All-Inland Girls Wrestling: Chino's Natalie Blanco is the IE Varsity Wrestler of the Year
CHINO - As the defending 155-pound CIF State girls wrestling champion, Chino junior Natalie Blanco knew she was going to get every opponent's best shot this season.
None of them had enough.
Blanco went 34-0 and earned a second straight state title, and in the process earned IE Varsity Girls Wrestler of the Year honors.
"There was a transition from her ascending to now, holding that position," Chino coach Alex Angulo said. "I feel like in many ways, it's much harder now."
It also wasn't an easy start to the season for Blanco.
She suffered a concussion while on a college visit and didn't start her season until Dec. 19, where she won the title at the Goddess of Olympia tournament.
"I think that solidified her in her first tournament back," Angulo said.
In that tournament, she pinned Mary Snider of Rancho Bernardo in the first period and Snider went on to face Blanco again in the state finals, where Blanco won 2-0.
Blanco was next entered to wrestle in Corona's Queen of the Hill Tournament Dec. 29, but was sick.
"Being as competitive as she is, she would've pushed through it," Angulo said of Blanco being sick. "I spoke with her mom and told her it was not in her best interest to wrestle so we pulled the plug."
After having to pull out of Queen of the Hill, Blanco won the Norwalk Lady Lancer Invitational and the Ayala Invitational. A big difference between Blanco's 2025 and 2026 postseason runs was that in 2025, Blanco didn't win a CIF-SS division title, but rebounded to win Masters and then state.
"After I lost CIF (last year), a lot of people didn't expect me to come out and beat these girls who were ranked really high," Blanco said. "This year I was seeded 1 for state. I think it definitely had a different mentality because I had already been there."
This time, Blanco didn't give up a single point in the CIF-SS division tournament, including a win over Eva Garcia of Marina, who went on to place fourth at state.
Angulo noticed that Blanco's reputation had opponents often wrestling much more cautiously against her.
"She'll wrestle a girl, she'll get into the second period against Natalie and she'll feel proud of herself," Angulo said.
He noticed Blanco had to learn to not be as aggressive as she was in previous years.
"She had to learn patience," Angulo said. "It's hard to score when you're wrestling people who are trying to disengage and limit you. It's about wrestling smart and limiting your opponent's ability to score."
As a freshman, Blanco was injured at the end of the season and wasn't able to compete at CIF. So as a sophomore, she had modest goals.
"I feel like I was more nervous this year," Blanco said. "As a sophomore, my only goal was to make it to state. I didn't want to get hurt again and not have the opportunity to compete."
Blanco found ways to deal with the nerves, with help from her father.
"My dad would text me after every match. He was like, focus on this first match. Focus on one more match. It was always focus on one match at a time so you're not taking any opponent lightly," Blanco said. "It's definitely a hard sport physically and mentally. I think I've learned there's no point in stressing over something. You have to trust your ability and know you're able to do it. Or else that's when you're going to start to struggle because you start to doubt."
Next year, Blanco wants to prepare for college and learn freestyle wrestling, because that's the type of wrestling that women compete in at the Olympics.
And of course, she wants to leave no doubt she'll win another state title.
- PETE MARSHALL
IE VARSITY COACH OF THE YEAR
Max Irvin, Chaparral
Irvin, who graduated from Chaparral in 2016, guided the girls wrestling team to the most successful season in program history. The Pumas went 12-0 in dual-meet matches and won the CIF Southern Section’s Division 2 championship, the first section title for the program. Chaparral opened the campaign with a win over perennial power Paloma Valley, and then rolled through the Southwestern League, winning their five matches by an average of 40.2 points. Chaparral beat Santa Fe 42-34 in the Division 2 championship bout, and that score included three forfeits after the Pumas already had clinched the title. Chaparral wrestlers won six league titles, and six also advanced to the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet. The Pumas placed fifth in the team standings at the CIF Southern Section’s Eastern Division championships, the highest finish in the program’s history.
- ERIC-PAUL JOHNSON
IE VARSITY FIRST TEAM
Lower Weights
100: Mia Hernandez, Colony, So.
CIF-SS Central Division champion and Masters Meet runner-up.
100: Kylie-Ann Thach, Roosevelt, Fr.
CIF-SS Eastern Division and Masters Meet champion.
105: Kiem-Ai Pham, Corona, Jr.
Finished third in section finals and second at Masters Meet.
105: Audriana Rodriguez, Orange Vista, Jr.
CIF-SS Southern Division champion and placed seventh at state.
110: Katalina De Haro, Hillcrest, Jr.
Placed second at section finals and fourth at Masters Meet.
115: Olive Lechiara, Temecula Valley, So.
Runner-up at section finals and placed seventh at the state meet.
120: Itzel Herrera, Corona, Sr..
Placed third at the Masters Meet and fifth at the state finals.
120: Evelyn Lopez, Hamilton, Jr.
Masters Meet runner-up also finished sixth at state meet,
125: Sussette Bell, Etiwanda, Jr.
CIF-SS Southern Division champion and placed seventh at state.
130: Zelilah Elliston-Perez, Upland, Sr.
Placed third at Southern Section finals and at the Masters Meet.
Upper Weights
135: Zahra Stewart, Orange Vista, Sr.
Three-time Masters Meet champ placed second at state finals.
140: Lillian Zediker, Etiwanda, Jr.
Finished third at the Masters Meet and sixth at the state meet.
145: Jestinah Solomua, Corona, Jr.
Masters Meet and CIF State champ was undefeated this season.
145: Sophia Galindez, Orange Vista, So.
CIF-SS Southern Division champion and placed fifth at state finals.
155: Natalie Blanco, Chino, Jr.
Masters Meet and CIF State champion was unbeaten this season.
170: Sophia Lopez, Upland, So.
Masters Meet runner-up also finished second at the state finals.
170: Tiffany Bell, Orange Vista, So.
Masters Meet champion went on to place seventh at state meet.
190: Aubreyelle Baeza, San Dimas, So.
CIF-SS Central Division champion finished fourth at state finals.
235: Gia Coons, Orange Vista, So.
Masters Meet champion also brought home her first state title.
235: Adelena Martinez, Hemet, Sr.
Ended the season strong with a fifth-place finish at state finals.
- ERIC-PAUL JOHNSON
IE VARSITY SECOND TEAM
Lower Weights
100: Reynalyn Geronimo, Paloma Valley, Fr.
100: Noellie Ramos, Carter, So.
105: Mackenzie Matthews, Los Osos, Sr.
110: Madison Ramirez, Chaparral, Jr.
110: Rachel Sierra, Canyon Springs, Jr.
115: Rebecca Dezan, Upland, Jr.
120: Genesis Chavez, Citrus Valley, Sr.
125: Emma Goodland, Roosevelt, Jr.
130: Savina La Grass, Hillcrest, Sr.
130: Bryleigh Delis, Paloma Valley, Jr.
Upper Weights
135: Sophia Cardenas, Roosevelt, So.
140: Rylee Moorehead, Elsinore, Sr.
140: Jayden Colgan, Temecula Valley, Sr.
145: Maiya Bradley, Vista Murrieta, Jr.
155: Gwenna Mitchell, Temescal Canyon, Jr.
155: Aurora Oswald, Colony, Jr.
170: Isabella De La Vega, Etiwanda, Jr.
190: Vanessa Cabrera, Roosevelt, Sr.
235: Hailey Barrios, Citrus Valley, Sr.
235: Sofia Ibarra, Etiwanda, Jr.
- ERIC-PAUL JOHNSON
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This story was originally published April 16, 2026 at 12:33 PM.