LODI — Manteca heavyweight Liliana Rios finished first Saturday in the Sac-Joaquin Section Girls Wrestling Central Regional Championship at Tokay High’s John Giannoni Gym.
She will lead a field on nine local grapplers into the two-day Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Championships beginning Friday at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton.
At the end of a two-day qualifying tournament, most wrestlers are spent — both physically and emotionally. Not Rios.
As a result of her No. 1 seed, she earned a first-round bye Friday, and due to a combination of less wrestlers at that weight class and forfeits of those who would have wrestled her, Rios did not get a match until the championship against Edison’s Francisca Moran.
The mat rust was evident for Rios to start, trailing 7-1 going into the third period. Rios chose top to start the final period and was in control the rest of the way, first getting four back points before getting the pin for a gold medal.
“I guess I took a while to get warmed up,” Rios said. “I have wrestled her a couple of times, and she wrestled tough, like she usually does, but in the end, it doesn’t matter who wins here, but who wins in two weeks in Bakersfield.”
Also advancing for Manteca are Susan Joseph (125, third), Breanna Bragg (110, third), Kirra Hendricks (135, sixth) Alisha James (115, seventh) and Mandy Martinez (145, seventh).
Joseph was in control of her third-place match with River City’s Charlotte Beyer for most of the match until Beyer came on at the end, but Joseph was able to squeak out the 10-9 win.
“It was a scary win,” Joseph said. “I feel like I fought through pretty good, but at the end, she got the over-under, and I didn’t know what to do.
“I think I’ll work on that at practice.”
Bragg handled Elk Grove’s Madelin Morales 5-1 for third place.
“I feel great,” Bragg said. “That girl was strong, but I feel like I had more in my heart.”
Sierra’s Valeria Galvan (190) dispatched Wood’s Dayanna Aguilar-Bermudez in short order for third place, notching a pin in just 42 seconds.
“I’m not satisfied,” Galvan said. “Like everyone else, I wish I was in the finals, but it is what it is and I’m glad I got the job done.”
East Union’s Katelyn Partney (170) finished seventh and Majesty Mack (155) was eighth.
