CWRU women's basketball Head Coach Kristin Hughes became the winningest coach in school history two years ago during the 2000-2001 season, surpassing former coach and assistant athletic director Nancy Gray 73-71 (12-year mark).

CWRU wrestling Head Coach Bob Del Rosa needs a 125-pounder. It is a weight class he has forfeited thus far this season, but help could be as close as upstairs. Help that would be the first of its kind during his 41 years in University Circle.

Upstairs from the Claude B. Sharer Wrestling Room in the Veale Center, women's basketball Head Coach Kristin Hughes has her team, among the nation's best, running line drills in Horsburgh Gymnasium. One of those players is freshman guard Amber Hammell.

Hammell, from Parkersburg, W. Va., is scoring points the easy way these days. She's hitting shots on the hardwood rather than slamming her opponent to a foam rubber mat, like she used to.

Hammell, a former wrestler, gave up ringworm and cauliflower ear for shin splints and twisted ankles at the end of her 9th grade year at Parkersburg High School.

"I never actually got ringworm when I wrestled, and then I started dating a wrestler after I stopped wrestling-and I got ringworm," said Hammell. "I was so mad."

Hammel, who now stands 5 foot 7 and weighs 135 pounds, had troubles finding sparring partners at times but never any trouble with being a women participating in a male-dominated sport.

"Everyone came to see the girl who wrestled, and I think they were all surprised when they saw it was not some big beastly girl," said Hammell. "Even parents from other teams would cheer for me because I was the underdog. No one really wanted me to fail."

She began wrestling when she was seven for the Parkersburg Cougars wrestling club, quit for two years during the 5th and 6th grade and then started back up when the middle school team needed someone at the 123-pound weight class. Sound familiar?

Anyway, she double dipped, playing basketball and wrestling during the winter-a lot of work.

"I had a county finals basketball game right before the county championships for wrestling," said Hammell. "I had to go to the basketball game and then the wrestling match. I pulled doubleheaders like that all the time"

The double duty became too much after her freshman year when she became a member of the varsity basketball team, a place she remained throughout her high school career.

Hammell was an honorable mention All-State honoree her senior year averaging 12.5 points per game. She was also a very successful soccer player at Parkersburg, the second largest high school in the state.

She was a four-year letter winner and was the Mountain State Athletic Conference Player of the Year her senior year as well as a second team All-State selection.

"Wrestling was definitely the hardest sport I ever participated in," said Hammell. "You are an individual and are out there by yourself."

Hammell, a biomedical engineering major (pre-med) at CWRU, has played significant minutes off the bench (20.4 avg.) for the Spartans (9-3 overall, 1-0 UAA) this season. She is averaging 7.5 points (4th on the team) and 1.9 assists (3rd on team) per game.

She said the CWRU wrestling coach has not approached her yet, but what if he did?

"No," said Hammell. "That would be crazy."

Crazy probably, possible definitely.