M-A revels in PAL title

It has been quite the rebuilding year for M-A after graduating six seniors from last year’s team. The Bears entered the tournament the underdog after losing to Half Moon Bay in a Jan. 23 dual meet 48-27.

“Yeah, Half Moon Bay is super tough,” M-A head coach Phil Hoang said. “We lost the dual meet pretty handily. For every match we won, they won two. So, [the PAL title] was definitely a nice surprise.”

There was no more fitting moment as to how full-circle the Bears have come this season than the sight of senior Anna Smith, looking as though she didn’t have a care in the world, turning into sophomore Alexia Bensoussan’s biggest fan during the123-pound title match.

As joyous as Bensoussan was when the referee raised her hand in victory following her third-round pin of Half Moon Bay sophomore Taylor Micallef, Smith and her teammates were even more animated in celebration. You wouldn’t know it in witnessing Smith’s merriment in that moment, but her championship match at 133s was mere minutes away.

“I have like two weeks left now,” Smith said. “So, it’s just about enjoying it and not stressing out about what’s going on … being around my teammates and enjoying their successes as much as mine. Just really being there for everyone.”

Smith flipped the switch and took care of business, earning a first-round pin over Capuchino freshman Ariana McPike, affirming her No. 1 ranking in CCS at 131s.

M-A earned five individual championships on the night. At 103s, freshman Kiely Tabaldo in the title match pinned Aragon senior Yoshira Fajardo; at 152s, sophomore Alex Lujan capped her title with a second-round pin of Half Moon Bay junior Jacqueline Miguel-Dolores; and at 172s, junior Hannah Hendrickson topped the podium with a 3-1 decision over HMB junior Joceline Andrade.

Hendrickson’s victory proved clutch at a point when every point counted for M-A.

“I just really wanted to win for my team and for myself too,” Hendrickson said. “I wanted to get the pin. Unfortunately I didn’t. But, you know, a win’s a win.”

And it was a physical win at that. In the second round, Hendrickson had a smothering position, using her bicep to thump Andrade’s head several times while applying headlocks. Hendrickson finished the round with a 3-point near-fall. Then in the third round, Andrade seemed to revel in turning the tables, using a favorable position to force Hendrickson’s face into the mat.

Hendrickson, however, exhibited sharp defense to earn the decision.

“Sometimes she was just super aggressive, so it was a bit tricky,” Hendrickson said. “But, yeah, [the physicality of my matches] are usually pretty hard.”

Half Moon Bay actually earned more individual championships than M-A with six.

Sophomore standout Leonor Sarabia defended her PAL title at 128s with a 10-6 decision over M-A junior Mari Callahan.

“I just wanted to help my team,” Sarabia said. “And I wanted my second crown.”

At 139s, senior Esmeralda Mendez earned the title with a third-round pin against M-A sophomore Zoe Zehnder; at 145s, senior Yulissa Ramirez earned a first-round pin against HMB sophomore teammate Alaigha Plancarte; at 162s, senior Elisa Mendez earned a second-round pin over Aragon senior Rina Smith; at 191s, junior Socorro Aguilar earned a second-round pin against M-A freshman Isabella Epidendio; and at 237s, junior Nataly Gijon earned a second-round pin over El Camino junior Micaela Mullan.

It was an emotional spectacle as Gijon was declared the winner, with tears immediately pouring down her face. Mullan previously defeated her three times this year, and nearly earned a pin Friday early in the second round. Gijon scored a reversal, however, and soon thereafter earned the pin.

“I just feel good about myself that … I could beat her,” Gijon said. “And, I don’t know, I’m just really emotional.”

Half Moon Bay was undermanned, losing one wrestler for not making weight, and another one defaulting.

“We knew what we were coming up against,” HMB head coach Sam Temko said. “We knew M-A and us have been head-to-head all year. They’re ranked first in CCS now, we’re ranked second. It’s been back and forth all year, we’ve been flip-flopping with them. One of our girls didn’t make weight, one of our girls injury defaulted out of the tournament. And when you lose two out of 14, that’s a big hit.”

HMB has ruled the PAL tournament in recent years, albeit with powerhouse M-A often resting many of its regulars for the CCS tournament. This year is a different story, however, with M-A utilizing an army of underclassmen, many of who arrived on campus with no previous wrestling experience, to develop the next generation of Lady Bears grapplers.

This new crew has now done something that even the three-time CCS championship group never did.

“This is my first PAL win — ever,” Hoang said.