After a season full of hardships, growth and accomplishments the Aliso Niguel Girls Wrestling teams season has come to an end. The team’s months of relentless training and hard work paid off as several wrestlers brought home major titles from the beginning of the season to the very end.
This year, twelve girls from the team qualified for CIF, and eight of them placed in their weight classes.
Niva Strasser (12) placed fifth for the 100 pound weight class, Hayley Pascua (9) placed eighth for the 105 pound weight class and Kainani Libunao (12) placed seventh for the 115 pound weight class.
Three girls placed in the top 3 for their weight classes: Chanel Corredor (12), who placed third for the 130 pound weight class and Josephine Rettich (12), who placed second for the 145 pound weight class. The final girl was Valeria Alonso (12) who placed first place for the 170 pound weight class.
Valeria’s performance was one of the biggest highlights of the season for not only her but the team as a whole as she became the CIF champion, placing first while competing against wrestlers from 66 different schools.
There were several other standout wrestlers this season who showed why they were deserving of a title. Pascua wrestled tough through her first ever season and placed eighth for the 105 pound spot in CIF. This is an especially impressive achievement as she stepped up to fill a varsity position during a difficult tournament and stayed focused and placed within the top ten.
Rettich was recognized for having an amazing season.
“She advanced all the way to the state tournament where she competed against some of the best wrestlers in California for a chance at a state title,” Corredor shares.
She progressed onto state by placing second at CIF. When competing in state she won and lost two matches and ended up in being in the list of the top 12 best wrestlers in California.
Behind every single one of these strong wrestlers was a team of determined coaches. The coaches were a vital part to this season as they helped the wrestlers be their best selves on and off the mat.
Corredor says the coaches “contributed to our wins this season because they helped us become our strongest mentally and physically.”
JJ Lacanienta (12) also shares how the coaches contributed greatly because “they helped motivate us everyday but especially on days when we didn’t want to be there or when we didn’t want to give our best effort.”
The girls did a tremendous job this season and their season officially ended on Feb. 27.
