High school wrestling: Fifty wrestlers from Texas Panhandle qualify for State meet
It was a dominant performance for the Texas Panhandle at the Region I-5A wrestling meet in El Paso this past weekend.
Eight of the 14 individual regional champions came from the Panhandle on the boys' side while eight of 10 on the girls' side came from the region.
The Dumas boys' team claimed the Region 1-5A title one week after winning the District 3-5A crown while Randall placed second and Caprock finished in fourth. On the girls' side, Randall finished in a close second behind Azle while Caprock came in at third and Dumas placed fourth to round out the Panhandle's top five finishers.
The state meet is scheduled for Friday and Saturday at the Berry Center at Cypress.
More: Texas Panhandle high school wrestlers compete at UIL Region 1-5A tournament in El Paso
District 3-5A champion squad Dumas had three grapplers finish at the top of the podium. Sophomore Bronson Baxter (50-4) took home the gold in the 145-pound division on the boys' side while the Demonette pair of 95-pound freshman Serese Guillen (43-6) and 128-pound junior Emily Loya (47-5) each dominated their way to the title.
Defending state champion Randall once again had a strong showing from their experienced and elite group of athletes.
Raider junior Ashton Bennert (38-5) claimed the 113-pound regional title after winning the state championship at 106 pounds last spring. Senior Aidan Medina (33-4) took home the regional crown at 126 pounds after finishing second in the region and state last year at 120 pounds.
Lady Raider senior Jaryn Ortegon (27-1) once again took home the regional title as she aims to defend her state title at 102 pounds next week. Randall junior J'nessa Reynoso (30-5) has burst onto the scene in the 185-pound division after taking down Caprock's Niyasia McCampbell in the regional finals by a 3-1 decision.
More: Panhandle volleyball athletes earn Texas Sports Writers Association All-State honors
Tascosa's quartet of 106-pound junior Ethan Sims (37-2), 132-pound freshman Thomas Pacheco (37-2), 152-pound junior Andres Suarez (38-2), and 110-pound Lady Rebel sophomore Miliyah Pacheco (38-5) each claimed individual Region 1-5A titles.
Caprock had three individual champions of their own last weekend in 120-pound senior Josiah Pina (32-3), defending undefeated state champion and 119-pound senior Tatiana Garcia (37-0), and 148-pound sophomore Kareli Cadena (34-2).
Palo Duro senior Micah Wesley (29-6) took down District 3-5A champion Levi Slaydon from Amarillo High in the regional finals to claim the championship in the 182-pound division.
Bushland junior Dally McConnell (48-6) battled her way through a tough 215-pound bracket to claim the lone Region 1-5A individual title for her program.
BOYS STATE MEET QUALIFIERS & MEET STANDINGS
1. Dumas (177.5); 2. Randall (157.0); 4. Caprock (123.5); 6. Amarillo High (105.0); 7. Tascosa (100.5); 9. Hereford (70.5); 15. Canyon (47.0); 18. Bushland (37.0); 27. Palo Duro (26.0); 33. Pampa (3.0)
106: 1. Ethan Sims (Tascosa); 2. Carlos Magallanes (Dumas); 3. Kason White (Randall); 4. Kenneth Riley (Azle)
113: 1. Ashton Bennert (Randall); 2. Hunter Bogner (Dumas); 3. Jaycob Banda (Amarillo High); 4. Bradyn Valdez (Lubbock Monterey)
120: 1. Josiah Pina (Caprock); Marcos Aguilar (Hereford); 3. Brandon Smith (Dumas); 4. Rylan Jones (Randall)
126: 1. Aidan Medina (Randall); 2. Jayden Bustillos (El Paso Riverside); 3. Jaden Valdez (Amarillo High); 4. Ronald Woo (El Paso Burges)
132: 1. Thomas Pacheco (Tascosa); 2. Richard Davila (Caprock); 3. Nathaniel Lucero (El Paso Bel Air); 4. Ethan Mendoza (Randall)
138: 1. Zachary Casias (Lubbock High); 2. Nathaniel Ruiz (Caprock); 3. Jo'Vone Valadez (El Paso Chapin); 4. Julian Marrufo (El Paso High)
145: 1. Bronson Baxter (Dumas); 2. Aaron Aragon (El Paso Andress); 3. Jackson Berg (Azle); 4. Caleb Juarez (Caprock)
152: 1. Andres Suarez (Tascosa); 2. Cesar Enriquez (Hereford); 3. Chris Hernandez (Dumas); 4. Kavika Gonzalez (El Paso Hanks)
160: 1. Logan Corrales (Lubbock Monterey); 2. June An (Lubbock High); 3. Xavier Montemayor (Lubbock Coronado); 4. Adriel Piper (El Paso Parkland)
170: 1. Dominick Evans (Azle); 2. Caleb Rivera (Bushland); 3. Jonathan Catindig (Randall); 4. Noah Valdez (Amarillo High)
182: 1. Micah Wesley (Palo Duro); 2. Levi Slaydon (Amarillo High); 3. Cannon Speck (Dumas); 4. Fernando Villa (Horizon)
195: 1. Riley Marsh (Lubbock Monterey); 2. Porter Traves (Caprock); 3. Elijah Ramirez (El Paso Bel Air); 4. Jeff McDonald (Canyon)
220: 1. Keagan Davis (Lubbock High); 2. Ernest Bencomo (El Paso Del Valle); 3. Josue Castillo (Canyon); 4. Kyle Rose (Springtown)
285: 1. Daniel Sanchez (El Paso Andress); 2. Andre Garbalena (Dumas); 3. Ansel Din-Mbuh (Aledo); 4. Kian Garcia (Vernon)
GIRLS STATE MEET QUALIFIERS & MEET STANDINGS
2. Randall (131.0); 3. Caprock (128.0); 4. Dumas (120.0); 8. Borger (58.0); 10. Tascosa (47.0); 17. Amarillo High (29.0); 18. Bushland (26.0); 21. Hereford (24.0); 24. Palo Duro (22.0); 28. Canyon (7.0)
95: 1. Serese Guillen (Dumas); 2. Britley Lopez (Borger); 3. Leticia Juarez (El Paso Austin); 4. Jamiyah Blount-Taylor (Amarillo High)
102: 1. Jaryn Ortegon (Randall); 2. Victoria Baldivia (Caprock); 3. Judith Sandoval (El Paso Hanks); 4. Jacy Williams (Azle)
110: 1. Miliyah Pacheco (Tascosa); 2. Avery Martinez (Randall); 3. Victoria Vasquez (Palo Duro); 4. Mariah Dillard (Azle)
119: 1. Tatiana Garcia (Caprock); 2. Keilani Guillermo (El Paso Chapin); 3. Julia Stevens (Borger); 4. Angelica Avitia (El Paso Bel Air)
128: 1. Emily Loya (Dumas); 2. Zoe Bennett (Lubbock Cooper); 3. Mattison Goss (El Paso Austin); 4. Karen Gutierrez (Saginaw)
138: 1. Alicen Dillard (Azle); 2. Jaden Culifer (Caprock); 3. Elaina Morgan (Dumas); 4. Alandria Zuniga (El Paso Burges)
148: 1. Kareli Cadena (Caprock); 2. Emma Heaton (Randall); 3. Annabelle Davis (Azle); 4. Jazmine Garcia (El Paso Ysleta)
165: 1. Pella LeFever (Azle); 2. Mia Perez (El Paso Del Valle); 3. Jazmyne Slocum (El Paso Andress); 4. Shamiah McNezer (El Paso Chapin)
185: 1. J'nessa Reynoso (Randall); 2. Niyasia McCampbell (Caprock); 3. Mohagany Casel (Lubbock High); 4. Arkajai Walker (Lubbock Estacado)
215: 1. Dally McConnell (Bushland); 2. Leilani Sanchez (El Paso Andress); 3. Jaycee Portee (Lubbock Monterey); 4. Ariana Chavez (Borger)
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Fifty wrestlers from Texas Panhandle qualify for State meet
