Olympian walks the walk
Seven finalists, including three champions, propelled defending champion Olympian over Poway in the San Diego Section Girls Div. 1 championship on Saturday at Rancho Bernardo High.
The host school, Steele Canyon and San Marcos (San Marcos) rounded out the top five team finishers.
Only two individual champions came from outside those five teams: Carlsbad junior Caroline Collins, who won at 110 pounds; and Ruby Julien-Newsom of Torrey Pines at 130 pounds. Collins has won six tournaments this season, including Queen of the Realm. Julien-Newsom, a senior, is ranked among the national top 25 at her weight classification.
Keagan Wynne Alatiw (135), Natalie Righellis (155), and Elisa Najera were the Olympian champions. Righellis won last year as well.
Poway had a meet-high four champions, including repeat winners Ava Fodera (105) and Ava Ebrahami (120). Isabella Fodera (100) and Alyssa Jones (125) also won titles for the Titans, who dominated at the lower weights.
Mary Snider (140) and Maisen Vesco (145) won titles for Rancho Bernardo. Snider’s win came over defending champion Lucia Ledezma of Granite Hills (El Cajon), 10-7 in overtime, the second time this season that Snider has prevailed over last year’s state placer. Vesco dominated her bracket, winning every match by first-period fall, just as she has every bout in 2025.
San Marcos entered only eight wrestlers but had three champions: Briana Ross (115), Nirvana Tapia (170), and Diana Duarte (190). Duarte was a state qualifier a year ago.
Brawley gets lucky number seven
Brawley won its seventh straight section title, but not without drama at the outset, as the Wildcats had some who did not make weight. Once the team got to the mat, however, it was domination as usual, with Ray Leon’s team putting eight in the finals with five champions: Jennifer Favela (115), Lauren Zaragoza (135), Izabella Cobos (155), Destyni Perez (190) and Madison Vandiver (235).
Favela, who is in the national top 20 at 105 pounds, is one of the Wildcats who did not make weight. She moved up to 115 and won a title by tech fall, 16-1. Zaragosa was a state placer last year at 120 pounds.
Central Union finished second as a team, more than 90 points behind Brawley. The Spartans had three champions, Arabella Rascon (120), Mia Gonzales (125), and Lily Rodriguez (140).
Six other individual wrestlers won titles, including two from Santana, Sierra Fahn at 110 and Amber Spencer at 145. Marie Gil of San Pasqual (100), Malia Kollmeyer of Scripps Ranch (105), and Lilieanna Chunn of El Cajon Valley (130) also placed first in their respective divisions.
Last but certainly not least, San Diego High’s Keyona Mae Simmons won the title at 170 pounds. Simmons is a first-year wrestler who lost her first match ever but has gone 22-2 since under the tutelage of second-year coach Rob Dooley and has avenged every loss. She was dominant on Saturday, pinning the No. 2 seed in the semifinals before taking a 13-3 major decision over the top seed in the championship match.
“She has beaten ranked opponents as high as 10th ranked in the state,” Dooley said. “She is the #1 seed going into Masters in the San Diego Section, a feat that is unheard of for a first-year wrestler.”
Ramona flowers in Div. 3
In only its second year as a program, Ramona didn’t just compete in the Div. 3 championships, it dominated. The Wildcats outpointed second-place Imperial by more than 100 points, placed seven in the finals, and finished with five champions.
Savanna Diaz (115), Hannah Gonzales (130), Giuliaha Pekelder (155), Tairen Lee (190), and Robin Moore (235) all won their titles by fall. Diaz did it in just 34 seconds.
Anjolie Fernandez (145 pounds) was Imperial’s only bracket winner.
Coastal Academy and Lincoln had two champions apiece. Sisters Alethia Tolentino (100) and Charis Tolentino (105) won for Coastal Academy, which entered only four wrestlers. Jazmyne More (125) and Rossy Parra (170) won for Lincoln, which entered five wrestlers.
Clairemont’s Roxanne Raab won her three matches at 135 pounds by fall, in a combined time of 71 seconds, to remain undefeated on the year.
A quintessential chase
Five boys teams have figured in the state-title discussion all year: defending champion Poway, runner-up Buchanan, perennial power Clovis, and recent powers St. John Bosco and Gilroy. The individual national rankings from Sports Illustrated confirm that they are the front runners, with all teams having between five and seven wrestlers ranked among the top 30 nationally in their weight classes.
Poway is tied for the fewest with five. Edwin Sierra is No. 13 at 126 pounds. Billy Townson is No. 17 at 132. Arseni Kikiniou is No. 30 at 144. Mario Carini is No. 13 at 165. Undefeated Angelo Posada is No. 3 at 215.
Poway senior Angelo Posada is one of just a handful in California still unbeaten on the year
Buchanan has seven. Freshman Paul Ruiz is No. 3 at 113 pounds. Returning state champion Rocklin Zinkin is No. 7 at 120. Paris Ruiz is No. 14 at 126. Doc B champion Ashton Besmer is No. 7 at 132. Two-time state runner-up Joe Toscano is No. 4 at 144. Ivan Arias is No. 14 at 150. Leo Contino is No. 10 at 157.
Clovis has five. Anthony Garza is No. 12 at 106 pounds. Raymond Rivera is No. 17 at 138. Returning state champion Nikade Zinkin is No. 3 at 144. Adrien Reyes is No. 27 at 175. Mark Marin is No. 18 at 285.
Gilroy has six. Isaiah Cortez is No. 10 at 126 pounds. Moses Mendoza is No. 6 at 132. Elijah Cortez is No. 12 at 138. Two-time state champion Daniel Zepeda is No. 1 at 150. Travis Grace is No. 20 at 165. Tyler Eise is No. 5 at 175. All have a significant shot at winning state titles.
St. John Bosco has seven, not including injured heavyweight Nicholas Sahakian, who is No. 2 but is out for the year with a knee injury. Jorge Rios is No. 14 at 106 pounds. Sean Willcox is No. 27 at 120. Nathan Carillo is No. 9 at 126. Jesse Grajeda is No. 11 at 132. Michael Romero is No. 27 at 144. Joseph Antonio is No. 15 at 165. Isai Fernandez is No. 25 at 175.
Which of these five teams will win 15 days from now? It’s anyone’s guess. Pigtail matches at the beginning and consolation matches near the end could provide the difference in what should be a very tight chase to the top.
Four wrestlers from other schools are listed in the top five. Undefeated freshman Sammy Sanchez of Esperanza is No. 1 at 106 pounds. Returning champion Henry Aslikyan of Birmingham is No. 4 at 113. Two-time champion Ronnie Ramirez of Walnut is No. 2 at 126 pounds. And undefeated heavyweight Coby Merrill of J.W.
North is undefeated at 285.
Which bracket will likely be the toughest based on the rankings? Look no further than 126 pounds. If Ramirez, last year’s state champion at 120 pounds, is going to take home his third title, he may have to go through SEVEN other Californians ranked among the top 30 nationally. This includes Carillo, who lost to Ramirez, 4-1, in last year’s 120-pound final; Isaiah Cortez, a state champion in 2023; and national No. 6 Antonio Rodriguez of Los Gatos, who was fifth in 2024 at 120 pounds.
Which will be easiest? With Sahakian out, there is a clear path for Merrill to win at 285 after placing second the previous two years at 215. Rocklin Zinkin at 120 and Zepeda at 150 also could make short work of their brackets on the way to second and third titles, respectively.
Who is under-ranked nationally? I’m no expert but Beau Priest of Bakersfield (No. 18 at 157), Mason Ontiveros of Pitman (No. 17 at 175), and Brokton Borelli of Los Banos (No. 17 at 190) all seem low.
News and notes
Justin Garza senior Noelia Sedano has not lost this year in 23 bouts. She has only given up one takedown all year and has 21 pins to her credit.
Sedano qualified for the state tournament last year at 235 pounds and went 2-2, but did not place.
“I think the biggest part of her improvement this year was being more disciplined and working harder every day in the room,” noted coach Anthony Stimson. “Being confident in her moves not second-guessing herself and just going for it has played a huge part in her success this year as well. Another big part was focusing on her stand-up game and defense.”
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Vacaville is the Monticello Empire League champion. The boys have won their league for 31 straight years!
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Chico’s boys have not lost an EAL dual in 16 years.
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Millikan dominated the Moore League finals on Saturday. The Rams put 10 boys in the finals and won eight titles. Sophomore Chris Anguiano, a nationally-ranked wrestler at 150 pounds, was one of the winners.
Long Beach Poly senior Nathan Itchon (126) won his fourth straight league title. Cabrillo’s Jacob Castillo (120) became his school’s first league champion.
Undefeateds
In this recurring category, we list wrestlers with 20 or more wins who are currently undefeated on the season.
37-0 – Roxanne Raab, Sr., Clairemont, 135
33-0 – Daniel Zepeda, Sr., Gilroy, 150
29-0 – Samantha Sachs, Sr., Glendora, 130
28-0 – Cookie Serratos, Fr., Santa Ana, 100
27-0 -- Nathaniel Dominguez, Sr., Pacifica (Oxnard) 175
26-0 – Mary Snider, Jr., Rancho Bernardo, 140
26-0 – Isabella Marie Gonzales, Sr., Clovis East, 120
26-0 – Angelo Posada, Sr., Poway, 215
25-0 – Dulcy Martinez, Soph., Central Catholic, 135
25-0 – Coby Merrill, Jr., J.W. North, 285
24-0 – Sammy Sanchez, Fr., Esperanza, 106
23-0 – Noelia Sedano, Sr., Justin Garza, 235
Coaches only may add to this list. Email jtawa@cifstate.org.
Blazing blades
In this section, we list wrestlers recording pins this season in 12 or fewer seconds.
6 seconds
Andres Lambarena, Sr., Granite Hills (Apple Valley), 285 (Nov. 16)
7 seconds
Hunter Mathiesen, Soph., Rio Americano, 132 (Dec. 7)
8 seconds
Rory Bickmore, Sr., Arcata, 157 (Jan. 10)
Mauricio Escobedo, Soph., Granite Hills (Apple Valley), 132 (Jan. 10)
Margaret Pryor, Fr., Patrick Henry, 100 (Dec. 18)
9 seconds
Crystal Perez, Soph., Willow Glen, 190 (Dec. 7)
10 seconds
Leonardo Battulga, Sr., South Torrance, 285 (Feb. 6)
Michael Poindexter, Jr., Granite Hills (Apple Valley), 150 (Nov. 20)
11 seconds
Rory Bickmore, Sr., Arcata, 157 (Dec. 7)
Roxanne Raab, Sr., Clairemont, 135 (Feb. 8)
Gabriel Tinajero, Sr., Ganesha, 215 (Jan. 15)
12 seconds
Luke Hansen, Jr., Campolindo, 285 (Feb. 5)
Emily Keltgen, Jr., Rio Americano, 110 (Dec. 22)
Naun Mendez, Fr., Firebaugh, 150 (Dec. 28)
Coaches only may add to this list. Email jtawa@cifstate.org
100 % COMMITTED!
In this section, we identify those wrestling high school this year who have made commitments to wrestle in college.
Sonny Acuna, Sr., Northview, 197 – Cal Baptist
Eli Almarinez, Sr., Vacaville, 125 -- Vanguard
Joseph Antonio, Sr., St. John Bosco, 165 -- Army
Henry Aslikyan, Jr., Birmingham, 125 -- Michigan
Curtis Bartley, Sr., Del Norte (Crescent City), 149/157 – Northern Idaho
Ashton Besmer, Jr., Buchanan, 133 -- Army
Ben Bomberger, Sr., Poway, 184/197 – Cal Poly SLO
Brokton Borelli, Sr., Los Banos, 197 -- Maryland
Levi Bussey, Sr., Granite Bay, 197 – Cal Poly SLO
Nathan Carillo, Jr., St. John Bosco, 125/133 – Oregon State
Primo Catalano, Sr., Chaminade, 197 – Army
Bailey Cathey, Sr., Galt, 131 – Minot State
Leo Contino, Sr., Buchanan, 165/174 – West Virginia
Elijah Cortez, Sr., Gilroy, 141/149 -- Cornell
Isaiah Cortez, Sr., Gilroy, 133/141 -- Cornell
Christopher Creason, Jr., El Diamante, 165 -- Army
Olivia Davis, Sr., Monte Vista (Danville), 145 – William Jewell
Justice El-Sayad, Sr., Temecula Valley, 285 – Cal Poly SLO
Jacob Estrada, Sr., Monache, 133/141 – University of Providence (Montana)
Ryan Espiritu, Sr., Vacaville, 149 – Colorado School of Mines
Christian Garcia, Sr., Walnut, 125/133 – Cal Poly SLO
James Gensaw, Jr., Sr. -- Del Norte (Crescent City), 142/133 – Cal Poly Humboldt
Mackenzie Gilbert, Sr., Modesto, 103 – Waldorf
Isabella Marie Gonzales , Sr., Clovis East, 117/124 – Iowa
Travis Grace, Jr., Gilroy, 174 – Oregon State
Victor Alexander Gutierrez, Jr., Central Catholic – Cal Baptist
Christian Herrera, Sr., Bakersfield, 157 -- Wyoming
Chris Huerta, Jr., Buchanan, 141 -- Princeton
Ajalynn Jimenez-Panoke, Sr., Hillcrest, 109 -- William-Jewell College
Robert Jones, Sr., Poway, 125 – Cal Poly SLO
Isaac Judson, Sr., Albany, 149 – Williams College
Kaiya Lopes, Sr., Rancho Bernardo, 103 – Minot State
Jeff Lopez, Sr., Clovis, 141 – Oregon State
Leo Maestas, Sr., Clovis West, 133 – American University
Khale McDonnell, Sr., Fountain Valley, 285 – Oregon State
Moses Mendoza, Jr., Gilroy, 133 -- Michigan
Mason Ontiveros, Jr., Pitman, 184 -- Oklahoma
Dylan Pile, Sr., Los Gatos, 174 -- Stanford
Angelo Posada, Sr., Poway, 197/285 -- Stanford
Beau Priest, Sr., Bakersfield, 157/165 – Oregon State
Braden Priest, Sr., Bakersfield, 149 – North Carolina
Ronnie Ramirez, Sr., Walnut, 133 – Oklahoma State
Adrien Reyes, Sr., Clovis, 184 – Oregon State
Jonathan Rocha, Jr. Clovis North, 184 -- Purdue
Samantha Sachs, Sr., Glendora, 131 – Iowa
Nicholas Sahakian, Sr., St. John Bosco, 285 -- Michigan
Jaelynn Serna, Sr., Apple Valley, 110 – Missouri Valley College
Siraj Sidhu, Jr., Del Oro (Loomis), 133 -- Stanford
Edwin Sierra, Sr., Poway, 125/133 -- Stanford
Aiden Simmons, Sr., Bakersfield, 141 – Cal Poly SLO
Joseph Toscano, Jr., Gilroy, 157 -- Cornell
Billy Townson, Sr., Poway, 133 -- Rutgers
Carter Vannest, Jr., Pitman, 197 -- Oklahoma
Evelyn Vargas, Sr., Merced, 180/207 – Dickinson State
Blake Woodward, Jr., Buchanan, 149 – Oregon State
Daniel Zepeda, Sr., Gilroy, 149 – North Carolina State
Nikade Zinkin, Sr., Clovis, 149/157 -- Nebraska
Rocklin Zinkin, Jr., Buchanan, 125/133 – Oklahoma State
Commitments to add? Email jtawa@cifstate.org