Arizona boys, girls 2022-23 high school wrestling championship roundup
The 2023 Arizona Interscholastic Association awarded championships in team and individual categories for boys and girls high school wrestling on Saturday at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, concluding a three-day tournament that began Thursday. Here is a roundup of results:
Boys Division 1
Tucson Sunnyside High School continued its commanding hold of the division by securing its sixth consecutive state championship. The Blue Devils scored 307.5 points, more than double the points of second-place Peoria Liberty High School, which finished with 151. Out of 14 weight classes, the Blue Devils had seven first-place finishes and five second-place finishes.
“Working hard, great culture, great people around, and ultimately great kids,” said Sunnyside head coach Anthony Leon, in summing his program's success. “We’re pretty greedy we want to win everything.”
D-1 Boys individual winners (weight class noted): 106, Matthew Krawczenko, Liberty; 113, Diego Camarillo, Cibola; 120, James Armstrong, Sunnyside; 126, Sergio Vega, Sunnyside; 132, Carlos Stanton, Sunnyside; 138, Joseph Jarman, Mesa; 144, Cristian Rivera, Sunnyside; 150, Ammon Passey, Shadow Ridge; 157, Job Lee, Sunnyside; 165, Mike Avelar, Sunnyside; 175, Nicholas Pina, Sunnyside; 190, Rowan Gneiting, Mesa; 215, Abel Garza, Shadow Ridge; 285, Anthony Ruiz, Liberty.
Boys Division II
The Glendale Ironwood Eagles came into Saturday down by over 20 points in the tournament, but with the help of the later rounds were able to make a comeback and secure its first state championship. The Eagles finished the tournament with 191 total points, placing them just ahead of Waddell Canyon View, which had 189.5 total points. Ironwood also had three first-place finishers.
Ironwood overcame injuries during the season, as well as wrestlers not in their ideal weight classes, said head coach Sean Flanigan.
“Not breaking under disappointment, hardship, overcoming adversity. The truth is the season’s been like that all year, we’ve never had our team at full strength,” Flanigan said. “You can almost say that it became normal this year that we were wrestling under adverse circumstances… There was definitely an ability as a culture to handle some of the disappointment and setback and overcome [it].
Boys D-II individual winners: 106, Daniel Alire, Yuma Kofa; 113, Gabriel Ramirez, Canyon View; 120, Vonn Fenn, Thunderbird; 126, Julian Macias, Ironwood; 132, Daniel Miranda, Marana Mountain View; 138, Skyer Hickman, Canyon View; 144, Colby Ryan, Raymond Kellis; 150, Pablo Macias, Ironwood; 157, Trent Wikel, Desert Mountain; 165, Marlin Whyte, Mountain Pointe; 175, RJ Robinson, Desert Mountain; 190, Markell Rivera-Cain, Ironwood; 215, Kayden Luke, Canyon Del Oro; 285, Majel Morones, Campo Verde.
Boys Division III
Another Southern Arizona powerhouse, the Sahuarita Mustangs, secured their second consecutive state championship. The Mustangs dominated, with 205 points, while second-place American Leadership Academy Gilbert tallied 158.5. Sahuarita had three first-place finishers and four second-place finishers as well.
Mustang's head coach Paul Vasquez noted the team has had a year-round training program, which has helped fuel its success, but he was quick to credit his wrestlers.
“Proud of my guys, [they] battled over the last three days,” Vasquez said. “[They are] a really good group of kids that work their butts off.”
Boys D-III individual winners: 106, Brody Townsend, Mingus Union; 113, Julio Gonzales, Mohave; 120, Zachary Bates, Walden Grove; 126, Pedro Mendoza, Walden Grove; 132, Joshua Beans, Mica Mountain; 138, Christian Lopez, Sahuarita; 144, Brandon Loyden, American Leadership Academy Gilbert; 150, Gabriel Gallardo, Sahuarita; 157, Julian Prieto, Sahuarita; 165, Cooper French, Coconino; 175, Bric Jobe, American Leadership Academy Gilbert; 190, Luke Isaak, Shadow Mountain; 215, Devin Kinlicheenie, Snowflake; 285, Julian Laborin, Dysart.
Boys Division IV
The Morenci Wildcats secured their third consecutive state championship. For the second consecutive year, the Wildcats outscored second-place Yuma Catholic, this time by 194.5 to 163.5. The Wildcats had three indivdual champions as well, and two second-place finishers.
“Our motto is ‘Ride for the Brand’... meaning that you sacrifice, you do whatever you got to do for the team,” said head coach Casey Woodall. “Obviously, the kids really, really embraced that. You know just kind of selfless mentality and doing whatever it takes for the team to be successful, that’s why we are able to win.”
Boys D-IV individual winners: 106, Erick Galindo, Blue Ridge; 113, Raymond Garcia, San Manuel; 120, Jaeden Seballos, Morenci; 126, Gabe Gonzales, Globe; 132, Jason Ramirez, Holbrook; 138, Noah Torres, Morenci; 144, Hunter Hancock, Yuma Catholic; 150, John Provencio, Morenci; 157: Oren Allsup, Willcox; 165, Kash Macumber, Willcox; 175, Trenton Blomquist, Yuma Catholic; 190, Coy Bowser, Wickenburg; 215, Ed Tingle, Willcox; 285, Elias Espinoza, San Pasqual Valley.
Girls Division I
Liberty High School cruised to its second consecutive girls state championship. The Lions totaled 181 points, while second-place Sunnyside tallied 126 points. The Lions also had three wrestlers finish in first place, which helped fuel their final score. Throughout the season the Lions ranked ninth in the country but moved into the top four late in the season. Among the individual winners was senior Bella Bocanegra, who won her third straight individual title in the 100-pound class.
The Lions are coached by Brooke Logan, a Liberty alumnus who wrestled against boys at the school before the AIA approved girls wrestling as a sanctioned high school sport.
“It started off so small, now we are getting more girls every year,” said Logan. “More girl coaches, which are awesome to see and be a part of. I think we are moving in the right direction.”
There is one division in AIA girls wrestling.
Girls Division 1 individual winners: 100, Bella Bocanegra, Liberty; 107, Iliana Castaneda, Sunnyside; 114, Audrey Jimenez, Sunnyside; 120, Adacelli Noriega, Bisbee; 126, Brianna Reyes, Valley Vista; 132, Taylor Colangelo, Liberty; 138: Bridgette Sotomayor, Liberty; 145, Isabelle Munoz, Casteel; 152, Lillian Gradillas-Flores, Marna Mountain View; 165, Trinity Bouchal, Basha; 185, Nylease Yzagere, Peoria; 235, Ave Risati, American Leadership Academy West Foothills.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona boys and girls high school wrestling championship roundup 2023
