Oscar reading the Why did you name me Javier poem

 
 













Why did you name me Javier, Dad?


Why did you name me Javier, Dad?
My son Javier was asking me this question
As we were driving home from his T-Ball game

“Can I change my name when I get older? ”

Each one of my three other children
has asked me the same question
when they were about five or six years old.

My oldest son, Diego asked me one night
When I was reading him a go to bed book.
Why was I named Diego Jesus Marjil Barbosa-Mireles?
I informed him, as my first child, in which Imy wife let me pick the name,
That he was named
After the famous Mexican Muralist, Diego Rivera
And found out later,
that my Diego was born almost on the same day as his namesake,
100 years, minus one day.
He was named Jesus, after my older brother
Whom I never thought would have children
And named Marjil, after my grandfather.

But he was not impressed,
He still thought I should have probably named him
Bill, or Tom or another name that doesn’t take too much space.
And no one would notice the first day of school

Sergio Andres, my second oldest son,
Asked me the same question, when I was try to get him out of the bathtub
He said that the kids had a hard time saying his name and
Came up with words like Surgery and Sergio Valente
And words we can’t say in a family style poem
Finally he said “Didn’t you know any English names Dad? ”
I told him his mother and I purposely
picked Spanish names that could not be easily changed to English ones
Like Carlos to Chuck, Juan to John and José to Joe.

But when my daughter Lorena Pilar
asked me right before I had fallen asleep trying to read to her
Why she named her Lorena.
I told her that it was the most beautiful name
I could ever think of

and why would she want to be
one of the thousands of Jessica’s or Amber’s or Tiffany’s
she was very hurt and thought I was punishing her
or something

which gets us back to my youngest son Javier,
who was initially named Oscar Javier
but after less than 24 hours of repeatedly hearing
“little Oscar” “little Oscar” Little Oscar”
in the nursery room of the Hospital

my wife and I agreed that we would not subject him to 20 years of that
so we switched his name to Javier Oscar

and I was ready to give my personal cultural pride speech
to my six year old and was about to open my mouth wide with advice
when suddenly I got this inspiration, this imspiration
to keep quiet and say nothing
and listen to what my son had to say

“you know Dad,
I want to change my name when I get older
to Oscar,
so I can be more like you…”








Why did you name me Javier Dad…Part 2

A couple of years ago
I wrote a poem titled
“Why did you name me Javier… Dad?”
which looked at the meanings behind
my four children’s names
which was complicated by the fact
that they had latino names
and we lived in Madison Wisconsin

Diego Jesus Marjil Mireles
has become Colombicano
his screen name for instant messaging
it stands for half Colombian
and half Chicano
and it stands out
in a virtual world of names
like monkeylover
peppills and whokilledkenny

Lorena Pilar Barbosa-Mireles
Has become ChicanaHottie27
I can figure the Chicana part fairly easy
I am not even going to touch the “hottie” thing
The number 27 gets a little more confusing
Since she is only 15 years old
But was born on the 27th of the month

Javier Oscar Barbosa-Mireles
has never been called Junior
or Oscar the second
just Javy or
Chavs by his brother Diego
His screen name is ChicanoPlaya25
Which at 12 years old
Is a lot to live up to

Sergio Andres Barbosa-Mireles
Goes by the name of Pimpasmurff
Which I think he first signed on at in 6th grade
He has been too lazy to change it
or I think he only hears the pimping part
plus he forgot the smurffs are blue little creatures
from the Saturday morning cartoon scene

So as I tally up the score
three of my four children
have self-identified an unmistakeable latino name
in cyberspace
to let others know
who they are,
and where they came from

In this era
of blending in, and forgetting why
They have stepped back
reached inside
for something as simple
as a name

Oscar Mireles reading the Eyewitness poem

 
 














Eyewitness

My brother Junior didn’t remember
what happened last weekend
when he first opened the front door

Omero and Charley entered in
with drunken laughter
talking about Janie’s
hot cousin from Kenosha

Not aware that an ambush
was awaiting them
above loud voices
playing poker
in a grimy crowded kitchen

Suddenly,
spindly card tables overturns
green money and yellow screams
fly about as
dark fists race angry faces
for the best angle

Crazily
a gun
not aimed at anyone
went off
Charly is stuck in the way

His brown eye
shattered red
on his shirt
on the floor

His dreams
lay still
underneath the sunglasses
left on the carpet

Oscar Mireles performing his Elvis Presley was a Chicano Poem

 
 















Elvis Presley was a Chicano

In the latest edition
of the National Inquirer
it was revealed that
Elvis Presley,
Yes…the legendary Elvis
was a Chicano

Fans were outraged
critics cite his heritage
as an important influence
I was stunned
Can you believe it?

Well…I didn’t really at first
but then I remembered…
his jet back hair
you know with the little curl in front
sort of reminded me of my cousin “Chuy”

Elvis always wore
either those tight black pants
like the ones in West Side Story
or a baggy pinstriped Zoot Suit
Pachuco Style
with a pair of blue suede shoes to match

Then I figured no, it couldn’t be
So I traced his story back to his hometown
a little pueblo outside Tupelo, Mississippi
s son of migrant sharecroppers
looking for a way out
of rural poverty

Let’s see… Elvis joined the army
Maybe he enlisted with his “buddies”
They never made a movie about it
But they fought hard anyways

I read somewhere that Chicanos
have won more Silver Stars
and Purple Hearts then any other ethnic group
Maybe Elvis was a Chicano
I wasn’t convinced yet!

Elvis was a Swooner, a dancer, a ladies man
and always won the girl
that hated him
in the beginning of the movie
he had to be a latin lover or something
even Valentino and Sinatra has a little Italian in them

Elvis played guitar
like my Uncle Carlos,
always hitting the same four notes
over and over again

But now, I think I have figured it out
It was probably that Colonel Parkers idea
to change his cultural identity,
since it was just after the second big war
and the Zoot Suit Riots

it wasn’t the right time
for a Chicano Superstar
to be pelvising around
the Ed Sullivan Show,
late on a Sunday night

I think is was just a hoax,
to convince more people to buy that newspaper

If Elvis Presley really
was a Chicano
He wouldn’t have settled
to die alone,
in an empty mansion

With no family around,
No “familia” around

Who cared enough
to cry

Barb Berling and Oscar Mireles after the reading

 
 














Lost and Found Language

It started in 1949, when my oldest brother
came home from school in Racine, Wisconsin
after flunking kindergarten
It said in his report card that he 'spoke no English'
and he declared to my parents
that 'the rest of the kids have to learn to speak English
if we planned on staying here in the United States.'

so my parents lined up
the rest of the seven younger children
had us straighten up our posture
tilt our heads back
reached into our mouths with their hands
and took turns
slicing our tongues in half

making a simple, but unspoken contract that from then on
the parents would speak Spanish and their children would respond
back only in English

How do you lose a native language? does it get misplaced
in the recesses of your brain? or does it never quite stick
to the sides of your mind?

for me, it would always start with the question
from a brown faced stranger 'hables espanol? '
which means 'do you speak spanish? '

which meant if they had to ask me
if I spoke Spanish this was not going to be a good start
at having a conversation...

my face would start to get flushed
with redness and before
I had a chance to stammer the words 'I don't'
I could see it in their eyes looking at my embarrassed face
searching for an answer that they already knew

as I walked away
I knew what they were thinking
'Who is this guy? '
'How can he not speak his mother's tongue? '
'Where did he grow up anyways? Racine?
'Doesn't he have any pride in knowing who he is? 'or 'Where he came from? '
I tried to reply, but as the words in Spanish
floated down from my brain they got caught in my throat,
by the rocks of shame I had piled up in 20 years.
I spoke in half-tongue which was only good enough
to be misunderstood.

my future wife
taught me how
to speak spanish
mainly
by being Colombian
and secondly
by being patient
and thirdly
by not speaking english

I had already knew
the language of hands and love
which got me confident enough
to find the beautiful sounds of latin rhythms
that laid deep within me

and although
I still feel my heart jump a beat
when someone asks 'hables espanol? '
now the spanish resonates within me
and echos back 'si, y usted tambien? '

and today as I talk with the spanish speaking students
in my adult education classes
they can not only hear my mind
splash ancient spanish sounds off
my heart
but feel my words

my native tongue
once cut by my parents
out of necessity and survival
my half tongue
has finally grown back making me whole again.

Latino Writers Oscar Mireles, Luana Montiero and Ruben Medina performed at the Overture Center

 
 












Atolle

Every single morning
during my childhood
or so it seemed we would have
atolle, an mexican style oatmeal swimming inside
a large silvery pot with twin ear handles
squatted directly on top of the stove

red and yellow gas flames licking the lower sides of the base
as if the kettle were trying to tickle itself
into a heated frenzy

we never ate ice cold milk
poured into a wooden bowl waiting for a load of
dry mouth cereal laced with sugar
to sweeten up the start of another day

and the only time
we were supposed to eat
krusty kreme donuts
to nourish our bodies for the day
we got stuck instead with
day old pan dulce, mexican sweet bread
which was neither sweet
nor resembled a krusty kreme

and even when we had those
very special meat filled days
of mexican sausage or chorizo
mixing its red blood stained juices
with farm fresh yellow strips of eggs
and creating delicious chunks of meat-filled scrambled
to wrap your hot tortilla around

the next day was always… oatmeal atolle oatmeal atolle

“I hate atolle,

and eating oatmeal
this cold March morning in upstate Vermont
I had all but forgotten
winter school days waking up in Wisconsin.
when atolle cooking
arose those warm chest feelings
that simmered around my body hugging my insides.
It smells just like yesterday

My older brother Jesus said
the smell of ripe onions
always reminded him of summer

We’d start working early
in the six a.m. dark
on the Horner farm in Southern Wisconsin
while the dirt was still wet
from the sprinkled dew

rows of the bald white onions rested
beneath the soft soil we were told to pick them up
by the neck the way a cat
carries her litter

Shake the dirt off there round backs being careful not to tear
their long green ribbons

At fifteen cents a bushel
we thought we were smart
until we were caught trying to hide
large clumps of soil
near the bottom of the bushel basket
to make it fill easier.

Around eleven o’clock we became tired,
my father would say “this row here, will be the last one today”
so we would try to hurry and finish only to find

his story would change as we neared the row’s end
it doesn’t pay to work half a day

when I was twelve, my father told me
“this summer… this summer…. will be the last”
with a quarter squeezed in my hand
and a dirt-crusted smile on my face
I knew he was right

Years later
we drove on Highway 31, past the Horner farm
my father took a long glance out the car window
and said
back there back there near the corn bin is where I stayed
when I didn’t know better
Lost and Found Language

It started in 1949, when my oldest brother
came home from school in Racine, Wisconsin
after flunking kindergarten
It said in his report card that he 'spoke no English'
and he declared to my parents
that 'the rest of the kids have to learn to speak English
if we planned on staying here in the United States.'

so my parents lined up
the rest of the seven younger children
had us straighten up our posture
tilt our heads back
reached into our mouths with their hands
and took turns
slicing our tongues in half

making a simple, but unspoken contract that from then on
the parents would speak Spanish and their children would respond
back only in English

How do you lose a native language? does it get misplaced
in the recesses of your brain? or does it never quite stick
to the sides of your mind?

for me, it would always start with the question
from a brown faced stranger 'hables espanol? '
which means 'do you speak spanish? '

which meant if they had to ask me
if I spoke Spanish this was not going to be a good start
at having a conversation...

my face would start to get flushed
with redness and before
I had a chance to stammer the words 'I don't'
I could see it in their eyes looking at my embarrassed face
searching for an answer that they already knew

as I walked away
I knew what they were thinking
'Who is this guy? '
'How can he not speak his mother's tongue? '
'Where did he grow up anyways? Racine?
'Doesn't he have any pride in knowing who he is? 'or 'Where he came from? '
I tried to reply, but as the words in Spanish
floated down from my brain they got caught in my throat,
by the rocks of shame I had piled up in 20 years.
I spoke in half-tongue which was only good enough
to be misunderstood.

my future wife
taught me how
to speak spanish
mainly
by being Colombian
and secondly
by being patient
and thirdly
by not speaking english

I had already knew
the language of hands and love
which got me confident enough
to find the beautiful sounds of latin rhythms
that laid deep within me

and although
I still feel my heart jump a beat
when someone asks 'hables espanol? '
now the spanish resonates within me
and echos back 'si, y usted tambien? '

and today as I talk with the spanish speaking students
in my adult education classes
they can not only hear my mind
splash ancient spanish sounds off
my heart
but feel my words

my native tongue
once cut by my parents
out of necessity and survival
my half tongue
has finally grown back making me whole again.






Assassination Day

In the seventh grade in 1967,
playing football on the school playground
I heard that
Martin Luther King Jr.
had been assassinated,

Some kids cried,
other students didn’t know what to feel
I felt a little sad.

I headed up to the third floor classroom
for my fourth period class
at Washington Junior High School,
I realized I had to step it up a bit
cause I was running late

As I turned the corner and
shot up the final set of stairs
I saw an unfamiliar black face

standing like King Kong
at the top of the stairwell
with his eyes swinging
as wildly as both his arms
screaming
and hitting people
as they walked up those steps

I was about to turn around
When I realized
that I did not have enough time to go
around the second floor detour
without being late.. for class
again

I continued to march up those thirteen steps
I could see some students
begin to shift their whole bodies
slightly to the left
leading with the right shoulder
as if
to provide a target
for the attacker
to aim for besides their face

Other students decided
to take the hit
head on
directly in the middle of their chest,
their pummeled bodies flying
as if hit by the thick force
of water from a fire hydrant

I could hear him screaming
“they killed him,
you killed him,
they killed him! ”

As I took another
cautious step forward
I snuck a quick peek at his face,

I knew everyone in the school
and I confirmed to myself,
that he was not a student
but before my eyes left his face
I made a startling discovery
I saw a tear appear on his cheek

he was crying
he was crying
but kept punching
and swinging
not one of the students said anything
when they got hit,
they just released a “umph”
almost being careful
not to let out a sound
to warn other students

And the students held in
their tears too
clutched in between their
clenched prayer fists
hands into fingers

At this point
I realized
this person
who had terrorized our school
armed only with his lightning fast fists
was crying,
screaming
and hitting
the world around him
in a whirlwind of emotion
that was raining upon all the students
in that stairwell

and I was next up for the unending
onslaught of violence

and as he cocked his arm
for the more than one hundredth time
I wrestled the urge
to capture my balance
as soon as I could,

an angelic voice
from the other side of the stairwell
said…”hey man…
hey man…
that’s Oscar…
he’s cool
he’s ok’

and the man-child
quickly stepped aside
and let me pass

and as I headed down the hallway
with a sigh of relief draped across my face,

I realized it wasn’t that simple

And have wished every day since that I would have had the courage
to speak up for what dreams
Martin Luther King Jr. stood for

even if it meant
falling down
over my words
in that stairwell

Latino writers illustrate different styles, cultures in forum

November 16, 2005

by Barbara Wolff

A trio of Hispanic writers representing a variety of Latino cultures will bring their distinctive, powerful voices to a reading forum at Madison’s Overture Center for the Arts on Tuesday, Nov. 29.

“We chose these writers because each has a distinct writing style and represents a specific cultural background within the Latino world. I admire them all for their work,” says Joan Fischer, associate director of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, which is organizing the event.

One of the participants is a Madison educator, another is from Mexico City and the third was born and raised in Brazil. They are:

Oscar Mireles, principal/executive director of Omega School, an alternative school in Madison, which has assisted more than 1,500 young adults to prepare for and complete their GED. He also is a member of the Minds Eye Radio Collective in Madison, which produces a show of spoken word poetry on WORT radio (89.9 FM), airing at 11 p.m. the first Friday of the month.

Mireles has been writing for 25 years, publishing a chapbook, “Second Generation” (Focus Communications, 1985) and editing two anthologies, “I Didn’t Know There Were Latinos in Wisconsin: 20 Hispanic Poets” (Focus Communications, 1989) and “I Didn’t Know There Were Latinos in Wisconsin: 30 Hispanic Poets” (Focus Communications, 1999). He has published more than 50 of his own poems in anthologies and journals.

Ruben Medina, from Mexico City, is a UW-Madison associate professor of Spanish and Portuguese and Chican@ and Latin@ studies. Medina has written a book of poetry, “Nomadic Nation/nacio’n no’mada” and a study of Nobel Prize-winning writer Octavio Paz (Escritura y Poetica de Octavio Paz, Mexico: El Colegio de Mexico, 1999). He currently is at work on a book of short stories, “El silencio del salvaje,” and a collection of essays on Mexican and Chicana/o literature and film.

Luana Monteiro, originally from Brazil, is an alumna of UW-Madison’s creative writing program. Her first book of short stories is “Little Star of Bela Lua” (Delphinium Books, 2005). “UW-Madison students will find her particularly inspiring. She was one of the first graduates of the university’s MFA program in creative writing,” Fischer says.

She adds that the three presenters also are primed to learn a good deal about each other’s work.

“The three of them represent not only a diversity of cultural backgrounds but also of age and gender,” she says.

The main presentation will begin at 7 p.m. in the Overture Center, 201 State St. Tickets are suggested to ensure seating and are available free at the Overture Center’s James Watrous Gallery.

The forum, part of the Wisconsin Academy’s Evenings at Overture series, is sponsored by UW-Madison, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation, M&I Bank, the Isthmus, Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek SC and individual donors. For more information contact Barb Sanford at 263-1692 or bsanford@wisconsinacademy.org, or visit http://www.wisconsinacademy.org.

Mireles 1st Quarter grades 2005-06

Lorena Barbosa-Mireles received a 3.49 GPA at Madison East High School.







Sergio Barbosa-Mireles received a 4.0 GPA at Deforest High School









Javier Barbosa-Mireles received a 3.33 GPA at Blackhawk Middle School

Cornell's Big Red Takes Body Bar Championship, Six Individual Titles

Nov. 19, 2005


ITHACA, N.Y. - The Big Red wrestling team kicked off the season by playing host to the Body Bar Invitational at Newman Arena on Saturday. Cornell took the team championship, outscoring second-place Oregon State by 42.5 points, finishing at 138. Troy Nickerson (125), Mike Mormile (133), Dustin Manotti (157), Luke Hogle (174), Joe Mazzurco (184) and Jerry Rinaldi (197) all took the title in their respective weight brackets. Cornell was the only squad to have multiple first-place finishers.

Steve Anceravage had an impressive run through the 165 pound bracket, advancing to the championship bout before falling to Pitt's Justin Nestor. Joey Hooker, the fourth seed in the same bracket, took third place after losing to Nestor in the semi-finals and then defeating Slippery Rock's Jason Cardillo. Josh Arnone also took home a third-place finish in the 184 pound bracket. In all, the Big Red had 11 wrestlers finish in the top five of their brackets.

Oregon State finished second in the 11-team field with a final score of 95.5. The Beavers finished with three runners-up and two third-place finishers. Kent State, Purdue and Pitt rounded out the top five.

The Big Red will take a short break from competition before heading to Las Vegas, Nev., to compete in the Las Vegas Invitational. At last year's Las Vegas Invite, the Big Red took fifth place with two individual titles.

1 Cornell 138.00 0 0 6 1 2 1 1 0
2 Oregon St 95.50 0 0 0 3 2 0 1 1
3 Kent State 92.00 0 0 0 1 2 3 0 3
4 Purdue 89.50 0 0 1 1 1 2 2 1
5 Pitt 89.00 0 0 1 2 1 0 1 0
6 Army 68.50 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 2
7 Drexel 62.50 0 0 0 2 1 0 1 1
8 Sacred Heart 47.50 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0
9 Maryland 40.50 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
10 Slippery Rock 32.00 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0
11 Ithaca 14.00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

Cornell Wrestling Sets Sights on National Title

November 18, 2005
by Tim Kuhls
Sun Staff Writer

Cornell wrestling looks to improve off a season in which it finished fourth in the nation — the school’s best finish since 1953. Despite losing two All-Americans in two-time national champion Travis Lee ’05 (125 pounds) and 2004 runner-up Tyler Baier ’05 (184), the team is reloaded and focused on a national championship.
“We lose, and don’t expect to replace, Travis and Tyler, so we have a lot of questions,” said head coach Rob Koll. “Our goal is to have an All-American in every single weight class and if we have an All-American at every single weight we are going to win the national tournament. We aren’t so much worried about the Ivies anymore. We’re here to win a national championship.”

Leading the team is three-time All-American senior Dustin Manotti (157) and returning All-American senior Joe Mazzurco (174).

The two wrestlers finished sixth and fifth, respectively, in their weight classes at last year’s nationals held in Kansas City.

“The guys who are still in there are looking great,” Mazzurco said. “We’re a little bit banged up, because a few of our guys are hurt. For the guys that are still in there, I think everyone’s starting to get back into match shape.”

Joining Manotti and Mazzurco will be returning NCAA qualifiers senior Mike Mormile (133), junior Joey Hooker (165), junior Jerry Rinaldi (197), and a recruiting class that was ranked third in the nation by InterMat.

125 pounds

Expected to make waves in the 125-pound class is freshman Troy Nickerson, who is the most decorated wrestler in New York State high school history. Last year, he became the first five-year New York state champion and was regarded as the No. 1 recruit in the nation for his weight class.

“We expect great things out of Troy this year,” Koll said. “We expect him to go all the way. It sounds ridiculous because we’re talking about a freshman, but when you are a five-time state champion and you are the No. 1-ranked wrestling recruit at any weight class, you have pretty high expectations. He doesn’t do anything to warrant anything but postive praise. He works out at least twice a day every day and you almost have to kick him out of the weight room. He hasn’t done anything yet but he certainly will.”

Another up-and-comer looking to break into the lineup is sophomore Mike Rodriguez.

After a freshman season which saw him battle pneumonia, Rodriguez has added strength to his athletic skill set to make him one to watch out for this season.

133 pounds

Mormile will highlight this weight class for the Red as the fifth-year senior looks to have success after moving up a weight class from last season.

“Mike has the ability to be right there in the thick of things at nationals,” Koll said. “He could place or he could win it. We know he is going to do well. The question is just how well.”

Highly touted freshman Adam Frey was supposed to push Mormile for the starting spot, but a torn labrum has put him out for the year, allowing sophomore Nick Bridge to show what he can do. The former New Jersey state champion will get his shot and looks to make the most of it for the Red.

141 pounds

The team will compete at this weight without NCAA-qualifier sophomore Justin Leen, who is taking a season off due to an internship.

With Leen gone, junior Matt Easter becomes the feature wrestler in the this class. Easter, a four-time West Virginia state champion and high school All-American, will look to do major damage on the national stage after an injury-plagued first two seasons at Cornell.

Sophomore Evan Schiedel will most likely join Easter as another potential starter at the position. Despite seeing limited time last season, Schiedel has worked hard in the offseason and should improve in 2006.

149 pounds

The 149-pound weight class will be competitive for the Red, as junior Keith Dickey, junior Charlie Agozzino, and senior Mike Reish will all look to fill the starting spot. Dickey is back from a semester spent abroad in New Zealand and is regarded as Cornell’s best wrestler on top. Like Dickey, Agozzino is talented on top, but the former high school All-American is best known for his scrambling ability. Reish brings experience and will use it to his advantage.

157 pounds

Back for his final season, Manotti has cemented himself as one of Cornell’s greatest wrestlers of all time over the past three years, as he earned All-America honors three times.

Manotti will move up a weight class from last year, but still looks to have success, as he is currently ranked No. 3 in the country. This could be the year Manotti ends his season as a national champion.

“He’s done it all except win it,” Koll said. “He’s beaten all the best guys and he can take it easy at 157 and not have to worry about cutting weight.”

165 pounds

Regarded as the deepest weight class, 165 will be highlighted by Hooker. The returning NCAA-qualifier will be joined by senior John Cholish, who amassed 24 victories last season after moving up a weight class.

Also in the mix is sophomore Steve Anceravage, who returns after having his freshmen season cut short because of shoulder surgery.

174 pounds

Mazzurco, if he doesn’t wrestle at 184 pounds, will be the man at 174, as he hopes improve on his fifth-place finish at nationals last season.

Mazzurco ranks 17th on Cornell’s all-time wins list with 86 and will be one of the top contenders for a national title at either weight class. Joining Mazzurco will be former national Greco-Roman champion junior Luke Hogle and freshman Michael Moore.

184 pounds

Senior Dan Miracola will be the first option at 184 for the Red. Despite a career plagued with injuries, Miracola is stronger than ever and is ready to make an impact on the national scene. Joining the experienced upperclassman will be a pair of outstanding freshmen, Taylor Moore and Josh Arnone.

197 pounds

Rinaldi will be looking for his first All-America honor in the 197-pound class. One of the Red’s most productive stars last season — he won 35 matches — Rinaldi will be aiming for his first conference title. Also in the mix with Rinaldi is senior Jim March. March is a former Wisconsin state champion.

Heavyweight

Three young wrestlers will compete for the starting nod at heavyweight.

Junior Jason Manross, sophomore Zach Hammond, and sophomore Doug Weidner will all have their chance to display their skills on the mat. Hammond was the starter last season at 285 before his season was cut short because of season-ending knee surgery. Manross is up from 197 pounds last season and has shown flashes that he has what it takes to be extremely successful in the heavyweight position.

“If we can keep everybody healthy we have the makings of a phenomenal team,” Koll said. “It certainly could be the basis of a team that could ultimately win a national title or two throughout these guys’ careers. We just have sick talent.”

Troy Nickerson of Cornell

Q&A With Cornell Freshman Troy Nickerson

11/11/2005 11:25:00 AM

There aren’t many high school wrestlers who have accomplished what Cornell Freshman Troy Nickerson (Chenango Forks, N.Y./Chenango Forks HS) did. Nickerson was the first five-time state champion in New York history, and the recipient of the 2005 Junior Dan Hodge Trophy, given annually to the nation's best high school wrestler by the Amateur Athletic Union and W.I.N. Magazine, and the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award, presented by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame to a high school senior with outstanding wrestling success, scholastic achievement and citizenship or community service.

He ended his high school career with an overall record of 217-6 and won both the freestyle and Greco-Roman championships at the 2004 Junior Nationals (he didn’t compete at the 2005 event), earning outstanding wrestler honors in both tournaments after not allowing a single point throughout his championship runs. Nickerson also won two Cadet National titles in Greco-Roman and was a 2003 Cadet National freestyle champion.

But that’s all in the past, and Nickerson is anxiously waiting his first collegiate match. The Wrestling Mall caught up with the Big Red 125-pounder, and discussed life as a freshman, what it’s like wrestling Travis Lee, how he thinks head coach Rob Koll could still win if he was competing today, competing in the CKLV Invite, and much more.

By Matt Krumrie – Senior Editor
Please send comments, questions or replies to: info@thewrestlingmall.com

TWM: What has been the biggest adjustment to the world of college wrestling up to this point?

TN: The biggest adjustment for me so far has been trying to compete with the strength of most collegiate wrestlers. That was my biggest problem early on. Since, I have been able to get a lot stronger and things are getting a lot better for me!

TWM: What do you like best about college life?

TN: College is fun. I like the independence. I love Cornell University and the mix of academics and wrestling.

TWM: What do you find to be the most challenging?

TN: Coming onto campus, time management was the most challenging part of it all. Now, after being here for a few months, I have most things under control.

TWM: Back to wrestling - what has been your "welcome to the world of college wrestling moment" to this point? What has happened that really made you realize you are now competing at a big-time Division I school?

TN: My biggest "welcoming to college wrestling" has to do with the name Travis Lee. After going with him for a few months now, I really know what it takes to be a national champion.

TWM: There is a report that after you won your last tournament match as a high schooler that Rob Koll, instead of congratulating you for all of your accolades, said "good, you're done wrestling high school kids now." Is that true?

TN: Coach Koll did say that and I completely agree with him. I took his comments very seriously and was very excited to get into collegiate wrestling. This is just a totally different level of competition and I love the challenge.

TWM: Every freshman wrestler sets goals. What goals have you set for yourself this year?

TN: My goals this year are not shallow by any means. I feel I am ready to win a national title this year and expect nothing less of myself.

TWM: You and the rest of the Big Red will be competing in Las Vegas Dec. 2-3 at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invite. What are you looking forward to most about that tournament - and have you ever been to Las Vegas before?

TN: I have heard many good things about the tournament and am looking forward to the challenge. I have been to Las Vegas before and I am glad that a tournament of its prestige can be held there.

TWM: There are many standout 125 pounders in the country. Among them, Kyle Ott of Illinois, who will also be in Vegas. Do you have visions of facing Ott in the finals, or any other top 125 pounders for that matter?

Troy Nickerson

TN: I know Kyle Ott will be there and yes I plan on meeting him there. He is a great wrestler like many other competitors of mine that I will face this season. I am taking them all one match at a time right now.

TWM: Both coach Koll and assistant coach Steve Garland can still go at it pretty good in the room. In addition, Travis Lee works out with you. What is that like having those three to learn from?

TN: Coach Koll is amazing. He is very underrated on the mats today. I think he could probably still be competing if he wanted to. Coach Garland is an amazing workout partner and coach for me. I have learned a lot from him. Travis is still in the room and I wrestle with him frequently. He is a very tough competitor and has proven to people that he is the real deal. I am improving with him a lot and gaining on him quickly.

TWM: Do you foresee yourself as a career 125 pounder? Is this weight easy for you to make?

TN: I am taking my weight one year at a time now. I will be competing at 125 pounds this year and that is all that I know.

TWM: Adam Frey, who came in as a top recruit with you and was expected to be another key component in your lineup, is out with an injury. How do you think Adam is handling that, and what type of support can you offer? (Related Article From TWM: Cornell’s Adam Frey May Miss Entire 2005-06 Season With Shoulder Injury)

TN: Adam and I are great workout partners for each other. It is unfortunate that he is hurt this year. He is very tough. He is handling everything pretty well so far and I cannot wait until he is healthy enough to get going again.

TWM: Take us inside the Cornell wrestling room. Who are the leaders of the team, and who keeps things loose?

TN: Our room is a great environment to be in. Coach Koll is always a jokester and keeps us in high spirits; usually by telling us a joke before practice. Once things get going, our room is very intense. I like to think that everyone in the room feeds off from one another but our senior captains Joe Mazzurco, Dustin Manotti, and Mike Mormile are great examples of the work ethic every wrestler wants to have.

TWM: It looks like Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota will not redshirt this year, while Brent Metcalf of Virginia Tech is still undecided. You were all among the top recruits in the nation last year. Are you a fan of the sport in the aspect that you follow your peers and monitor their progress?

TN: I am glad to see that both of them are stepping up to the challenge even though they do have the option of redshirting. I am friends with both of them and we all get along pretty well together. I am looking forward to watching the success of our class this year on the mat.

TWM: In high school, you were involved in a program where you did some work at a local hospital, which would help you in your pursuit to become a doctor. Do you still participate in that program, and what are your academic and career goals at this point?

TN: I am not involved in the program anymore but it helped me a lot in deciding what I wanted to do in life. My career goals have not changed, I still am looking forward to going to medical school after wrestling.

TWM: How have you found a balance between collegiate-level academics and athletics?

TN: Finding a balance between an Ivy League education and being part of a high profile Division I wrestling team was hard to do at first. Once I was able to get my priorities straight, things have gotten much easier. I am doing fine managing both so far.

TWM: In a few months you will be in the middle of your freshman season. After an amazing high school career, the time to compete as a collegian has finally come. In a few months, what will people be saying about Troy Nickerson on the mat?

TN: Hopefully people are saying all good things about me in a few months. I have been training hard and am looking towards making a big impact this year. I want to make people know who I am not for the high school wrestler I was but for the collegiate wrestler I am.

Barb listens to one of Carlos Mireles's jokes

 

Stella Kyles, Victor & Bertha Mireles and Bea Buttenhoff enjoy dinner at Olivia's in Racine.

 

My older sister Beatriz & Richard Buttenhoff

 

Carsten Carlsen (Diego's & Sergio's former teammate) wrestles for University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

He ended up wrestling up a weight at 165 lbs. against the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh instead of his regular weight of 157 lbs. This allowed former Racine county wrestler Dan Azarian to wrestle 157 lbs. and former Advance School of Wrestling teammate Ryan Higgins wrestled 149 lbs.

UW-Platteville defeated UW-Oshkosh 28-19

Jake and Alex Ayala

 

Jake Ayala takes first swing at pinata at Mireles Family Picnic

(L-R) Lorena Barbosa-Mireles, Carlos Benjamin Mireles holding nephew Kaden Coello, Oscar Mireles, Carlos and Mary Mireles, Alicia Mireles, Diego Barbosa-Mireles holding rope, Christian Albouras, Fela Salinas with videocamera, Bertha Mireles, Juan Mireles, Gloria Mireles, Colecta Mireles, Nicole Albouras, Victor Mireles, Larissa Salinas, Joey Salinas, Tony Salinas, Juan Raymond Mireles, Juan Gomez, Santos Paredes, Mario Podhola, Alex Ayala, Gabriel Albouras, Esteban Mireles, Jeannier Domer, Joe Domer, Savannah Siepler

Diego's first high school wrestling match. These pictures were taken with my palmpilot camera

He wrestled in Evansville at 125 lbs. He pinned his first opponent.

Sergio does recruiting visit to Cornell University

Cornell wrestling

As one of the Ivy league Schools, Cornell finished 4th in the NCAA's last year.

Diego gets a promotion

He is working at Savvi.

Sergio wins Centro Hispano Scholarship

Activist Eyes Better Treatment For Workers
The Banquet Speaker Called For More Respect For Undocumented Laborers.
Wisconsin State Journal
Saturday, November 5, 2005

The social and legal status of undocumented workers was the focus of Centro Hispano of Dane County's annual banquet Friday night. Labor activist Baldemar Velasquez thanked the advocacy organization for "opening the doors to make America what America is supposed to be for all the people" before a crowd of several hundred people at the Marriott Madison West hotel in Middleton.

Velasquez, 58, of Toledo, Ohio, has spent nearly four decades empowering migrant workers through the union he founded in 1967, the Farm Labor Organizing Committee. FLOC has brokered landmark contracts between powerful companies and the people who pick their produce.

"We're not asking for handouts. We're not asking for charity. We're asking for a fair day's pay for a fair day's work," said Velasquez, who was born in Texas to migrant workers and labored in the fields from the age of 6.

Velasquez illustrated workers' hardships through the case of Urbano Ramirez, a father of five who died in 2001 while harvesting cucumbers in North Carolina. Velasquez said Ramirez complained to a supervisor about heat stroke, and he was told to sit under a tree. That's where fellow workers found his body 11 days after the bus back to the labor camp left without him. "Who cares? He was just some disposable Mexican," he said.

In a bellow that mixed English and Spanish and invoked scripture, Velasquez implored the United States to change laws to protect immigrants with and without papers and allow them to get driver's licenses in every state. "God judges nations, not just individual men and women," he said. "If we want God to bless America, let's get America right with God."

Ten area students received scholarships for academic excellence, including a $1,000 scholarship for Sergio Barbosa-Mireles.

Recently retired educator Juan Morales was honored with Centro Hispano's annual Roberto G. Sanchez Award, named for a former UW-Madison professor. Morales, a former migrant worker himself who went on to earn a master's degree, spent 20 years supporting Latino students at Madison Area Technical College. Morales' message to the crowd, "Si, se puede," which was roughly translated as "Yes, we can," captured the determined mood in the room.

Sergio Barbosa-Mireles gets accepted to attend Stanford

He received notification when he was on his official recruiting visit to Stanford last weekend. I downloaded some pictures of the Stanford Campus, including the Cardinals Football Stadium, as well as some of the spanish styled buildings.