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Dawgs host first annual Super Girl Showdown
Soriah Corona
Central Valley’s Soriah Corona placed sixth while competing in the 106-pound weight class of the First Annual Super Girl Showdown on Thursday at Phil de la Porte Gymnasium. - photo by Dale Butler

Central Valley’s and Ceres High’s girls wrestling programs took third and 10th, respectively, at the First Annual Super Girl Showdown on Thursday.

Hosted by the Bulldogs, the tournament featured grapplers from 21 different schools.

“It’s the first year we’ve had the tournament,” Ceres High head coach Curtis Hulstine said. “We got quite a bit of interest. The wrestlers and coaches loved it. We got a lot of positive feedback.”

The Hawks posted a team score of 110 while finishing behind Sanger (191) and Atwater (152).

The Bulldogs accumulated 67 points.

Central Valley and Ceres High won a combined eight medals, including five by the Hawks.

The top five individuals in each weight class were rewarded.

The top team took home a plaque.

“Overall, our girls did a pretty good job,” said Hawks’ head coach Brandy Cordova. “We’re progressing to where we need to be when league starts. The hard work these kids have been putting in has paid off.”

Brianna Espinoza, Marianna Carranza, Alicia Espinoza, Micaela Martinez, Keilany Torres, Mia Mendoza, Soriah Corona, Giana Breshears and Taylor McGuire all contributed to Central Valley’s point total.

Carranza, Martinez, Torres, Brianna Espinoza and Alicia Espinoza medaled.

Brianna Espinoza placed fourth with a 4-2 record at 235 pounds.

She notched wins against El Capitan’s Angel Hill (pin, 0:45), Central Valley’s Vanesa Mendoza Balbuena (pin, 0:46), West’s Esmeralda Tovar (pin, 1:27) and Windsor’s Leslie Rubio (pin, 3:24).

Carranza placed fourth with a 3-2 record at 131 pounds.

She notched wins against Atwater’s Yosselin Morales (pin, 3:18), Antioch’s Kat Campos (decision, 4-3) and Livingston’s Lourdes Rodriguez (pin, 1:14).

“It’s about time,” Cordova said while talking about Carranza’s breakout performance. “We expected her to do this well from the beginning of the season. It took her a while to get more aggressive.”

Alicia Espinoza placed fourth with a 2-2 record at 170 pounds.

Espinoza notched wins against El Capitan’s Yajaira Higareda (pin, 0:49) and Escalon’s Aislyn Ingels (pin, 0:35).

Martinez placed fifth with a 2-2 record at 137 pounds.

She notched a pair of wins against Stagg’s Nayeli Cervantes.

Martinez prevailed by pin during both matches (2:47, 2:03).

Torres placed fifth with a 3-2 record at 111 pounds.

She notched wins against Roosevelt’s Krystal Chavez (pin, 0:52), Pacheco’s Karla Reyes (pin, 1:20) and Beyer’s Delilah’s Housh (forfeit).

Mendoza placed sixth with a 3-3 record at 160 pounds.

She notched wins against Madera South’s Saray Madriz (pin, 0:11), Grace Davis’ Selena Serna (pin, 1:37) and Livingston’s Jessica Gomez (pin, 1:33).

Corona placed sixth with a 3-3 record at 106 pounds.

She notched wins against Waterford’s Juliette Fausto (pin, 0:35), Grace Davis’ Kaylin Vann (pin, 1:43) and Ceres High’s Jadasa Haro (pin, 0:21).

Breshears compiled a 2-2 record at 143 pounds.

She notched wins against Ceres High’s Alexis Garza (pin, 0:57) and Bret Harte’s Peyton Lawrence (major decision, 13-4).

McGuire compiled a 2-2 record at 150 pounds.

She notched wins against Modesto High’s Jayden Baca (sudden victory, 2-0) and West’s Lily Gabe (decision, 5-3).

Hawk Tarnjot Kaur compiled a 1-2 record at 116 pounds.

She notched a win against Beyer’s Victoria Moreno (pin, 4:49).

Central Valley’s Itzel Romero (126s), Yahaira Torres (121s) and Yazmine McClain (111s) compiled identical 0-2 records.

Makynzie Hale, Madeline Schultz, Alanize Moreno, Jadasa Haro, Isabella Nungaray, Evanah Gallardo, Jayda Bryant and Jazmyne Arendt all contributed to Ceres High’s point total.

Hale, Schultz and Moreno medaled.

Hale placed second with a 2-1 record at 170 pounds.

She notched wins against Pioneer’s Mutmainnah Ekiyoyo (pin, 5:20) and Escalon’s Aislyn Ingels (pin, 2:41).

Schultz placed third with a 3-1 record at 170 pounds.

She notched wins against El Capitan’s Yajaira Higareda (pin, 3:13), Beyer’s Kayla Culver (pin, 2:17) and Central Valley’s Alicia Espinoza (forfeit).

Moreno placed third with a 5-1 record at 235 pounds.

She notched wins against Central Valley’s Vanesa Mendoza Balbuena (pin, 0:29), El Capitan’s Angel Hill (pin, 2:13), Pacheco’s Coreylei Vaifale (pin, 3:41), Modesto High’s Marie Cadriel (pin, 2:20) and Central Valley’s Brianna Espinoza (forfeit).

Haro compiled a 2-2 record at 106 pounds.

She notched wins against Roosevelt’s Darlene Ortiz (pin, 0:42) and Modesto High’s Austyn Lugo (pin, 0:54).

Nungaray compiled a 2-2 record at 106 pounds.

She notched wins against Grace Davis’ Kaylin Vann (pin, 0:26) and Waterford’s Juliette Fausto (pin, 2:57).

Gallardo compiled a 2-2 record at 121 pounds.

She notched wins against Central Valley’s Yahaira Torres (decision, 15-8) and Ceres High’s Jaden Stahl (decision, 6-3).

Bryant compiled a 1-2 record at 160 pounds.

She notched a win against West’s Lesly Ceja (pin, 2:03).

Arendt compiled a 1-2 record at 150 pounds.

She notched a win against Modesto High’s Jayden Baca (major decision, 11-1).

Ceres High’s Kaleia Allen (189s), Alexis Garza (143s) and Stahl (121s) compiled identical 0-2 records.

The tournament field featured teams from Ceres High, Central Valley, Enochs, Grace Davis, Johansen, Modesto High, Central Catholic, Pitman, West, Stagg, Cesar Chavez, Venture Academy, Clayton Valley Charter, Pioneer, Atwater, Pacheco, Windsor, Madera South, Sanger, Porterville and Montclair.

Jadasa Haro
Ceres High 106-pounder Jadasa Haro won two of her four matches at the First Annual Super Girl Showdown. - photo by Dale Butler
Marianna Carranza
Central Valley’s Marianna Carranza (left) took fourth in the 131-pound weight bracket of the Super Girl Showdown. - photo by Dale Butler