Fresno, Calif. – Leaving it all on the mat, the Mt. SAC Women's Wrestling Team once again earned a second-place finish at the 3C2A Individual State Championship. For the fourth year in a row, conference rival, Cerritos, claimed the top spot, edging out the Mounties for another crown.
Mt. SAC came out ready to compete, clearly looking to flip the script and take the title this time around. But with Cerritos sending wrestlers into championship matches in six different weight classes, the Mounties were facing a tough challenge.
The Mounties finished with a team score of 202, highlighted by two individual state champions, one runner-up, two third-place finishers, and several others placing across their weight classes.
Meanwhile, Cerritos led the field with 239 points, powered by five individual champions across multiple weight classes. Sacramento City rounded out the top three with a team score of 114.5.
Mt. SAC standout, Sienna Montanez, has dominated the season; a perfect example of small but mighty. Competing at 103 pounds, Montanez controlled her matches from start to finish, earning decisive victories before securing a 2-0 win against Bakersfield's Celia Esquivel in the championship match.
Then there was Mackenzie Muniz, who added a second straight state title at 117 pounds. Muniz was nearly untouchable throughout the tournament, not allowing a single point from any opponent – a rare accomplishment at this level of competition.
In the 180-pound weight class, Gen Deleon, had an incredible and hard-fought performance with a runner-up finish. She defeated Kemelly Mejia from Modesto, Michelle Klein from Palomar, Alejandra Ochoa from San Joaquin Delta before falling to Kinsey Konrad from Cerritos in the championship match.
Next year will bring changes to the championship format, as the North and South regions will each have a qualifying regional tournament added to the postseason prior to State. The idea is to match what men's wrestling has in place: a limit to the number of place qualifiers per each weight class.
Head Coach David Rivera reflected on the team's performance saying, "While we didn't achieve our team goal, we still had great individual performances. We ended the season with two champions, three finalists, five All-Americans and 13 medalists - and that is something to be proud of."
Overall, it was another successful season for the Mounties, who continue to establish themselves as one of the top programs in the state – while keeping Cerritos firmly in their sights.
Thank you for your support this season. We'll see you on on the mat next year!
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For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.