OLYMPIAN GIRLS PIN DOWN CROWN

“I’m so pleased with all we’ve been through to walk off with this.” Angelina Leal • Olympian High wrestler, on title

ESCONDIDO

Every wrestler has different thoughts that moment their hand is raised proclaiming them a champion — ranging from the team banner on the wall to their own family.

Pushing four girls into the finals with three champions, Olympian High took care on the team banner part, racking up 211 team points and outdistancing Mira Mesa with 190 to win the Division I title of the San Diego Section Girls Wrestling Championships on Saturday at San Pasqual High.

“I’m so pleased with all we’ve been through to walk off with this,” said Angelina Leal, who pinned Steele Canyon’s Kennedi Jones to win the heavyweight title for the third time. “Despite all the challenges with COVID and coaching changes, it really shows the hard work we’ve done paid off. We overcame it all.”

Leal was also celebrating her birthday with the title.

This is the first time the divisions were held since 2019 when the Eagles also were Division I champions. Last year the section just held one combined tournament in May, the only section to hold a championship.

For fellow Olympian champion Celina Esquer, having her name included among school champions means something more.

“Coming in I was praying I could have my name up there next to my brother Mikey’s on the wall,” said Esquer, the senior who took up the sport just two years ago after giving up soccer. “He’s in the Army right now and I think I’m going to join the military myself.”

Esquer pinned Alexa Davis at 2:56 to claim the 128pound title.

Another champion influenced to give things up because of her siblings was Poway sophomore Alejandra Valdiviezo.

“I was a cheerleader but gave it up to be a wrestler,” said Valdiviezo. “All my brothers wrestled so I had to learn to defend myself. I fell in love with it.”

In the final Valdiviezo registered an 11-2 major decision over RBV’S Kayla Edwards to win at 123 pounds.

Mira Mesa made a late run at the team title. The Marauders swept all five of the finals they were in. Their champions were: Emma Degraziano (103 pounds), Lena Truong (113), Helena Insko (118), Kyla Pattillo (133) and Hannah Catungal (152).

Olympian was able to hold on as Alina Solis decisioned Elizabeth Lenoir of Steele Canyon 4-1 to win at 139.

No stranger to the medal stand is Calexico’s Karen Solis, who won her fourth section crown by decisioning Xiomara Gallego of Poway 4-1 in the 108-pound final.

“With no states last year I’m not able to get my fourth state medal, so I’m very happy with getting my fourth CIF championship,” said Solis.

Other winners were: Grossmont’s Kyli Stanley (145), Carlsbad’s Sanchez Yessenia (162), Aurora Hardy of Torrey Pines (172) and Faith Manis of Steele Canyon (192).

Division II

Host Brawley placed six wrestlers in the finals with champions, four by first period pins, to claim another Division II title.

The quickest of those pins was by Mia Navarro at 108, who needed just 27 seconds to pin Yadirah Chavez of Imperial.

Other first-period pinners were Delarie Jaurz at 118 (1:40), Savannah Gomez at 139 (1:06) and Dylan Jardon at 172 (1:27). The Wildcats’ fifth champion was Jaylee Cazares at 103. She needed 35 seconds of the second period before winning her title.