By Jason W. Brooks
Mail | X: @JasonWBrooks2

PHOENIX — The Liberty girls wrestling team found itself in one of the closest team points races of all the divisions in this weekend’s state championships.

Turns out the Lions want to keep proving they’re not only the best girls team in Arizona, but also the best wrestling team at Liberty High School.

Both coaches agree a friendly rivalry has formed between the girls team — winners of three consecutive state titles, including this weekend’s Division I crown — and the boys team, which has won multiple titles of its own, placed second in Division I.

The Liberty girls wrestling team poses for a photo with its third consecutive state team championship trophy Saturday during the state championships at Veterans Coliseum.

Independent Newsmedia/Jason W. Brooks

“It’s so much fun,” Liberty girls coach Davy Miller said about coaching some of Saturday’s closer matches. “That’s really what you look for in a state tournament.”

The Liberty girls scored 145.5 team points to best runner-up Sunnyside’s 127. Mountain View of Marana was a distant third with 77 points.

The Liberty girls only had a 2.5-point lead over Sunnyside after the semifinals and third- and fifth-place matches. But two of the Liberty girls’ three state champions then beat Sunnyside opponents in the finals.

Lola Hunt edged Illianna Castaneda of Sunnyside, 3-2, to win the 114-pound individual title. Claire Avery, the top seed at 152 pounds, pinned Jaylean Alfaro in that final’s second round to win another crown.

Lila Hunt easily pinned her opponent to win the 145-pound final and the state title.

Liberty’s 138-pounder, Taylor Colangelo, lost to Alena Garcia of Cesar Chavez, 6-2, in her class’s final.

Two Lions dropped their first-round matches but then rallied to place third: Aubree Avery at 165 pounds and Faith Stevenson at 185.

In fact, only one wrestler went two-and-out in the tourney.

“We have some younger wrestlers who’ve worked really hard in the first and second years and improved,” Miller said.

The Liberty boys didn’t have much chance of catching Division I champion Sunnyside on Saturday, as the Blue Devils’ 312 points easily outpaced the Lions’ 190.5. Corona Del Sol was third at 127.

But Liberty boys coach Eric Brenton said he was pleased with how his team responded to early adversity. Six wrestlers faced an elimination “blood round” Friday — and all six advanced.

Brenton said he’s proud of the way the Liberty boys finished the season. There were no new state champions —Jeremy LeBlanc made the finals at 157 pounds, along with Mitchell Wheeler at 165 — but there were 12 state placers and state qualifiers in all 14 weight classes.

“We’ve got a complete program,” Brenton said of the rivalry between the boys and the girls. “We push each other to do better."

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The Liberty boys wrestling team poses for a photo Saturday during the state championships at Veterans Coliseum after placing second in Division 1 behind dominant Sunnyside.

Independent Newsmedia/Jason W. Brooks

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.