Wrestling: Flores gets last laugh

LOS BANOS -- Amanda Hendey has the California state wrestling championship and a long history of beating Los Banos' Mabel Flores.

But Flores has something her archrival doesn't: the last laugh.

The Los Banos senior-to-be was named All-American after beating Hendey in the third-place match of the 139-pound weight class at the USA Women's Junior Nationals in Fargo, N.D. last weekend.

"I just woke up that day knowing I was going to win," Flores said. "I knew I had to be aggressive and go after it. I just went to work as soon as I got onto the mat."

Flores went 4-2 in the tournament, beating opponents from all corners of the map. However, nothing compared to turning away a teammate.

Hendey had bested Flores four times in the last year, including twice in state competitions.

Flores finally caught her, beating Hendey -- a Southern California native and two-time national tournament runnerup -- in stunning, decisive fashion.

"I always psyched myself out when I wrestled her for no apparent reason," Flores said.

"Over in Fargo, I realized she's like any wrestler. She's good, but she's just about the same as everyone else."

In freestyle competition, victories are decided by the number of periods won. Flores took control of the match from the outset, winning the first period 4-1. A takedown in the second sealed the victory, ruling out a third period.

"What's even bigger than that, she qualifies as a junior team member to represent the U.S. -- if she chooses to pursue that," said Los Banos wrestling coach Josh Adams, who tracked Flores' tournament run from home.

"She's on an Olympic track. In other countries, and even here in the U.S., we talk about the Junior Olympics and athletes training with a goal in mind and training for 2012 or 2016. Now she's headed in that direction. It's pretty exciting for her."

Flores, a defensive wrestler, has come into her own since the high school season ended in March -- her first as a varsity letterwinner.

As the warm temperatures and sunshine beckoned her friends and classmates outside, Mabel remained in the wrestling and weight rooms.

She never stopped training, lifting or sweating.

The three-sport athlete competed in freestyle and Greco-Roman competitions in the spring and trained with the San Joaquin Wrestling Association duals team, a collection of high school all-stars from Merced to Stockton.

"It's mostly guys," Adams said, "but Mabel went in there for practice and scrapped it out with the best ones, holding her own in there."

The training showed in Fargo. Competitors arrived a week ahead of the tournament for a camp run by the junior national coaching fraternity.

As she looked around the facility at all the red faces, Mabel realized she was among the most physically fit wrestlers in attendance.

Her confidence surged, Adams said.

"That was a big advantage going into the tournament," he added.

Flores began the tournament with a 1-0, 2-0 victory over New York's Ruth Leger.

After a pinfall loss to Pennsylvania's Kasey Kruczek, Flores put herself in position to medal with two consecutive wins over Michigan's Brooke Martin (2-2. 4-0) and Florida's Haylee Childs (3-2, 1-4, 3-2).

A loss to eventual runnerup Tamyra Mensah of Texas set up a showdown with Hendey in the third-place match.

James Burns is managing editor/sports editor of the Sun-Star. He can be reached at jburns@mercedsun-star.com.