District 230 makes a statement by winning title at Pontiac Munch Invite

By Curt Herron

PONTIAC – You can call them Andrew, you can call them Andrew/Sandburg/Stagg, you can call them District 230.

But however you wish to refer to the school, schools or school district that they compete for, the team that definitely made the biggest impression at Pontiac’s Munch Girls Invitational on Friday made it quite clear that they deserve to be referred to by another fitting name, champions.

Andrew, the name of the team with competitors from the three south suburban schools in Consolidated High School District 230, Victor J. Andrew, Carl Sandburg and Amos Alonzo Stagg, definitely made a name for themselves in the sport after claiming top honors at the 39-team competition that lasted for nearly seven hours and didn’t conclude until after 11 p.m.

The tournament was different this year since it was no longer held concurrently with the boys competition that has a long history in a community that’s renowned for hosting the oldest holiday boys basketball tournament in the nation, which it will do again later this month.

One week after taking first place at the Schaumburg Invite, District 230 beat the program that won the season-opening Normal Community Invite, Joliet Township co-op, which consists of athletes from Joliet Central and Joliet West, capturing the title by a 155-130.5 margin.

Richwoods edged Minooka 120-117 for third place while Homewood-Flossmoor (109), Batavia (107.5) and J. Sterling Morton co-op (101) filled up the next few positions and Geneseo, Normal West and Unity all tied for eighth place with 83 points.

Leading the way for coach Demeri Pajic’s champion squad were first-place finisher sophomore Emma Akpan (190), runners-up Sophia Figueroa (110) and Mickaela Keane (170), third-place finisher Katherine Cygan (120) and fifth-place finisher Layan Saleh (100). 

Athletes could also score in B division brackets from 120-140 and in those, sophomore Alyssa Keane took first at 135 B and Emily Nieto was second at 125 B. Although they didn’t medal, Charlianne Johnson (115) and Lana Shuaibi (130) both went 2-2 and added key team points.

“I definitely think that we’re a team to be reckoned with,” Pajic said. “Every time that we come in, I tell the girls that we’re the team to beat, so keep that confidence and keep that mindset up. I tell them every day that they’re the toughest workers in the room and don’t be discouraged if you think that someone is stronger because you are the tougher person. And I think that’s what they do in matches, they leave everything out there, and it shows, because that’s what happened today.

“They’re sisters, and they love it. Having the three schools, they bond even more and they get to meet new people. We have girls on the team that because of cultural background cannot be wrestling with boys. So we said that we’re going to run this girls team and it will only be girls because that’s why Title IX is here for us. It’s opening doors for these girls and breaking barriers. Wrestling is for anybody and it doesn’t matter when you start. It is for everybody.”

Coach Liz Short’s runner-up Joliet Township team had six individuals who were in the top six but were unable to capture any titles, losing all three of their championship matches.

Batavia and Homewood-Flossmoor were the only teams who were able to win more than one title with the Bulldogs getting titles from defending state champion and nationally-ranked junior Sydney Perry at 155 and had one of the seven freshmen that reached the top of the awards stand in one of the brackets, Lily Enos at 100.

Defending state champion Attalia Watson-Castro took top honors at 135 for Homewood-Flossmoor while the Vikings once again had two juniors who are returning placewinners battling for a title in the same division as Ini Odumosu beat teammate Jocelyn Williams in the 235 finals.

Another defending state champion fell on the title mat, but that was alright since Unity junior Lexi Ritchie met her friend Perry in an historic clash of two returning IHSA champions at 155 and Perry prevailed by a 10-6 score.

Other seniors who won titles were Normal West’s Angel Bateson (105), J. Sterling Morton’s Leilany De Leon (125) and Richwood’s Jaida Johnson (170). The only other junior to win a title was Geneseo’s Gia Ritter (140 B).

Sophomores who won championships were Jacksonville’s Alexis Seymour (120), Morton’s Karen Canchola (130) and Canton’s Katie Marvel (145).

In a very encouraging sign about the bright future of the sport, seven freshmen took first place in various divisions. Beside Enos, other freshmen who won tiles in the main bracket were Mt. Zion’s Sydney Cannon (110), Minooka’s Addison Cailteux (115) and Unity’s Anna Vasey (140).

Freshmen who took first in the B division were St. Joseph-Ogden’s Maddie Wells (120 B), Erie/Prophetstown’s Michelle Naftzger (125 B) and Ottawa’s Ava Weatherford (130 B).

While there were six falls in title matches in the 14 main brackets, the majority of the championship clashes were decisions, and several were still in doubt in the late stages of those matchups.

Seymour edged Joliet Catholic Academy’s Grace Laird, who won a title last week at the Dan Gable Donnybrook in Iowa, 10-9 at 120. Canchola claimed a 3-1 win over Canton’s Bri Putman at 130, Vasey won 7-4 over Oakwood/Salt Fork’s Taylor Owens at 140, Johnson claimed a 3-1 decision over Mickaela Keane at 170 and Odumosu won 1-0 over Williams at 235.  

Five individuals tied for the most team points with 28, Bateson (105), Cannon (110), De Leon (125), Marvel (145) and Seymour (120). Four others scored 26 points, Akpan (190), Enos (100), Odumosu (235) and Watson-Castro (135). Alyssa Keane (135 B) and Vasey (140) both scored 25 team points while Perry (155) collected 24.5 points.

The tournament was named in honor of Russ Munch, who started the competition while he was coaching at Pontiac and has been run for many seasons by Corey Christenson, who’s been a longtime coach at the school. Corey’s dad Curt, also coached at Pontiac and had a long stint at University High in Normal, and in 2000, he was inducted into the IWCOA Hall of Fame.

Here’s a breakdown of the champions and weight classes at Pontiac’s Munch Invite:

Here’s a breakdown of the champions and weight classes at Pontiac’s Munch Invite:

100 – Lily Enos, Batavia

Lily Enos may only be a freshman, but she didn’t seem fazed by needing to beat two seniors in order to capture top honors at 100.

After recording a quick fall in her first match on the mats, the Batavia freshman claimed a 4-0 semifinals decision over the first girl to win a tournament title last year after the sport was recognized by the IHSA, Normal West senior Sammy Lehr, and then she recorded a fall in the title match in 1:40 over J. Sterling Morton senior Paris Flores, who was a state qualifier in the inaugural IHSA tournament. The freshman acknowledged that having one of the best wrestlers in the country on her team, Sydney Perry, helps to make everyone else that much better.

“This really is cool since I’ve been wrestling with Sydney since I was a little girl and I always looked up to her,” Enos said. “Now it’s fun that we’re teammates again and it’s fun seeing her coach all of the other girls. All of our teammates are basically first year beside me and Sydney and a couple of other girls. She’s just a big help and is always sharing her experiences. I’ve been wrestling up a weight a lot so that really helps me when I wrestle people my own weight, the challenge makes everything a little bit easier.”

Flores recorded two first-period falls, including one in 1:01 in the semifinals over Richwoods sophomore Marisol Perez, to advance to the championship mat. 

Lehr pinned Perez in 0:56 to claim third place. District 230 junior Layan Saleh bounced back from a quick fall in the quarterfinals to Lehr by getting three first-period falls in the consolation bracket to claim fifth place with a pin in 1:39 over Ottawa junior Akeisha Bermudo, who she beat by fall in the first round.

105 – Angel Bateson, Normal West

Angel Bateson kicked off her season in a good fashion when she won a title at the Normal Community Invite on the opening weekend.

The Normal West senior was equally impressive on Friday when she recorded two first-period falls, including one in 1:10 in the semifinals over Richwoods junior Alasia Do, to reach the 105 title mat, where she got a pin in 3:00 over Joliet Township sophomore Chloe Wong. 

Wong, who qualified for state last season, reached the title mat with two first-minute falls, including 0:54 in the semifinals over Romeoville junior Josefina Orozco.

Orozco bounced back from that semifinal loss to claim third place with a fall in 3:26 over Do. J. Sterling Morton sophomore Ariana Diaz was pinned by Bateson in the quarterfinals but got two first-period falls in the consolation bracket, with the last in 1:15, to claim fifth-place honors over Richwoods sophomore Maykala Parker-Taylor. 

110 – Sydney Cannon, Mt. Zion

On a day where young competitors were shining in title matches, Sydney Cannon was able to get the job done in the finals about as quickly as anyone else.

The Mt. Zion freshman, who was the only competitor for her school, needed just 0:26 to record a fall over District 230 sophomore Sophia Figueroa in the 110 title match. Cannon also got a fall in 32 seconds in the quarterfinals and 27 seconds in the semifinals against Minooka junior Brooklyn Doti, a state qualifier last season, to finish her run with three falls in 1:25.

“This was actually nice,” Cannon said. “This is my freshman year so coming into this I really didn’t know what to expect. So it was nice that I could wrestle hard and earn this. They (her teammates) push me a lot and have made me a lot stronger and I have to work a lot harder on my technique.”

Figueroa took a much different route getting to the finals, opening with a 6-4 win and then claiming a 5-0 decision over Richwoods senior Kyley Bair in the quarterfinals before getting a fall in 1:12 over Ottawa junior Kailee Lee in her semifinals match.

Doti needed just 16 seconds to get a fall over Lane to claim third place. Following her loss in her first match, Bair, who took sixth at state at 105 last year, recorded two falls before claiming a 12-0 major decision over Homewood-Flossmoor freshman London Gandy for fifth place.

115 – Addison Cailteux, Minooka

With four state qualifiers at 115, including three who were placewinners, the odds seemed to be rather long that a freshman like Addison Cailteux might be able to claim top honors.

But even though she faced a bracket featuring Morris junior Ella McDonnell (4th at 105), Joliet Township junior Eliana Paramo (5th at 115), Richwoods sophomore Isabella Motteler (6th at 115) and Homewood-Flossmoor sophomore Nina Hamm (115), the Minooka freshman was definitely up to the challenge, opening with a pin in 0:30 before beating McDonnell 9-4 in the semifinals and capping her run to the title with a 4-0 decision over Paramo in the title match to earn OWA honors for the lower weights.

“It was a tough weight class,” Cailteux said. “At first I was real nervous because I know that they placed at state or were state qualifiers and that’s pretty intimidating. I got my butt kicked by boys for four years so it’s pretty nice to be able to come here and I can compete now.”

Minooka coach Paige Schoolman was very impressed with the freshman’s performance against quality competition.

“Addie had a great tournament,” Schoolman said. “Winning a bracket with three returning All-staters as a freshman is impressive. But I wouldn’t expect anything less from Addie, she’s a great competitor and all-around athlete.

“We felt like all of our girls wrestled well  this weekend. The Tournament was a great showcase for women’s wrestling in Illinois.  We couldn’t be happier with the progress of this team in the state of girls wrestling in Illinois.”

Paramo, who opened the season with a title at Normal Community, won by technical fall in her opener before pinning Hamm in 1:43 and then getting a semifinals fall in 1:50 over Motteler

McDonnell recorded a fall in 3:59 over Motteler in the clash of returning placewinners for third place. Hamm used three first-period falls in the consolation bracket to take fifth, wrapping that place up with a pin in 0:31 over Pontiac freshman Samantha Fellers.

120 – Alexis Seymour, Jacksonville

Winning against a state qualifier in the semifinals and then beating another state qualifier who just won a multi-state tournament title in the finals is a tall task for anyone, but after falling one win shy of a medal at 115 a year, Alexis Seymour isn’t afraid of any challenges that she faces.

The Jacksonville sophomore followed two first-period falls with a pin in 2:10 over Homewood-Flossmoor senior Ava Anderson, who advanced to state last year, in the semifinals, and then captured a wild 10-9 decision over Joliet Catholic Academy sophomore Grace Laird, a state qualifier last year who won a title at the first Dan Gable Donnybrook girls invite last week.

Laird, who won top honors at 120 last weekend in Iowa, one of just two individuals from Illinois to do that, opened with an 11-8 decision in the quarterfinals and then won by fall in 2:56 over District 230 senior Katherine Cygan, who also was a state qualifier a year ago.

Cygan needed just 0:38 to record a fall over Anderson to capture third place. Deer Creek-Mackinaw senior Josie Barham responded to her loss to Laird by collecting a pair of first-period falls before capturing a 5-0 decision over Minooka sophomore Sophia Rausa, who also qualified for state last year, to take fifth place.

This was also the first weight of five consecutive ones where there was also a B bracket. St. Joseph-Ogden freshman Maddie Wells won by fall in 1:03 over Charleston freshman Morgan Smalhorn for first, Clinton sophomore Ariana Humes got a pin in 1:00 over Batavia freshman Natalie Lenart for third and Geneseo junior Gwen Burbridge won by fall in 3:52 over Deer Creek-Mackinaw freshman Cadence Martinez for fifth.

125 – Leilany De Leon, J. Sterling Morton

After placing sixth last year at 120, Leilany De Leon is clearly focused on achieving bigger and better things this season.

And the J. Sterling Morton senior is on a good path to doing that after recording three-straight pins in the first period to claim top honors at 125. She won by fall in 1:12 over Illinois Valley Central senior Breagan Lamb in the semifinals and became her team’s lone champion when she got a pin in 46 seconds over Kankakee senior Estefany Mendez in the title match. De Leon also won a title at Waukegan.

“Leilany is having an amazing start to her season,” Morton coach Fernando Arratia said. “She is wrestling with a lot of confidence and is growing with each passing week. This has been an exciting start for her, I know she is having a lot of fun out there.”

Mendez, a state qualifier last season, followed two first-period falls with an 11-0 major decision in the semifinals over Minooka senior Olivia Rojas.

Lamb claimed third place after recording a fall in 0:59 over Rojas. And in the fifth-place match, Richwoods senior Indhira Moore captured a 7-4 decision over Joliet Township sophomore Callie Crandall in a rematch of an opening-round match where Moore won 6-3. After falling to the eventual champ in the quarterfinals, Moore advanced with a pair of falls.

In the B bracket at 125, Erie/Prophetstown freshman Michelle Naftzger won by fall in 1:09 over District 230 sophomore Emily Nieto for first place. Batavia freshman Anabelle Guthke got a pin in 2:29 over Romeoville freshman Ariana Verara for third and Pontiac freshman Serenity DeFrees claimed fifth place over Macomb senior Roma Bride after getting a fall in 3:15.

130 – Karen Canchola, Morton

Karen Canchola added to a championship that she won the first weekend of the season at Normal Community with a second title in the 130 finals when she pulled out a 3-1 decision in the finals over Canton’s Bri Putman, who was a state qualifier a year ago. The pair also met up for the 135 title last month in Normal with Canchola claiming a 1-0 victory.

Morton sophomore Canchola, the lone individual representing her school, began her path to  another tournament title after getting a first-period fall and then claiming a 5-2 decision over Kankakee senior Alejandra Cornejo, who also was a state qualifier a year ago, in the semifinals.

Putman, a sophomore, followed an 8-3 victory in the quarterfinals with a 7-0 triumph over Seneca freshman Sammie Griesen in the semifinals. 

Cornejo claimed third place after recording a fall in 3:19 over Griesen. Unity senior Ava Vasey, the sister of 140 champion Anna Vasey and a state qualifier last season who was fifth at 132 in 2021 in the IWCOA, bounced back from a fall against Cornejo in the quarterfinals with two falls and a decision, claiming fifth place with a pin in 3:26 over Geneseo senior Phoebe Shoemaker.

In the B bracket at 130, Ottawa freshman Ava Weatherford won 8-6 over Normal West freshman Valarie Reed for first place while Richwoods sophomore Aliyah Cockfield took third with a fall in 2:46 over St. Joseph-Ogden sophomore Alexis Wirth. For fifth place, Jacksonville sophomore Hailey Dewitt won by fall in 0:52 over Rantoul junior Miranda Loosa.

135 – Attalia Watson-Castro, Homewood-Flossmoor

As one of the tournament’s defending state champions, most expected Attalia Watson-Castro to make another trip to the top of the awards stand at 135, the same weight class she captured a title at in the inaugural IHSA finals in Bloomington last season, and she did just that.

The Homewood-Flossmoor senior captured a 7-2 victory in the 135 finals over Canton sophomore Kinnley Smith to add to a title that she won at Normal Community to start the season. Watson-Castro recorded a pair of pins to advance to the title mat, claiming a win in the semifinals in 1:18 with a fall over Macomb sophomore Kelly Ladd.

Smith earned her spot in the finals after recording a first-period fall in the quarterfinals and getting a pin in 2:38 over J. Sterling Morton junior Faith Comas, who was a state qualifier last season, in the semifinals. She also met Watson-Castro in the finals at Normal Community to open this season and lost by fall.

Ladd, who also qualified for state last season, recorded a fall in 2:58 over Comas to claim third place. In the fifth-place match, Geneseo junior Grace Schilling bounced back from a fall in the  quarterfinals against Smith to win three-straight first-period falls in the consolation bracket, with the last being in 1:10 over Batavia junior Amelia Howell to claim fifth place.

District 230 sophomore Alyssa Keane, a state qualifier last season, took first in the 135 B bracket with a 15-1 major decision over Joliet Township senior Ana Franco. Minooka junior Eva Beck won with a fall in 1:15 over Unity freshman Claire Zoms to take third and Morris freshman Madison Lauterbach got a fall in 2:29 over Richwoods sophomore Mona Johnson to place fifth.

140 – Anna Vasey, Unity

Anna Vasey continued the run of freshman success in the finals of the Munch Invite when she captured a 7-4 decision over Oakwood/Salt Fork’s Taylor Owens in the 140 finals.

The Unity freshman, whose senior sister Ava qualified for state last season, recorded a fall in her quarterfinals match before capturing a 10-2 major decision over Erie/Prophetstown sophomore Jayda Rosenow, a returning state qualifier, in the semifinals.

Owens used a pair of falls to advance to the title mat, getting a pin in 2:18 over Minooka sophomore Hayla Hammer in the semifinals.

Hammer prevailed 12-11 over Rosenow in the third-place match. And in the fifth-place match, Kankakee junior Makayla Jones bounced back from a quarterfinals fall against Vasey with two falls before capturing a 13-4 major decision over Richwoods senior Nakiza Williams for fifth.

In the B bracket at 140, Geneseo junior Gia Ritter won by fall in 1:32 over Macomb sophomore Ava Clayton for first place. Batavia sophomore Lyn Codo-Prim won by fall in 3:24 over Normal West freshman Brandy Aguirre-Cruz for third and Decatur Lutheran freshman Lilly Roughton got a fall in 0:46 over J. Sterling Morton freshman Isabel Blanco to finish fifth. 

145 – Katie Marvel, Canton

After earning a trip to the first IHSA finals a year ago and falling a bit short of earning a medal there, Katie Marvel is looking to make a trip to the awards stand at state this season.

The Canton sophomore should feel better about her chances by claiming top honors at 145 in the Munch Invite after recording a fall in 2:51 in the finals over Olympia/Heyworth junior Jordan Bicknell, who also qualified for state a year ago. After winning a 6-4 decision in the quarterfinals, Marvel advanced to the title mat with a fall in 1:36 over Minooka junior Isabella Cyrkiel.

“It was amazing,” Marvel said. “I started at 155 and four days ago I started cutting 10 pounds,” Marvel said. “I was definitely a little scared in the quarterfinals match. I’m so excited about the next few years. During the summer I started going to offseason practices and I was lifting weights during the football season and I think that helped me,”

Following a 13-8 decision in her opener in the quarterfinals, Bicknell recorded a fall in 1:36 over Bloomington freshman Alicia Swank in the semifinals to reach the title mat.

Cyrkiel closed on a high note when she won an 11-1 major decision over Swank to claim third place. Fifth-place honors went to Geneseo junior Alyssa Juarez, who lost 6-4 to Marvel in the quarterfinals and then recorded three-straight falls, with the last one coming in 3:34 over Charleston junior Mackensie Williams in her final match.

155 – Sydney Perry, Batavia

Among the many exciting highlights of the initial year of the Munch Invite being a one-day girls tournament was the likely meeting of two athletes who are not only among the best in Illinois, but also throughout the nation, Sydney Perry and Lexi Ritchie.

In one of the first instances in the sport where two state champs met in a tournament, the juniors put on a good show for the spectators and Batavia’s Perry, last year’s first 145 champion, beat Unity’s Ritchie, who won the initial title at 155, by a 10-6 score in the 155 finals. 

That capped a day where Perry won by technical fall in the quarterfinals before capturing a 17-4 major decision over Minooka senior Jaiden Moody and then beating Ritchie to earn the OWA for the upper weights. The Bulldogs standout, who also won a title this season at Larkin, was an IWCOA champion at 132 in 2021.

Ritchie, who opened with a fall before winning 9-1 in the quarterfinals and then recorded a fall in 1:50 in the semifinals over Minooka senior Dylanie Cecala, put up a good fight against Perry, her longtime friend and teammate from Team Illinois. Ritchie also placed second at 152 in 2021 in the IWCOA finals.

Moody claimed a 1-0 decision over Cecala in a matchup of seniors from Minooka in the third-place match. Richwoods junior Kaila Williams, who lost 4-1 to Moody in the first round, finished with three wins, capping things with two falls in 0:41, with the last of those coming in the fifth-place match against another Minooka athlete, junior Abbey Boersma.

170 – Jaida Johnson, Richwoods

When an athlete like Jaida Johnson finishes in second place in the IHSA finals, there’s only one thing that she’s focused on, and it’s working as hard as possible in order to take the next step.

The Richwoods senior had to gut out a narrow victory to win the title of the Normal Community Invite to start the year and she needed to do the same in the 170 finals on Friday, and that’s just what she did by capturing a 3-1 victory over District 230 senior Mickaela Keane. Johnson, who placed second to Lexi Ritchie at 155 in the inaugural IHSA finals and was third at 170 in the IWCOA finals in 2021, followed a fall in 0:23 in the quarterfinals with a 6-3 decision over Homewood-Flossmoor junior Keyhanna Phillips in the semifinals.

“Almost everyone on the team placed, so that was great,” Johnson said. “I’m very proud of everyone. From my first tournament, we’ve gotten a lot better. We’ve put in a lot of work and have practiced hard every day.”

“Jadia started wrestling with our boys team as a freshman and was an IWCOA third-place finisher at 155 pounds,” Richwoods coach Rob Penney said. “Last year she placed second at 155 pounds in the first IHSA tournament. She is currently undefeated and 7-0 in her junior year. She is a cheerleader and plays basketball in the offseason. She attends high school and junior college, working on a dual degree program.”

Keane, who fell one win shy of a medal last year at state at 190, followed a 6-2 decision in the quarterfinals with a dramatic 7-5 win by sudden victory in the semifinals over Joliet Township senior Nydia Martinez to earn her spot on the title mat.

Martinez claimed third place with a fall in 1:36 over Phillips. And in the fifth-place match, Macomb junior Sifa Feruzi bounced back from an opening-round loss by recording a pair of falls and then capturing a 4-3 decision over Minooka senior Sidney Ray.

190 – Emma Akpan, District 230

Emma Akpan only had to step onto the mat twice in pursuit of a title at 190 and the District 230 sophomore made the most of the brief opportunities to record two falls which assured her of being the lone champion for her team on a day that they won the title by 24.5 points.

Akpan, who was a state qualifier in last year’s inaugural IHSA finals, followed a fall in 3:22 in the semifinals over Joliet Township senior Alexa Latham with a pin in 51 seconds in the 190 title match over Macomb freshman Avery Lundgren.

“I was in a funk for my first bit of wrestling,” Akpan said. “I got sick and won my first match but then I lost two more since I wasn’t feeling good. I finally got out of that funk and it feels really good. I’ve never got a medal in this sport.”

Lundgren followed up on a 7-2 quarterfinals victory by recording a fall in 3:22 in the semifinals over Joliet Catholic Academy freshman Ali Jakovich to earn her spot in the 190 finals.

Latham captured third place by recording a fall in 0:41 over Jakovich in a meeting of two athletes from Joliet schools. J. Sterling Morton sophomore Violet Mayo, who won a title at Waukegan, responded to a quarterfinals loss to Lundgren with a pair of two-point decisions, beating Triad freshman Claire Boehne 7-5 to claim fifth place.

235 – Ini Odumosu, Homewood- Flossmoor

When Ini Odumosu opened the season with a title win at 235 in the Normal Community Invite, she had to meet up with teammate Jocelyn Williams to determine the champion and Odumosu prevailed with a 5-0 decision.

It was the same scenario on Friday when two Homewood-Flossmoor juniors, who are returning placewinners, had to meet again for top honors at 235 and this time the result was closer as Odumosu, who took fifth at state at 190 a year ago, won 1-0 over Williams, to cap a day where she also had two falls, pinning Minooka senior Peyton Kueltzo in 3:22 in the semifinals.

With Odumosu expected to go to 190, that gives both Vikings the chance to not only advance to the title mat as they’ve done twice already, now Williams, who finished fourth at 235 last season, can also win some titles. She followed a pin in 0:44 with a 2-0 decision in the semifinals over Unity freshman Phoenix Molina.

Molina won a 6-0 decision over Kueltzo, a returning state qualifier, in the third-place match. After getting pinned in the quarterfinals, Ottawa freshman Juiliana Thrush recorded three-straight falls, pinning J. Sterling Morton junior Sofia De La Sancha in 0:53 to finish fifth.

Editor’s note: Due to technical issues, some of the interviews that were conducted on Friday could not be transcribed due to files containing multiple interviews.