2023 UIL Wrestling State Championships: Amarillo boys, Northwest girls win first 5A state titles

The Amarillo Sandies and Northwest Texans captured their first Class 5A boys and girls wrestling state titles in program history, respectively, to highlight 5A action at the 2023 UIL Wrestling State Championships at the Berry Center in Cypress

CYPRESS, Texas — Amarillo ISD, a school district with four high schools, had won plenty of state championships in wrestling over the years. 

However, a boys' state title had eluded the west Texas town until Saturday night in Cypress when Tascosa High School won the boys' Class 5A UIL State Wrestling Championship.

On the girls' side, Northwest High School from Justin won the first-ever state title for the school and the district (Northwest ISD) by 3 ½ points. Northwest ISD also has V.R. Eaton High School in Haslet and Byron Nelson High School in Trophy Club within its district.

Race Until The End

Defending state champions Lucas Lovejoy and Tascosa were in a battle throughout the weekend for the team title. The Jaguars led by two, 91-89, after the semifinals on Saturday morning.

After the third- and fifth-place matches, the Rebels took a 106-103 lead over Lovejoy.

In the finals, each team got a victory and an upset along the way helped Tascosa win with 112 points. Lovejoy was second with 109.

Canyon Randall (106 ½) and Dumas (106) weren’t far behind.

Last year, three of those four brought home trophies with Dumas being the runner-up and Tascoas placing fourth.

Andres Suarez was the lone champion for the Rebels, knocking off top-ranked Efren Arizemendez Jr. from Comal Smithson Valley by a pin in the finals. For Suarez, it was a bit of revenge after falling in his finals match last year to Tyten Volk of Frisco Centennial.

“I think my pride feels better,” Suarez said. “Everybody kept congratulating me last year and you know, I got second place. I was upset, I didn’t get first. Losing that final match in front of everyone is not a good experience. I have been thinking about it all year. It’s motivated me to keep pushing and keep working to get it done.”

Texans Take 1st

Northwest had six wrestlers at the state finals and four made the medal stands. However, Coach Jessica Fresh noted all six scored points and that was needed to finish with 71, just ahead of Lubbock Cooper’s 67 ½ points.

Mackenzie Blue (132) and Trinity Washko (185) each made the finals for Northwest and finished second. Blue was 49-8 this year, while Washko posted a 43-4 mark.

Emma Graves (107) and Sierra Simmons (145) both placed sixth.

Heidi Caprio (100) picked up two wins and Meadow Gandy (114) also added a win to help Northwest.

“Everybody got a win and with two finalists, those are huge points,” Fresh said. 

“A lot of pins and then those backside points helped out and made a big difference. I think it brings a lot of attention to wrestling. I’m from Iowa, I’m used to it being a bigger deal than it is down here. So I think getting the kids the attention they deserve because they bust their ass all year. It is just not the season, if you want to be great, you have to wrestle all year.”

Repeat After Me

Four boy wrestlers and one girl wrestler brought home titles again.

In the boys, Dumas’ Hunter Bogner and Bronson Baxter each won titles after taking first in 113 and 145, respectively, last year. Bogner won the 126 crown with a pin in 1:25 over Canyon Randall’s Ashton Bennett. Baxter beat Caleb Juarez of Amarillo Caprock by a 5-4 decision to capture first at 150.

Karson Tompkins won 190 this year after taking first in 182 last year. Tompkins finished the year with a 50-0 mark after beating Hudson Zufelt of Melissa in a pin in 57 seconds in the championship bout.

Lovejoy’s Sam Reynolds won 285 pounds for the second year in a row. He got a pin over Killeen Shoemaker’s Wilbert Martin with 36 seconds left in the match.

The girls had only 10 weight classes last year and bumped up to 12 this year. The only returning champion that won against was Richmond Foster’s Madison Canales. The 128-pound champ from last year won 126 this year with a pin over Maritza Martinez of Burleson Centennial. Canales was 46-0 this year.

CLASS 5A GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP, MEDAL MATCH RESULTS:

5A 100

1st Place Match

Judith Sandoval (El Paso Hanks) 47-1, Sr. over Zurri Zamora (Amarillo Tascosa) 44-1, Jr. (Dec 12-5)

3rd Place Match

Jacy Williams (Azle) 52-7, Sr. over Janaya Baeza (Frisco Lebanon Trail) 42-5, Sr. (Dec 3-1)

5th Place Match

Nadia Ryan (Frisco Reedy) 38-6, Jr. over Tammy Salazar (Amarillo Caprock) 26-12, So. (Fall 0:30)

5A 107

1st Place Match

Ivory Truitt (Grapevine) 41-2, So. over Mercede Alvarez (Frisco Liberty) 41-7, Sr. (Dec 1-0)

3rd Place Match

Abby Garcia (Frisco Independence) 38-16, Sr. over Talyn Burkhalter (Amarillo Tascosa) 34-11, Sr. (Fall 4:31)

5th Place Match

Vivien Canales (Rio Grande City) 39-4, Jr. over Emma Graves (Northwest) 40-8, Jr. (Fall 1:44)

5A 114

1st Place Match

Alexis Hanks (Killeen Ellison) 43-0, Sr. over Victoria Vasquez (Amarillo Palo Duro) 48-8, Jr. (TF-1.5 5:01 (15-0))

3rd Place Match

Miliyah Pacheco (Amarillo Tascosa) 46-6, Jr. over Danielle Silva (Edinburg Vela) 36-4, Jr. (Dec 3-1)

5th Place Match

Deja Salazar (Amarillo Caprock) 38-6, So. over Raquel Iturrino (Carrollton Creekview) 19-5, So. (Fall 1:27)

5A 120

1st Place Match

Leah Cisneros (Corpus Christi Carroll) 44-3, Jr. over Savannah Schaaf (Comal Pieper) 42-3, So. (Fall 4:47)

3rd Place Match

Alicia Brown (Houston Northside) 38-4, Sr. over Ava Milliner (Killeen Chaparral) 33-3, Fr. (Dec 8-4)

5th Place Match

Mattison Goss (Lubbock) 43-4, Sr. over Trinity Zaal (Frisco Reedy) 29-10, Sr. (Fall 2:05)

5A 126

1st Place Match

Madison Canales (Richmond Foster) 46-0, Jr. over Maritza Martinez (Burleson Centennial) 48-7, So. (Fall 1:52)

3rd Place Match

Emily Loya (Dumas) 41-3, Sr. over Brooklyn Garza (La Joya Juarez-Lincoln) 44-2, Sr. (Fall 2:20)

5th Place Match

Charlie Freese (Lampasas) 29-11, So. over Joy Jackson (El Paso Burges) 50-9, So. (Dec 3-1)

5A 132

1st Place Match

Keilani Guillermo (El Paso Chapin) 56-1, Sr. over Mackenzie Blue (Northwest) 49-8, So. (Dec 6-0)

3rd Place Match

Zoe Bennett (Lubbock Cooper) 37-3, So. over London Woods (Salado) 12-3, So. (Fall 1:59)

5th Place Match

Saniyah Ward (Lewisville The Colony) 49-18, Sr. over Gideon Sanchez (San Antonio Burbank) 29-5, So. (Fall 3:41)

5A 138

1st Place Match

Serenity de La Garza (McAllen Memorial) 36-0, Sr. over Destiny Sims (Frisco) 43-3, Sr. (Fall 3:39)

3rd Place Match

Elaina Morgan (Dumas) 44-6, So. over Alyssa Reyes (Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial) 32-10, Fr. (Fall 1:26)

5th Place Match

Summer Rodgers (Frisco Emerson) 38-16, So. over Amalie Lucero (El Paso Hanks) 34-8, Jr. (Dec 4-3)

5A 145

1st Place Match

Annabelle Davis (Azle) 43-1, So. over Taylin Silco (Lubbock Cooper) 34-4, So. (Fall 3:49)

3rd Place Match

Joy Ortiz (El Paso Chapin) 49-3, Jr. over Kareli Cadena (Amarillo Caprock) 27-8, Jr. (Fall 2:50)

5th Place Match

Brijatte Garcia (Burleson Centennial) 46-6, Jr. over Sierra Simmons (Northwest) 46-10, Sr. (Fall 1:27)

5A 152

1st Place Match

Avery Beckman (Friendswood) 36-1, Jr. over Bailey Ford (Burleson Centennial) 47-2, Sr. (Fall 3:22)

3rd Place Match

Cydney Davis (El Paso Bel Air) 30-3, Fr. over Eva Hampton (Frisco Lebanon Trail) 46-6, Sr. (Fall 3:44)

5th Place Match

Morgan Green (Canyon Randall) 42-16, So. over Sophia Fernandez (El Paso Hanks) 44-10, Sr. (Inj. 0:02)

5A 165

1st Place Match

Caitlyn Flaherty (Frisco Memorial) 36-4, Sr. over Madeline Hodges (Midlothian) 34-1, Sr. (Dec 5-2)

3rd Place Match

J`Nessa Reynoso (Canyon Randall) 55-5, Sr. over Eternity de La Garza (McAllen Memorial) 42-2, Sr. (Fall 2:11)

5th Place Match

Makayla Johnson (Princeton) 47-8, Jr. over Jasmine Vick (Amarillo Palo Duro) 36-19, Fr. (Dec 4-2)

5A 185

1st Place Match

Mohagany Casel (Lubbock) 39-3, Sr. over Trinity Washko (Northwest) 43-4, Sr. (Dec 3-2)

3rd Place Match

Avey Mitchell (Lubbock Cooper) 34-4, So. over Scarlett Snodgrass (Georgetown) 35-4, Jr. (Fall 4:35)

5th Place Match

Yamilex Hernandez (La Joya Juarez-Lincoln) 37-3, Sr. over Amaya Lopez (Edcouch-Elsa) 26-8, Sr. (Fall 4:43)

5A 235

1st Place Match

Leilani Sanchez (El Paso Andress) 16-3, Sr. over Jolee Jones (Dumas) 37-8, Jr. (Fall 2:20)

3rd Place Match

Ariana Maestas (Borger) 34-5, So. over Gabriela Garzona (Frisco) 42-6, So. (Fall 3:23)

5th Place Match

Yvette Rojas (La Joya Palmview) 32-4, Sr. over Mercedes Fuentes (Dallas Hillcrest) 38-7, Sr. (For.)

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CLASS 5A BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP, MEDAL MATCH RESULTS:

5A 106

1st Place Match

Michael Ruiz (Canyon Randall) 51-5, Fr. over Jose Palacios (Hereford) 31-9, Sr. (Fall 1:58)

3rd Place Match

Keagan Sieracki (Salado) 48-3, Fr. over Aodhan Jimenez (Killeen Ellison) 36-7, So. (Dec 5-2)

5th Place Match

Joseph Price (Friendswood) 38-8, Sr. over Mario Aguero (Midlothian Heritage) 43-13, Sr. (Dec 9-6)

5A 113

1st Place Match

Xavier Rodela (Burleson Centennial) 57-6, Jr. over Enrique Uribe (Frisco Centennial) 37-8, Fr. (MD 11-3)

3rd Place Match

Ethan Sims (Amarillo Tascosa) 38-7, Sr. over Andre Nelson (Frisco Reedy) 35-7, Sr. (Dec 4-0)

5th Place Match

Jaycob Banda (Amarillo) 39-12, Sr. over Kevin Contreras (Grapevine) 14-6, Jr. (Dec 3-2)

5A 120

1st Place Match

George Rodriguez (Uvalde) 40-1, So. over Francisco Limon (Killeen Ellison) 42-4, Sr. (Fall 1:32)

3rd Place Match

Gabe Aldaco (Grapevine) 41-5, Sr. over Zayn Navarrete (Comal Canyon) 46-6, Fr. (Dec 10-7)

5th Place Match

Malachi McClenton (Amarillo Caprock) 34-5, Sr. over Jackson Lambert (Lucas Lovejoy) 42-10, Sr. (Dec 13-6)

5A 126

1st Place Match

Hunter Bogner (Dumas) 35-1, So. over Ashton Bennert (Canyon Randall) 18-3, Sr. (Fall 1:25)

3rd Place Match

Gian Rangel (Killeen Ellison) 38-4, Sr. over Tristan Luna (Comal Smithson Valley) 50-15, Jr. (TF-1.5 3:22 (17-0))

5th Place Match

Max Villasana (Frisco Reedy) 39-8, Sr. over Alexander Guinn (Georgetown) 34-17, Jr. (Dec 8-1)
5A 132

1st Place Match

Eli Biermann (Midlothian) 47-1, Jr. over Matthew Thorsen (Melissa) 29-4, Sr. (Fall 2:45)

3rd Place Match

Thomas Pacheco (Amarillo Tascosa) 53-5, So. over Bryce Palmer (Comal Smithson Valley) 18-5, Fr. (Dec 4-1)

5th Place Match

Kane Sistrunk (Cedar Park) 48-14, Sr. over Xander Salcido (San Antonio Veterans Memorial) 44-7, Sr. (MD 9-0)

5A 138

1st Place Match

Jaden Machado (Lancaster) 27-5, Sr. over Carter McLaughlin (Whitehouse) 21-4, So. (Dec 9-6)

3rd Place Match

Nathaniel Ruiz (Canyon Randall) 48-9, Jr. over Daniel Acosta (Dumas) 44-9, Fr. (Dec 2-0)

5th Place Match

Jadyn Johnson (Melissa) 30-3, So. over Janick Schwab (Frisco Lone Star) 40-5, Jr. (Dec 8-5)

5A 144

1st Place Match

Richard Davila (Amarillo Caprock) 35-1, Sr. over Noah Santiago (Amarillo Tascosa) 44-10, Fr. (Dec 6-3)

3rd Place Match

Harl (Talan) Ball (Georgetown) 46-2, Jr. over Honor Trevino (Lubbock Estacado) 34-5, So. (Fall 2:16)

5th Place Match

Mercer Ashley (Lucas Lovejoy) 46-8, Jr. over Larson Patete (Leander) 41-9, Sr. (Dec 8-4)

5A 150

1st Place Match

Bronson Baxter (Dumas) 44-3, Jr. over Caleb Juarez (Amarillo Caprock) 33-6, Jr. (Dec 5-4)

3rd Place Match

Emmanuel Ramos (Killeen Ellison) 41-4, Sr. over Elijah Pena (Canyon Randall) 34-12, Sr. (Dec 6-3)

5th Place Match

William Redden (Frisco Liberty) 34-13, Sr. over Gregorio Vela (Rio Grande City) 51-4, Sr. (Dec 5-1)

5A 157

1st Place Match

June An (Lubbock) 45-2, Sr. over Landin Lamberth (Amarillo Tascosa) 46-9, So. (M. For.)

3rd Place Match

Mateo Gutierrez Lazo (Frisco Heritage) 37-4, Jr. over James-Ethan Harris (Frisco Liberty) 48-11, Sr. (Dec 6-5)

5th Place Match

Torrance Adkins (San Antonio Veterans Memorial) 50-5, So. over Andrew Kotecki (Lucas Lovejoy) 42-9, Jr. (Dec 3-2)

5A 165

1st Place Match

Andres Suarez (Amarillo Tascosa) 50-4, Sr. over Efren Arizmendez Jr. (Comal Smithson Valley) 56-5, Jr. (Fall 5:06)

3rd Place Match

Nate Jean (Northwest) 40-6, So. over Jackson Moss (Dumas) 23-16, Jr. (Fall 3:37)

5th Place Match

Axel Tipton (Frisco Independence) 30-7, Sr. over Corey Soliz (Lucas Lovejoy) 33-6, Sr. (For.)

5A 175

1st Place Match

Angelo Ferrari (Melissa) 28-0, Jr. over Riley Davis (Canyon Randall) 29-3, Sr. (MD 9-1)

3rd Place Match

Cortilius Vann (Frisco Heritage) 41-3, Sr. over Ethan Jean (Northwest) 32-7, Sr. (Dec 9-4)

5th Place Match

Darien Lewis (Amarillo Palo Duro) 41-8, Fr. over Dominick Evans (Azle) 44-8, Sr. (Dec 10-9)
5A 190

1st Place Match

Karson Tompkins (Midlothian) 50-0, Jr. over Hudson Zufelt (Melissa) 21-7, So. (Fall 0:57)

3rd Place Match

Jackson Dubree (Lucas Lovejoy) 46-4, Sr. over Curtis Charles (Northwest) 51-10, Sr. (Fall 3:45)

5th Place Match

Joshua Green (Whitehouse) 24-6, Jr. over Isaac Zapata (Georgetown) 38-10, Jr. (MD 14-1)

5A 215

1st Place Match

Charles Reitz (Northwest) 43-6, Sr. over Payton Pierce (Lucas Lovejoy) 16-1, Jr. (Dec 8-2)

3rd Place Match

Kyle Templeton (Frisco Wakeland) 51-3, Sr. over Seth Smith (Lamar Fulshear) 20-4, Sr. (Dec 3-2)

5th Place Match

Kaden Glass (Comal Pieper) 37-4, Jr. over Jason McCullough (Rosenberg Lamar Consolidated) 37-6, Sr. (MD 11-1)

5A 285

1st Place Match

Sam Reynolds (Lucas Lovejoy) 48-2, Jr. over Wilbert Martin (Killeen Shoemaker) 39-3, Sr. (Fall 5:24)

3rd Place Match

Jayden Williams (Bryan Rudder) 25-3, Sr. over Clarence Sanders (Dallas Hillcrest) 46-3, Sr. (Fall 3:22)

5th Place Match

Travis Mason (Grapevine) 21-10, Sr. over Kei`Aviyahn Evans (San Antonio MacArthur) 49-13, Jr. (Dec 4-3)