Fast rising: Carroll's Cisneros makes quick ascension to success for Tigers
Leah Cisneros’ quick ascension to being one of the state’s top wrestlers in Class 5A at 119 pounds is not a surprise to those around her.
Cisneros’ combination of work ethic, aggressiveness and a keen grasp of fundamentals taught by Carroll wrestling coach Corey Bellino, Cisneros has taken that combination as a junior and has put herself in position to not only qualify for the state meet again but grab a spot on the podium.
“With the tools and the mindset she has, it doesn’t surprise me,” Bellino said of Cisneros’ success. “Coming off last year she only had 10 losses … half of those losses were at high level competition. She’s picked it up really quickly, bought in and said, ‘This is what I need to do,’ and she’s done it since then.”
This week, Cisneros will travel to Austin to compete in the Region IV-5A Wrestling Championships where she will look to improve on her third-place finish from 2022 and return to the state meet in two weeks in Cypress.
As Cisneros enters this week’s regional meet, she has two losses this season and is coming off a District 15-5A title.
“This year I’m supposed to touch the podium at state,” Cisneros said during a recent practice at Carroll. “Last year I was a qualifier and I made one match at state, but the expectation this year is top three ... hopefully.”
Cisneros’ interest in wrestling started when she took Bellino’s law enforcement class at Carroll, and Bellino mentioned she might be good at the sport.
Cisneros had played multiple sports during junior high into high school, including volleyball, basketball, track, tennis and even kickball. Cisneros said when she started in wrestling once she moved past being a little out of shape, she began to take to the sport.
She also said her aggressiveness on the court or field was something that fit wrestling.
“I was always way too aggressive with all of my other sports,” Cisneros said. “One of my friends had suggested wrestling but I thought, ‘That’s a guys sport, there’s no way.’ But I started it was like, ‘Oh wait, this is kind of a good stress reliever,’ and I was able to relieve stress and come to the mats. It’s kind of like my home.”
Bellino, a former police officer who wrestled as an amateur and also was a professional mixed martial arts fighter, said Cisneros has an unlimited ceiling as a competitor.
“She has a good wrestler’s frame, great aggressiveness and turns it on and it stays on,” Bellino said. “She works hard, so the mindset is there and the technique will come along.”
2023 Corpus Christi area regional qualifiers
BOYS
106 — Isaiah Deleon, King; Esteban Morales, Veterans Memorial; Carlos Guzman, Moody
113 — Luis Morales-Vela, Veterans Memorial; Benjamin Rojas, King
120 — Aidan Rodriguez, Veterans Memorial; Eric Flores, King
126 — Nicolas Flores, Carroll; Tyler Hall, Ray
132 — Damien Deleon, King; Amaziah Aguirre, Miller; Nikolas Camacho, Beeville
138 — Billy Flores, Carroll; Andrew Hernandez, Ray
144 — Dallas Flores, Carroll; Keeton Rummel, King; Josiah Zaragoza, Moody
150 — Ethan Stubblefield, King; Nate Luce, Ray; Jeremy De La Paz, Carroll
157 — Cole Ramirez, Ray; Gavin Hernandez, King; 3. Darion Perez, Beeville; Jonah Stafford, Miller
165 — Caleb Cruz, Ray; Dominic Dennis, Miller
175 — 1. Abraham Aguirre, Miller; 2. Landon Sheffel, Victoria West; 3. Eliazar Martinez, Donna North; 4. Aiden Rodriguez, Edcouch-Elsa
190 — Zach Martinez, Carroll; Kaden Garcia, Veterans Memorial
215 — Reese Hunt, Ray; Roman Nino, Carroll
285 — Edward Weaver, King; Brayden Dennis, Miller; Noah Guerra, Ray
GIRLS
100 — Abigail Mendoza, Veterans Memorial; Raquel Flores, Carroll; Emma Diaz, King
107 — Trinity Duran, King; Tyler Rokosz, Veterans Memorial
114 — Genevieve Bellino, Carroll; Xandrea Garza, Miller
120 — Leah Cisneros, Carroll; Chloe Duncan, King
126 — Aleaya Guerrero, Carroll; Rylee Fox, Ray
132 — Cecilia Gonzalez, King; Brandy Cassidy, Ray; Alora Munguia, Carroll
138 — Alyssa Reyes, Veterans Memorial
145 — Adijah Khamaladeen, King; Amaris Villarreal, Moody
152 — Gabriela Garcia, King; Jena Reyes, Ray
165 — Molly Tavenner, Veterans Memorial; Katelynn Galvan, King
185 — Milana Vega, King; Layla Chapa, Moody
235 — Loretta West, Ray; Arianna Hunt, Veterans Memorial
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Carroll's Leah Cisneros makes quick ascension to success for Tigers
