Wrapping up the South Region for girls' high school wrestling
WILLIAMSTOWN – In the short history of the NJSIAA girls’ regional tournament, one thing has remained constant over the five-year stretch:
These girls are having some serious fun.
While there are some tears in defeat and even some in victory, the quality of wrestling is getting better and better with each passing year.
“Definitely,” senior Emma Coesfeld said when asked if girls' wrestling has come a long way in a short period of time. “You can’t just come in here and expect to place. It’s really hard to get on this podium and that’s a good thing. It shows that this sport (for the girls) is getting better and will continue to.”
Lenape coach Chris Easlick says he has noticed a big difference during Sunday's tournament.
“The skill level has definitely jumped a lot in the last four years,” he said. “Before it was whoever the most aggressive wrestler was and there were a lot of headlocks. Here, you’re seeing a lot more different things being used. There’s definitely a lot more skill involved.”
More:Wrapping up the district tournaments for South Jersey high school wrestling
No. 99 and counting
Coesfeld is on the verge of history as she needs just one more win for 100 in her career.
The senior will become the first South Jersey female to achieve the feat and would join Kira Pipkins, of Bloomfield, in Garden State history. She’ll go for the century mark in her first bout at states next weekend in Phillipsburg.
“To be the first (girl) to be on the 100-win board at my school would mean so much to me,” Coesfeld said. “Coming in as a freshman and not knowing anything about high school wrestling, it’s amazing to see how far I’ve come and I’m so happy for the people who have supported me along the way."
Coesfeld chalked up win No. 99 in just 100 seconds, but it was far from easy. She wrestled Gloucester’s defending region champ and good friend Jaclyn McDowell in the 107-pound final.
“It’s hard wrestling anybody you know,” Coesfeld said.
Order the board
Isabella Prem looked up at the record boards for the Lenape program and had a simple question.
“She wanted to know when we were getting one for the girls,” Easlick said. “I told her when we had a region champ. Well, the board is going up for sure now.”
That’s because Prem not only became the first female region champ at the school, but also in the entire Lenape School District.
“It’s amazing and I can’t wait to go to states,” Prem said.
The sophomore earned a trip to the state tournament last year and said the experience helped prepare for a title run this season. She recorded three straight pins, including a fall against top-seeded Jayden Bennett, of West Deptford, a wrestler who pinned her on Feb. 4.
“I learned a lot last year that the girls who get to this point are really skilled and I knew how much harder I had to work,” said Prem, who improved to 12-2 – all of the wins by pin. “I wrestled in fifth and sixth grade for a couple teams in Philadelphia, but stopped for two years.
“It was hard to get back into it, but I’m feeling a lot more comfortable now.”
Easlick added, “She’s limited her mistakes. She’s a very talented wrestler, but she would do things to put her in bad positions sometimes, like the first time (she wrestled Bennett).”
Jumping for joy
Palmyra’s Samantha Domask really wanted to win a region title, simply for the celebration.
“We were talking about it earlier about how some of the wrestlers were leaping into their coach’s arms (after big wins) and I asked (Coach Nick Nahrwold), ‘Can I do that?'” the freshman asked.
Nahrwold said, “Take first place and you can do it.”
After registering a 5-2 win over Kingsway’s defending region champ Brea Heil to captured the 235 title, Domask couldn’t wait to have her arm raised before dashing off the mat and into her coach’s arms.
If you thought Domask would have been intimidated by facing Heil in the final, think again. Sure, Heil decked Domask in the final of the Queen of the East Tournament in December, but there isn’t much that makes Domask feel uneasy.
“She’s the most composed freshman athlete I’ve ever met,” Nahrwold said. “She said she never understands why these wrestlers all look so serious. She always she knows what she needs to do and, often times, she’s always laughing when she says it.”
Domask said she felt more confident in this tournament, much more than the one in December, which was the first of her scholastic career.
“Be confident, not let my guard down and be smart with all my moves,” Domask said.
The freshman looked like a veteran as she became Palmyra’s first-ever regional champ.
Buena's Aretz earns OW
Shea Aretz had a simple game plan:
“I wanted to go out there, get some wins and have fun,” the Buena freshman said.
She accomplished a lot more.
Aretz rattled off three straight pins before knocking off a returning region runner-up in the final to capture the 126 crown. Her 8-2 win over Mainland’s Jackelin Ramos Oviedo cemented the title and helped earn her the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler award.
“I walked in here today and I was nervous,” Aretz said. “But I just had to stick to what I know.”
Coming from a wrestling family, that’s a lot of knowledge. However, Aretz says she has grappled with the mental part of the sport.
“It’s a really tough sport, especially mentally,” said Aretz, who improved to 16-6 this season. “(The preparation, the bouts), all of it. You just have to keep going no matter what happens. You have to keep moving forward.”
Tournament notes
Pennsauken went 3-for-3 in the championship round as Brianna Nguyen (152), Macenzie Hunter (185) and Jada Pichardo (114) pulled off the trifecta for Code Red. The program had three region titles in its history before Sunday (two for Hannah Dahl and one for Tatiana Walker.
The third time was the charm for Cedar Creek’s Riley Lerner. The junior, who was a two-time regional runner-up, captured the 120 title with a run of three pins and a technical fall. She became the Pirates’ first regional champ.
Southern's Jayla Hahn became the first four-time South Region champion, accomplishing the feat at her third school. She wrestled at Central Regional and Lakewood previously.
Championship finals
100: Kloi Tighe, Gloucester, p. Mackenzie Markham, Kingsway, 1:15.
107: Emma Coesfeld, Delsea, p. Jacklyn McDowell, Gloucester, 1:40.
114: Jada Pichardo, Pennsauken, p. Hailey Beck, Lenape, 1:31.
120: Riley Lerner, Cedar Creek, p. Reagan Roxas, Kingsway, 3:30.
126: Shea Aretz, Buena, d. Jackeline Ramos Oviedo, Mainland, 8-2.
132: Maya Hemo, Cherry Hill East, md. Danna Ramirez, Ocean City, 8-0.
138: Jayla Hahn, Southern, p. Zionya Jackson, Schalick/Cumberland, 3:34.
145: Isabella Prem, Lenape, p. Jaden Bennett, West Deptford, 3:09.
152: Brianna Nguyen, Pennsauken, d. Isabella Scittina, Mainland, 6-5.
165: Ari Tyson, Cherry Hill West, p. Savanna Marlin, Rancocas Valley, 3:23.
185: Macenzie Hunter, Pennsauken, p. Jade Hahn, Donovan Catholic, 4:24.
235: Samantha Domask, Palmyra, d. Brea Heil, Kingsway, 5-2.
Third-place consolations
100: Jaida Jenkins, Eastern, p. Emma Hale, Collingswood, 2:39.
107: Makenna O’Neill, Manchester Twp., d. Eleina Tindall, Toms River East, 3-0.
114: Olivia Guy, Ocean City, p. Hanna Rosario, Overbrook, 0:35.
120: Arabella Sosa, Westampton Tech, p. Rebecca Royer, Millville, 2:00.
126: Kylie Wright, Egg Harbor Twp., d. Alexandria Graffius, Holy Spirit, 11-8.
132: Olivia Palmer, Timber Creek, p. Jaleika Hernandez, Pemberton, 1:03.
138: E’marie Barge, Pennsauken, p. Renata Jiminez, Timber Creek, 3:41.
145: Samantha Henrich, Southern, md. Payton Gauss, Pemberton, 12-2.
152: Abbigale Dudley, Rancocas Valley, p. Kasey Gelato, Kingsway, 2:28.
165: Atiyana Williams, Pemberton, p. Michaela Callum, Southern, 0:55.
185: Paris Ford, Rancocas Valley, d. Shaelie Young, Gateway/Woodbury, 6-1.
235: Ziah Loftin, Westampton Tech, p. Meiya Eckert, Rancocas Valley, 0:39.
Tom McGurk is a regional sports editor for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: South Region for NJSIAA high school girls' wrestling
