Wrestling: Basha, Casteel, other Chandler-area wrestlers shine at state

By Jason W. Brooks
Mail | X: @JasonWBrooks2

PHOENIX — Now that Hannah Naccarati-Cholo has two state titles on her resume, she can focus even more on how she can take her wrestling game to the next level.

“I think, over the past year, my mentality is what improved,” Naccarati-Cholo, a Basha High School sophomore, said Feb. 21 after winning the 122-pound state Division I title match. “Not so much the wrestling skills. I used to go in thinking ‘What if I lose?’ Now I go in like ‘How will I improve in this next match?’ What can I do better in the future?’ So I’m less focused on the outcome.”

Naccarati-Cholo pinned a wrestler she knows well — fellow Chandler Unified sophomore Apphia Gutierrez of Perry, also a sophomore — late in the second round of their 122-pound final at state.

“When we’re on the mat, I’m not your friend,” Naccarati-Cholo said of wrestling an opponent she knows well. “Most of the time, girls wrestling in Arizona is a small community, so we know each other and love each other and support each other. But on the mat, we’re not friends.”

With two more years of high school to go, Naccarati-Cholo’s father, David, listed several non-high-school colleges and wrestling competitions and training he’ll take his daughter to this off-season.

Naccarati-Cholo was one of several Chandler-area wrestling stars to repeat as state champions or stand out in other ways at the Feb. 19-21 high school state championships.

On the girls side, a pair of Casteel upperclassmen led the Colts to 60 team points and a fifth-place finish in Division I, despite only having four qualifiers for state.

Casteel senior Mia Johnson pinned her opponent in the 147-pound finals to win state. Kaiya Johnston completed an undefeated junior season at 43-0 when she outlasted a Queen Creek High opponent in the finals in a tough 9-6 decision.

Perry senior Addison Palmer was hoping to finally bring home a state title after improving each year and reaching the finals in 2025. But after Palmer pinned her first three 2026 state 100-pound opponents in the first round, she ran into a tough opponent in finals.

Rebekah Ponce beat Palmer by major decision, 11-0. Ponce ended up with a 64-1 record this season; Palmer went 35-4.

Palmer and Gutierrez helped Perry place 12th in D-I girls team points, while Basha was 15th.

On the boys side, Arizona College Prep senior Sean Leudy repeated his 2025 state-title performance. He pinned his 192-pound finals opponent in the second round in crowd-pleasing fashion, completing a 49-1 season and helping the Knights to a runner-up team finish in Division II points.

Another ACP senior, Gavin Sisamount, scored late points to take an exciting 8-6 win in his final, earning a D-II state title at 177 pounds.

The senior and sophomore classes gave the Knights all their team points at state. Sophomore Jacob Leudy placed fourth at 167 pounds, pinning his opponent late for one of his rewarding elimination-round wins.

Another sophomore, Calin Kavanaugh, placed fifth at 115 pounds. Yet another ACP sophomore, Tanay Nimkar, placed fifth at 122.

Senior Noah Jimenez placed fourth at 134 pounds. Senior Aharnish Tripathi placed fifth at 152 pounds.

ACP senior Ryleigh Maxfong was sixth at 128 pounds. Senior Tony Morales placed sixth at 159 pounds, and yet another senior, Sean Hakes, placed sixth at 217.

In Division I boys, Casteel’s Vaughn Strobel won a state title at 159 pounds to help boost the Colts to 92 points and seventh place.

Casteel senior Jaxon Hamilton was a runner-up at 192 pounds, losing 2-0 in the final to a Liberty opponent. Mahlon Pobstman reached the 140 final.

Chandler High senior Travis Cardenas’ dominant performance at 167 pounds. The Wolves placed ninth as a D-1 team with 75 points.

Chandler High senior Preston Shorter placed fourth at 287 pounds.

Email Jason W. Brooks at jbrooks@iniusa.org. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.

INDEPENDENT NEWSMEDIA

Jason W. Brooks
News Editor | Chandler Independent

Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.

Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.

Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.

Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.

Community: He supports animal shelters.