Girls Region 1A-1: Preview and Predictions
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 17, 2024 - At Chiles High School
Weigh-In: 8 a.m. | Start: 9:30 a.m.
Welcome to one of my favorite traditions - the region previews.
This is the seventh season I've written these but for those that are reading one for the first time, here's a quick summary of what the region preview is.
I start first by printing out each bracket - yes, this is one of the things I'm old school on.
I notate where wrestlers are ranked in the Kabra Wrestling Rankings and then start to break it down even more.
I look for head-to-head matchups, common opponents, and how each wrestler has been trending in the stretch run.
I then question my rankings - and myself - and play out the entire bracket.
What follows is my best guess for how 1A-1 will play out.
You can print the 1A-1 region bracket here. (PDF)
I've carefully predicted the four state qualifiers in the order that I think the will finish. I've also listed wrestlers that could prove me wrong and make it to Kissimmee.
I will be wrong with these picks, and I'm okay with that. In fact, I love when kids prove me wrong (or prove me right).
These previews and predictions are meant to bring excitement to one of the exhilarating and heartbreaking weekends in sports.
I assure you that I have no bias in my picks and truly wish the best for every wrestler competing this weekend.
And as always, these picks are for entertainment purposes only.
Now onto the preview:
Teams to watch
2. Matanzas; 4. Flagler Palm Coast; 7. Gulf Breeze; 12. Bartram Trail; 14. Middleburg; 16. Chiles
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Camdyn Elliott (Gulf Breeze)
2. #3 Sayuri Caceres (Lincoln)
3. #4 Joslyn Johnson (Flagler Palm Coast)
4. #14 Lily Bradshaw (Middleburg)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Alexandra Estrada Morales (Lake Mary); Kassidy Grundy (Tocoi Creek)
Opening round match to watch: Mia Pina (Oviedo) vs. Victoria Smith (Crestview)
Kabra says: Last year’s state finalist Elliott hasn’t slowed down from that moment and enters the postseason as a solid #1 in the state, having gone undefeated in all competitions including a title-winning performance at the Knockout Christmas Classic. The one to watch in this bracket is if Caceres and Johnson reach the semifinals in the bottom half of the bracket.
Kabra's Picks
1. #12 Skyla Fisher (Middleburg)
2. #13 Vasheer Burke (Clay)
3. #16 Jazlynn Colder (Matanzas)
4. #17 Madison Carroll (Gulf Breeze)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #19 Alexis Brown (Crestview); Isabella Limonio (DeLand)
Opening round match to watch: Burke vs. Vanessa Martin-Soto (Lake Brantley)
Kabra says: Fisher has had Burke’s number so far this year but it gets tougher to beat someone the more times you have to do it. Those two look destined to meet for a third time here, but it won’t be an easy path for either of them as this bracket could host some tough quarterfinal matches.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Mariah Mills (Matanzas)
2. #3 Erin Rizzuto (Ponte Vedra)
3. #11 Sigrun Metzger (Crestview)
4. Anjana Sermadevi (Fernandina Beach)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #19 Makayla Johnson (Baker County); Gracelynn Janssen (North Bay Haven)
Opening round match to watch: Lilah Nation (Lake Brantley) vs. Sermadevi
Kabra says: Mills has been the class of this weight class all season long and enters the weekend as the favorite to win here - and next week at Silver Spurs. Rizzuto lost to Mills by a fall in the district finals but also has a 5-1 decision earlier in the season. The bracket plays out a little dicey down the line and the blood round matches could have four girls with legit claims to a state qualification.
Kabra's Picks
1. #5 Lily Powell (Gulf Breeze)
2. #7 Natalia Choquegonza (Ponte Vedra)
3. #6 Grace Lashinsky (DeLand)
4. #10 Mary McKinney (Choctawhatchee)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #14 Memphis Moses (Middleburg); #15 R’Cardenay Michel (Matanzas)
Opening round match to watch: Zakiya Williams (Ed White) vs. Michel
Kabra says: Phew! What a bracket. A possible 5 vs. 6 and 7 vs. 10 semifinal round - with two more ranked wrestlers and a deep field trying to mess those plans up. The top three could go a couple different ways as those three haven’t faced each other and have each shown they are capable of owning the moment. This one might produce a few “I proved you wrong” stickers, because it’s a free-for-all.
Kabra's Picks
1. #8 Kiersten Flanagan (Winter Springs)
2. #10 Alexea Lawson (Choctawhatchee)
3. #13 Donavanne Hofmann (Ponte Vedra)
4. #15 Nicole Anderson (Fletcher)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #18 Paola Ortiz (Lincoln); Isabel Flowers (Paxon)
Opening round match to watch: Ortiz vs. Flowers
Kabra says: We are staying true to our rankings coming into this - but really, the podium could look a variety of different ways. Flanagan has the state experience on her side while nobody in the state has more wins in this weight class than Lawson’s 37.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Christina Borgmann (Flagler Palm Coast)
2. #11 Amelia McKnight (Lincoln)
3. #3 Lahela Turquist (Pace)
4. #12 Jordan Herron (Chiles)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #13 MaryEllen Wingate (Orange City University); #Karson Kremski (Beachside)
Opening round match to watch: Herron vs. Kremski
Kabra says: You won’t want to miss the semifinal round here with Borgmann and Turquest possibly meeting up. Both are returning state placers (Borgmann 2nd, Turquest 7th) but didn’t meet last year in Kissimmee. We should see a competitive and heartbreaking blood round here too, with at least one Top 13 wrestler not making it through.
Kabra's Picks
1. #2 Bry Kaminsky (Orange City University)
2. #7 Ana Vilar (Flagler Palm Coast)
3. #3 Ashley Shaw (Chiles)
4. Saiomy Cabrera (Matanzas)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Kylee Hopkins (Baker County); Julia Falgout (North Bay Haven)
Opening round match to watch: Rein Cochran (New Smyrna Beach) vs. Falgout
Kabra says: The semifinal in the top bracket should be the match to watch here. Kaminsky has been on fire this season and enters the weekend with a 20-4 record. Shaw is back after placing third last year and had a 27-2 record. This one can’t be missed. And the top three spots on the podium should hold three Top 7 wrestlers, but there’s a tough group of girls looking for that fourth spot - and to knock one of those three down a step or two.
Kabra's Picks
1. #2 Kailani Barrientos (Oakleaf)
2. #10 Saniyah Callahan (Tocoi Creek)
3. #14 Sara Goodman (Sandalwood)
4. #16 Finn Arthur (Fletcher)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #18 Alexis Krumnow (Niceville); #20 Kelsey Marschka (Chiles)
Opening round match to watch: Arthur vs. Marschka
Kabra says: Barrientos’ ride last year ended in the region tournament and she won’t want that to happen again. The Oakleaf sophomore is the heavy favorite here but there’s plenty to watch this in bracket, including a Top 20 matchup in the first round.
Kabra's Picks
1. #2 Tiana Fries (Matanzas)
2. #7 Alisha Vilar (Flagler Palm Coast)
3. #8 Jasmine Gore (Riverdale)
4. #16 Delaney Graves (Oviedo)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #14 Kiiaana Gavere (Pace); Larissa Elliott (North Bay Haven)
Opening round match to watch: Elliott vs. Sara Zeneli (Beachside)
Kabra says: The 2022 state champion at 110 pounds, Fries enters this weekend as the region favorite with three wins this season over Vilar. Gore could give her a new face in the finals as we have a potential Top 8 quarterfinal match between Vilar and Gore.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Katherine Stewart (Bartram Trail)
2. #3 Kendall Bibla (Matanzas)
3. #20 Joselyn Delgado (Milton)
4. Siniayra Thomas (Riverside)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Reyannah Sturges (Crestview); Jayleen Robinson (Lake Mary)
Opening round match to watch: Lasharon Williams (Ed White) vs. Ella Manchester (Menendez)
Kabra says: Stewart is 3-0 this season against Bibla after the Matanzas junior won the state final between the two last year. These two could meet two more times this season and we’re expecting at least one more meeting here.
Kabra's Picks
1. #4 Karla Ortiz (Westside)
2. #8 Jeslene Gonzalez (Mainland)
3. #11 Ava Burre (Bartram Trail)
4. #12 Aryan Benson (Tocoi Creek)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #15 Alexis Orcutt (Niceville); #16 Claire Ajose-adeogun (Florida High)
Opening round match to watch: Iyana Lee (Riverside) vs. Kylah Armstrong (North Bay Haven)
Kabra says: Ortiz has wins this season over Burre and Benson and could see the Tocoi Creek senior in the semifinals. This bracket’s features include a possible two quarterfinals between Top 16 wrestlers as there will be at least two ranked wrestlers missing out on a Silver Spurs trip here.
Kabra's Picks
1. #6 Cadee Lyons (Chiles)
2. #9 Shyann Tate (Hagerty)
3. #13 Eva Rojas (Mainland)
4. #16 Alexa Calidonio (Flagler Palm Coast)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #18 Hannah Matalobos (Bartram Trail); Kimora Claiborne (Ed White)
Opening round match to watch: Petra Croom (Florida High) vs. Matalobos
Kabra says: Two returning state qualifiers in Lyons and Tate lead the pace in this bracket. Lyons’ path to the finals has the potential to be tougher with two ranked wrestlers in the top half.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Cheyenne Cruce (Middleburg)
2. #6 Ani Brown (Matanzas)
3. #14 Destiny Bass-Boston (Hagerty)
4. #17 Chaunti Clark (Sanford Seminole)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #19 Tor’rina Rushing (Mosley); Austin Brown (Wakulla)
Opening round match to watch: Sophia Butler (Orange City University) vs. Jordan Lassitter (Ed White)
Kabra says: The undefeated Cruce is also the returning state champion and is expected to repeat that feat this season. Brown spent much of the year at 235 before making the move down near the end of the season. She’ll likely face Hagerty hero Bass-Boston. The sophomore’s win by fall in her district final gave the Huskies the team district title in a tie-breaker.
Kabra's Picks
1. #2 Cheyenne Wigley (Mainland)
2. #13 Josie Raulerson (Columbia)
3. #9 Brooklyn Watt (Matanzas)
4. #18 Jazmine Moore (Oakleaf)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #19 Jenna Childers (Hagerty); Hailey Payne (Florida High)
Opening round match to watch: Trayce Goodman (Westside) vs. Shaelyn Harper (Niceville)
Kabra says: In a weight class that seems to have had the most parity in the state this year, Wigley has been one of the most consistent with just a single loss. The Mainland senior is the favorite here but as we know, anything can happen at the top and this podium could look completely different at the end on Saturday.