Five Cowgirls, three Cats, two Eagles, and one Rider qualify for state
By Raymundo Frasquillo
TUCSON – Nineteen area student-athletes represented their schools and communities in the second Division II – Section IV state-qualifying girls wrestling meet on Feb. 8. There were six entrants from Pima, five from Willcox, and four from both Morenci and Thatcher, each placing in the top 10 of 30 teams.
The Tucson Amphitheater campus had 115 participants from 30 schools in attendance. The largest weight class was 138 with 15 entrants, followed by 132 with 14, 107, 114, and 126 with 12 apiece, 100 with 10, 120 and 145 with nine each, 152 with eight, 235 with six, and both 165 and 185 with four each. There were 48 state qualifiers, 12 apiece as champions, as runners-up, in third place, and in fourth place. All are qualified to participate in the state meet being held in the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Feb. 21-22.
Morenci – 5th (71 points, 3/4 placed)
Three of four Wildcats qualified for the state meet by placing fourth or higher.
Morenci earned 71 points to finish fifth, with two champions, one runner-up, and one non-placer. All four earned team points.
Freshman Peytin Corbell (126, 4-0, 2 pins) and junior Cynthia Martinez (185, 2-0, 1 pin) both earned section titles, freshman Taytum Nelson (138, 3-1, 1 pin) was a runner-up, and freshman Izabella Marquez-Curiel (132, 2-2, 2 pins) did not place. Corbell earned 25 team points, Nelson 20, Martinez 19, and Marquez-Curiel seven.
Corbell posted a round one first-period pin over Crismon senior Maya Waters, an 11-3 quarterfinal major decision over Willcox senior Morgan Allred, a semifinal first-period pin over Salpointe Catholic sophomore Zulay Osuna, and a 9-6 decision over Mica Mountain senior Harper Frost for the title.
Martinez recorded a semifinal first-period pin over Amphitheater senior Sheecid Cuevas and a 13-1 major decision over Poston Butte sophomore Claire Waddell for the title. It was her third title in as many sectionals.
Nelson had a round one third-period pin over Sahuaro junior Karlie Schneider, a 12-1 quarterfinal major decision over Crismon freshman Isabella Salado, and a 15-5 semifinal decision over Benson junior Karlene Scott before succumbing in a second-period pin to Poston Butte sophomore Juliana DeMarco for the title.
Marquez-Curiel had a round one second-period pin over Poston Butte senior Celeste Clark, fell in a quarterfinal first-period pin to Douglas sophomore Maria Elena Corrales, pinned Benson freshman Hayden Ray in the consolation second round first period, and was pinned in the consolation third round second period by Florence sophomore Sadi George.
On the season, Martinez is 30-3 with 26 pins, Nelson 33-9 with 27 pins, Corbell 7-2 with five pins, and Marquez-Curiel 8-30 with eight pins.
Willcox – 6th (67 points, 5/5 placed)
Five of five Cowgirls qualified for the state meet by placing fourth or higher. Willcox finished sixth (67), with a champion, a third placer, and three fourth placers. All five entrants contributed to the team scoring.
Senior Abi Tingle (152, 3-0, 3 pins) was first; junior Lizeth Espino (100, 3-1, 3 pins) third; senior Nataly Thompson (120, 2-1, 1 pin), senior Morgan Allred (126, 3-2, 2 pins), and sophomore Lilyana Millenaar (165, 0-2) each fourth. Tingle added 24 team points, Espino 18, Allred 12, Thompson nine, and Millenaar four.
Tingle notched a quarterfinal second-period pin over Sahuaro sophomore Lilian Vakatawa, a semifinal third-period pin over Sahuarita senior Olivia Velez, and a second-period pin over Poston Butte junior Brooklyn Trejo for the title.
Espino drew a round one bye, had a quarterfinal second-period pin over Poston Butte senior Kiyana Lowe, was pinned by Mica Mountain junior Laila Beltran in the semifinal second period, pinned Saint David sophomore Addison Merrill in the consolation semifinal first period, and pinned Sabino freshman Nazareth Moore Lopez in the first period for third place.
Thompson drew a round one bye, fell by a 1-11 quarterfinal major decision to Crismon junior Roxy Robinson, drew a consolation second round bye, fell by a 3-point takedown after an 11-11 consolation round three tie with Pima sophomore Brenna Taylor, pinned Desert View sophomore Damaris Sontay in the consolation semifinal second period, and succumbed by a 3-19 technical fall to Robinson.
Allred drew a round one bye, fell by a 3-11 major decision to Morenci freshman Peytin Corbell, had a consolation round two second period over Poston Butte sophomore Addison Smith, a consolation round three 16-5 major decision over Tombstone junior Mia Garcia, and a consolation semifinal second-period pin over Coolidge senior Julisa Volk before being pinned in the first period by Salpointe Catholic sophomore Zulay Ozuna to finish fourth.
Millenaar was pinned in the semifinal second period by Pima sophomore Maelee Woods and fell by a 3-point takedown after a 10-10 tie with Poston Butte sophomore Jazmyn Valenzuela for fourth place.
Thus far, Tingle is 30-4, Espino 18-9, Millenaar 14-13, Allred 11-8, and Thompson 11-14.
Pima – 9th (38 points, 1/6 placed)
One of six Roughriders qualified for the state meet by placing fourth or higher.
Pima was ninth (38), with sophomore Maelee Woods (165, 2-0, 1 pin) the lone state qualifier as a section champion.
Non-placing entrants included freshman Emma Loveless (126, 2-2, 2 pins), sophomore Nehemiah Berume (107, 2-2, 1 pin), senior Savannah Jeffrey (114, 1-2, 1 pin), sophomore Brenna Taylor (120, 1-2, 1 pin), and sophomore Rhilee John (138, 0-2). Woods scored 18 team points, Loveless 7.0, Berume 5.5, Taylor 4.0, and Jeffrey 3.5.
Woods pinned Willcox sophomore Lilyana Millenaar in the semifinal second period and decisioned Mica Mountain senior Jade Curiel 10-8 for the title.
Loveless pinned Poston Butte sophomore Addison Smith in round one second period, was pinned by Mica Mountain senior Harper Frost in the quarterfinal first period, pinned Crismon senior Maya Waters in the consolation round two second period, and was pinned in the consolation round three third period by Empire sophomore Theresa Etchen.
Berume was decisioned 7-10 by Florence junior Delilah Gooden in round one, drew a consolation round two bye, had a 12-1 consolation round two major decision over Douglas junior Alina Rodriguez, a 16-0 technical fall over Saint David freshman Isabella Bras, and was pinned in the consolation semifinal second period by Crismon sophomore Kiara Minjarez.
Jeffrey had a 15-0 technical fall over Saint Augustine Catholic junior Karla Fragozo-Navarrete, a quarterfinal injury default to Sabino junior Nia Luna, and yielded a consolation round two medical forfeit to Mica Mountain freshman Cyrene Martinez.
Taylor was pinned in the round one first period by Salpointe Catholic junior Arianna Martinez, drew a consolation round one bye, pinned Poston Butte junior Caitlyn May in the consolation round two third period, and fell by a 3-point takedown to Willcox senior Nataly Thompson after an 11-11 consolation round three tie.
John was pinned in the round one second period by Tombstone junior Pearl Luinstra and in the consolation round one-third period by Salpointe Catholic sophomore Illiana Land.
Woods is 23-8, Jeffrey 20-14, Taylor 19-14, Loveless 9-16, Berume 7-9, and John 7-13.
Thatcher tied for 10th (33 points, 2/4 placed)
Two of four Eagles qualified for the state meet by placing fourth or higher.
Thatcher and host Amphitheater tied for 10th (33), with a runner-up, a fourth placer, and two non-placers. Two of the four participants contributed team points.
Sophomore Addison Stone (100, 2-1, 2 pins) ended second, sophomore Abigail Reyes (107, 2-2, 2 pins) placed fourth, and both freshman Mallory Buhr (132, 0-2), and Eliza Peterson (138, 0-2 did not place). Stone scored 20 team points and Reyes 13.
Stone drew a first round bye and posted a quarterfinal first period pin over Santa Rita senior Carlene Alvarez, a semifinal second period pin over Sabino freshman Nazareth Moore Lopez before succumbing to Mica Mountain junior Laila Beltran by first period pin for the title.
Reyes drew a first-round bye and had a quarterfinal first-period pin over Saint David freshman Isabella Bras, fell to Coolidge junior Jolene Ostrander by a semifinal second-period pin, pinned Florence junior Delilah Gooden in the consolation semifinal second period, and was pinned in the second period by Crismon sophomore Kiara Minjarez to end fourth.
Buhr fell by round one first-period pin to Florence sophomore Sadi George and by consolation round one pin to Mica Mountain sophomore Nina Kushner.
Peterson fell by round one first-period pin to Crismon freshman Isabella Salado and by consolation round one pin to Sahuaro junior Karlie Schneider.
Stone is 35-8, Reyes 26-8, Peterson 2-6, and Buhr 0-6.
Team Placements
Tucson Mica Mountain captured the Division II – Section IV team title with nine entrants compiling 135 points. Six of 12 Thunderbolts placed.
San Tan Valley Poston Butte was second with 105 points and six of 12 Broncos placed, Queen Creek Crismon third (102, 5/8), Tucson Salpointe Catholic fourth (79, 3/7), Morenci fifth (71, 3/4), Willcox sixth (67, 5/5), Sahuarita seventh (41, 2/2), Coolidge eighth (39, 1/4), Pima ninth (38, 1/6), and Thatcher (33, 2/4) and Tucson Amphitheater (33, 2/2) tied for 10th.
Tucson Sahuaro was 12th with 30 points and two of three placers, Tombstone 13th (28, 1/5), Douglas (25, 1/5) and Sahuarita Walden Grove (25, 1/2) tied for 14th, Florence (24, 1/5) and Rio Rico (24, 1/1) tied for 16th, Florence American Leadership – Anthem South (20, 1/2) and San Manuel (20, 1/3) tied for 18th, Queen Creek American Leadership – Ironwood (18, 1/1), Tucson Catalina Foothills (18, 1/1), Tucson Sabino (18, 1/3) 3-way tie for 20th.
Saint David was 23rd with 14 points and none of three Tigers placed, Tucson Empire 24th (12, 0/4), Tucson Desert View 25th (9.0, 0/5), Benson (8.0, 0/3) and Elfrida Valley Union (8.0, 0/2) tied for 26th, Tucson Santa Rita 28th (6.5, 0/3), Tucson Saint Augustine Catholic 29th (4.0, 0/2), and Nogales 30th (zero, 0/1).
Section IV Individual Champions
The other eight Division II – Section IV individual champions were Mica Mountain junior Laila Beltran (100, 3-0, 3 pins), Coolidge junior Jolene Ostrander (107, 3-0, 3 pins), Sahuarita senior Sarah Perez (114, 3-0, 2 pins), Amphitheater senior Jessica Hidalgo (120, 3-0, 2 pins), Walden Grove senior Izabel Rodriguez (132, 3-0, 2 pins), Poston Butte sophomore Juliana De Marco (132, 3-0, 3 pins), Crismon junior Madison Maselli (145, 3-0, 3 pins), and Rio Rico junior Jessence Octavio-Callejo (235, 3-0, 3 pins).
