Madera Grapplers earn awards

For The Madera Tribune

From left, Madera Grapplers Lily Soito, Emma Martinez, Evelyn Cortez, Gianna Mirelez and Janessa Canales show off their from Turf Wars medals. 

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In a landmark moment for Madera sports and the advancement of girls’ wrestling, five young athletes from the Madera Grapplers Wrestling Club etched their names into local history at Turf Wars, widely considered a National Championship-style tournament.

Competing in the 14-under division, Lily Soito, Janessa Canales, Evelyn Cortez, Emma Martinez, and Gigi Mirelez traveled to Pocatello, Idaho, to take part in a national-level dual tournament — and they didn’t just compete. They dominated to win National Dual Championships in both Greco and freestyle divisions of wrestling. Their margin of victory was more than 20 points in each division. 

Their performance marked the first time a group of young girls from Madera has, not only ever participated in a tournament of this caliber, but won titles, opening doors for future female wrestlers in the community and proving that Madera has a new generation of champions on the rise.