The CIF Southern Section Masters Meet showcased remarkable talent as eight girls wrestlers from the Inland area secured championship titles. The event, held at Sonora High School in La Habra, California, featured a format that has evolved over five seasons. This year, the meet introduced two 16-person brackets, resulting in two champions for each of the 14 weight classes.
Among the standout performers, Orange Vista and Roosevelt each produced three individual champions, leading all schools in the competition. Orange Vista’s champions included senior Zahra Stewart, along with sophomores Tiffany Bell and Gia Coons. Stewart’s victory at 135 pounds marked her third consecutive Masters Meet title, solidifying her status as a top contender. As the top seed in the Blue Bracket, she pinned three of her four opponents, culminating in a first-round win against Excelsior Charter’s Izel Padilla in the championship match.
Bell, competing in the 170-pound Blue Bracket, also excelled as the top seed, pinning three opponents in the first period to reach the finals. She secured her first Masters Meet title with an impressive 11-0 major decision against Jade Martinez from Arroyo. Coons, the top seed in the 235-pound Blue Bracket, claimed her first championship with a narrow 1-0 decision over Marina’s Isabella Lorenzana. The title match remained scoreless until Coons scored an escape just 12 seconds into the final period, sealing her victory.
Roosevelt’s trio of champions included senior Vanessa Cabrera, junior Emma Goodland, and freshman Kylie-Ann Thach. Cabrera, seeded fourth in the 190-pound Gold Bracket, achieved her first Masters crown by pinning the second-seeded Reanna Chavez from Mayfair. Goodland, the fifth seed in the 125-pound Gold Bracket, performed remarkably by pinning the third-seeded Cheyenne Stepanian of Hesperia in the closing moments of the second round, also winning her first Masters championship. Thach, seeded second in the 100-pound Gold Bracket, pinned Paloma Valley’s Reynalyn Geronimo at the end of the second period to earn her title.
The competition highlighted the achievements of Jestinah Solomua from Corona, who extended her perfect record in the Masters Meet to three titles by winning the 145-pound Blue Division. As the top seed, Solomua dominated her matches, including a decisive 15-1 major decision over Amber Farr from Norwalk in the final. Additionally, Chino’s Natale Blanco secured her second Masters Meet championship by winning the 155-pound Blue Division title, pinning all four of her opponents, including a second-round victory against Fountain Valley’s Laiyah Aguilar.
Alongside the champions, several other Inland wrestlers performed admirably, with eight securing runner-up positions in their respective brackets. Notable runners-up included Colony’s Mia Hernandez in the 100-pound Blue division and Hamilton’s Evelyn Lopez at 120 pounds.
In the team standings, Northview emerged victorious with a total of 178 points, outperforming Marina by 39 points. Orange Vista finished third with 123.5 points, while Roosevelt placed fifth with 104.5 points. The top four wrestlers in each bracket qualified for the CIF State Championships, scheduled for February 26-28 at Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield. A total of 36 wrestlers from 18 Inland schools will represent their teams at this prestigious event.
Zahra Stewart and Natale Blanco, both previous CIF State champions, will once again lead the Inland contingent in Bakersfield. Orange Vista and Etiwanda had five wrestlers qualify for the state meet, while Roosevelt has four qualifiers, and both Corona and Upland secured three.
As the wrestling community celebrates the achievements at the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet, the focus now shifts to the upcoming state championships, where these talented athletes will compete for further accolades on a larger stage.
