D-I Wrestling: Sunnyside wins 37th team championship; Audrey Jimenez makes history
February 18, 2024 by Andy Morales, AZPreps365
Sunnyside won its 37th team championship dating back to 1979 and this trophy was the seventh in a row under head coach Anthony Leon and his eighth overall. The Blue Devils featured eight state champions and 13 placers to outdistance Liberty 312 to 190. This was the fourth runner-up finish in a row for Liberty after the Blue Devils moved from Division II to Division I 2021.
Audrey Jimenez wins the D-I (106) state championship. @SSBDwrestling @azpreps365. Off to Puerto Rico tomorrow. The first in many ways. pic.twitter.com/4pjd0zRTTc
— Andy Morales (@AndyMorales8) February 18, 2024
One of those individual champions was Sunnyside senior Audrey Jimenez who won the 106-pound division on the boy’s side after winning three straight championships in the girl's bracket. Jimenez petitioned to wrestle in the boy's bracket this year and she became the fourth girl to ever place in a boy’s tournament and the first to ever win a state championship. She was the only four-time champion this year at any level.
History. Sunnyside’s Audrey Jimenez moments ago became the first female to win a weight class for boys at the AIA’s state wrestling championships. She beat 4 male wrestlers at state. She was down by two points but here’s the moment that allowed her to clinch the 106-pound title: pic.twitter.com/CHqpkm5EhQ
— Jose E. Garcia (@AZPreps365Jose) February 17, 2024
TEAM STANDINGS
1 Sunnyside 312
2 Liberty 190
3 Corona del Sol 127
Sunnyside head coach Anthony Leon got his seventh championship in a row to give the Blue Devils 37 @SSBDwrestling @AZPreps365 pic.twitter.com/Mq1ovWLUMI
— Andy Morales (@AndyMorales8) February 18, 2024
MULTIPLE D-I STATE CHAMPIONS
106 Audrey Jimenez, Sr. Sunnyside (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
144 Sergio Vega, Jr. Sunnyside (2022, 2023, 2024)
150 Carlos Stanton, Jr. Sunnyside (2022, 2023, 2024)
165 Nicholas Pina, Jr. Sunnyside (2023, 2024)
INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
D1-106: Audrey Jimenez (Sunnyside) 12-0, Sr. over Carson Miles (Liberty) 43-7, Fr. (Dec 7-5)
D1-113: William Moore (Marana) 61-0, Sr. over Diego Camarillo (Cibola) 32-6, Sr. (Dec 3-2)
D1-120: Cilus Cabral (Sunnyslope) 27-4, Sr. over Christopher Lopez (Sunnyside) 19-9, Jr. (Fall)
D1-126: Sean Archuleta (Sunnyside) 29-5, Sr. over Zavian Geranimo (Gila Ridge) 34-5, Sr. (MD 13-3)
D1-132: Aaron Callirgos (Highland) 24-0, Jr. over Owen Proper (Marana) 60-3, So. (Dec 5-0)
D1-138: Travis Cardenas (Chandler) 34-5, So. over Adyn Bostick (Sunnyside) 27-4, Jr. (Dec 5-0)
D1-144: Sergio Vega (Sunnyside) 33-1, Jr. over Adam Angulo (Brophy) 40-5, So. (Fall 2:27)
D1-150: Carlos Stanton (Sunnyside) 31-1, Jr. over Ammon Passey (Shadow Ridge) 40-3, Sr. (MD 13-5)
D1-157: Victor Gonzalez (Sunnyside) 27-8, Sr. over Jeremy LeBlanc (Liberty) 21-5, So. (Dec 10-3)
D1-165: Nicholas Pina (Sunnyside) 33-3, Jr. over Mitchell Wheeler (Liberty) 34-3, Sr. (Dec 7-4)
D1-175: Delton Kaufman (Mountain View Mesa) 52-0, So. over Matthew Gazda (Chandler) 43-6, Jr. (Dec 6-3)
D1-190: Lucas Mata (Sunnyside) 30-3, So. over Joel Arias (Corona del Sol) 46-6, Jr. (Dec 9-2)
D1-215: Aidan Odom (Corona del Sol) 47-5, Jr. over Abel Garza (Shadow Ridge) 34-2, Sr. (TB-1 2-1)
D1-285: Zayne Candelaria (Sunnyside) 31-4, So. over Dax Monestime (Boulder Creek) 43-2, Sr. (Dec 3-1)
