Girls recap: Thornton, Beat the Streets
By Gary Larsen for the IWCOA
Thornton Township Girls Tournament
Evergreen Park’s girls took the crown at Thornton Township’s 11-team tournament, posting a 116.5-101 edge over second-place Thornton-Fractional South. Host Thornton (87) placed third, followed by De La Salle (82) and Bloom Township (76) to round out the top five team finishes.
Four individual champions scaled to the top of the awards stand wearing Evergreen Park colors, in Malia O’Neal (105), Riley Osborne (115), Isabella Torres (145) and Layla Ross (155). Seven girls finished in the top four of their weight classes for the Mustangs.
“The girls wrestled with intensity and confidence all weekend, earning the team championship and showcasing strong teamwork,” Evergreen Park coach Matt Pashakarnis said. “With a small but growing roster, the team’s performance reflects steady progress and sets an exciting tone for the rest of the season.”
1st: Evergreen Park (116.5)
In addition to titles from O’Neal, Osborne, Torres and Ross, the Mustangs got a pair of seconds from Jade Thornton (120) and Tatum Davis (145), and a third from Iris Cardenas (100).
“Several wrestlers brought home first-place finishes while others made deep runs in their brackets. Veterans Riley Osborn and Malia O’Neal led the way with consistent wins, and first-year wrestlers Bella Torres and Layla Ross have already shown impressive growth with bracket victories.”
2nd: Thornton-Fractional South (101)
The Red Wolves got an individual title from Jermia Moore (170), a pair of second-place finishes from Dakodia Kelly (110) and Aracely Stevens (115), and thirds from Abibatu Mogaji (125), Mya Coffey (155) and Lucia Terrazas.
3rd: Thornton (87)
Winning titles for the Wildcats were Ariel Woodfin (110) and Miniyai Adams (235). Nia Smith (235) placed second, thirds came from Isabella Murillo (120) and Kamora Hill (130), and Tyler Lee (140) placed fourth.
Final team scores:
Evergreen Park (116.5), Thornton-Fractional South (101), Thornton (87), De La Salle (82), Bloom (76), Hillcrest (74.5), Rich Township (71), Illiana Christian (54), Dwight (52), Saint Viator (50), Proviso East (25)
Notable matches:
A pair of returning state qualifiers squared off for the title at 110, where Thornton’s Ariel Woodfin won by fall over TF South’s Dakodia Kelly.
The closest finals match of the day came on the third-place mat at 125, where TF South’s Abibatu Mogaji won a 9-7 decision over De La Salle’s Mia Vargas.
Statistics:
Thornton-Fractional South finished with the most pins of any team present with 12, and the Red Wolves also scored the most total match points with 115.
Individually, Bloom’s Lillian O’Brien had the most pins in the least time, with 3 falls in 1:50. Thornton’s Ariel Woodfin had the fastest tech fall in 2:17, and Woodfin finished with the most total match points with 44. Thornton’s Miniyai Adams and De La Salle’s Nevaeh Jones tied for the fastest fall in 14 seconds. Rich Township’s Sariya Maddox scored the most single-match points with 20,
TF South’s Jermia Moore provided the largest seed-place difference, as the No. 7 seed won the title at 170 pounds.
Championship match results:
100: Lillian O’Brien (Bloom) F 1:11 Sariya Maddox (Rich Township)
105: Malia O’Neal (Evergreen Park) F 0:26 Tayonna Frye (Thornton)
110: Ariel Woodfin (Thornton) F 2:46 Dakodia Kelly (TF South)
115: Riley Osborne (Evergreen Park) MD 8-0 Aracely Stevens (TF South)
120: Victoria Serment (De La Salle) F 3:31 Jade Thornton (Evergreen Park)
125: Fiona Monaco (Saint Viator) F 2:15 Mia Gray (Bloom)
130: Daviana Smith (Bloom) F 3:06 Alanna Lee (Illiana Christian)
135: Avery Crouch (Dwight) F 0:31 Adelia Eriks (Illiana Christian)
140: Adilynn Avilez (Dwight) F 2:25 Nyla Hall (Rich Township)
145: Isabella Torres (Evergreen Park) F 2:46 Tatum Davis (Evergreen Park)
155: Layla Ross (Evergreen Park) TF 4:26 Melissa Nance (Hillcrest)
170: Jermia Moore (TF South) F 1:58 Isabella Wilson (De La Salle)
190: Jordyn Coleman (Hillcrest) F 1:15 Cassidy Farabaugh (Illiana Christian)
235: Miniyai Adams (Thornton) F 0:23 Nia Smith (Thornton)
Third-place match results:
100: Iris Cardenas (Evergreen Park) F 1:02 Camiia Olvera-Garnica (Thornton)
105: None
110: Taniya Moss (Thornton) F 2:46 Evalyn Idzik (Saint Viator)
115: Amiyah Brantley (Bloom) F 0:53 Isabella Risley (De La Salle)
120: Isabella Murillo (Thornton) D 9-3 Samantha Dyckman (Saint Viator)
125: Abibatu Mogaji (TF South) D 9-7 Mia Vargas (De La Salle)
130: Kamora Hill (Thornton) F 0:55 Janie Carter (Proviso East)
135: Mercedes Carrasco (De La Salle) F 2:00 Mia Tellado (Proviso East)
140: Madilyn Hunt (Proviso East) F 2:33 Tyler Lee (Thornton)
145: Cheyebbe Haire (Rich Township) F 1:18 Aubree Stein (Dwight)
155: Mya Coffey (TF South) F 3:25 Samantha Phillips (Hillcrest)
170: Anna Kuznetsov (Saint Viator) F 5:11 Arielle Perkins (Hillcrest)
190: Lucia Terrazas (TF South) F 0:34 Shaniah Williams (Proviso East)
235: Nevaeh Jones (De La Salle) F 0:55 Island Ross (Rich Township)
Beat the Streets Girls High School Brawl
The team from Crown Point, Indiana took the team title at this year’s 16-team Beat the Streets tournament, hosted by Chicago Hope Academy. Crown Point just edged-out second place Homewood-Flossmoor, 202.5-198.5. Willowbrook (139) was third, followed by Kelly (128) and Mother McAuley (125) to round out the top-five team finishes.
As the highest-finishing team from Illinois, Homewood-Flossmoor nearly caught Crown Point with a team-wide effort.
Five of Aronson’s girls reached the championship mat on Saturday to lead all teams.
“Virtually every girl in our lineup is solid,” Vikings coach Scott Aronson said. “And the fact that we give up 18 to 24 points in duals right off the bat because of forfeits and still win speaks to the ferocity of these girls.
“We have had a really fantastic weekend and start to the season. We are currently 5-1 in duals and defeated Oak Forest by criteria, which is the first time our program has accomplished that in the last five seasons. The girls have committed themselves to off-season wrestling, camps, tournaments, and clubs.”
1st: Crown Point, IN (202.5)
Crown Point got individual titles from Annalise Neal (120), Lilly Escobedo (140) and Olivia Hunt (155), a second from Tessa Ablin (120), thirds from Eve Angelini (115), Khloe Jorge (120), Breanna Dominguez (135) and Mia McDaniel (145), fourths from Jayda Miller (170) and Sara Zunno (235), fifths from Keewa Yu (110), Abigail Katona (135), Dionna Turner (145) and Ava James (235), and a sixth from Grace Koonce (110).
2nd: Homewood-Flossmoor (198.5)
Aronson got a pair of individual titles from Amara Nwoye (130) and Madelynn McClements (135), with Nwoye improving to a perfect 10-0 in winning her second tournament title of the season.
Placing second for the Vikings were London Gandy (125), Denise Brown (145) and Na’imah Lamon (155). Kennedy Dade (140) and Olivia Haywood (155) placed third, Dilailah Lopez (110) and Taniyah Bradley (120) finished fourth, Amirat Toheeb-Lawal (115) was fifth, and a sixth-place finish from Brielle Garland (130)
“We definitely have some holes to fill…but the girls in the lineup are young,” Aronson said. “I’m really excited to see what this season will bring for these girls. I would give you girls to look out for but right now it is virtually our entire lineup.”
3rd: Willowbrook (139)
Coach Mary Doro’s Warriors were led by a trio of runners-up in Nayeli Salgado (110), Jazilah Gatlin (170) and Jimena Saenz (190), a fourth from Allison Flores-Morales (135), fifths from Victoria Cianci (130) and Lily Vannoy (155), and a sixth from Leah Condon (115).
Additional individual champions:
100: Adali Cruz (Speer); 105: Natalyn Mahon-Godfrey (Kelly); 110: Carmen Jackson (Ag Science); 115: Demetria Griffin (Hope); 125: Amelia Mitchell (BTS NV);145: America Cabrera (Phoenix Military); 170: Sara Martinez (Kelly); 190: Jordyn Coleman-Harrison (Hillcrest); 235: Esmerelda Bustamante (Speer)
Additional runners-up:
100: Ashley Lopez (BOTY); 105: Giselle Valencia (Mother McAuley); 115: Yazmine Garcia (Kelly); 130: Stephanie Villada-Garcia (Mother McAuley); 135: Liliana Monserrat Dimes (Kelly); 140: Evelyna Perez (BOTY); 235: Kiara Owens (Lindblom)
Final team scores:
Crown Point, IN (202.5); Homewood-Flossmoor (198.5); Willowbrook (139); Kelly (128); Mother McAuley (125); Chicago Agricultural Science (93.5); Speer Academy (88); Back of the Yards (86.5); Crete-Monee (82.5); Phoenix Military Academy (68.5); Hillcrest (65.5); Chicago Hope Academy (50); Highland Park (44); Hancock (38); Beat the Streets, NV (30); Lindblom (28)
Closest calls:
The closest finals matches came on the third-place mat. First, Crown Point’s Mia McDanial won 9-6 over Highland Park’s Lexie Hoobler at 145, followed by Homewood-Flossmoor’s Olivia Haywood winning 10-7 over Hillcrest’s Melissa Nance at 155 pounds.
Statistics:
Champion Crown Point’s 44 pins and 417 total match points led the field, followed by second-place Homewood-Flossmoor 28 pins and 239 total points.
Individually, Mother McAuley’s Holly Rowan had five pins in 7:40 in posting the most pins in the least time, while Hillcrest’s Taniya Moss’s two tech falls in 4:38 also led the field.
Homewood-Flossmoor’s Amirat Toheeb-Lawal had the fastest fall in 18 seconds, while Moss and Back of the Yards’ Ashley Lopez tied for the fastest tech fall, at 1:45. Crown Point’s Annalise Neal, Kelly’s Sara Martinez Lopera, and Amelia Mitchell from Beat the Streets in Nevada had a three-way tie for the most team points, 30.
Back of the Yards’ Hade Mejia and Willowbrook’s Leah Condon tied for the most single-match points with 23. Hillcrest’s Moss also finished with the most total match points, with 61.
Championship match results:
100: Adali Cruz (Speer) d. Ashley Lopez (BOTY) F 2:42
105: Natalyn Mahon-Godfrey (Kelly) d. Giselle Valencia (McAuley) F 4:30
110: Carmen Jackson (Ag Science) d. Nayeli Salgado (Willowbrook) F 5:38
115: Demetria Griffin (Hope Academy) d. Yazmine Garcia (Kelly) F 3:01
120: Annalise Neal (Crown Point IN) d. Tessa Ablin (Crown Point IN) F 5:52
125: Amelia Mitchell (BTS NV) d. London Gandy (H-F) F 1:52
130: Amara Nwoye (H-F) d. Stephanie Villada-Garcia (McAuley) F 0:49
135: Madelynn McClements (H-F) d. Liliana Monserrat Dimes (Kelly) F 2:30
140: Lilly Escobedo (Crown Point IN) d. Evelyna Perez (BOTY) F 3:52
145: America Cabrera (Phoenix) d. Denise Brown (H-F) F 3:42
155: Olivia Hunt (Crown Point IN) d. Na’imah Lamon (H-F) TF 16-0
170: Sara Martinez (Kelly) d. Jazilah Gaitlin (Willowbrook) F 0:40
190: Jordyn Coleman-Harrison (Hillcrest) d. Jimena Saenz (Willowbrook) F 1:44
235: Esmerelda Bustamante (Speer) d. Kiara Owens (Lindblom) F 1:46
Third-place match results:
100: Jitzel Aranda (Phoenix) d. Ella Quigley (McAuley) F 1:31
105: Marilyn Morales (Hancock) d. Hade Mejia (BOTY) F 1:09
110: Taniya Moss (Hillcrest) d. Dilailah Lopez (H-F) TF
115: Eve Angelini (Crown Point) d. Danita Palmore (Ag Science) F 6:00
120: Khloe Jorge (Crown Point IN) d. Taniyah Bradley (H-F) F 3:46
125: Holly Rowan (McAuley) d. Dimond Calvin-Bowsky (D-Monee) F 3:07
130: Noelani Page (C-Monee) d. Margo Hats (Speer) TF
135: Breanna Dominguez (Crown Point IN) d. Allison Flores-Morales F 0:43
140: Kennedy Dade (H-F) d. Neriah Treadway (Hancock) F 1:53
145: Mia McDaniel (Crown Point IN) d. Lexie Hoobler (HP) D 9-6
155: Olivia Haywood (H-F) d. Melissa Nance (Hillcrest) D 10-7
170: Elena Haugh (Ag Science) d. Jayda Miller (Crown Point IN) D 7-3
190: Gabriella Teufackmomo (McAuley) d. Kaylee Slattery (C-Monee) F 2:22
235: Maya Grant (McAuley) d. Sara Zunno (Crown Point (IN) F 3:46