Lady Eagles break own points record, take eight individual gold medals
Last Saturday’s Metro Conference girls wrestling tournament at Sweetwater High School showcased a record-setting performance by the Olympian High School Lady Eagles, who set a new scoring record with 296 points in distancing themselves from their 12 conference rivals.
Olympian crushed the competition. The Eastlake Lady Titans finished runner-up with 117 points while the third place Castle Park Lady Trojans were the only other team to top the 100-point plateau with 109,5 points.
The team title was the sixth consecutive for Olympian. The conference tournament has been running for six years.
“Our secret to success is to believe in the process, making sure we are together, set a standard to follow,” Olympian coach Jesse Perez said. “Success follows that.”
All 13 conference schools were represented on the mat. Nine of them sent wrestlers to the championship round with five schools scoring an individual champion.
The Lady Eagles soared over the field with eight individual champions while Eastlake and Otay Ranch each came off the mat with two individual champs. Bonita Vista and Southwest each had one individual champion.
Olympian also logged five silver medalists.
Six Lady Eagles repeated as league champions, including returning state meet qualifier Natalia Righellis (junior 172 pounds).
Olympian senior 102-pounder Avery Diaz (21-7) received the outstanding lower weight award while Righellis (28-4) received the outstanding upper weight award.
“It feels good,” Righellis said of her MVP award. “I’ve definitely been working hard through the offseason. I’m very happy. It’s satisfying.”
Southwest brought one wrestler to the tournament — junior Mariah Navarro. She won her 157-pound weight class with three pins after finishing the regular season undefeated in dual meets.”
Metro Conference mat women will now prepare for Saturday’s upcoming divisional tournaments at Rancho Bernardo High School (Division I), Santana High School (Division II) and Lincoln High School (Division III).
Olympian has won four CIF team titles.
“You have to take it one match at a time,” Righellis said. “You have to be composed, confident, believe in yourself and just wrestle like you know how.”
Metro Conference Girls Championship Tournament
Feb. 1 at Sweetwater High School
Team Standings
Points: 1. Olympian 296; 2. Eastlake 117; 3. Castle Park 109.5; 4. Otay Ranch 94; 5. Bonita Vista 92.5; 6. Hilltop 74; 7. Mater Dei Catholic 46; 8. Montgomery 39; 9. Chula Vista 33; 10. San Ysidro 29; 11. Southwest 28; 12. Mar Vista 17; 13. Sweetwater 16
Top Individuals
102 Pounds
Championship: Avery Diaz (Olympian) pinned Keisha Mae Collantes (Otay Ranch) 3:42
Third place: Gabrielle Nebres (Bonita Vista) defeated Elizabeth Byland (Hilltop) by injury default
102-B POUNDS
Championship: Koey Wu (Otay Ranch) pinned Stephany Gonzalez (Hilltop) 1:01
Third place: Elena Salcedo (Castle Park) pinned Kamryn Marie Delarosa (Eastlake) 1:58
107 POUNDS
Championship: Maliya Lumahan (Otay Ranch) pinned Hadiya Galvante (Olympian) 1:56
Third place: Genesis Tovar (Montgomery) pinned Galina Peter (Eastlake) 0:35
112 POUNDS
Championship: Keira Grantham (Otay Ranch) pinned Jianna Goodwin (Olympian) 1:30
Third place: Breanna Rene Reynoso (Olympian) pinned Elyza Kayleigh DeGuzman (Olympian) 1:51
117 POUNDS
Championship: Emme De Mesa (Eastlake) pinned Valentina Escobedo (Olympian) 0:53
Third place: Olivia Grace Delosreyes (Eastlake) tech fall Noahlanie Velasquez (Castle Park) 15-0
122 POUNDS
Championship: Laylene Martinez (Eastlake) pinned Jillian Josa (Olympian) 1:23
Third place: Alina Gomes (Mar Vista) pinned Gabrielle Ruliva (Otay Ranch) 1:55
127 POUNDS
Championship: Cheyenne Sandoval (Olympian) pinned Isabella Ramirez (Bonita Vista) 0:23
Third place: Abigail Garcia (Olympian) pinned Gabriela Newby (Eastlake) 1:54
132 POUNDS
Championship: Vania Victoria (Olympian) pinned Tatianna Barrientos (Hilltop) 0:19
Third place: Audrina Perez (Castle Park) pinned Alex Castaneda (Chula Vista) 1:12
137 POUNDS
Championship: Keagan Wynne Alatiw (Olympian) pinned Jazmine Coronel (Castle Park) 1:50
Third place: Sulay Ramirez (Olympian) pinned Benett Hurtado (Olympian) 4:37
142 POUNDS
Championship: Ella Edvalson (Bonita Vista) major decision J Guerrero (Castle Oark) 15-1
Third place: Noelani Delacruz (Olympian) pinned Abby Quirus (Bonita Vista) 0:40
147 POUNDS
Championship: Aynnara Quintero (Olympian) pinned Deililah Velasquez (Castle Park) 1:43
Third place: Beatriz Rockholt (Mater Dei Catholic) pinned Anabelle Sanchez (Olympian) 2:29
157 POUNDS
Championship: Mariah Navarro (Southwest) pinned Ivanna Ruiz (Bonita Vista) 4:49
Third place: Isabella Verganza (Hilltop) pinned Lisha Kulasekera (Eastlake) 1:41
172 POUNDS
Championship: Natalia Righellis (Olympian) pinned Kaila Strother (Mater Dei Catholic) 1:17
Third place: Mila Watkins (Hilltop) pinned Keyry Martinez (San Ysidro) 2:56
192 POUNDS
Championship: Ramona Jundt (Olympian) pinned Ximena Nuno Arana (Chula Vista) 3:31
Third place: Kiara Leyva (Castle Park) pinned Arianni Benitez (Eastlake) 2:17
237 POUNDS
Championship: Elisa Najera (Olympian) pinned Sasha Harper (Olympian) 3:02
Third place: Ahlani Dominguez (San Ysidro) pinned Janiaya Banks (Otay Ranch) 2:49
