Overall, it was a good showing from Southern Arizona male wrestlers in the 2026 US Marine Corps Junior and U16 Freestyle Nationals this weekend at the Fargodome at Fargo, N.D.
The 17 wrestlers from Southern Arizona did not win a championship, or gain All-American status, but many of them finished with winning records in their matches that ran from Friday through Sunday.
The deepest run in a winners’ bracket was by Sunnyside senior Xavier Chavez, who reached the quarterfinals and finished in the top 12 of 150-pound weight class of the Junior Boys competition. He was 6-2. Chavez is a three-time state champion (two at Eloy Santa Cruz Valley and one with the Blue Devils).
Pedro Pena, 120 pounds and training with the RBY Wrestling Club, and Sunnyside freshman Patrick Pina, 126 pounds, each went 6-2 in their matches and placed in the top 12 of their weight classes in their U16 brackets.
Sean Brown, who recently graduated from Buena, reached the Round of 32 in the Junior 150-pound bracket and finished with a 3-2 record.
Sunnyside senior Carmine Cruz reached the Round of 64 in the Junior 157-pound bracket and was 4-2.
Others who finished with winning records were Pueblo alum Jozeph Valenzuela Smith (3-2), who is headed to North Idaho College, in the Junior 165-pound class; Sunnyside senior Gabriel Fimbres (3-2) in the 285-pound Junior division; and Sunnyside sophomore Jack Thrush (3-2) in the 106-pound U16 bracket.
The others from Southern Arizona who competed included Salpointe alum Joseph Figueroa (215 pounds/Juniors/headed to Arizona Christian), Salpointe junior Myles Lux (106/U16), Marana junior Leland Frost (106/U16), Mountain View junior Andrew Valencia (106/U16), RBY Wrestling Club member Estevan Maximo Jr. (113/U16), Sunnyside Wrestling Club member Romen Cruz (144/U16), Sunnyside sophomore Aiden Arvizu (165/U16), Sunnyside sophomore Kade Candelaria (215/U16) and Cienega junior Edwin Konrath (132/U16).
The Girls 16U and Junior Girls Freestyle tournaments are from Thursday through Sunday.
