Bethel grappler Hoover pins hopes on title
Hoover prepares for Section title meet
By Jose San Mateo
Posted: 02/02/2010 01:03:37 AM PST
Alice Hoover
Bethel High wrestler Alice Hoover does not have many matches left in her senior season, but that has not stopped her from trying to make the most of the time she has left.
Hoover earned the Times-Herald Athlete of the week after her third place finish at the California State Girls Wrestling tournament, but her expectations were a championship after a second-place finish at the tournament as a junior.
"I was sad when I lost that one match but I got third so it's still good," Hoover said. "The girl who beat me was really strong. I'm happy with what I did."
Hoover was on a roll before she even stepped on the mat for her semifinal match. She pinned her first three opponents before running up against Samantha Lopez, last year's state champion out of West Covina.
"She knew it was going to be a difficult state tournament," said Bethel coach Mike Sariano. "There are a lot of quality girls wrestlers."Hoover was pinned for the first time all season, ending her run at the state championship, but she bounced back from the emotional loss to win her final two consolation matches and place third in the tournament.
"That semifinal loss, it took tough mental attitude to bounce back," Sariano said. "She was dominating in those matches."
The Jaguars head to McNair on Friday to wrestle in the Sac-Joaquin Section tournament next weekend, a meet that Hoover missed due to injury last year, but she expects to be ready to go for the tournament this year.
"I was sad and it hurt I wasn't able to reach my goal (at state). But at times like that you have to re-establish yourself," Hoover said. "It was hard to brush it off because it's my senior year. But since it is my last year I want to do the best I can."
Reach Jose San Mateo at [email protected] or (707) 553-6822.
By Jose San Mateo
Posted: 02/02/2010 01:03:37 AM PST
Alice Hoover
Bethel High wrestler Alice Hoover does not have many matches left in her senior season, but that has not stopped her from trying to make the most of the time she has left.
Hoover earned the Times-Herald Athlete of the week after her third place finish at the California State Girls Wrestling tournament, but her expectations were a championship after a second-place finish at the tournament as a junior.
"I was sad when I lost that one match but I got third so it's still good," Hoover said. "The girl who beat me was really strong. I'm happy with what I did."
Hoover was on a roll before she even stepped on the mat for her semifinal match. She pinned her first three opponents before running up against Samantha Lopez, last year's state champion out of West Covina.
"She knew it was going to be a difficult state tournament," said Bethel coach Mike Sariano. "There are a lot of quality girls wrestlers."Hoover was pinned for the first time all season, ending her run at the state championship, but she bounced back from the emotional loss to win her final two consolation matches and place third in the tournament.
"That semifinal loss, it took tough mental attitude to bounce back," Sariano said. "She was dominating in those matches."
The Jaguars head to McNair on Friday to wrestle in the Sac-Joaquin Section tournament next weekend, a meet that Hoover missed due to injury last year, but she expects to be ready to go for the tournament this year.
"I was sad and it hurt I wasn't able to reach my goal (at state). But at times like that you have to re-establish yourself," Hoover said. "It was hard to brush it off because it's my senior year. But since it is my last year I want to do the best I can."
Reach Jose San Mateo at [email protected] or (707) 553-6822.
