Tingle places second, Woods fourth at state meet
By Raymundo Frasquillo
PHOENIX — The Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum had a 16-member bracket for 11 weight classes, excepting 235 (14) in attendance on Feb. 21-22. There were 190 student-athletes participating in the two-day second Division II state tourney, with 11 area qualifiers: five from Willcox, three from Morenci, two from Thatcher, and one from Pima. Three placed in the top four.
Morenci – 4-Tied for 11th (39 points)
Morenci earned 39 points and was in a four-way tie for 11th with Chinle, Kingman Lee Williams, and Show Low.
Junior Cynthia Martinez (185, 4-0, 4 pins) earned the school’s initial girls’ state title, following a runner-up (2024) and sixth place (2023) finishes, along with three consecutive section titles. She has combined post-season marks of 19-4 with 16 pins, 10-4 with eight pins for three state meets, and 9-0 with eight pins for three sectionals.
Freshmen Peytin Corbell (126, 2-2, 2 pins) and Taytum Nelson (138, 1-2) did not place. Martinez earned 30 team points, Corbell six, and Nelson three.
Martinez pinned El Mirage Dysart sophomore Ariya Valenzuela in the first round first period, Page junior Shanelle Tallsalt in the quarterfinal first period, Snowflake sophomore Mareli Marin in the semifinal second period, and Round Valley senior Sydnee Finch in the final bout third period for the title.
Corbell succumbed by a first-round second-period pin to Chinle sophomore Carli Jones, pinned Buckeye Odyssey Institute senior Jaden Schwartz during the consolation first-round third period, and Salpointe Catholic Zulay Osuna during the consolation second round second period, and succumbed during the consolation third round third period to Somerton freshman Briella Reynosa.
Nelson posted a first-round 12-2 major decision over Yuma Catholic junior Valentina Chavolla before succumbing by a quarterfinal first-period pin to Snowflake senior Kaylin LaDuke and by a 3-7 consolation second-round decision to Sahuaro junior Karlie Schneider.
Martinez finished the season 34-3 with 30 pins, Nelson 34-11 with 27 pins, and Corbell 9-4 with seven pins.
Willcox – Tied for 26th (25 points)
Willcox tied for 26th (25, 2/5) with Sahuarita as senior Abi Tingle (152, 3-1, 2 pins) placed second while junior Lizeth Espino (100, 1-2, 1 pin), senior Nataly Thompson (120, 0-2), senior Morgan Allred (126, 0-2), and sophomore Lilyana Millenaar (165, 0-2) did not place. Tingle added 22 team points, and Espino three.
Tingle had a first-round second-period pin over Snowflake junior Laini Hancock, a quarterfinal second-period pin over Gilbert Mesquite senior Riley Wilcox, a 12-6 semifinal decision over Round Valley senior Makyah Slade, and succumbed by a first-period pin to Greenway senior Katy Madril to finish second. She went 3-0 with three pins as a section champion.
Espino succumbed by a round one first-period pin to Scottsdale Coronado junior Hadeel Saleh pinned Keams Canyon Hopi senior Dawa-Mansi Poleahla in the consolation first round first period and was pinned in the consolation second round second period by Snowflake senior Evalyn Perez. She went 3-1 with three pins for the section third place.
Thompson succumbed by a first-round third-period pin to Globe junior Isabel Rascon and a consolation first-round second-period pin to Snowflake senior Emily Perez. She went 2-1 with a pin for the section fourth place.
Allred succumbed by a first-round first-period pin to Round Valley sophomore Taizly Newman and by a consolation first-round second-period pin to Somerton freshman Briella Reynoso. She went 3-2 with two pins as a section fourth placer.
Millenaar succumbed by a first-round first-period pin to Benjamin Franklin sophomore Madelyn Oliver and by a consolation round one 1-3 decision to Show Low sophomore Madison VanWagner. She went 0-2 for the section fourth place.
Tingle ended 33-5, Espino 19-11, Millenaar 14-15, Allred 11-10, and Thompson 11-17.
Pima – 40th (16 points)
Pima was 40th (16), with sophomore Maelee Woods (165, 3-2, 3 pins) placing fourth and earning 16 team points. She was 2-0 with a pin as a section champion.
Woods pinned Phoenix Thunderbird sophomore Alyson Sekaquaptewa in the first round first period and Page sophomore Logan Rivers in the quarterfinal second period, succumbed a 2-23 by a semifinal technical fall to Benjamin Franklin sophomore Madelyn Oliver, scored a 3-point takedown over Mica Mountain senior Jade Curiel following a 1-1 consolation semifinal regulation tie, and succumbed by a third-period pin to Fort Defiance Window Rock senior Paige Kee to finish fourth.
Woods ended 26-10 for the season.
Thatcher – Tied for 65th (1 point)
Thatcher tied for 65th (1) with Florence. Neither sophomores Abigail Reyes (107, 1-2) nor Addison Stone (100, 0-2) placed, but Reyes scored a point. Reyes (2-2, 2 pins) was second, and Stone (2-1, 2 pins) was fourth during the section meet.
Reyes was pinned in the first round second period by Tempe Marcos de Niza freshman Iliana Arenas, decisioned Kingman Lee Williams Madison Diaz 9-6 during the consolation first round, and was pinned during the consolation second round first period by San Tan Valley Poston Butte senior Kairi Kutyba.
Stone was pinned during the first round second period by Phoenix Christian freshman Sophia Alvarado and during the consolation first round second period by Bullhead City Mohave junior Mariana Perez.
Reyes ended 27-10 overall and Stone 35-10.
Top 10 Team Placements
Tucson Mica Mountain earned the Division II state team title with five of six qualifiers placing and all six contributing to the 101 team points. The Thunderbolts placed first (120), second (126), fourth (100, 235), and fifth (165).
Snowflake was second with 86 points as eight of nine Lobos scored, and four placed in second (138) and fifth (100, 185, 235); Yuma Catholic third (84.5 pts., 4/5 scored) with first (114), second (107), third (100), and fifth (120) placers; Eagar Round Valley fourth (62.5, 4/5) with second (185), third (126), and sixth (107, 152); Queen Creek Benjamin Franklin tied for fifth (61, 2/4) with first (165) and third (132); Tempe Marcos de Niza tied for fifth (61, 3/4) with first (107), fourth (126), and fifth (132); San Tan Valley Poston Butte tied for fifth (61, 3/6) with fourth (152, 185) and sixth (138); Phoenix Greenway eighth (51.5, 2/4) with first (152) and second (235); Buckeye Odyssey Institute ninth (47, 2/7) with third (145) and fifth (107); and Phoenix Arizona Lutheran 10th (40, 2/6) with second (100) and sixth (235).
Division II Individual Champions
The 11 other Division II state champions were Show Low freshman Ruthie Wilhelm (100, 4-0, 1 pin), Tempe Marcos de Niza freshman Iliana Arenas (107, 4-0, 3 pins), Yuma Catholic freshman Kaliyah Molina (114, 4-0, 2 pins), Tucson Mica Mountain senior Madeline Mench (120, 4-0, 2 pins), Chinle sophomore Carli Jones (126, 4-0, 3 pins), Mesa Eastmark sophomore Brylee Colwell (132, 4-0, 3 pins), Kingman Lee Williams sophomore Nevaeh Flemmons (138, 4-0, 4 pins), Wickenburg junior Peityn Codding (145, 4-0, 4 pins), Phoenix Greenway senior Katy Madril (152, 4-0, 4 pins), Queen Creek Benjamin Franklin sophomore Madelyn Oliver (165, 4-0, 4 pins), and American Leadership – West Foothills student Ave Risati (235, 4-0, 3 pins).
Section IV Team State Placements
Division II – Section IV champion Tucson Mica Mountain earned the state title with 101.5 points, second place San Tan Valley Poston Butte was in a 3-way tie for ninth (61), third place Queen Creek Crismon in 4-way tie for 34th (32.5), fourth place Tucson Salpointe Catholic in a 6-way tie for 93rd (7), fifth place Morenci in 4-way tie for 11th (39), sixth place Willcox and seventh place Sahuarita tied for 53rd (25), eighth place Coolidge tied for 69th (19), ninth place Pima 40th (16), 10th place Thatcher and Tucson Amphitheater tied for 65th (1) and 51st (25.5), respectively.
Twelfth place Tucson Sahuaro was in a five-way tie for 99th with six points, 13th place Tombstone in a 21-way tie for 130th (zero), 14th place Douglas and Sahuarita Walden Grove and 16th place Florence and Rio Rico in a five-way tie for 99th (6), a four-way tied for 61st (22), a four-way tied for 61st (22), and a three-way tie for 104th (5), respectively; 18th place Florence American Leadership – Anthem South and San Manuel in a four-way tie for 77th (15) and tied for 67th (19.5), respectively; and 20th place Queen Creek American Leadership – Ironwood, Tucson Catalina Foothills, and Tucson Sabino in a six-way tie for 93rd (7), tied for 124th (2.5), and tied for 91st (10), respectively.
Section IV Champion State Placements
The dozen Division II – Section IV individual champions and state placements were Mica Mountain junior Laila Beltran (100, 3-2, 2 pins) fourth, Coolidge junior Jolene Ostrander (107, 4-1, 2 pins) third, Sahuarita senior Sarah Perez (114, 3-1, 3 pins) second, Amphitheater senior Jessica Hidalgo (120, 3-1, 2 pins) second, Morenci freshman Peytin Corbell (126, 2-2, 2 pins) did not place, Walden Grove senior Izabel Rodriguez (132, 3-1, 2 pins) second, Poston Butte sophomore Juliana De Marco (138, 2-3, 2 pins) sixth, Crismon junior Madison Maselli (145, 4-2, 4 pins) fourth, Willcox senior Abi Tingle (152, 3-1, 2 pins) second, Pima sophomore Maelee Woods (165, 3-2, 3 pins) fourth, Morenci junior Cynthia Martinez first (185, 4-0, 4 pins), and Rio Rico junior Jessence Octavio-Callejo (235, 4-1, 4 pins) third.
