Brooke Logan, a Liberty High alumna who agreed to coach the Lions girls wrestling program this season, witnessed a unique situation during Isabella Bocanegra’s 100-pound final during the state championships Saturday at Veterans Coliseum.
Due to infractions by Bocanegra’s opponent, Tatiana Hernandez of Sunnyside, and the Blue Devils’ coaching staff, Bocanegra was ahead 6-0 before she had even made a scoring move on the mat.
Bocanegra was declared the winner when Hernandez was disqualified, with the Liberty wrestler up 17-2.
“That was a weird win, but she earned it,” Logan said of Bocanegra.
The Liberty girls edged Westwood by 5.5 team points to claim the title in what was the fourth state Arizona girls state tournament.
“We’ve seen so many improvements from the beginning of the season, to the end,” Logan said. “These girls are takedown machines. We see a lot of takedowns at practice. They always show up ready to work hard.”
While Bocanegra was Liberty’s lone girls champion, Taylor Colangelo nearly joined her. She was the runner-up at 126 pounds, battling back-and-forth with Bree Garcia of Barry Goldwater, who got the last reversal in the third period.
The 4-3 loss came a week after Colangelo had beaten Garcia at sectionals.
The Lions’ Bridgette Sotomayor placed fifth at 132 pounds. Lily Hunt was fourth at 138; Claire Avery was fourth at 132.
Ironwood senior Emily Porras, a state champion in 2020, lost a back-and-forth semifinal to Hernandez and ended up placing fourth at 100 pounds. Her sister, Janessa, a freshman, finished just short of placing at 120 pounds.
Kristina Flores of Canyon View was the runner-up at 107 pounds. Jussiah Bamba of Peoria was third at 114;. Alannah Rogers of Willow Canyon was sixth at 114;. Adrianna Lloyd of Centennial was fourth at 126; Shi`anna Bamba of Peoria was third at 138 and Nylease Yzagere of Peoria was the runner-up at 185.
Peoria’s three top-six placers earned the Panthers 64 points, tying for fourth place with Hamilton.
Danica Smith of Mountain Ridge was the runner-up at 138 pounds. Jessie McCurry of Deer Valley was sixth at 185.
Jason W. Brooks is a News editor for the Daily Independent and the Chandler Independent.
He covers the Chandler area for both yourvalley.net and the monthly print edition while writing for and assisting in the production of the Daily Independent.
Brooks is a well-traveled journalist who has documented life in small American communities in nearly all U.S. time zones.
Born in Washington, D.C. and raised there and in suburban Los Angeles, he has covered community news in California, New Mexico, Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska and northern Arizona.
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