Four individual champs lead Jackson Memorial to girls wrestling Shore Conference Tournament title
Although its reign was briefly halted, Jackson Memorial reminded everyone that it remains the standard for Shore Conference girls wrestling.
With four individual champions and three more top-four finishers, the Jaguars rolled to their fourth straight Shore Conference Tournament championship on Monday at Lakewood High School.
On Dec. 20, Lakewood handed the Jaguars their first dual meet loss since girls wrestling became an NJSIAA sanctioned sport in 2018 with a stunning 39-27 victory. Since then, Jackson has returned to its dominant ways and strengthened its grip on the SCT by out-pointing Lakewood, 167-141, to remain the only school to win the tournament since its inception in 2020 (there was no tournament held during the 2020-2021 season).
Sophomore Ava Bonilla won the 100-pound title, sophomore Madison Rucci claimed the 107-pound championship, junior Dominque Lopez secured the 126-pound title, and junior Alexa Meagan rolled to the crown at 132 pounds. Sophomore Brianna Dugo was the runner-up at 120 pounds and Kiley Toti was the runner-up at 165, while Camryn Storaci placed fourth at 114 pounds.
Bonilla, Rucci, and Meagan each pinned their way to their respective first-place finishes while Lopez had two wins by fall before a 3-1 decision over Howell senior Haley Marks in the 132-pound title match to lead Jackson to the team title.
Bonilla repeated as an SCT champ and was among eight wrestlers to win their second SCT title. Howell's Kylie Gudewitz (114), Middletown South's Thea Rowland (145), Freehold Township's Danielle Forlenza (152), and Donovan Catholic's Jade Hahn (185) each repeated as champions while Lopez, Middletown South's Caitlin O'Reilley (120), and Southern's Ella Yanuzzelli (165) won their second titles after first earning gold at the 2022 SCT.
One of the best finals was at 185 where Hahn's second title came via a 7-5 win in sudden victory over sophomore Liliana Alicea of Central Regional. Alicea scored a takedown 25 seconds into the third period to take a 4-3 lead but Hahan hit a reversal to go up 5-4. Alicea escaped shortly after the reversal to knot the bout 5-5. Hahn secured the title-winning takedown with 15 seconds left in sudden victory.
At 114, Gudewitz successfully defended her title with a 7-0 victory over Colts Neck senior Alexandra Tcekounouva, who was a returning SCT champion as last season's 107-pound champ. Following a scoreless first period, Gudewitz scored a reversal and then added two nearfall points to take a 5-0 lead. She added three more back points for a 7-0 lead heading into the third period. Her Rebels teammate, sophomore Giovanna Farrell-Byers, gave Howell two individual champions when she pinned Raritan's Hope Larnaitis in 2:50 to win the 235-pound championship.
O'Reilly secured her second title by also defeating a returning SCT champion, pinning Dugo in 2:34 in the 120-pound final. Rowland gave Middletown South two champions with a pin over Brigid Hatton in 1:02.
Southern Regional also had two champions with junior Samantha Henrich winning 3-0 over Lakewood's Marily Dominguez at 138 to win her first SCT title and Yanuzzelli winning her second title by pinning Toti in 2:25 in the 165-pound title bout.
Forlenza won the 152-pound championship, her second, by pinning Middletown South's Natalia Rusin in 2:59. The victory avenged a loss to Rusin by fall in the quarterfinals of the Freehold Township Lady Patriots Tournament.
Finals
100: Ava Bonilla (Jackson Memorial) 13-2 won by fall over Daria Easton (Manalapan) 7-4 (Fall 4:53)
107: Madison Rucci (Jackson Memorial) 13-3 won by fall over Grace O`Neill (Toms River East) 5-2 (Fall 1:57)
114: Kylie Gudewitz (Howell) 20-1 won by decision over Alexandra Tchekounova (Colts Neck) 3-1 (Dec 7-0)
120: Caitlin O`Reilly (Middletown South) 17-2 won by fall over Briana Dugo (Jackson Memorial) 12-5 (Fall 2:34)
126: Dominique Lopez (Jackson Memorial) 13-6 won by decision over Haley Marks (Howell) 12-5 (Dec 3-1)
132: Alexa Meegan (Jackson Memorial) 15-4 won by fall over Nathalie Arguedas (Lakewood) 9-6 (Fall 2:49)
138: Samantha Henrich (Southern Regional) 14-3 won by decision over Marily Dominguez (Lakewood) 13-8 (Dec 3-0)
145: Thea Rowland (Middletown South) 17-0 won by fall over Brigid Hatton (Raritan) 13-2 (Fall 1:02)
152: Danielle Forlenza (Freehold Township) 8-3 won by fall over Natalia Rusin (Middletown South) 15-9 (Fall 2:59)
165: Ella Yanuzzelli (Southern Regional) 9-4 won by fall over Kiley Toti (Jackson Memorial) 13-6 (Fall 2:25)
185: Jade Hahn (Donovan Catholic) 5-2 won in sudden victory - 1 over Liliana Alicea (Central Regional) 12-5 (SV-1 7-5)
235: Giavonna Farrell-Byers (Howell) 14-3 won by fall over Hope Larnaitis (Raritan) 11-3 (Fall 2:50)
Third place
100: Danielle Silva- De Jesus (Long Branch) 5-3 won by decision over Katrina Torres (Neptune) 7-4 (Dec 4-3)
107: Aaliyah Burgos (Monmouth Regional) 10-6 won by fall over Abigail Valle Leon (Neptune) 10-6 (Fall 2:48)
114: Sophie Babineau (Manalapan) 11-3 won by decision over Camryn Storaci (Jackson Memorial) 18-4 (Dec 4-3)
120: Makayla Vigilante (Southern Regional) 9-7 won by fall over Gianna Carino (Manchester Township) 11-10 (Fall 4:44)
126: Inbal Yamin (Matawan) 8-6 won by fall over Yaretzi Martinez (Freehold Borough) 7-4 (Fall 4:35)
132: Ray Violett (Howell) 11-5 won by decision over Alexandra Spear (Manchester Township) 11-12 (Dec 10-4)
138: Gianna Robinson (Howell) 7-3 won by fall over Caroline Samayoa Alencar (Freehold Borough) 11-5 (Fall 2:28)
145: Kianna Aleman (Lakewood) 11-10 won in tie breaker - 1 over Hannah Marks (Howell) 13-6 (TB-1 2-1)
152: Vanesa Cuate (Lakewood) 12-6 won by fall over Michaela Callum (Southern Regional) 6-8 (Fall 5:15)
165: Yasmin Xahuentitla (Lakewood) 6-6 won by fall over Joanna Moore (Toms River East) 6-2 (Fall 2:52)
185: Daniela Palacios (Lakewood) 13-5 won by fall over Shannon Glowacka (Marlboro) 12-4 (Fall 4:26)
235: Perla Castillo (Lakewood) 13-7 won by fall over Eva Meola (Manalapan) 4-2 (Fall 1:58)
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