NHSCA Nationals -- Four Girls Bring Home Hardware

Photo Credit: Rachel Lopez (Thanks Rachel!)

The girls’ division at the NHSCA Nationals is a single class affair. While the boys are divided up by grade level, the girls mix it up with all classes in each bracket. Last weekend at Virginia Beach, Maryland had four return home with hardware in hand, three of them in the same weight (165lbs).

Bullis’ No. 2 Kesi Tsarni came in third at 132. Placing at 165 were Stephen Decatur’s Chaniah Bernier (No. 1 at 170), Eastern Tech’s Morgan Linton (No. 2 at 170), and Randallstown’s Daegan Bishop (No. 10 at 155).

Three first period pins landed Tsarni in the quarter finals where she encountered Tennessee’s Mariana Bowen (West Creek), who is ranked 14th in the nation by USA Wrestling at 140lbs. Tsarni, a freshman, fell to the junior, 8-6. Once in the consolation bracket, Tsarni reeled off four wins to place third.

In the consolation final, Tsarni, who was second at the National Preps, decked Isabella Hernandez (Sunnyside, NC), a state champion, in the third period, 5:21. In an interesting twist, Tsarni beat both of the Florida 135lb state finalists in a three-match stretch. In the consolation semis, a fall at the 2:46 mark of the second period discarded Florida champ, Emma Hoppe (Viera). Flagler Palm Coast’s Ana Vilar was a runner-up to Hoppe and was put down by Tsarni with a 6-1 count.

Bernier stuck Eastern Tech’s Linton in the opening round of their bronze medal bout, 1:47. It was a rematch of their state final, won by Bernier, on a second period fall, 2:39. Bernier and Linton, who are both seniors, placed at states for the third time. The match before that allowed Bernier to avenge her loss from the round of 16 to California’s two-time state placer, Alyssa Guzman (Orange Vista), 6-4. Guzman defeated Bernier, 8-7, in their initial encounter.

“My goal at first going into NHSCA was to just place, make it on the podium,” said Bernier. “As soon as I got there it changed very quickly. I didn’t care so much about placing and the other girls’ ranks. I cared more about showing the work I put in and just giving my all on the mat and to learn for my losses and just remember to have fun.”

Bernier relegated Randallstown’s Bishop to the seventh-place match with an 11-7 decision to advance to the consolation semi with Guzman. Bernier pinned California’s Angela Salazar (Santa Ana) in the consolation rounds, 3:29. Salazar was third at 170lbs at states flattening Guzman in the consi-semis. Guzman went on to place fifth at states. At NHSCAs, Guzman was fifth and Salazar did not place. The two did not meet at NHSCAs.

Before the loss to Bernier, Linton won by fall in the first period over New York’s Kyah Nelson (Tioga), 1:21. Linton’s first loss came in the semis to one of the best in the nation, No. 3 (nationally) Kaylie Hall (Spring Mills, WV), who stuck Linton in the middle of the match, 3:13. Two first period pins littered Linton’s path to the semifinals.

“I would say just the overall experience of NHSCA was amazing,” remarked Linton. “Coming from a county that’s new to women’s wrestling we don’t really get to see high level competition, so doing NHSCA and placing was such an amazing feeling. I went into the tournament just looking for experience and placing felt like such a big accomplishment for me.”

Bishop received a forfeit from Florida’s Ariana Blanc (Douglas), who was fourth in the state, to gain the seventh position on the podium. Bishop has never placed at states, but after getting pinned, 3:50, in her opening match by Florida’s Megan Preston (Wiregrass Ranch), a two-time state runner-up, the junior plowed through the consolation bracket to place here and earn an All-American nod.

Bishop, a junior, survived a scare in her first consolation match with Eastern Tech’s Arianna King (No. 8 at 190), winning 2-0 over the junior who did not place at states either. Two pins were placed on the bracket after Bishop got by King.

Two girls made it to the blood round, No. 2 Ariana Carnahan (Eastern Tech, 107) and at 185 Potomac’s Kamil Johnson (No. 6 at 170). At 138, Walter Johnson’s Sonia Pegoue (No. 1 at 145) needed two more wins to gain hardware. Another 145lber, unranked Javel Fayad (Northwood) was two wins from placing at 152lbs.

Girls

100 lbs

1st Hailey Delgado El Paso, TX (TX) F Angelica Serratos Santa Ana, CA (CA), 3:57

3rd Natalie Radecki Newark, DE (DE) F Alicia Serratos Santa Ana, CA (CA), 1:21

5th Kirra Mitchell Macon, GA (GA) F Sara Warren raeford, NC (NC), 3:58

7th Breanna Higgins Kingsland, GA (GA) F Sydney Branch Prince George, VA (VA), 4:43

107 lbs

1st Mariah Mills ORMOND BEACH, FL (FL) F Joy Cantu Hobart, IN (IN), 3:46

3rd Winter West Bonney Lake, WA (WA) DEC Ayana Contreras Jurupa, CA (CA), 14-8

5th Adalyne Montiel Toppenish, WA (WA) FOR Gabriella Conte East Hanover, NJ (NJ), 0-0

7th Teegan Sibble Bolivar, NY (NY) F River Cote Ronan, MT (MT), 2:57

114 lbs

1st Jenna Anderson Moseley, VA (VA) MD Beyonce Espinosa Homestead, FL (FL), 10-1

3rd Kylie Gudewitz Howell, NJ (NJ) F Marlee Solomon Mc Donald, PA (PA), 1:29

5th Gracey Barry West olive, MI (MI) F Mariah Roberts Greenville, VA (VA), 5:35

7th Emma Bauknight Spring hill, FL (FL) DEC Hailey Turner Fredericksburg, VA (VA), 3-1

120 lbs

1st Willow White Miami, FL (FL) MD Cristel Miguel Bethany, CT (CT), 20-9

3rd Lillian Rumsey Williamsport, PA (PA) DEC Madalyn Deiter Great Falls, MT (MT), 12-11

5th Crystal Loera garden city, KS (KS) F Kenadee Mcdowell Wentzville, MO (MO), 2:49

7th Isabel Alvarez Rockledge, FL (FL) DEC Adriana Degroat Framingham, MA (MA), 17-16

126 lbs

1st Zahra Stewart Yucaipa, CA (CA) DEC Isis Severe Fort Lauderdale, FL (FL), 13-7

3rd Tiyanna Mack Blythewood, SC (SC) F Sophia Satterfield Knoxville, TN (TN), 1:13

5th Ella Hughes Jefferson, GA (GA) MD Chloe Ross Coventry, RI (RI), 12-3

7th Artemis Eaton Dawsonville, GA (GA) MD Samantha Patton Adel, GA (GA), 10-2

132 lbs

1st Elizabeth Rosenstiel Alabaster, AL (AL) MD Mariana Bowen Clarksville, TN (TN), 9-0

3rd Kesi Tsarni Montgomery Village, MD (MD) F Isabella Hernandez Fayetteville, NC (NC), 5:21

5th Emma Hoppe Melbourne, FL (FL) DEC Kimber Alford Daphne, AL (AL), 19-16

7th Aenaya Vines Alabaster, AL (AL) F Eysis Estes brinson 33157, FL (FL), 0:59

138 lbs

1st Jacinda Espinosa Jefferson, MO (MO) TF Christina Borgmann Palm Coast, FL (FL), 20-4 3:54

3rd Jada Lawrence Bluffton, SC (SC) TF Sophie Grunhuvd Waterboro, ME, ME (ME), 18-2 3:56

5th Renice Gonzalez Fontana, CA (CA) F Laura Almanza Deming, NM (NM), 3:40

7th Kiera Depinet Tiffin, OH (OH) F Paulina Butler El Paso, TX (TX), 1:46

145 lbs

1st Faith Bane New Bern, NC (NC) DEC Jameson Strickland Aston, PA (PA), 4-2

3rd Audrey Levendusky Clarksville, TN (TN) F Elizabeth Hill Hermitage, TN (TN), 3:20

5th Ana carolina Mindlin lockard Brooklyn, NY (NY) MD Isabela Dacosta Goose Creek, SC (SC), 16-2

7th Victoriya Devochkina Fort Lauderdale, FL (FL) FOR Maddie Cooper EAST HAVEN, CT (CT), 0-0

152 lbs

1st Taylor Williams Kernersville, NC (NC) F Madison Cooley Bowdon, GA (GA), 5:04

3rd Angelinah De leon Sunnyvale, CA (CA) F Sawyer Ward Johnson city, TN (TN), 1:34

5th Charlize Schlam Point Pleasant, NJ (NJ) FOR Kaylah Evans Catawba, NC (NC), 0-0

7th Kate Prior Milford, PA (PA) F Stephanie Diaz mendoza Haw River, NC (NC), 3:10

165 lbs

1st Kaylie Hall Augusta, WV (WV) DEC Kendall Bibla Saint Augustine, FL (FL), 2-1

3rd Chaniah Bernier parsonsburg, MD (MD) F Morgan Linton Baltimore, MD (MD), 1:47

5th Alyssa Guzman Perris, CA (CA) F Kyah Nelson Barton, NY (NY), 1:06

7th Daegan Bishop Randallstown, MD (MD) M FOR Ariana Blanc Parkland, FL (FL)

185 lbs

1st Juliana Marquez La Puente, CA (CA) F Irelynn Laurin Clarksville, TN (TN), 2:59

3rd Aaliyah Grammer Ellisville, MO (MO) DEC Rebecca Oetken Sheridan, WY (WY), 3-2 UTB

5th Kayli Morris Meriden, CT (CT) DEC Tiffany Bell Perris, CA (CA), 6-4

7th Shaelie Young Westville, NJ (NJ) F Jade Hahn Bayville, NJ (NJ), 3:58

235 lbs

1st Mahalia Adams Dumfries, VA (VA) F Marley Smith Janesville, CA (CA), 4:21

3rd Layla Davis Cynthiana, KY (KY) DEC Avyon Boner Red Bluff, CA (CA), 4-2

5th Isabella Lorenzana huntington beach, CA (CA) F Niya Turner Arab, AL (AL), 4:22

7th Daniella Jenkins Harrisburg, NC (NC) F Kenzie Barrett Homestead, FL (FL), 1:14