Tiger Takedown: Aztec Wrestling Nation Newsletter #12 2018-19 2/25/2019
“State Champions Again!” The Tiger Wrestling Team successfully defended their State Title, with a 42 point margin win, placing 10 wrestlers in the 4-A Championships held at the Star Center in Rio Rancho over the weekend. All 13 wrestlers contributed points to the 2019 Championship. Three individual Champions were crowned, bringing Aztec’s total to 111. This did not happen without some controversy. There should have been a fourth State Champion but a hard to swallow call gave the title to a defensive wrestler, as our 106 pounder was in total control only to find out after the call was made that the other wrestler received a defensive pin. This gave the title a little tainted feeling, as the Star Center crowd all felt that Aztec had won the match.
Top 10 Team State Results: 9/26
1st Aztec 225 2nd Silver City 183
3rd Los Lunas 171 4th Taos 140
5th Belen 108.5 5th Bloomfield 108.5
7th Los Alamos 106.5 8th Kirtland 88
9th Valencia 79
Aztec Individual State Wrestlers:
106# 10th Jaren McBride 24 points 3-1 36-8 Runner-up
120# 10th Dylan St. Vrain 13 points 4-2 35-14 5th place
126# 12th Christian Robison 27 points 4-0 42-3 STATE CHAMPION
132# 11th Garrett Birzer 22 points 3-1 39-9 Runner-up
138# 12th Cody Candelaria 28 points 4-0 43-1 STATE CHAMPION
145# 12th Hunter Medina 29 points 4-0 39-8 STATE CHAMPION
152# 11th Bode Wooley 24 points 3-1 36-8 Runner-up
160# 11th Zane Chapman 11 points 2-3 31-12 6th place
170# 10th Malcolm Altisi 15.5 points 3-2 36-17 5th place
182# 11th Logan Klepac 4 points 1-2 22-10 no place
195# 10th Caleb Varzeas 17.5 points 4-1 39-10 3rd place
220# 12th Zack Roberts 6 points 2-2 15-12 no place
Hwt 8th Josh Hannah 4 points 1-2 17-7 no place
Aztec had two girls in the 2nd New Mexico State High School Girls Exhibition State Tournament, over the weekend. As a team, our young ladies were 5th out of 33 teams represented, scoring 31 points. They were both outstanding in representing Aztec at the State Tournament. 126# 8th Makayla Munoz 3rd place 160# 9th Princess Altisi 2nd place
Wrestler of the Week: 2019 New Mexico 4-A State Champions Aztec
Next Event: 2019 Aztec Wrestling Awards Banquet High School and Middle School
March 4th at 6:30 at the MPR Aztec High School
Aztec Wrestling Nation Trivia: 2019 is Aztec’s 17th State Wrestling Championship and 18th State trophy, when you include the 2002 State Duals Championship. No other program in New Mexico has this many State Championships.