The popularity of high school girls wrestling continues to grow both locally and statewide. So much so, that two weekends is no longer enough for the NJSIAA Girls Wrestling State Tournament.
This coming Sunday, March 1, one day after the boys hold their annual district tournaments, the NJSIAA will have its first ever district tournaments for the girls. In total, there are 12 district sites, including Nutley, which is the host site for District 3.
“We’re very excited about it. We started off three years ago at the county tournament in our own gym and now we get to host a district,” Nutley head coach Mike DiPiano said. “We are proud to support women’s wrestling and we’re all in. It’s going to be great for the sport, it’s great for the girls that are on our team to be able to wrestle home and it’s going to be great for all of our rec girls to see that we’re hosting that as well. ”
While DiPiano is excited to host, he also expects several of his wrestlers to advance on to the North 1 Region at Vernon on March 8.
For senior Izzy Timonera, it’s a chance to make up for lost time. Timonera looked primed for a trip to the state championship at Atlantic City a year ago until an elbow injury ended her junior season prematurely. Back at 100-percent, Timonera has gone 27-7 in a season that saw her capture a third Essex County championship at 100 pounds and become the program’s career wins leader.
“She’s never made it to Atlantic City and I don’t think she’ll be content if her career ends in Vernon (at the regionals),” said DiPiano. “We got some big matches this weekend and then districts in her home gym and then this is it. Three weeks to fulfill your dreams.”
While Timonera is looking to make her first trip to AC, sophomore Michelle Gavilanes isn’t just content on merely making it there. Gavilanes has followed up a stellar freshman year, with arguably an even bigger sophomore season, going 35-3 at 145 pounds with a second straight Essex County title.
“We thought she could have been there last year, didn’t work out the way we all wanted it to, but getting there is not the goal this year,” DiPiano said. “Getting on the medal stand and putting your name on the wall forever is. This is the plan and we believe she has a great opportunity to do that.”
While Timonera and Gavillanes are the most accomplished, DiPiano believes others have the ability to advance past District 3, most notably freshman Gracelyn Archuleta, who has gone 23-12 while wrestling primarily at 107 or 112 pounds. Two other freshmen – Janizza Timonera (17-10 at 100 pounds) and Peyton Rotbaum (20-15 at 126 pounds) also have the potential for big performances at districts.
Sophomores Laila Marsala (120 pounds) and Omairy Villalona (235 pounds) are also set to compete for the Raiders.
Also competing at District 3 will be Lyndhurst-North Arlington and its own star senior Aitana Lozano, who took second place at the Bergen County Tournament for the second consecutive year. Lozano, who won the Lady Kards Invitational in Kearny on Feb. 14, has a stellar 17-2 record and her sights firmly set on Atlantic City.
“Even with all the victories she’s had and the accolades and the success, there’s that hole that she’s trying to fill because she just comes in to work every day very hungry,” head coach Matt DeMarco said. “You can see the determination even after she won the Kearny tournament last weekend, and she was happy, of course, proud, but she just said, all right, now it’s time for the postseason.”
Lyndhurst-North Arlington will also have senior Leia Lumba (11-5) competing at 145 pounds.
Kearny may not have a wrestler with the multi-year resume like Lozano, Timonera or Gavilanes, but the Kardinals are sending their deepest ever roster with 11 wrestlers seeing significant time this season.
Headlining the contingent that will compete at District 4 in Phillipsburg is freshman Aralyn Hernandez, who is 20-2 at 132 pounds, and sophomore Mariah Pagan who is 18-5 at 100 pounds.
Others who enter with a strong chance in districts include sophomores Bree Rocco (14-8 at 120 pounds) and Angelina De Araujo (15-9 at 145 pounds) and freshman Maia Sierra (16-8 at 126 pounds).
Sophomores Sojari Vigo (10-8 at 114), Juannis Rios, Carolina Paz and Ariella Saenz-DaSilva, and juniors Jazlene Poeck (12-11 at 152) and Eileen Carabajal-Silvera are also likely to compete in District 4 as Kearny hopes to enjoy some unprecedented state tournament success.
“With the districts, if we could get a few to the region, I’d be pumped about that. But to go to the States would be huge,” head coach Tony Carratura Jr. said. “For the girls coming up from our youth program to see that would be huge and it just validates our program a little bit more.”
Also at Phillipsburg will be Belleville. Junior Tiffany Guanoquiza Restrepo (11-5), who took fourth in Essex County at 126 pounds, leads the Bucs contingent, which also includes Jessica Calle (7-7), who took fifth at 120 pounds, and fellow Essex County Tournament medalists Ashley Sarceno and Isabella Chirino.
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Jason Bernstein | Observer Sports Writer
Jason Bernstein joined The Observer as its sports writer in March 2022, following the retirement of Jim Hague. He has a wealth of sports-writing experience, including for NJ Advance Media (nj.com, The Jersey Journal, The Star-Ledger.)