, but went up against a very good wrestler with five years experience. And, Mikayla's sister, Emily, who graduated, did well, too."

"We have a young team, 80 percent are first-year wrestlers, but we are going to get better by the end of the season," said Coach Nguyen.

Managers for the Wolverines doing a good job with statistics in matches and practice chores are Amparo Zaldana and Lisiana Cook, who did a good job announcing the wrestlers from each school prior to overall match