Tasha Umemoto, 14, has a gift that has made her one of the top girl wrestlers in the nationNa'Tasha Umemoto had a typical passion for a 6-year-old girl: She collected Barbie dolls.
But she also liked to wrestle. Tasha, 47 pounds, enjoyed winning, and if it meant beating boys, so be it.
Her father, Kent Umemoto, figured she would outgrow her wrestling infatuation. Eight years later, Tasha still has the Barbies. And that wrestling phase? It's not over.
In fact, the David Douglas High School freshman has developed into one of the finest girl wrestlers in the United States. And her youthful wrestling resume isn't shabby against boys, either.
When Wayne Snoderly was a high school wrestling star, battling girls wasn't an issue. He won a state championship in 1974 as a David Douglas junior.
Snoderly, in his 10th year coaching David Douglas, said the girl-guy thing has never taken up much of his time. He's had a few girls come out, but none has stuck. Enter Na'Tasha Umemoto, bearing impeccable wrestling credentials at age 14.
"In the room, there is a huge amount of respect for Tasha," Snoderly said. "The guys know what kind of skill she brings to the program. They're not above listening to her for help."
She's gotten off to a quick start, going 6-0 against junior varsity competition. She's lost a number of close challenge matches to freshman Brian Singhai, who has been the Scots' starter for most of the year at 112 pounds. Sincere and straightforward, Singhai has no problem losing his spot to a girl -- if it happens. "I just look at wrestling Tasha as a learning experience," Singhai said. "She has eight years more experience than me, so anything I can gain by wrestling her is great."
Snoderly said her teammates know they might lose to from time to time. "It's going to happen," he said. Umemoto got her first varsity action this past weekend in Dallas. She pinned her first opponent before falling 6-5 and 15-0 at 112 pounds. The one-point defeat came to McNary's Kacey McCallister, who gained national attention by overcoming a tragic accident at age 6 and thriving in multiple sports. McCallister was hit by a truck and lost his legs at the hip.
"I just tried to approach the match like it was any other," said Umemoto of wrestling McCallister. "You couldn't do certain things, of course. Once he got his hands on you, he was very strong."
Umemoto praises her teammates for their support. "I've never felt like an outsider on this team," she said. They are among her biggest cheerleaders.
"When I found out Tasha would be on our team, it was like, 'All right, I can't wait to see her whoop up on boys,' " said Brandon Ely, a junior teammate.
That Umemoto is taking the measure of opponents is hardly new. She became enthralled with the sport at age 6, practicing moves with her brother Michael, a wrestler and 1994 David Douglas graduate.
Start in Cobra Club:
Umemoto got her start at the USA Cobra Wrestling Club in Northeast Portland. Scott Revis has been at Cobra for 15 years, and Umemoto was the first girl he coached."I was somewhat skeptical at first that she would keep coming," Revis said. "But she just kept showing up every day."
Umemoto said she loved the sport from the start, especially the competition. Umemoto also found winning had a warm, fuzzy feel. In her first season in 1994, she placed sixth out of 22 wrestlers in the 50-pound class at the Northwest Collegiate Championships. Revis was sold.
"Tasha has turned out to be as dedicated to the sport as any boy I've coached," Revis said.
Others weren't as amused at the thought of a girl wrestling -- and beating -- boys. Kent Umemoto said he was criticized by some fathers who told him that wrestling was a man's sport, and his daughter was ruining it.
Revis enjoyed Tasha's early success, but he felt for some of her defeated boy opponents.
"Man, I wouldn't have wanted to be some of those kids driving home with their fathers after losing to Tasha, especially some of them from Eastern Oregon," Revis said.
Boys, girls, it doesn't matter to Umemoto. Her love of wrestling has translated into hard work which has resulted in awards. Lots of awards.
A small glimpse at her honors reveals:
* At 10, Umemoto became the first girl to win a state title, taking the 65-pound division in Greco-Roman.
* She's been a two-time U.S. Girls Wrestling Association champion and an AAU women's world champion.
* She is a five-time Oregon Women's Classic champion.
* In the latest U.S. Girls Wrestling Association high school rankings, Umemoto was ranked No. 3 in the 118-pound class.
Of the 112 girls ranked, Umemoto was one of just five freshman listed.At 14, it's no surprise Umemoto doesn't have the rest of her life mapped out. But before she graduates from high school in 2005, Umemoto has a host of her wrestling goals.
Two career goals:
Against girls, she wants to make the U.S. team when wrestling becomes a sport for women in 2004 Olympics at Athens. "That would be so sweet to go to the first Olympics for women," she said. "I can really imagine going."Against boys, she wants to be the first girl to place in the top six of the Oregon Class 4A high school state meet.
Revis thinks Umemoto can achieve both.
"If she keeps working hard at the sport, which I think she will, Tasha can definitely place at the Oregon meet and go to the Olympics," Revis said. Most think the high school goal will be tougher to earn.
Last year, Shoni Plagmann of Lebanon and Lacey Crabb of Estacada became the first girls ever to qualify for the state championships at the 4A and 3A levels, respectively. The seniors went 0-2 at the state. "It's likely not going to happen this year," said Umemoto of placing at the state. "But in the future? I think I can do it."
Most observers think reaching such lofty status will largely depend on two things: Umemoto improving her strength and keeping her weight down.
"She's not the normal girl you see trying to wrestle boys," said Gresham coach Randy Williams. "She has so much technical ability. Beating her in the future will become a big deal for other wrestlers."
Sound skills, father says On her feet, Umemoto can compete and thrive against most high school boys in the state.
"She has as sound of wrestling skills as any kid you will find in high school," said Kent Umemoto. A contractor, Umemoto has coached and officiated wrestling. He is also the director of the Oregon Women's Wrestling Division. Umemoto knows what pitfalls await his daughter wrestling boys at the high school level.
"Strength is a big issue and will become more so if she grows much," said Kent Umemoto.
Wrestling experts agree that the heavier the weight class, the more the discrepancy between boy and girl wrestlers grows. Lacey Crabb (103) and Shoni Plagmann (112) shook up the state last year in the two lightest weight classes.
Tualatin sophomore Sammi Lang is the No. 1 ranked girl high school wrestler in the country at 165 pounds. She holds the same goals as Umemoto: making the first Olympic team for women and placing at the state meet against boys.
"Tasha better hurry up and place at the state, because I'm going to beat her to it," said Lang.
Beating girls is one thing, but defeating top-notch boy opponents is another. Earlier this season, Ely, Tasha's David Douglas teammate, thumped Lang 20-8. "Before the match, Tasha told me I was wrestling a girl," said Ely, who placed second at the 92-team Reno Tournament in December. "She was pretty tough. I was impressed."
But in the same breath, Ely acknowledged, "It would be pretty tough to lose to a girl."
That's the rub. While Umemoto, Lang and other standout girl wrestlers are trying to make history, boys are often just trying to save face.
"They (boys) have nothing to gain by wrestling Tasha," Kent Umemoto said. "It might always be that way."
Bob Lee has dealt with the girl-boy scenario at the middle school level. Parkrose High School's wrestling coach has great respect for Umemoto's skill, but to make the situation right, he said, "We need a like program at the high school level for girls."
Whatever inroads she makes against boy wrestlers, it probably will end once Umemoto graduates from high school. Umemoto wants to wrestle in college, where 15 schools currently offer women's programs, including Pacific University in Forest Grove.
To Na'Tasha Umemoto, it's not a boy-girl issue. It's just about the sport. "Every match, whether it's against a guy or a girl, I just go out and wrestle," Umemoto said. "I'm just out on the mat to take care of business."
