2024-25 Girls Wrestling Preview

Key dates

Feb. 1: Last possible league competition

Feb. 8: Division tournaments begin

Feb. 21-22: Masters’ tournament

Feb. 27-March 1: State tournament

Defending champions

Division 1: Olympian

Division 2: Brawley

Masters: Brawley

Wrestler of the Year: Delarie Juarez, Brawley (now at Covina Northview)

Preseason Top 10

1. Brawley

2. Poway

3. Olympian

4. Steele Canyon

5. Rancho Bernardo

6. Granite Hills

7. San Marcos

8. Mira Mesa

9. Central Union

10. Holtville

Returning state qualifiers

(in alphabetical order)

Lesly Angel, Calexico, Sr.

Caroline Collins, Carlsbad, Jr.

Diana Duarte, San Marcos, Jr.

Sierra Fahn, Santana, So.

Jennifer Favela, Brawley, Sr.

Anjolie Fernandez, Imperial, Sr.

Ava Fodera, Poway, Jr.

Xiomara Gallego, Poway, Sr., Third at state in 2024 (115 pounds)

Hannah Gonzalez, Ramona, Sr. Top 12 at state in 2024 (130 pounds)

Angel Hill, Mira Mesa, Sr.

Kayala Hopkins, Steele Canyon, Jr

Alyssa Jones, Rancho Bernardo, Top 12 at state in 2024 (125 pounds)

Luciana Ledezma, Granite Hills, So. Fourth at state in 2024 (140 pounds)

Alexandria Perez, La Costa Canyon, Jr. Second at state in 2024 (189 pounds)

Roxanne Raab, Clairemont, Sr. Seventh at state in 2024 (135 pounds)

Natalia Righellis, Olympian, Sr.

Liliana Rodriguez, Central Union, Sr.

Brianna Ross, San Marcos, Sr.

Chloe Sampson, Mira Mesa, Sr.

Mary Snider, Rancho Bernardo, Jr.

Amber Spencer, Santana, Sr. Eighth at state in 2024 (145 pounds)

Alethia Tolentino, Coastal Academy, So.

Charis Tolentino, Coastal Academy, Sr.

Madison Vandiver, Brawley, Jr.

Maisen Vesco, Rancho Bernardo, Sr.

Peyton Wells, Granite Hills, Jr.

Lauren Zaragoza, Brawley, Jr. Sixth at state in 2024 (120 pounds)

PREVIEW

Tough transfers

The San Diego Section took a pair of big hits this year as two of its top girls wrestlers transferred to Orange County powers.

State champion Delarie Jaurez left Brawley to wrestle for Covina Northview, winners of three straight CIF Southern Section Division 1 titles and last year’s Southern Section Masters.

Also moving away is two-time state medalist Olivia Davis, who went from Monte Vista to Anaheim Esperanza. Davis finished second in Bakersfield last year and third in 2023.

Brawley dominance

Brawley captured its sixth straight Section Division 2 title last year, amassing 264.5 team points — more than 100 points ahead of the second-place finisher. The team won the Masters Tournament for the third time in the event’s four-year history, with a program-best four individual champions. At the state meet they finished eighth.

They’re loaded again, even without Juarez.

Back are Masters champions Lauren Zaragosa and Jennifer Favela. Zaragosa went on to take fifth at state, while Favela was in the Top 12. State qualifier Madison Vandiver is also  back.

Poway prominence

The Poway boys weren’t the only Titans shining in Bakersfield last year.

The Titans’ girls finished in third place with only five girls, led by state champion Alejandra Valdiviezo and third-place medalist Eden Hernandez.

Both graduated, but the Titans still have plenty of talent in third-place medalist Xiomara Gallego (115 pounds) and Alyssa Jones (125 pounds).

Next step

Alexandra Perez of La Costa Canyon needs to climb one more rung of the latter.

Two years ago, she took third place at Bakersfield. Last year, she climbed to second, both at the 170-pound weight class.

Perez was unbeaten last year until she fell to Leilani Lemus of Clovis 5-0 in the state final.

This year, she is in the best shape of her life. Could this be her year?

More medals

San Diego Section girls finished with a section-record 13 medals overall, bettering the 11 medals in 2022.

Along with LCC’s Perez, Poway’s Gallego and Brawley’s Zaragoza, the section also returns Lucia Ledezma of Granite Hills (fourth at 140), Roxanne Raab of Clairemont (seventh at 130) and Amber Spencer of Santana (eighth at 145).

— KEVIN J. FARMER