Girls State Wrestling: Sunnyside finishes second; Audrey Jimenez three-time champion

PHOENIX — Audrey Jimenez won her third straight state championship on Saturday, leading Sunnyside to a second-place finish, the Blue Devils’ highest placement in the three-year history of the competition.

Jimenez, a world-class wrestler in who is set to graduate after only three years, wrestled at 114 pounds in the competition at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum after a title at 106 last year. She won her first championship in 2021 at 113.

Audrey Jimenez 3X champ https://t.co/zsdxpFIxhp pic.twitter.com/UuOfe0FHja

— Andy Morales (@AndyMorales8) February 19, 2023

Jimenez won her championship by fall in 1:31 over previously unbeaten Jussiah Bamba of Peoria. Bamba is now 25-1. Jimenez, who wrestled mostly against boys during the season, finished 8-0 against girls.

Sunnyside also had top-6 finishers Jacianna Beltran (second/100 pounds), Iliana Castaneda (first/107), Jade Armstrong (sixth/138) and Alezandra Robles (fifth/165).

Other Southern Arizona individual champions besides Jimenez and Castaneda:

— Adacelli Noriega of Bisbee (120 weight class)

— Lillian Gradillas-Flores of Marana Mountain View (152)

INDIVIDUAL COMPETITION

100

• 1st Place – Bella Bocenagra of Liberty
• 2nd Place – Jacianna Beltran of Sunnyside
• 3rd Place – Kennedy Farrar of Gila Ridge
• 4th Place – Arianna Sarrett of Morenci
• 5th Place – Athea Valenzuela of Basha
• 6th Place – Divina Diaz Rios of Yuma

107

• 1st Place – Iliana Castaneda of Sunnyside
• 2nd Place – Sevanna Aguirre of Youngker
• 3rd Place – Jazmine Rivera of Willow Canyon
• 4th Place – Jade Hackett of Hamilton
• 5th Place – Mia Siqueiros of Liberty
• 6th Place – Kayla McNatt of North

CHAMPIONSHIP: Castaneda (16-3) over Aguirre (27-4) by major decision 14-0

D-I: 107 WEIGHT CLASS
Iliana Castaneda, Sunnyside pic.twitter.com/fusPetVGcH

— Andy Morales (@AndyMorales8) February 19, 2023

114

• 1st Place – Audrey Jimenez of Sunnyside
• 2nd Place – Jussiah Bamba of Peoria
• 3rd Place – Adriana A. Gomez of Basha
• 4th Place – MIyah Palacios of Sahuarita Hs
• 5th Place – Adianna Ponce of Parker
• 6th Place – Ashley Gaccion of Pinnacle

CHAMPIONSHIP: Jimenez (8-0) over Bamba (25-1) by fall in 1:31

114: Audrey Jimenez Sunnyside (2021, 2022, 2023) pic.twitter.com/Crd8P80jQO

— Andy Morales (@AndyMorales8) February 19, 2023

120

• 1st Place – Adacelli Noriega of Bisbee
• 2nd Place – Sophia Gilbert of Canyon Del Oro
• 3rd Place – Andee Anderson of Basha
• 4th Place – Bella Terrian of Campo Verde
• 5th Place – Nevaeh Flemmons of Lee Williams
• 6th Place – Delilah Scott of Eastmark

CHAMPIONSHIP: Noriega (35-0) over Gilbert (38-4) by 6-0 decision

120: Adacelli Noriega, Sr. Bisbee (2020, 2023) pic.twitter.com/EOOaza55n1

— Andy Morales (@AndyMorales8) February 19, 2023

126

• 1st Place – Brianna Reyes of Valley Vista
• 2nd Place – Anneliese Kisting of Casteel
• 3rd Place – Adrianna Lloyd of Centennial
• 4th Place – Opal Jarman of Mesa
• 5th Place – ALENA GARCIA of Cesar Chavez
• 6th Place – Aysha General of Buena

138

• 1st Place – Bridgette Sotomayor of Liberty
• 2nd Place – Shi`anna Bamba of Peoria
• 3rd Place – Danica Smith of Mountain Ridge
• 4th Place – Natalie Posada of Salpointe Catholic
• 5th Place – Dalien Duarte of Pueblo
• 6th Place – Jade Armstrong of Sunnyside

152

• 1st Place – Lillian Gradillas-Flores of Marana Mountain View
• 2nd Place – Claire Avery of Liberty
• 3rd Place – Jessika Hunter of Higley
• 4th Place – Amanda Yu-Ramirez of Desert Vista
• 5th Place – Mackenzie Byrum of Red Mountain
• 6th Place – Jeanette Perez of Sunnyslope

CHAMPIONSHIP: Gradillas-Flores (36-1) over Avery (27-5) by fall in 3:14

D-I: 152 WEIGHT CLASS
Lillian Gradillas-Flores, Marana Mountain View pic.twitter.com/7WMolC0Uau

— Andy Morales (@AndyMorales8) February 19, 2023

165

• 1st Place – Trinity Bouchal of Basha
• 2nd Place – Aime Perez of Central
• 3rd Place – Arianna Mauch of Perry
• 4th Place – Aubree Avery of Liberty
• 5th Place – Alezandra Robles of Sunnyside
• 6th Place – Cynthia Martinez of Morenci

185

• 1st Place – Nylease Yzagere of Peoria
• 2nd Place – Taina Uasike of Mesa Mountain View
• 3rd Place – Davia Henry of Marana
• 4th Place – Christina Chavez of Arizona College Prep
• 5th Place – Lyla Tree of Red Mesa
• 6th Place – Brooke Newton of Coolidge

235

• 1st Place – Ave Risati of ALA-West Foothills
• 2nd Place – Kiahna Pope of Westview
• 3rd Place – Reina Dailey of Dobson
• 4th Place – Peyton Welt of Mohave
• 5th Place – Desiree Hall of Westwood
• 6th Place – Brandi Larson of Willcox