Sunnyside girls held on to beat Liberty at the Flowing Wells Invitational #azpreps365 https://t.co/PhVuk8kYSo
— AZPreps365 (@AZPreps365) January 15, 2024
Sunnyside cruised to a 334 to 214 victory over Liberty at the 57th Annual Flowing Wells Invitational held Friday and Saturday. Sunnyside holds a record 36 state championships including the last six in a row, with the last three coming over Liberty at the Division I level.
The Blue Devils sent six wrestlers to the final round held Saturday night and the team came away with all six individual championships challenged for. Division IV Santa Cruz had three wrestlers make it to the top of the podium in a tournament dominated by upper-level competitors which should send a message to the rest of the D-IV field at state.
One of those victories by Santa Cruz came at the 144-pound level where freshman Xavier Chavez (30-1) beat Sunnyside junior Sergio Vega in the semifinal round (Dec. 10-9). Vega is a 2-time state champion with a title in 2022 at the 113 level with a record of 36-0 and a title in 2023 at the 126 level with a record of 41-0. Vega entered this year with a 77-0 record and a 101 record coming into the Flowing Wells Invitational. Vega is now 106-1 in his career.
Vega’s 104 straight victories is number 11 all-time in Arizona, 12 wins behind his brother Danny Vega (Ironwood Ridge: 2014-16). Roman Bravo Young is at the top with 182 straight victories and four state championships.
Nine sets of fathers and sons have won state championships. The Smith's could be the first 3-generation set of champions. Orlando Smith 2X (1974-1975) and Josiah Smith (1998) @PuebloWrestling https://t.co/GwAbwmthAd
— Andy Morales (@AndyMorales8) January 15, 2024
The Flowing Wells Outstanding Wrestlers: Elizabeth Valenzuela Smith @PuebloWrestling Xavier Chavez of Santa Cruz pic.twitter.com/WjJhNZzzZN
— Andy Morales (@AndyMorales8) January 14, 2024
INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS
106: 1st Place Match
Cannon Farrar (Gila Ridge) 25-1, Fr. over Carson Miles (Liberty) 31-6, Fr. (SV-1 3-1)
113: 1st Place Match
Alex Rodriguez (Chatfield) 26-0, So. over Brett Bates (Walden Grove) 35-5, So. (SV-1 4-2)
120: 1st Place Match
Seferino De La Rosa (Flowing Wells) 24-1, So. over Diego Camarillo (Cibola) 13-3, Sr. (Fall 3:28)
126: 1st Place Match
Sean Archuleta (Sunnyside) 28-5, Sr. over Zachary Bates (Walden Grove) 37-1, Sr. (Dec 10-9)
132: 1st Place Match
Cayden Rios (El Paso Eastwood) 34-0, Fr. over Pedro Mendoza (Walden Grove) 32-3, Jr. (Dec 3-1)
138: 1st Place Match
Adyn Bostick (Sunnyside) 27-2, Jr. over Valentine Popadiuc (St Pius X) 30-2, So. (Dec 9-4)
144: 1st Place Match
Xavier Chavez (Santa Cruz) 30-1, Fr. over Korey Kemper (Desert Vista) 27-4, Jr. (TF-1.5 5:06 (23-8))
150: 1st Place Match
Carlos Stanton (Sunnyside) 28-1, Jr. over Shawn Bamba (Ironwood) 19-2, Sr. (MD 12-3)
157: 1st Place Match
Pablo Macias (Ironwood) 40-0, Sr. over Tatum Garcia (Atrisco Heritage) 24-1, Jr. (Dec 5-2)
165: 1st Place Match
Nicholas Pina (Sunnyside) 27-4, Jr. over Enzo Morales (Walden Grove) 30-1, Jr. (Dec 6-4)
175: 1st Place Match
Isreal Ibarra (Santa Cruz) 31-0, Jr. over Matthew Gazda (Chandler) 25-3, Jr. (Dec 8-4)
190: 1st Place Match
Lucas Mata (Sunnyside) 27-4, So. over Joel Arias (Corona del Sol) 32-5, Jr. (Dec 3-0)
215: 1st Place Match
Aidan Ysaguirre (Santa Cruz) 31-0, Jr. over Kayden Luke (Canyon del Oro) 8-1, Sr. (Fall 3:46)
285: 1st Place Match
Zayne Candelaria (Sunnyside) 28-3, So. over Sal Nieves (Walden Grove) 28-6, Jr. (Dec 5-2)
THE PHOTOS
TEAM TOP TWENTY
1 Sunnyside 334
2 Liberty 214
3 Chatfield (CO) 201.5
4 Walden Grove 179
5 Kofa 174.5
6 Santa Cruz 171.5
7 Casteel 167
8 Corona del Sol 159
9 Chandler 155.5
10 Flowing Wells 152
11 Centennial 146
12 Desert Vista 142
13 Atrisco Heritage (NM) 141
14 Ironwood 127.5
15 Gila Ridge 118.5
16 Willcox 109.5
17 Deming 101.5
18 El Paso Eastwood 101
19 Cibola 96.5
20 Brophy 94
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