Vote for the Reader’s Choice Girls Wrestler of the Week
BY BRANT PARSONS — I asked for your help and you came through with flying colors. With over 100 messages nominating wrestlers, there were a lot to go through.
I have decided to post every nominated wrestler and let you voters go crazy. You can vote for multiple athletes, and can vote every hour.
Because there were 25 girls nominated for the honor, and my polling software only allows 20 entries, please see both polls to see each wrestler eligible to be voted for.
The reasons for nomination for each girl is listed below, they are in your own words.
Alea Morales (Celebration): I am nominating Alea Morales because she is one of the hardest working athletes I have ever seen. She sets goals and does everything above and beyond to accomplish those goals. Alea is constantly learning and growing everyday. When she has success she keeps pushing for more and with every set back she does everything she can to learn from that experience.
Iyonna Church-Ross (Charlotte): Sweep through regional with pin and has gone undefeated and didn’t get a single defensive or offensive point scored on her through the regional tournament
Kailani Barrientos (Oakleaf): District Champion and Region champion
Fikayo Aroyewun (Bell Creek): Became the first regional champion in school history, boy or girl. Now a 3x state qualifier. Pinned Toomer, Coffil, and Turrubiartez (avenging an earlier loss).
Kristy More (Sunlake): She should be wrestler of the week because she dominates every tournament she goes to, pinning almost all are opponents very fast. She is also a great teacher and coach. She’s the most hard worker and humble person i know , always willing to help others and share her knowledge
Ariel Goble (Strawberry Crest): She is a great wrestler and she taught me so much with my form and the way to wrestle. Ariel finished 3rd at regionals beating two girls ranked ahead of her. She has also emerged as a leader in the wrestling room and an example for both boys and girls. She is also everyones biggest fan! She is an IB student with straight A’ and works at portillos every day after wrestling practice. You just don’t see many kids like her these days!
Emma Hoppe (Viera): Girls 1A - R4 - Champ - 1st Girls Regional Champion in School History - 4-0 on day (3 by Pin) - 35-1 on Season
Gracelynn Janssen (North Bay Haven): Although Gracelynn only got 4th place, she fought extremely hard to get there. She lost her first match after starting off the day feeling very off her game. She knew she had to win her next match against the Region 4 District Champion to stay in the game and she did! Then she kept fighting to get to state. She gathered all of her grit and determination to punch her ticket to state. She lost to her district rival in the 3rd/4th place round which was her 6th match of the day to a questionable call, but she made it. I think she deserves to be recognized for not giving up and doing everything she could to reach her goal of getting to state. Gracelynn is a girl who has to work hard for her wins, and she did!
Daniela Espinal (Hernando): Came back and beat Jasmine Serrano in the region finals after losing to her at districts. Daniela has been such a force all season, but sometimes falling short in super tough matches in semis or finals. Once Jasmine Serrano of Springstead, one of the top ranked girls in the state, went up a weight class (125), she was meeting Daniela in finals match ups. Daniela beat Jasmine at the Region 2 finals in Overtime with an unbelievably stellar performance, to ultimately take the title of region champ!!! Daniela didn’t even make it out of regions last year(to the best of my knowledge), and not only did she make it out this year. She was the champ!!
Aniyah Wayne (Kissimmee Osceola): This is only Aniyah’s second season as a tough 100 pounder. Her very first year she got extremely close to being a state qualifier after losing in the blood round. She never let that stop her and continued to grind in the mat room. All to get better and become a regional Champion this year, securing her well deserved spot at states.
Alexandra Estrada Morales (Lake Mary): Having a huge upset with beating #14 Lily Bradshaw by fall in quarterfinals as an unranked wrestler, scoring in a tough match against #1 Camdyn Elliott, going into overtime against #3 Sayuri Caceres, and of course proving Kabra wrong by making it to states!
Natalia Choquegonza (Ponte Vedra): Natalia Choquegonza earned her first Regional Championship Title this weekend, dominating all her opponents by pin, with no points scored against her heading into the finals. Natalia scored 28 points and took her place on top of the podium with a 1st-place finish. Natalia has made the finals of every tournament this season. She proves to be an unstoppable force headed into the State Championship.
Delialah Betances (Liberty): Betances has recently run the quantlet winning OBC championships, winning district and just recently winning regionals. Just recently she won her rematch of the Knockout final where she has been training very hard for and had to elevate herself to a new level as she had to prove Kabra wrong! Delialah is as humble as they get. She trains hard and works hard to get to where she is at. Aside from Delialah having open heart surgery over a year ago, she has over came all adversity and still manage to keep up her momentum. She is deserving of being the wrestler of the week.
Callie Alfieri (Gulf): Callie just finished her third district’s and regionals as a senior having placed first place all 3 times in both. For regionals; One time in region 3, then her region got moved to region 2 and she won those twice.
Lilly Tucker (Kissimmee Osceola): Took 3rd in a tough region featuring 4 of the top 5 ranked girls. Back to back pins vs number 4 and 5.
Josie Raulerson (Columbia): Won Region 1 (235) 1st match won by pin in 31 sec 2nd match won by pin in 42 sec 3rd match won by pin in 36 sec
Autumn Jarvis (Matanzas): She has been improving so much this season and got second at regionals this past weekend, as last year she didn’t place at regionals. She’s a very hard worker and great teammate!
Quisiera Wilson (Lincoln Park Academy): I am nominating Q because she is a great kid. She should be the wrestler of the week because she has earned it. She has won every tournament she has been in this season including District and Regionals and she is only a freshman and still undefeated 38-0 she pinned every wrestler this season.
Sabrina Richards (Boca Ciega): This wrestler, so great resilience outstanding academics And overall a great growth in the sport, for her freshman/her first year ever committing to this difficult mind strengthening sport
Yadira Rivas (Plant City): Yadira is a hard working supportive teammate. She has helped me a lot through this season. She has helped to grown in wrestling and as a person. Even though were the same age and grade i look up to yadira and hope one day i can be like her. Yadira recently came 3rd in regionals and will be moving on to states. Yadira really deserves everything ♡.
Noelia Varela (Riverdale): This wrestler is a very dedicated wrestler. Ive seen her crazy matches she could be losing by ten points but she will not give up untill she gets the win and she has. she had this amazing cradle it’s perfect i look up to her alot she is a very cool and eduecated girl such a team player im amazed when i see how she loved to support her team members while wrestling she pushes her teamates thats why the riverdale wrestling girls are so strong
Vivianna Caullett (Wellington): Won Girls Region 4 at Bayside in the 125lbs division by beating number 2 and 4. Viviana was ranked 9th going into the Regional tournament and beat the #2 and #4 ranked wrestlers. Viviana took first place. She wrestled like a warrior!
Evie Fierro (Durant): First Durant female wrestler to qualify for regionals Won her opening match at regionals
Katherine Stewart (Bartram Trail): Katherine won the regional title over last year's State champion by fall, having also pinned her in the district match.
Rotchiva Clermont (Orlando Freedom): Rotchiva is continuing to find her stride as she caps off a 6-tournament win streak with a region title. At the regional tournament she recorded falls over the #17 and #10 ranked wrestlers.
