Bethel High freshman Liang wise beyond her years
By Matt O'Donnell/Times-Herald/
Posted: 01/17/2012 01:01:13 AM PST
There's not too many athletes with a wrestling resume quite like Ricki Liang.
Before even enrolling in high school, Liang had three individual state championships under her belt. Liang earned those as part of the perennially powerful Springstowne Middle School program.
If last week is any indication, Liang's prep career is about to take off as well. Liang won the 114-pound championship at the Napa Valley tournament on Saturday. She is the Times-Herald Athlete of the Week.
Liang pinned a Sedro Woolley (Wash.) wrestler in the finals and upset No. 1-seeded Jennarose Palma of Vintage, 3-1, in the semifinals.
"I think her greatest strength is her will to win," Bethel coach Mike Sariano said. "She has unbelievable tenacity and wants to beat every opponent. She wants to dominate every position."
The win over Palma, a senior, was especially impressive and the two had known one another since seventh grade as part of the Vallejo PAL wrestling team. Liang said she didn't feel like she knew what to expect since both of them had changed styles since then.
"I just tried to be offensive; I'm usually a defensive wrestler," Liang said. "But she is very offensive too."
Sariano said Liang is never intimidated when facing an upperclassman like Palma.
"We talk to the kids at the beginning of the year and tell the freshmen and sophomores that they may have to wrestle seniors," Sariano said. "They have to wrestle anyone in their weight class."
Liang is 25-2 on the season with the two losses coming to seniors at Bethel's tournament earlier this month.
"I look at it as an opportunity to get better," she said about wrestling older and more experienced athletes.
Liang moved from 118s to 114s for the tournament and said that increased her chances. Her longer-term goal is to place in the top three in state as a freshman.
Her older sister, Frankie, (126) took fifth at the Napa Classic. She won Times-Herald Athlete of the Week earlier this season after a first-place finish at the Roger Briones Invitational in San Leandro. Frankie was the one who encouraged her younger sister to try wrestling in sixth grade.
"They are both very respectful toward each other," Sariano said.
Ricki and Frankie have different wrestling partners at practice. Frankie wrestles against Alyssa Wong while Ricki practices against Camille Bordon and Desire Espena.
Both learned the basics of wrestling at Springstowne. Ricki called winning the state titles "a rewarding experience."
"They really helped me learn the fundamentals of how to wrestle and how to compete," she said. "I got a lot of experience."
Honorable mention
* Royce Anies (Benicia wrestling) reached the finals and took second at the Clayton Valley Invitational.
* Carlos Connerly (North Hills boys basketball) Connerly had a big week as the Golden Eagles picked up two league wins. He scored 16 points and added five steals against Beacon Christian and chipped in 15 points against International Christian.
* Rodney Cook (Bethel boys basketball) Cook had 16 points and six assists in a win over Vanden in the Solano County Athletic Conference opener.
* Taylor Faucett (St. Pat's girls basketball) Faucett scored 15 points and added 12 boards and three steals in a nonleague win over Berean Christian and scored 27 points in a league win over John Swett.
* Tajai Johnson (Vallejo boys basketball) Johnson scored 29 points on Thursday as the Apaches beat Benicia in the league opener.
* Paige Pangelinan (Benicia girls basketball) Pangelinan had 23 points and added 10 boards, four blocks and six 3-pointers as the Panthers routed Vallejo in the league opener.
* Alyssa Wong (Bethel wrestling) Wong won the 132-pound title and was named most outstanding lightweight in the Napa Valley Classic.
Posted: 01/17/2012 01:01:13 AM PST
There's not too many athletes with a wrestling resume quite like Ricki Liang.
Before even enrolling in high school, Liang had three individual state championships under her belt. Liang earned those as part of the perennially powerful Springstowne Middle School program.
If last week is any indication, Liang's prep career is about to take off as well. Liang won the 114-pound championship at the Napa Valley tournament on Saturday. She is the Times-Herald Athlete of the Week.
Liang pinned a Sedro Woolley (Wash.) wrestler in the finals and upset No. 1-seeded Jennarose Palma of Vintage, 3-1, in the semifinals.
"I think her greatest strength is her will to win," Bethel coach Mike Sariano said. "She has unbelievable tenacity and wants to beat every opponent. She wants to dominate every position."
The win over Palma, a senior, was especially impressive and the two had known one another since seventh grade as part of the Vallejo PAL wrestling team. Liang said she didn't feel like she knew what to expect since both of them had changed styles since then.
"I just tried to be offensive; I'm usually a defensive wrestler," Liang said. "But she is very offensive too."
Sariano said Liang is never intimidated when facing an upperclassman like Palma.
"We talk to the kids at the beginning of the year and tell the freshmen and sophomores that they may have to wrestle seniors," Sariano said. "They have to wrestle anyone in their weight class."
Liang is 25-2 on the season with the two losses coming to seniors at Bethel's tournament earlier this month.
"I look at it as an opportunity to get better," she said about wrestling older and more experienced athletes.
Liang moved from 118s to 114s for the tournament and said that increased her chances. Her longer-term goal is to place in the top three in state as a freshman.
Her older sister, Frankie, (126) took fifth at the Napa Classic. She won Times-Herald Athlete of the Week earlier this season after a first-place finish at the Roger Briones Invitational in San Leandro. Frankie was the one who encouraged her younger sister to try wrestling in sixth grade.
"They are both very respectful toward each other," Sariano said.
Ricki and Frankie have different wrestling partners at practice. Frankie wrestles against Alyssa Wong while Ricki practices against Camille Bordon and Desire Espena.
Both learned the basics of wrestling at Springstowne. Ricki called winning the state titles "a rewarding experience."
"They really helped me learn the fundamentals of how to wrestle and how to compete," she said. "I got a lot of experience."
Honorable mention
* Royce Anies (Benicia wrestling) reached the finals and took second at the Clayton Valley Invitational.
* Carlos Connerly (North Hills boys basketball) Connerly had a big week as the Golden Eagles picked up two league wins. He scored 16 points and added five steals against Beacon Christian and chipped in 15 points against International Christian.
* Rodney Cook (Bethel boys basketball) Cook had 16 points and six assists in a win over Vanden in the Solano County Athletic Conference opener.
* Taylor Faucett (St. Pat's girls basketball) Faucett scored 15 points and added 12 boards and three steals in a nonleague win over Berean Christian and scored 27 points in a league win over John Swett.
* Tajai Johnson (Vallejo boys basketball) Johnson scored 29 points on Thursday as the Apaches beat Benicia in the league opener.
* Paige Pangelinan (Benicia girls basketball) Pangelinan had 23 points and added 10 boards, four blocks and six 3-pointers as the Panthers routed Vallejo in the league opener.
* Alyssa Wong (Bethel wrestling) Wong won the 132-pound title and was named most outstanding lightweight in the Napa Valley Classic.
