The Riverside Press-Enterprise
Corona girls team will face familiar foe in final
The CIF Southern Section staged a girls wrestling dual meet championship for the first time in 2021.
And only two programs have tangled for the Division 1 title since the format was introduced.
Corona and Northview will square off for the championship for the fourth consecutive season, with the latter hosting the Division 1 final tonight at 7. Corona claimed the inaugural championship in 2021 with a 42-40 victory over the Vikings, and Northview was victorious in 2022 (4230) and 2023 (37-34).
“I like it because it’s always competitive,” Corona coach Jim Bowers said of the rivalry with Northview. “We know it’s going to be a tough match, but we’re always up for the challenge.”
Corona is the No. 2-seeded team in the bracket and advanced to the championship match with wins Saturday over Norwalk (75-6), Shadow Hills (60-24) and No. 3 seed Hillcrest (38-36). Corona was leading 38-18 against Hillcrest and defaulted the final three matches with a trip to the finals already secured.
Among the wrestlers to watch for Corona are freshmen Alice Gomez (105 pounds) and Jestinah Solomua (135), sophomores Itzel Herrera (110) and Mackenzie Mendenhall (115) and junior Kristen “Kiwi” Dizon.
“I have my four seniors in the lineup who have been with me for four years, but this is a very young team overall,” Bowers said. “But those youngsters have shown up to the party and are doing what needs to be done.”
Northview is the division’s No. 1-seeded team and advanced to the championship
match with victories Saturday over Centennial (75-3), Long Beach Poly (55-18) and No. 4-seeded Walnut (43-30).
Top wrestlers for Northview include seniors Faith Bartoszek (140) and Andrea Mateo (157), junior Sumaya Lozano (135), sophomore Mia Hooper (125) and freshman Ysabella Hinojosa (120).
“We’re going to put a good strategy together and, hopefully, things will fall our way again,” Bowers said. “As usual, the team that makes the least amount of mistakes is going to win.”