The El Molino wrestling team didn’t rest during the recent holiday break, instead using the time to hone its skills on the high school tournament circuit.
The Lady Lions sent sophomore Hannah Ricioli and freshman Ardenne “Chevy” Chevrolet to the Napa Valley Classic Tournament at Vintage High School in Napa on Jan. 4-5, with both turning in strong performances.
The meet, considered the oldest and largest all-girls tourney in the country, featured dozens of teams and some 660 female athletes, including many of the top wrestlers in the state.
Ricioli, a rising star on the girl’s circuit, entered the tournament as the #3 seed at 150 pounds, recording a pair of pins to make her way into the semifinals. There, she lost to the #2 seed from Albany. Ricioli later advanced to the consolation semifinals, where she lost to the #6 seed. The outstanding showing earned her a 5th place medal in a 42-person bracket.
Wrestling at 160 pounds, Chevrolet went 0-2 on day one and was eliminated from the tournament. The talented freshman showed her mettle in her second match, battling hard before losing a two-point decision.
Lions score wins in Middletown
Meanwhile, the El Mo boys sent a three-man contingent to the annual Dennis Jensen Tournament in Middletown on Jan. 5, with Colman Hayes, Erik Dimond and Zavier Grech competing for the Lions.
Competing at 132 and 170 pounds, Dimond and Hayes reached the finals for the first time in their high school careers, with both losing in the title match in close decisions to settle for second place. Day one was a round robin format with both wrestlers posting a 4-1 record, while both went 3-1 on the second day in a double-elimination format.
Grech also turned in a strong weekend, going 2-3 on the first day of competition and finishing with a 3-2 record on day two to earn a fifth place medal at 138 pounds.
