Conflict @ Cleveland: Wrestlers face tough test at huge meet

RIO RANCHO — The Conflict at Cleveland may not be the most important high school wrestling tournament of the season, but with 73 teams and more than 1,500 competitors, boys and girls, it is the largest.

Los Lunas coach Steve Chavez called it, “The biggest event in the history of New Mexico wrestling for high school.”

Aside from New Mexico, teams representing Texas, Colorado, Arizona and California hit the mats at the Rio Rancho Events Center.

For schools like Belen, Valencia and Los Lunas, it was a good litmus test before next month’s New Mexico State Championships at the same location. Overall, the results were encouraging.

LLHS was 10th in the boys’ standings, third among 5A New Mexico schools. Chavez said the finish could have been even higher, “possibly top five,” if it weren’t for several injuries early in the tournament.

Los Lunas was led by James Bachicha, who was the only Valencia County competitor to capture an individual title. In the final at 160 pounds, Bachicha defeated the top seed, avenging a loss from Thursday during a dual meet at LLHS against Falcon High School (Colorado).

The 15th-place finish by BHS was more impressive than it may appear. The only 4A school higher was the defending state champion Bloomfield, fifth overall. The top Eagles wrestler for the boys was Joshua Jaramillo, who garnered 13.5 team points on his way to sixth place at 121-pounds.

Valencia freshman Dominik Suarez won his first three matches at 107 pounds to improve his record to 13-0.

“I was a little nervous coming here,” Suarez said. “I’m just excited to be here and experience this.”

Ultimately, Suarez did not place, but he scored 12 points as the Jaguars came in 58th.

In the girls’ bracket, Belen and Valencia were neck and neck, with BHS in 30th place, just one point ahead of VHS. Los Lunas was 54th.

“We’re definitely growing a lot,” said the Eagles’ Lisette Sanchez. “We’re not top notch,” among the best teams in the state, “but I know that we can eventually get there. I’m just happy that we have girls.”

BHS had six wrestlers, with Sanchez, 114-pounds, earning most of the team points on her way to a fifth place showing.

Valencia had two placers — Adrianna Berni, eighth at 100 pounds; and Alexis Avis-Labus, fifth at 107 pounds. Each wrestled seven times over the two days of the tournament.

Emmanual Aragon, VHS coach, was pleased with the results.

“Our boys and girls performed well,” said Aragon, who pointed out that Berni and Avis-Labus “fought back through the blood rounds to place in the top eight.”

The floor of the Events Center was packed with 13 mats, creating an exciting, yet chaotic atmosphere, as wrestlers, coaches and media members scrambled to keep track of the schedule.

“There are 63 girls in my bracket. It’s a little intimidating,” noted Olyvia Sanchez, BHS sophomore, who scored three pins while going 3-2 at the tournament. “I’m still trying to find myself.”

Nick Sanchez, BHS coach, was impressed with the overall talent.

“You see how many kids are undefeated, how many all-Americans are there. You just go up there and let it fly.”

The size of the Conflict at Cleveland created some interesting pairings, including several intra-county matchups. In a preliminary matchup at 121 pounds, Aaron Ramirez, of Los Lunas, registered a pin against Valencia’s James Madrid.

“I’m friends with all of them. I know all the coaches, all the guys on the team,” said Ramirez of his VHS counterparts.

In his next match, Ramirez suffered a technical fall at the hands of Belen’s Jaramillo.

The traditional dual meet between LLHS and BHS was not held this year, making several individual matchups over the weekend noteworthy. The Tigers and Eagles went head-to-head four times in the boys’ bracket, with LLHS holding a 3-1 edge. County wrestlers did not wrestle against each other in the girls’ tournament.

Many of these same wrestlers will return Feb. 21-22 to the Rio Rancho Events Center for the New Mexico State Championships.

BHS, LLHS and VHS will wrestle Saturday at the Sammy Vivian Invitational in Socorro.

Boys team results

1. Cleveland, 260.5

2. Pueblo East, Colo., 238

3. Volcano Vista, 234

10. Los Lunas, 126

15. Belen, 110.5

58. Valencia, 29

Girls team results

1. Cleveland, 176

2. Pueblo Central, Colo., 159.5

3. Campo Verde, Ariz., 151.5

30. Belen, 48

32. Valencia, 47

54. Los Lunas, 18