Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: Freshmen Hollis Corbell and Trent Nelson along with junior Arianna Sarrett run some sprints during a recent practice session, under the watchful eyes of head coach Casey Woodall.
By Raymundo Frasquillo
MESA – Three Morenci girls descended into the Valley of the Sun at Mesa Westwood for a wrestling sectional meet on Feb. 5. One returned as the section champion, two scored team points, and two did not place or qualify for the state meet.
Juniors Briseis Hudman, Marissa Jacinto, and Arianna Sarrett competed in the Section I meet. Sarrett (1-0, 1 pin) emerged as the 100-pound section champion with a 24-second pin, while Jacinto went three-and-out and Hudman two-and-out.
Sarrett is in her third year, also the 101-pound section champion (2-0, 2 pins) as a freshman and there was no sectional meet last year. At the state meet, she placed fourth (101, 3-2, 2 pins) as a freshman and sixth (113, 3-3, 2 pins) as a sophomore. Jacinto (107, 1-3, 1 pin) and Hudman (120, 0-2) are both first-year participants.
A 16-member bracket, with the section champion and runner-up from each of the eight sectional meets, will vie for the state title in the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 1826 West McDowell Road in Phoenix, beginning on Friday, Feb. 18 at 8:30 a.m.
Joining Sarrett and Section I runner-up Queen Creek Casteel freshman Mia Espalin (2-1, 1 pin), are section II champion Phoenix North junior Akshaya Lord (2-0, 2 pins) and runner-up Arizona Lutheran freshman Amy Ramirez (3-1, 2 pins), Section III champion Tucson Sunnyside sophomore Tatiana Hernandez (3-0, 3 pins) and runner-up Tucson Canyon del Oro sophomore Luciana Chavez (3-1, 1 pin), Section IV champion Kayenta Monument Valley senior Jennifer Alcott (2-0, 2 pins) and runner-up Show Low junior Haley Heath (2-1, 1 pin), Section V champion Chandler Hamilton senior Anika Barker (3-0, 3 pins) and runner-up San Tan Valley Poston Butte freshman Kairi Kutyba (2-1, 2 pins), Section VI champion Glendale Ironwood senior Emily Porras (2-0, 2 pins) and runner-up Glendale Raymond Kellis junior Raquel Nowakowski (2-1, 2 pins), Section VII champion Peoria Liberty junior Bella Bocenagra (2-0, 1 pin) and runner-up Phoenix Goldwater senior Amethyst Baek (2-1, 1 pin), and Section VIII champion Yuma Gila Ridge freshman Kennedy Farrar (3-0, 2 pins) and runner-up Yuma sophomore Davina Diaz (3-1, 1 pin),
Seven of the eight sectional title bouts resulted in pins, four in the first period, one in the second period, and two in the third period. The eighth was a 9-2 decision. There are two previous state champions, Porras (101 4-0, 2 pins) in 2020 and Bocenagra (106, 5-0, 3 pins) in 2021. Porras was also 2-2 in 2021.
Porras clocked out in 23 seconds, Sarrett in 24 seconds, Hernandez in 1:37, Alcott in 2:00, Farrar in 3:17, Barker in 4:43, and Lord in 5:52. Bocenagra recorded the 7-point decision.
Morenci’s other state placer was Class of 2019 grad Nessa Martinez (145, 3-1, 1 pin) at third as a senior.
Wrestlers practice in Padilla’s Pit with the boys.
Head coach Casey Woodall is helped by assistant coaches Tim Williams, Travis Torres, Zach Buccellato, Frankie Gonzalez, Anthony Gomez, R.K. Rockhill, and Gilbert Padilla.
