Girls Region 1A-4: Preview and Predictions
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 17, 2024 - At Bayside High School
Welcome to one of my favorite traditions - the region previews.
This is the sixth 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-4 will play out.
You can print the 1A-4 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
3. Mater Lakes; 8. North Miami; 11. South Dade; 13. Douglas; 17. Mater Academy; 18. Miami Coral Park.
Kabra's Picks
1. #8 Paola Perez (Doral Academy)
2. #11 Sheyla Figueira (Key West)
3. #16 Alyssa Garcia (Wellington)
4. #19 Sara Newell (Jupiter)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #20 Alyvia Gallagher (Palm Bay); Mia Comesana (Mater Laker)
Opening round match to watch: Immawnie Walden (Miami Jackson) vs. Zahar Zouaki (Viera)
Kabra says: Our bracket plays out to have district rematches in the two placing finals with us giving the nod to the Doral seventh-grader to win her first region title. The quarterfinals should be a fun round to watch here.
Kabra's Picks
1. #2 Abigail Gonzalez (Mater Lakes)
2. #4 Mackenzie Allcroft (Fort Pierce Central)
3. #11 Rosie Kleine (Monarch)
4. #15 Rebecca Marin (Doral Academy)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Gabi Kerber (Cypress Bay); Haasini Vattikuti (Viera)
Opening round match to watch: Alianna Duharte (Atlantic) vs. Haven Kelley-Harner (Palm Bay)
Kabra says: Gonzalez has burst onto the scene this year for Mater Lakers and while she only has nine wins, more than half of them are significant. The veteran Allcroft could be a good test for the eighth-grader in the final and that will be an interesting one to watch if it happens. Four ranked wrestlers are our favorites to move on to Silver Spurs, but watch for landmines lurking in this bracket like Kerber.
Kabra's Picks
1. #5 Sofia Ferran (Mater Lakes)
2. #7 Zoe Delgado (Florida Christian)
3. #10 Rebekkah Kinkade (South Dade)
4. #12 Catalina Kenney (Viera)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #14 Caitlin Bohrer (Centennial); #17 Camilla Delgado (Mater Academy)
Opening round match to watch: Joyce Blanc (Palm Bay) vs. Nicole Arroyo (South Broward)
Kabra says: There is no guarantee that this bracket will play out like we have predicted - it’s loaded - but if it does, we like the senior over the 7th grader in the final by the slightest of margins. If it even happens. There are six ranked wrestlers in this bracket and some quarterfinal matches that will have the intensity of a placing match.
Kabra's Picks
1. #2 Aurora Guadiana (Wellington)
2. #8 Brooke VanEtten (Jensen Beach)
3. #11 Grace Mackenzie (Douglas)
4. #17 Brenda Gomez (Vero Beach)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #20 Angelina Vaquer (Mater Lakes); Serenity Kepler (West Broward)
Opening round match to watch: Mackenzie vs. Kepler
Kabra says: Earlier in the season, Guadiana edged VanEtten 4-2, but got a much bigger result in the district final, winning by pin. The potential semifinal between VanEtten and Mackenzie looms large in this one and is probably the biggest toss-up in this bracket. Watch for a potential district champion showdown in the blood round here.
Kabra's Picks
1. #5 Willow White (SLAM Academy)
2. #6 Isis Severe (North Miami)
3. #7 Beyonce Espinosa (South Dade)
4. #12 Iliana Gracey (Western)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #17 Lana Loucks (Wellington); Rickkyuna Wilson (Lincoln Park)
Opening round match to watch: Mickayla Sugrano (Douglas) vs. Leah Balmaceda (Treasure Coast)
Kabra says: All signs point to District 16 for this bracket. The top three in G1A-16 are the three we expect to be at the top when the dust settles here too. White edged Severe by a 6-5 margin in the district final after topping Espinosa in the semifinals. Severe also holds a win over the South Dade junior from the season.
Kabra's Picks
1. #2 Arianna Ruiz (Mater Lakes)
2. #4 Kaitelynn Oliver (South Dade)
3. #9 Vivianna Caullet (Wellington)
4. #10 Chloe Parets (Florida Christian)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #14 Sheyla Ochoa Salgado (Park Vista); #16 Isabel Alvarez (Viera)
Opening round match to watch: Kirah McSweeny (Satellite) vs. Kaileia Villavicencio (Archbishop McCarthy)
Kabra says: Ruiz and Oliver is an intriguing final if it comes to be. With just a single total loss between the two of them this year, they’ve proven to be the best in the region. If we go back to the summer, Ruiz owns a couple victories involving the two, and that’s why she gets our nod here. The rest of this bracket? Oh boy. It could get crazy with five ranked wrestlers battling with a deep bracket for two spots in Kissimmee.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Gabriela Caro (Douglas)
2. #5 Rachel Silva (Florida Christian)
3. #10 Geraldine Honore (South Dade)
4. #11 Alexa Paz (SLAM Academy)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #17 Callie Dickie (Okeechobee); #19 Nayeli Chinique (Dr. Krop)
Opening round match to watch: Dickie vs. Christelle Joseph (North Miami)
Kabra says: The defending state champion is the favorite here and look for Silva to meet here there. On paper, you think things should make sense in this bracket, but there is talent up and down this bracket and we could see a couple surprises when the dust settles.
Kabra's Picks
1. #3 Emma Hoppe (Viera)
2. #7 Eriesia Coney (Mater Academy)
3. #5 Maia Ortega (Suncoast)
4. #13 Eysis Brinson (Miami Palmetto)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #15 Natalie Arguello (Key West); #17 Lesane Heid (North Miami)
Opening round match to watch: Eva Sorokorensky (Boca Raton) vs. Tamia Young (Palm Bay)
Kabra says: Oh this bracket is a tough one. Six Top 20 wrestlers. At least 10 wrestlers with the talent to reach Silver Spurs and some quarterfinals that will shape how this bracket looks at the end. Hoppe is the favorite here but the rest of the podium will be a wild fight to fill.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Sofia Delgado (Coral Park)
2. #6 Kylie Mangum (Space Coast)
3. #10 Ta’Jah Broadnex (South Dade)
4. #13 Jordyn Schmeichel (Bayside)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #20 Noemi Hermida (SW Miami); Cristal Alcocer (Wellington)
Opening round match to watch: Hailey Cullingford (Viera) vs. Kamila Castillo (Dr. Krop)
Kabra says: The defending state champion is in a class of her own and Delgado is one of our “locks” to win another region title. The rest of the podium will be shaped greatly by a possible Top 10 meeting in the quarterfinals between Mangum and Broadnex.
Kabra's Picks
1. #2 Emily Jaspe (Mater Academy)
2. #7 Ciara Cortez (Sebastian River)
3. #6 Breonna Mangum (Space Coast)
4. #12 Anisah Paz (South Dade)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Isabella Di Palermo (Wellington); Viktoriya Devochkina (South Broward)
Opening round match to watch: Emily Pomar (Ferguson) vs. Cortez
Kabra says: Mangum’s district title put her on the same side of the bracket as Jaspe and that means a semifinal that will be fun to watch. If Jaspe can continue her strong season, she could get another ranked wrestler in the final between Cortez and Paz.
Kabra's Picks
1. #1 Mya Bethel (North Miami)
2. #5 Anna Sofia-Baker (Archbishop McCarthy)
3. #2 Alena Rik (Mater Lakes)
4. #6 Valentina Mora (Miami Beach)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #7 Kha’Liyah Delva (Fort Pierce Central); #19 Nelca Fleurine (Palm Beach Gardens)
Opening round match to watch: Sofia Toledo (Wellington) vs. Chaniya Saintill (Lincoln Park)
Kabra says: Speaking of locks, Bethel is not only one of the best wrestlers in the state - she’s one of the best in the country. The Fargo national champion is going for a three-peat national champion and is unbeaten in her three years of high school wrestling. The rest of the story is that this bracket has five wrestlers from the Top 7 competing, so you’re going to have a state placing level match in the blood round. Brutal.
Kabra's Picks
1. #7 Payton Moyer (Monarch)
2. #8 Mia Johnson (Flagler Palm Coast)
3. #10 Madelyn Driggett (Merritt Island)
4. #11 Shenshaila Baron (North Miami)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: #15 Tala Salao (Archbishop McCarthy); #17 Tacara Nixon (Miami Norland)
Opening round match to watch: Driggett vs. #19 Jada Haughton (Dr. Krop)
Kabra says: Seven wrestlers in the Top 20 are in this bracket and nearly every round in this weight class will be a tough one to get through. We’re going with Moyer in this one, who owns a win over Johnson this season.
Kabra's Picks
1. #4 Quisiera Wilson (Lincoln Park)
2. #9 Tessa Diaz (Doral)
3. #5 Latoya Silvestre (South Broward)
4. #16 Orlisia Sands (Deerfield Beach)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Azaria Williams (Wellington); Mariah Addison (Miami Norland)
Opening round match to watch: Vanessa McCloud (Merritt Island) vs. Arheanna Bryan (Coral Springs)
Kabra says: After a breakthrough season in eighth grade where she finished on the state podium, Wilson has come out and beat everyone in front of her. Meanwhile, Sylvestre’s only loss is to the now third-ranked wrestler at 235. We’re going to learn a lot about both if they reach the final here.
Kabra's Picks
1. #3 Day’Jah Clarke (Miami Norland)
2. #14 Beatrice Williams (Sebastian River)
3. #15 Naveah Robinson (Okeechobee)
4. #20 Coy Greene (Palm Beach Gardens)
Wrestlers who could prove me wrong: Naomi Arias (Doral); Melissa Joseph (South Dade)
Opening round match to watch: Damia Ellison (Everglades) vs. Arias
Kabra says: After spending the year battling at 190 pounds, Clarke moved up to 235 and instantly became one of the favorites in the state. She should find her way through a bracket that is much deeper and tougher than it was last year when just five wrestlers competed at this region. The sport is growing and this bracket is proof.