Prep wrestling: Selma girls roll to section title

The high school that embraces girls wrestling more than any other in the Central Section lapped the field to win a third straight Masters title – in its home gym no less.

And now Selma turns its attention toward a legitimate run at a CIF State Girls Championship.

Behind four individual champions and three other state qualifiers, the Bears scored 201.5 points to easily outdistance second-place Golden Valley (94) and third-place Sanger (91) on Thursday in a meet event that sends its top two placers in each weight class to the state championship Feb. 26-27 at the Visalia Convention Center.

Leading Selma’s charge will be defending state champions Alleida Martinez and Gracie Figueroa, a pair of sophomores who captured second straight Masters titles at 103 and 118 pounds, respectively. Marijah Morales (108) and Jerzie Estrada (133) also won titles for the Bears, while Alexis Morfin (123), Ruth Calderon (172) and Mikayla Balladares (237) each qualified.

Last season, with Martinez and Figueroa as the only point producers out of five qualifiers, Selma finished seventh at state with 62 points, 19 behind champion Enochs-Modesto.

Selma coach Andy Munoz expects Martinez, Figueroa and Estrada to contend for individual crowns, which should put the Bears solidly in the chase for the team title.

“The field is wide open for the state title,”said Munoz, whose program had 25 girl wrestlers this season, more than double any other school in the Central Section. “It’s going to be a tight race.”

Martinez got Selma off to a quick start in the Masters finals by pinning Bullard’s Jocelyn Hernandez in 1:01 to improve to 13-0 for the season. Martinez, who won all three of her Masters matches by pin, was wrestling in her second tournament after missing two months because of appendix surgery.

“I’m getting back into it,” said Martinez, who won the 101-pound state title last season. “I’m happy and excited to go back and try and get the same thing again.”

Figueroa also pinned her way to a title, stopping Chowchilla’s Marlee Groomes in 3:36 during the 118-pound final to cap a 3-0 run through the tournament. She is 21-0 on the season.

“I feel like I am on top of my game,” said Figueroa, who competed at the Cadet World Championships in Bosnia-Herzegovina in August. “I’ve just got to focus on school and wrestling and I should be good. My coaches are pushing me hard and I feel I’m ready.”

Morales (20-2) earned a 16-1 technical fall over Edison’s Sasha Solano McDaniel in the 108-pound final, and Estrada (6-0) pinned Golden West’s Jacqueline Flores in 1:09 at 133.

In other tournament highlights, Lemoore’s Esperanza Cadena won her third straight Masters title with a 13-0 major decision over Selma’s Morfin at 123. Cadena (23-1) won her first two matches by pin while adding to section titles she won at 126 pounds as a sophomore and junior.

“It’s a great feeling to make history at Lemoore and to help bring more girls in the room and inspire them,” said Cadena, who placed fifth at the state meet last season and has eight college scholarship offers. “Competing at state is a great opportunity for me. It’s like the greatest thing in my life right now.”

The most exciting performance of the finals belonged to Porterville’s Lorna Mendoza, who was trailing Golden Valley’s Arnae Lefotu 10-6 late in the third period – and 8-2 at one point in the match – before scoring a pin with 30 seconds left.

“First of all, I never gave up,” Mendoza said. “I went this far, so I kept telling myself to keep scoring. In the end, that motivation helped me. It’s a great accomplishment. All the hard work paid off.”

Also winning titles were Tulare’s Jessica Sanchez at 113, Golden Valley’s Valeria Sanchez at 128, Highland’s Courtney Bojorquez at 145, East Bakerfield’s Jairi Quintero at 152, Golden Valley’s Avealouman Lefotu at 162, Roosevelt’s Amber King at 172, Sierra Pacific’s Katelyn Blanchard at 191 and Sanger’s Kyra Allen at 237.

It was the third section title for Bojorquez. Sanchez, Allen and King are their schools’ first section champions, while Blanchard became her school’s second section champ after finishing second at 237 last season.

This story was originally published February 18, 2016 at 10:09 PM with the headline "Prep wrestling: Selma girls roll to section title."