This year’s version of the Reece’s Warrior Invitational, hosted by Arlington James W. Martin High School, was remarkably balanced.
Held on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 21-22, nine different teams had at least one champion at the event hosted at the Arlington ISD Athletic Complex.
The Woodlands College Park, ranked tied for ninth in our latest 6A poll, won the team title with 150 points and 3 champions.
Melissa, No. 2 in Class 5A, also had three champions at the event. The Cardinals had 133 points and took second.
The host Warriors came in third with 105 points, using depth to rack up points as they didn’t have a champion. Euless Trinity, with a pair of champs, took fourth with 102 1/2 points.
The Cavaliers got championships from senior Desiree Romero and juniors Landri Von Gonten and Kylie Smith.
Smith and Von Gonten stayed undefeated in the young season.
Smith (9-0) won the 120-pound bracket with two pins and then a medical forfeit in the finals.
Von Gonten, a two-time state champion, hiked her record to 10-0 on the year with three pins, all in 1:15 or quicker. She beat returning all-stater Marli Denmark from Trophy Club Byron Nelson in the championship match.
Romero (145) had three pins to improve to 10-1.
College Park had five in the finals.
Class 5A team stands out
Seniors Scarlet Hillis (105) and Khadiah Kamara (155) and junior Malia Griffin won titles for Melissa.
Hillis went 3-0 with a pair of pins and a tech fall. Kamara pinned all three of her opponents, two in less than 45 seconds. Malia Griffin, the Class 5A 126-pound champion last year, dominated in her match. She had an 18-2 tech fall that took 1:01 and had pins in 1:02 and 1:31 to take first.
Defending State champ wins
Trinity got championships from junior Hera Blue (170) and senior Maliana Heimuli (235). The latter, the Class 6A champion last year, improved to 9-0 on the young season. She had a forfeit win and two pins, including one in 12 seconds.
Blue pinned all three of her foes.
OTHER CHAMPIONS
100 — Brooke Schmidt, Arlington Martin
In the smallest bracket, she won both of her round-robin matches by a pin to take first.
110 — Vanessa Sixtos, Grand Prairie
After coming up short of going to state last year, the senior started off her final year as a Gopher with 3 pins to take first.
115 — Aro Ogle-Garza, Lucas Lovejoy
A runner-up last year at 107 pounds in Class 5A, Ogle-Garza started her junior season with 3 pins, all in 1:25 or quicker.
130 — Echo Cranor, Keller Central
The returning all-stater — fourth last year at 126 in Class 6A — went 4-0. She won a 6-3 OT win against Martin’s Camille Rainey in the finals.
135 — Imani Williams, Arlington Juan Seguin
The junior went 3-0 with three pins for the Cougars.
190 — Blake Baker, Fort Worth All Saints Episcopal School
The junior, an all-stater for Flower Mound Marcus last year, went 3-0 with a pair of pins. She escaped with an 11-8 OT win in the quarterfinals, which was followed by pins in 35 and 36 seconds, respectively.
