By Don Eskins
The Cavemen and Cavegirl wrestling teams performed well at the recent Roswell Hondo Invitational held on December 20-21 in the Alien City.
Carlsbad’s boys placed fifth in a field of 12, while the girls placed fifth in a field of 14.
“We had a few kids out due to injuries or the Christmas break at Rio Hondo, so our lineups weren’t at full strength,” said CHS head coach Mark Pratt. “But the kids we took represented our school and community well.
“Five girls and three boys medaled for us at the meet. We also had some near misses,” he said. “Every week, we see some great things from these kids, so we feel like we’re moving in the right direction.”
Picking up gold medals for the Cavegirls were Aaliyah Martin (235, 3-0) and Arianna Campos (185, 2-0). Grabbing silver medals were Emily Fuentes (114, 4-1) and Ellianna Campos (126, 5-1). Andrea Ramirez (100, 3-2) collected a bronze.
“Aaliyah is new to our program. She’s from Wyoming, and a welcomed surprise. She dominated her class, and we’re fortunate to have her,” said Pratt. “Arianna also wrestled well. She placed third at Rio Rancho earlier this year and was 3-2 at a very tough Las Cruces Invitational. She’s still putting things together, so we expect to see a lot more from her this season.
“As for Emily and Ellianna, they, too, enjoyed a good tournament. They’re important cogs on the team, and as with Arianna, we expect to see some good things for them as the season progresses,” he said. “We also got a very good effort from Andrea. She’s had a few problems adjusting to her weight class, but she wrestled well and is getting better with each meet.”
For the Cavemen, Aiden Rodriguez (114, 5-1) grabbed a silver medal for placing second. Justin Owens (145, 5-1) and Geremiah West (189, 5-2) both earned bronze medals for finishing third.
“Aiden’s coming into his own, something we’ve been looking for him to do this season. He’s wrestling very well and posting a lot of wins this year,” said Pratt. “Justin also wrestled well at Rio Hondo. We felt he would earn a spot in the final, but unfortunately, he dropped one in the early rounds.
“We also got a great effort from Geremiah. He’s quite unorthodox on the mat, but it works for him,” said the CHS coach. “Like Justin, he lost in the early rounds and had to fight his way back to finish in the medal round.
“Our kids continue to be aggressive, and they wrestle hard,” said Pratt. “Our coaching staff couldn’t be more proud of them.”
The Cavemen and Cavegirls will compete at the Cleveland High Invitational in Rio Rancho on Friday and Saturday, January 3-4.
Hondo Recap:
Cavemen: Team- 5th of 14TH
114- Aiden Rodriguez 5-1, 2nd; 121- Axel Rodriguez 1-4, DNP; 127- Mathyis Meier 4-2, DNP; 127- Andrew Fuentes 1-3, DNP; 133- Guess Box 2-3, DNP; 139- Carter Pulice 2-4, DNP; 145- Justin Owens 5-1, 3rd; 152- Francisco Calderon (Med. Out Injury); 172- Eddie Lopez 2-3, DNP; 189- Geremiah West 5-2, 3rd; 215- Jaxon Powell 2-4, DNP.
Cavemen JV’s: Team- 7th of 9
127- Nathan Walls 1-3, 4th; 139 Raul Valenzuela 2-2, DNP; 152- Isaiah Olson 3-1, 2nd; 152- Xander Huff 0-3, DNP; 172- Jaziel Rocha 1-3, DNP; 172- Mathew Meek 0-3, DNP; 215- Dylan Marquez 4-2, DNP;
285- Rafael Dominguez 1-3, 4th.
Cavegirls: Team- 5th of 12
100- Andrea Ramirez 3-2, 3rd (Vrs); 114- Emily Fuentes 4-1, 2nd (Vrs); 114- Symphony Carlson 2-4, DNP (JV); 120- Breanna Trujillo 2-4, DNP (Vrs); 126- Ellianna Campos 5-1, 2nd (Vrs); 126- Aubrey Baeza 2-2, DNP (JV); 185- Arianna Campos 2-0, 1st (Vrs); 235- Aaliyah Martin 3-0 1st (Vrs) At Rio Hondo Carlsbad’s JV’s competed in the varsity bracket.
Caption: Medaling for the Cavemen were, left to right, Geremiah West, third; Aiden Rodriguez, second; and Justin Owens, third.
Cavegirls are, left to right, Aaliyah Martin, first; Andrea Ramirez, third; Emily Fuentes, second; Ellianna Compos, second; Arianna Campos, first; Breanna Trujillo and Symphony Carlson. Not pictured is Aubri Baeza. (CHS Wrestling Photo)
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