YVCC’s women’s wrestlers make history

YAKIMA, Wash. — For Mike Schmitt, the idea was borne of desperation.

For Rachel Segura, it represented something new.

And for Bob Spain, it was a way to preserve something old and very dear to his heart, something he himself had started almost 20 years ago.

One thing the Yakima Valley Community College women’s wrestling team did not evolve from was a master plan. To the contrary, it resulted from Schmitt’s initial, 11th-hour attempt to save the Yaks men’s program, which during the winter of 2008 was on the college administration’s chopping block.

Tamika Jones jumps on the back of teammate Katelyn Marks as she celebrates the first win ever for the Yakima Valley Community College women's wrestling team in a Nov. 15, 2008 match against Pacific University. This was the first year for the women's team which saw women come and go throughout the first months of the program causing turmoil for coaches and remaining team members. Jones was one of the first wrestlers to join the team; Marks wrestled only one match for the team and never returned. Jones went on to win the 103-pound national championship and the YVCC team won the national collegiate women's team title. (Gordon King/Yakima Herald-Republic)

During a board of trustees meeting in January to discuss that very matter, co-coach Schmitt implored his superiors to “think outside the box” in an effort to save YVCC wrestling.

When they didn’t, he did.

Since the impetus for eliminating the program stemmed from the college’s struggle to resolve a complaint regarding Title IX, a federal law banning sex discrimination in schools, Schmitt figured the most logical solution was, so to speak, to fight fire with fire.

Instead of eliminating a men’s team, he reasoned, why not add women to it?

Schmitt and Tito Pimentel, the program’s other coach, were notified by YVCC administrator Tomas Ybarra that a recommendation would soon be made to the trustees to stop the program at the end of the 2008-09 season and replace it with women’s cross country, so he had to act quickly.

“I spent six and a half days on the computer doing research,” he said. “When Tito and I heard about the proposal, we were shocked. But I learned a ton about women’s wrestling and a ton about Title IX.”

His impassioned presentation at the next trustees meeting, apparently prompted several members to consider the possibility of adding women to the team. They agreed to postpone a decision until the next scheduled meeting in March.

By that time, when the proposal was made it didn’t receive a second. There was not even a vote.

Still, Yakima Valley wrestling was not out of the woods and women were not yet on the team. And while skepticism continued late into the spring, the program was officially expanded on June 11.

There had been concern about financing the addition, but that was mostly alleviated by a $5,000 donation from the Parker Youth and Sports Foundation.

Spain, meanwhile, had been appreciative of Schmitt’s efforts but was still doubtful early on.

“At the time, I honestly didn’t think there was any conceivable way to save the wrestling program,” said Spain, who introduced wrestling as a college club sport during the 1989-90 school year and saw it reach varsity status in 1990-91. Spain was YVCC’s coach through the 1997-98 season.

“I thought Mike was grasping at straws. But then I went over to the state (high school) tournament and went down to where the girls were wrestling.

Coach Tito Pimentel coaches the YVCCC women's wrestling team at its last practice before leaving March 10, 2009 for the national junior college wrestling tournament in Virginia. Four days later, the women won the national title. (Gordon King/Yakima Herald-Republic)

“To be honest, I’ve never been in favor of women wrestling men. But at that tournament I saw the level of competition and commitment of the girls who were wrestling, and also the skill level. And I said to myself, ‘This is for real.’”

Segura, meanwhile, had followed the story from a distance.

A former volleyball, basketball and track and field athlete at Eisenhower, she was a YVCC student who was attracted initially by an opportunity to be a college athletic pioneer.

“The main reason I wanted to do it was it was women’s wrestling here for the first time ever, and because it was different,” she said. “When I heard about it, I said, ‘Dude, I’m down. I want to wrestle.’”

Then one day Segura’s hopes took wing when, on her way through the Sherar Gym foyer, something got her attention.

“I looked over and noticed a (wrestling) roster that had women’s names on it,” she said. “I said, ‘Wait a minute, those are females on that list.’ So then I found out when practice was, I met with coach Mike and coach Tito and then some of the girls.

“I told them, ‘I’ll be back tomorrow night.’ And the first practice, I fell in love with the sport.”