As if there was any doubt, West Liberty blue and white will be well represented this week at the second Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union state wrestling tournament.
The Comets are sending five state qualifiers to Coralville — Silvia Garcia-Vasquez, Dionni Garcia-Vasquez, Bricsia Garcia-Vasquez, Alissa Sanchez and Amerie Alvarado will all get their time in the spotlight on Thursday and Friday at Xtream Arena.
Overall, the Comets were on top of their game. As a team, they took third place out of 25 schools with 161 team points. Only East Buchanan (232) and Cedar Rapids Prairie (211) had a better showing at the Alliant Energy Power House last Friday.
Dionni Garcia-Vasquez was the Comets’ lone champion on the day. She completed a 4-0 day to stand atop the podium in the 140-pound bracket.
Her first three matches all ended in a first-period pin before taking on her toughest test in the championship match. She needed a third-period to do it, but she eventually pinned Andelyn Cabalka to take her crown. The senior now owns a nearly spotless record of 44-1.
Alvarado nearly got a championship as well, but a second-place finish is nothing to scoff at. She only had to wrestle three times on Friday, but Alvarado took advantage in her first two bouts with a 6-0 decision win and a second-period pin.
In the title match, Brooklyn Graham got the better of Alvarado with a pin at 2:14, but it was still a banner day for the Comet senior who improved her record to 20-4.
The final three qualifiers all ended their night on a winning note by finishing in third place.
At 110, Sanchez was a busy woman by putting six matches under her belt during the eight-hour competition. Despite falling in the championship quarterfinal to Wilton’s Audra Coss, Sanchez ripped off four straight wins in the consolation bracket to secure her spot at state.
Her first three wins in the streak all came with first-period pins. Sanchez then got another shot at Coss in the third-place match and did not miss. Sanchez turned a 14-2 major decision loss into a third-period pin to exact her revenge.
In the 115-pound bracket, Silvia Garcia-Vasquez went 4-1 with three pins and one decision win. Her lone loss came in the championship semifinals, but she did not let that loss deter her.
Battling back into the third-place match, she took on Eleanor Pfab of Cedar Rapids Xavier. There, she jumped out to a 4-2 lead and never looked back en route to an 8-6 win.
Lastly, Bricsia Garcia-Vasquez also went 3-1 on the day with all of her matches ending with a referee mat tap.
All three of Garcia-Vasquez’s pins came in 60 seconds or less, including the one in the third-place match in 34 seconds against Emelia Reyes of Cedar Rapids Prairie.
The only other Comet to place at the Super Regional was senior Nellie Stagg who concludes her high school wrestling career with a 24-15 record this season.
After losing her first match, Stagg battled back with a first-period pin and a 4-0 decision win. After suffering a pin in the consolation semifinals, she medically forfeited the fifth-place match to Kyna Moffit of Pleasant Valley.
Also concluding their seasons at the Super Regional were Alivia Garcia (105), Charli Gingerich (120), Kiley Collins (125), Mercedes Brockert (130), Vivian Cardona (145), and Angelique Bonilla (170).
Bracket breakdowns
The IGHSAU released the tentative brackets Monday afternoon which gave all five Comets their spot in their respective draws.
Dionni Garcia-Vasquez got the best seed of any Comet. She is seeded fourth in the 140-pound bracket and will face No. 29 seed Kylee Schuler of West Marshall in the first round.
Looking ahead on her half of the bracket, she could face No. 5 seed Diana Gale of Des Moines Public Schools in the quarterfinals and No. 1 seed Kiara Djoumessi of Waverly-Shell Rock in the semifinals.
Silvia Garcia-Vasquez also got a single-digit seed, clocking in at No. 9 in the 115-pound bracket. She will take on Kiann Blomgren of West Lyon Thursday morning.
After that, she could meet No. 8 seed Madison Kirby of Williamsburg in the round of 16 and No. 1 seed Molly Sek of Sioux City North in the quarterfinals.
Bricsia Garcia-Vasquez is not far behind with a No. 11 seed in the 235-pound bracket. She will open against Delilah Subsin of Ottumwa with a possible matchup in the next round against No. 6 seed Emma Cook of Colifax-Mingo.
Alvarado checks in as the No. 14 seed at 190 with a first-round matchup against Emma De Jong of Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley. Potentially awaiting her in the next round is No. 3 seed Kamryn Steines of Decorah.
Lastly, Sanchez is the No. 15 seed in the 110-pound bracket and will start her tournament squaring off against No. 18 Makenna Kurth of Waukon. The aptly-named Gable Hemann, the No. 2 seed from Osage, could await in the round of 16.
The two-day tournament begins Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with the first round, second round and first round of wrestlebacks. The Thursday night session, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., will have the quarterfinals and second plus third rounds of wrestlebacks.
Friday morning will have the semifinals plus the fourth through seventh round of wrestlebacks. The evening session will have the championship, third and fifth-place matches along with the grand match and presentation of IWCOA awards.
Full Regional Qualifier Results
105
Alivia Garcia (24-14) place is unknown and scored 9.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - Alivia Garcia (West Liberty) 24-14 received a bye () (Bye). Champ. Round 2 - Alivia Garcia (West Liberty)