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Flagler Palm Coast Girls Wrestling Tournament: A Season-Opening Showcase

The Flagler Palm Coast Girls Wrestling tournament, held on November 26th, 2024 set the stage for Florida’s top female wrestlers as 33 schools gathered to compete in this prestigious IBT (Individually Bracketed Tournament). Powerhouse programs such as Flagler Palm Coast, Hernando, Sunlake, Viera, Freedom, Middleburg, Gulf Breeze, Columbia, Ponte Vedra, and George Jenkins brought their squads, offering a thrilling preview of the upcoming season. Below are highlights from some of the standout weight classes and performances.

100 Pounds

The 100-pound division featured fierce competition from Madison Carroll (Gulf Breeze), Mia Parker (Sunlake), Lily Bradshaw (Middleburg), and Emerson Webber (Hernando).

In the 100 pound class the top wrestlers were Mia Parker of Sunlake HS, Madison Carroll of Gulf Breeze HS, Lily Bradshaw of Middleburg HS and Emerson Webber of Hernando HS. On the top half of the bracket Madison CarrollCarroll met Mia Parker in the semi-finals to see who would advance to the championship finals match. Carroll pulled no punches and came out looking as tough as can be. In the third period Carroll ended the match with a pin over Parker in 5:18 . Freshman phenom Mia Parker wrestled her heart out but still came up a bit short. Carroll wrestled extremely well and with her win over Parker, she was able to punch her ticket into the championship finals match. On the bottom half of the bracket was Miabella Lopez of Freedom HS against Emerson Webber of Hernando HS. Webber was the clear favorite in this semi-finals match up and she did not disappoint. Emerson Webber used her tenacity and technique to secure an 8-1 decision over Lopez. Webber was a single point shy of getting bonus points for her team. Had she won by a total of 8 points she would’ve secured bonus points. Miabella Lopez was able to prevent that from happening and held Webber to 8 total points while scoring 1 point for herself. The championship finals was a good one. Emerson Webber took out Madison Carroll in a tight 5-3 decision to win the 100 pound title. In the wrestleback rounds Mia Parker [Sunlake HS] and Lily Bradshaw of Middleburg HS were able to put together a few wins in a row to earn their spots in the 3rd-4th place match against each other. In this match for 3rd place Bradshaw dominated the match over Parker and won the match with an 18-2 technical fall. This big win over Parker was quite a statement for Bradshaw. She put the rest of the weight class on notice that she is here and gunning for that elusive state title this year!

  • Semi-Finals:
    • Top Half: Carroll pinned Parker in 5:18, securing her spot in the finals after a hard-fought battle.
    • Bottom Half: Webber controlled her match against Miabella Lopez (Freedom), winning by an 8-1 decision.
  • Finals: Webber outlasted Carroll in a thrilling 5-3 decision to claim the 100-pound title.
  • Consolation: Lily Bradshaw dominated Mia Parker with an 18-2 technical fall to take 3rd place, signaling her readiness for a championship run this season.

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105 Pounds

Reigning state champion Joslyn Johnson (Flagler Palm Coast) and returning state runner-up Camdyn Elliott (Gulf Breeze) headlined this stacked bracket.

In the 105 pound weight class returning state champion from the host school [FPC] Joslyn Johnson advanced to the semi-finals on the top half of the bracket. She would face unranked Isabella Limonio of Deland HS in the semi’s for a trip to the championship finals. Johnson is currently ranked #2 at 110 pounds in the TFWR official state rankings. In true state champion fashion, Joslyn Johnson left no doubt in anyone’s mind why she belonged in the finals, by dismantling her opponent 21-5 for a technical fall victory in the very first period! With this tech fall victory, she secured very important bonus points for her Flagler Palm Coast squad. On the bottom half of the bracket was state runner up Camdyn Elliott of Gulf Breeze vs state medalist [3rd] Erin Rizzuto of Ponte Vedra HS. Two of the best in the state battled for a shot to wrestle Joslyn Johnson in the finals. Elliott left no doubt as to why she was a state finalist last season by securing a tech fall against her state medalist opponent. Elliott won 15-1 and advanced to the championship finals. Along with her big win came important bonus points for her Gulf Breeze team. In the 105 pound finals, state runner up Camdyn Elliott faced returning state champ Joslyn Johnson of Flagler Palm Coast. This was a match up everyone was waiting for. Two state finalists from the previous year went head to head to see who would be crowned the champion. Elliott entered this match ranked #1 in the TFWR state rankings at 105 pounds. Johnson is ranked #2 at 110 pounds. Camdyn Elliott left no question as to who the best 105 pounder is right now. She pinned Johnson in 4:57 of the 3rd period and was crowned the champion.

  • Semi-Finals:
    • Johnson showcased her dominance with a 21-5 technical fall over Isabella Limonio (Deland).
    • Elliott secured her finals berth with a 15-1 tech fall over Erin Rizzuto (Ponte Vedra).
  • Finals: Elliott proved her top billing by pinning Johnson in 4:57 to take the 105-pound crown.
  • Consolation: Freshman Kendal Haynie (Wakulla) earned 3rd place with a string of five pins after an early loss to Johnson, including a first-period pin against Yhoalibe Ruiz (Freedom).

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110 Pounds

Returning state champion Mariah Mills (Flagler Palm Coast) made a statement with dominant victories.

At 110 pounds, returning state champion Mariah Mills advanced to the semi-finals on the top half of the bracket against recent Sunlake HS transfer Julia Brocato. As a returning state champion Mills was the clear favorite in this match up. She went out there and conducted her business as usual with a fall over Brocato in 1:18 of the very first period. Brocato is currently ranked #4 at 110 pounds in the TFWR state rankings. She earned her spot in the rankings by training very hard in the off season. It’s very clear that all of her hard work is paying off. Earning her spot in the finals against Mills was a great accomplishment. I feel we will be seeing a lot of Julia Brocato in many more finals matches! On the bottom half of the 110 pound bracket was Natalia Choquegonza of Ponte Vedra. She is currently ranked #4 at 115 pounds by TFWR and earned her spot in the 110 pound semi-finals by defeating Toni Silcox of middleburg HS in the quarter finals. Brooke Van Etten of Jensen Beach HS advanced to the semi’s to face Choquegonza for the 110 pound championship. Van Etten is currently ranked #5 at 110 pounds by TFWR. The semi-finals match up with Choquegonza and Van Etten did not happen due to Van Etten medically forfeiting. With the forfeit, Choquegonza was handed a free trip into the finals against Mariah Mills. Again, Mills was the heavy favorite in this finals match up, as she is the returning state champion facing an opponent [Choquegonza] who placed 4th at the state championships. Mills entered the finals confident and ready to go. Choquegonza had other plans and wrestled a great match against the state champion. Mills was able to secure the victory but was pushed hard by Choquegonza and won by a very close 4-3 decision. But like the old saying goes, ” A Win Is A Win”. Mills started the season with her new team by winning the Flagler tournament title and will head into next week with a 4-0 record. In the 3rd-4th place match, Kendal “Stompknocker” Haynie of Wakulla faced Yhoalibe Ruiz of Freedom HS. Haynie is another freshman phenom who’s currently ranked #4 at 120 pounds. Ruiz is unranked at this time but this may change after her performance at the Flagler tournament. In the 3rd place match Haynie went out there and handled her business by pinning Ruiz in the very first period to earn her the bronze medal. In her very first match of the tournament, haynie faced the eventual champion Mariah Mills. After losing to Mills 16-5, she went on a run and put together 5 big wins in a row to secure her spot in the consi-finals. What makes this feat even more impressive is that Haynie’s 5 wins were all pins. She finished the tournament 5-1 with her only defeat coming against the returning state champion.

  • Semi-Finals: Mills pinned Julia Brocato (Sunlake) in 1:18, while Natalia Choquegonza (Ponte Vedra) advanced via medical forfeit.
  • Finals: Mills faced a determined Choquegonza but emerged victorious in a narrow 4-3 decision.
  • Consolation: Kendal Haynie rebounded strongly, securing 3rd place with a pin over Toni Silcox (Middleburg).

115 Pounds

Grace Lashinsky (Deland) and Emma Bauknight (Hernando) set the pace in this competitive division.

In the 115 pound weight class Grace Lashinsky of Deland owned the top half of the bracket by pinning everyone she faced on her way to the championship finals! In the semi’s she pinned a very tough Cameron Lord of Sunlake HS. Lord is a state qualifier from last season and will most likely be there again this season. On the bottom half of this bracket was Emma Baulknight of Hernando HS. Bauknight placed 3rd at the FHSAA State Championships last season and is one of the favorites to make the state finals this year. She’s currently ranked #2 in the TFWR state rankings at 120 pounds. Baulknight earned her trip to the semi-finals by defeating Trynity Bradley of George Jenkins HS. Bauknight made quick work of Bradlet with a pin in just :53 seconds of the first period. In her semi’s match she would face another tough wrestler, Lily Powell of Gulf Breeze HS. Powell was a state qualifier last year but failed to place due to an injury which forced her to withdraw from the tournament. In the semi’s match, Bauknight was able to get past Powell with an 8-3 decision to earn her spot in the 115 pound finals against Grace Lashinsky of Deland. Lashinsky is no stranger to Bauknight, as the two previously wrestled against each other in the state semi-finals last season. Lashinsky won that match and ended up placing 2nd in the state, while Bauknight wrestled back and placed 3rd in the state championships. The finals match between these two top ranked girls was a good one. Lashinsky was able to secure her victory with a pin over Bauknight with only :43 seconds left in the match. In the match for 3rd-4th, Sarah Walsh of Middleburg faced Cameron Lord of Sunlake. Lord was not leaving anything to chance and controlled the entire match. She ended the match with an 18-5 major decision and walked away with the bronze medal.

  • Semi-Finals: Lashinsky pinned Cameron Lord (Sunlake), while Bauknight defeated Lily Powell (Gulf Breeze) 8-3.
  • Finals: Lashinsky repeated her previous success against Bauknight, earning the 115-pound title with a pin late in the third period.
  • Consolation: Cameron Lord claimed 3rd place with an 18-5 major decision over Sarah Walsh (Middleburg).

120 Pounds

Catalina Kenney (Viera) and Isabel Duarte (Freedom) battled through tough competition to reach the finals.

  • Finals: Kenney stunned Duarte with a pin at the 0:54 mark of the first period to secure the title.
  • Consolation: RCarden Michel (Matanzas) was awarded 3rd place.

At 120 pounds Scarlett Huaman of Winter Springs HS advanced to the semi-finals with a win over Marlee Karounos of Horizon HS. She would face a very tough Catalina Kenney of Viera HS in the semi’s. Catalina Kenney beat Karounos in the semi-finals with a pin in 5:22 to advance to the finals. On the bottom half of the bracket was RCarden Michel of Matanzas against Isabel Duarte of Freedom HS. Duarte dominated Michel and ended the match in the very first period with a pin in 1:10. In the championship finals match Catalina Kenney turned the tables on Duarte and put her on the other side of a pin. Kenney pinned Duarte at the :54 second mark of the very first period to secure her title. In the consi-finals RCarden Michel faced Memphis Moses of Middleburg HS. Apparently Michel was awarded the victory over Moses as it’s listed by Track Wrestling as “No Contest”. Im not sure if the match was even wrestled or what happened, but regardless Michel was awarded a third place finish and the bronze medal.

125 Pounds

At 125 pounds Isabel Alvarez of Viera HS [Custer Trained] earned a trip to the semi-finals with a win over Nathalia Espinal of Hernando in the quarter finals. Alvarez would face Jasmine Serrano in the 125 semi-finals for a trip to the championship finals. Serrano was on fire and had won all of her matches by pin. This match with Alvarez woud be no different. Serrano secured her trip to the finals with a tech fall [19-3] over Alvarez. On the other side of the bracket was Daniela Espinal of Hernando. She would face Bella Guerrier-Laj of Columbia HS in her semi-finals match for a trip to the finals. Espinal secured a 10-3 decision and advanced to the 125 pound finals against Jasmine Serrano. At the end of the second period, Serrano ended the match early with a tech fall over Espinal [17-2] and was crowned the 125 pound champion. In the match for 3rd and 4th Bella Guerrier-Laj of Columbia HS was able to secure a win over Isabel Alvarez and walked away with a bronze medal.

  • Finals: Serrano dominated Espinal with a 17-2 technical fall, cementing her spot as a top contender.
  • Consolation: Bella Guerrier-Laj (Columbia) edged Isabel Alvarez (Viera) for 3rd place.

 

130 Pounds

Nina Borgmann (Flagler Palm Coast), a returning state champion and international gold medalist, was untouchable.

At 130 pounds, last years state champion Nina Borgmann of Flagler Palm Coast walked into the semi’s after pinning both oppenents in under a minute!!! “Cyborg-mann” is just dominant and appears to be at a much higher level than any of her opponents. In the semi’s match, Borgmann would face Rachel Smith of Hernando HS. She did to Smith the same as she did to her previous two opponents and pinned Smith in just :29 seconds of the very first period. On the other side of this bracket was Gabriell Asabi of Sunlake and Eduarda Franklin Soa of Freedom HS. Asabi pinned Franklin Soa and advanced to the finals against Borgmann. Nina Borgmann was a huge favorite, especially after coming off a gold medal performance in Bahrain. Borgmann was one of a few Florida wrestlers who were chosen to represent the United States in Bahrain at the AAU World Championships. Aille Briggs of Lemon Bay, Mia Parker of Sunlake and Mariah Mills of Flagler Palm Coast joined Borgmann on Team USA in Bahrain. In the 130 pound finals Borgmann dominated once again and was able to pin Asabi in 1:22 seconds of the first period to be named champion. In the match for 3rd-4th place, Rachel Smith of Hernando won over Sarah Goodman of Sandawood HS by NC [no contest].

  • Semi-Finals: Borgmann pinned Rachel Smith (Hernando) in just 29 seconds.
  • Finals: Borgmann continued her dominance, pinning Gabriell Asabi (Sunlake) in under a minute to take the 130-pound crown.

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135 Pounds

In the 135 pound class Emma Hoppe of Viera would face Sophia Santoro of Suncoast HS in the semi-finals. Hoppe was on a mission and had pinned her way to the semi’s. It was no different for Hoppe in the semi finals match, as she was able to end the match by pin in just 1:16 of the first period. On the other side of the bracket, the clear favorite was Ana Vilar of Flagler Palm Coast. Vilar placed 4th at last years FHSAA state championships. In this semi’s match Vilar would face Ceajah Brown of Freedom HS. Vilar pinned Brown in 1:58 of the first period to advance to the finals against Emma Hoppe. This match was one the spectators were very anxious to watch as well. Both girls are state placers from last season. Vilar placed 4th and Hoppe was a state finalist, finishing as state runner up. Many people I spoke to predicted Hoppe to come out on top, but Ana Vilar had different plans. Vilar won the match by pinning Hoppe in 4:38 of the third period for the championship. This win definitely let the other girls in her weight class know she is coming for that state title! In the match for 3rd-4th Kelsey Marschka of Chiles HS faced Ceajah Brown of Freedom HS. Ceajah Brown was determined to finish the tournament with a win and that’s exactly what she did. Brown pinned Kelsey Marschka for the bronze medal.

  • Finals: Ana Vilar (Flagler Palm Coast) pinned Emma Hoppe (Viera) at 4:38 of the third period to claim the championship. Vilar’s performance sends a clear message to her competitors as she eyes the state title.
  • 3rd Place Match: Ceajah Brown (Freedom HS) secured a pin against Kelsey Marschka (Chiles HS) for the bronze medal.

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140 Pounds

At 140 pounds Kailani Barrientos of Oakleaf advanced to the semi’s after two wins in under a minute in a half…..total time wrestled! In the semi-finals match Barrientos would face Sky Athey of Freedom HS. Barrientos is no stranger to important matches, as she placed 3rd ath last years FHSAA state championships. In this semi’s match Barrientos was able to pin Athey in the first period to advance to the championship finals. On the other side was Hernando’s Olivia Brown. She would face Angelyn Glazier of George Jenkins HS. Olivia Brown was able to pin Glazier in the third period to advance to the finals against Kailani Barrientos. Kailani was the clear favorite in this finals match up and she did not disappoint. She pinned Olivia Brown in 2:56 of the second period and was crowned champion at 140 pounds. In the match for 3rd-4th it was Athey vs Glazier with Glazier winning by tech fall [16-0] and going home with the bronze medal.

  • Finals: Kailani Barrientos (Oakleaf), last year’s 3rd-place state finisher, pinned Olivia Brown (Hernando) in 2:56 of the second period to take home the title.
  • 3rd Place Match: Angelyn Glazier (George Jenkins HS) won by tech fall (16-0) over Sky Athey (Freedom HS).

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145 Pounds

At 145 pounds Elody Rodriguez of Kissimmee-Gateway HS faced Tiana Fries of Flagler Palm Coast HS. Although Elody Rodriguez is considered to be one of the better wrestlers in this weight class, having significant wins over many of the top ranked girls in the state she was still the underdog in this semi-finals match. Tiana Fries is the daughter of Coach Mike Fries and she knows this sport better than most. She is also a former state finalist when she was still at Matanzas HS. Fries made quick work out of Rodriguez by pinning her in just 1:55 of the first period. On the other side of this bracket was Kristy More of Sunlake HS and McKenzie Eltzroth of Hernando HS. Both of them are ranked in the TFWR state rankings. Kristy More prevailed in this match over Eltzroth and advanced to the finals against Tiana Fries. Kristy More did not have the same success against Fries in the finals. Fries was able to secure the win with a pin over More in 5:17. In the match for 3rd-4th it was Elody Rodriguez against McKenzie Eltzroth. Rodriguez was able to squeek out a win in an ultimate tie breaker OT match.

  • Finals: Tiana Fries (Flagler Palm Coast), a former state finalist, pinned Kristy More (Sunlake HS) in 5:17 to secure the championship.
  • 3rd Place Match: Elody Rodriguez (Kissimmee-Gateway HS) outlasted McKenzie Eltzroth (Hernando HS) in an ultimate tiebreaker OT match.

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155 Pounds

At 155 pounds it was Alexa Calidonio of Flagler Palm Coast against Ja’niyah Williams of Columbia. In this semi-finals match Calidonio pinned Williams in :28 seconds of the first period to punch her ticket into the finals. On the other side of the bracket was Hernando’s Mariah Earl who would face Alyssa Gerber of George Jenkins HS. This match for a trip to the finals was a quick one with Earl winning via pin in just :45 seconds! Mariah Earl advanced to the finals to face Alex Calidonio for the 155 pound title. Earl did not have the same outcome she had previously, as Calidonio was able to outscore her by a score of 9-3 to be crowned the 155 pound champion. In the 3rd place match Janiyah Williams of Columbia HS wrestled Ayssa Gerber of George jenkins HS, with Gerber securing the 3rd place victory by pin.

  • Finals: Alexa Calidonio (Flagler Palm Coast) outscored Mariah Earl (Hernando) 9-3 to win the title.
  • 3rd Place Match: Alyssa Gerber (George Jenkins HS) pinned Ja’niyah Williams (Columbia HS) for the bronze.

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170 Pounds

In the 170 pound class we had Isabella McFarlane of King HS against Carlee Morrison of Columbia HS. This semi-finals match up ended with Morrison pinning McFarlane in 5:37 of the third period. On the other side of this bracket it was former state finalist Kendall Bibla of Flagler Palm Coast against Jikayla Hutto of Freedom HS. It took 3:06 for Bibla to secure her victory with a pin in this semi’s match for a trip to the finals against Carlee Morrison. In the 170 pound finals Bibla did what she was doing all tournament and pinned Morrison at 1:27 of the first period to be crowned the 170 pound champion. In the 170 pound 3rd place match it was McFarlane over Hutto by a 6-0 decision.

  • Finals: Kendall Bibla (Flagler Palm Coast), a former state finalist, pinned Carlee Morrison (Columbia HS) in just 1:27 of the first period to claim the championship.
  • 3rd Place Match: Isabella McFarlane (King HS) defeated Jikayla Hutto (Freedom HS) 6-0.

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190 Pounds

At 190 pounds Grace Leota was an overwhelming favorite to win the whole thing. She is a former state champion and in the state of Florida, not too many girls are able to compete with her. Leota would face Freedom’s Chloe Riley in the semi’s for a chance to advance to the finals. As expected, Leota rolled past Riley with a first period pin. On the other side of this bracket was Paisley Murphy of Sunlake against Ani Brown of Matanzas HS. Brown placed 7th at last years FHSAA state championships and was a favorite to make the finals here. In the 2023-2024 season Murphy also placed 7th at the FHSAA state championships, so this was two state placers battling it out for a shot to face Grace Leota in the championship finals. I’m not so sure I would be looking forward to wrestling Leota! In this semi’s match, it was a toss up, as both are state placers and both placed 7th. But Paisley Murphy went out there and took what she felt was righfully hers. She advanced to the finals against Leota with a pin in the semi’s over Ani Brown. In the championship finals, Leota did what Grace Leota normal does. She went out there and won by a pin in just :41 seconds of the first period. In the 3rd place match we had Chloe Riley against Ani Brown. Brown finished the tournamnet with a big win for 3rd place and bonus points for her team with a pin in just 2:57 of the second period.

  • Finals: Grace Leota (Hernando), a former state champion, dominated with a first-period pin over Paisley Murphy (Sunlake HS) in just 41 seconds.
  • 3rd Place Match: Ani Brown (Matanzas HS) secured the bronze with a pin over Chloe Riley (Freedom HS) in 2:57.

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235 Pounds

And finally at the 235 pound weight class it was undefeated state champion Cheyenne Cruce of Middleburg HS against Mekialla Mauvais of Freedom in the semi’s for a trip to the finals. Cruce was a huge favorite as she went undefeated and then won a state title. Cruce won by pin in 4:43 in this semi-finals match up. On the other side of the bracket it was Josie Raulerson of Columbia HS against Rotchiva Clermont of Freedom HS. Clermont is currently ranked #3 in the TFWR official state rankings. Raulerson is not far behind in the state rankings with the #5 ranking at 235 pounds. In this semi-finals match up it was all Rotchiva Clermont, as she made light work out of Raulerson by pinning her in just 1:32. The finals between Clermont and Cruce was a much anticipated match and honestly, I thought Cruce would come away with the title. Boy was I wrong! Rotchiva Clermont proved to everyone why she is not to be taken lightly. She not only beat the undefeated state champion but she pinned her! The match ended by pin at 1:33 seconds into the second period.

  • Finals: Rotchiva Clermont (Freedom HS), ranked #3 in the state, pulled off an incredible upset by pinning undefeated state champion Cheyenne Cruce (Middleburg HS) in the second period (1:33).
  • 3rd Place Match: Josie Raulerson (Columbia HS) finished strong with a win over Mekialla Mauvais (Freedom HS).

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All in all this was a great tournament as it was billed to be. Having the large number of state ranked girls at one tournament is always a great thing.  As the old saying goes  ” iron sharpens iron”.  So all of the girls who competed got better. Whether they went home with a medal around their neck or not, the mat time was invaluable and worth every penny of the teams entry fee. I was told it was an extremely well run event and they had a great concession with Chick-Fil-A. That alone is worth going!!!!!

Team Standings

Flagler Palm Coast secured the team title with 197 1/2 points, buoyed by their champions and strong overall performances. Finishing as team runners-up was Hernando HS with a total of 190 1/2 points.  In third place was Freedom HS with 190.0 team points. Sunlake HS was fourth with 124.0 points and Viera HS finsihed in fifth place with 108.0 team points. 

This opening tournament provided a glimpse into the elite talent within Florida girls’ wrestling, setting the stage for a highly competitive season. Wrestlers like Camdyn Elliott, Mariah Mills, and Nina Borgmann have already solidified themselves as ones to watch, while rising stars like Kendal Haynie and Lily Bradshaw made their presence felt as well. There’s too mant girls who competed at this event worth mentioning but there’s not enough time!  The state of Florida’s girls wrestling has come so far in a short period of time and I would argue we are top 10 in the country as a state for girls wrestling. 

Stay tuned as these athletes continue their journey toward the FHSAA State Championships!