State wrestling: Volcano Vista boys, Cleveland girls win titles

RIO RANCHO — Volcano Vista’s boys made some history. So did Mason Posa, although he wasn’t the only wrestler to join the exclusive four-timers club.

The state wrestling tournaments provided an exciting conclusion to the 2024-25 season on Saturday night at the Rio Rancho Events Center, as Cleveland’s girls and Aztec’s boys also won blue trophies.

CLASS 5A BOYS: There have been a number of programs inside Albuquerque Public Schools to attempt to win three large division titles in a row. Volcano Vista on Saturday became the first to get to three in a row.

“So meaningful,” Hawks coach Ahren Griego said. “We beat an amazing team. Cleveland scored as many points as us last year winning a title.”

Volcano Vista and the Storm were far and away the state’s two best teams. The Hawks needed 261 points to win this year. Cleveland’s 240 were next. La Cueva (138), with a couple of late victories in the upper weights, claimed third place.

Volcano Vista had 12 placers, 11 of them in the top three.

The Hawks had two individual champions, in junior Jonathon Romero (35-3) at 139 pounds and Jordan Garcia (36-8) at 152 pounds.

Junior Lorenzo Gallegos of Volcano Vista, one of the state’s top wrestlers and the top seed at 160, was one of the few upset losers, as Los Lunas’ second-seeded James Bachicha (43-2) pinned Gallegos at 2 minutes, 53 seconds.

“As a kid, I was never the best at wrestling, so I never thought this opportunity would be possible,” Bachicha said. “I never thought I’d be here.”

Gallegos was wrestling up a couple of weight classes, which didn’t altogether please Bachicha.

“I felt a little disrespected,” he admitted, “that he thought he could come here (to 160) for an easier challenge.”

The 5A tournament yielded two four-time state champions.

Junior Roman Luttrell of Cleveland won his fourth, taking down the field at 121 pounds.

“The stakes were so high. I just felt a lot of pressure that I didn’t feel the years before, going for my fourth,” Luttrell said. “A lot of people were out for me this year.”

La Cueva’s Posa was the other person to get his fourth. The senior decisioned Cleveland’s Riley Haussler 8-1 in the final match of the night, capping a 43-0 season, his second straight unbeaten campaign.

Posa lost only three matches in four years on the mat.

“I can’t believe it. Dream come true,” Posa said. He moved up to heavyweight for the last two major tournaments of his season after starting the season at 215 pounds. “I wish I had the pin, but it feels amazing.”

He became the first APS boy in 13 years and just fourth overall from APS to win a fourth individual title, and he surpassed his father, La Cueva coach Javier Posa, who won three with Santa Fe (1988-90).

Posa’s prep career is over; he’ll join the University of Wisconsin’s football program soon as he graduates from La Cueva.

“It’s sad. It’s bittersweet,” he said. “But I love the way I ended.”

Cleveland senior Robert Sabado was involved in one of the great finishes in any tournament Saturday night. At 215 pounds, trailing 9-8 in the final 30 seconds, the No. 3 seed threw down top-seeded Leyton Opare of Santa Fe for three points, then added four more on a near fall to prevail 15-9.

The Storm had a third champion, Elias Martinez, as the third-seeded sophomore prevailed at 114 pounds.

Mathius Soto of Gadsden also came on late to win. His 6-5 decision at 133 pounds left him at a perfect 48-0 this season.

Tatum Garcia of Atrisco Heritage finished off a spectacular season with his triumph at 172 pounds. He pinned Albuquerque High’s Michael Jaramillo in just 83 seconds; Garcia (44-1) went unbeaten against New Mexico competition, as his only loss came to a Texas wrestler at last month’s Conflict at Cleveland, also at the Rio Rancho Events Center.

“It’s really special,” Garcia said after his second title in as many seasons. “It’s definitely a good feeling that not many get to experience.”

Also from the metro area winning individual championships were Cibola’s emotional Diego Torrez at 127 pounds; Nick Mertz — like Posa, a La Cueva linebacker during football season — who grinded out a 1-0 decision in the final at 189 pounds; Eli Achibeque of Rio Rancho won the 107-pound title.

CLASS 5A GIRLS: With four pins in this event, Cleveland’s Eloise Woolsey — previously a two-time state champion in Hawaii — finished an undefeated season (37-0), rolling in the 152-pound final as the Storm had a 33-point victory in the team standings over Atrisco Heritage (125-92), with West Mesa (87.5) finishing third.

Sandia junior Jaden Meadows followed Woolsey with a pin at 165 pounds. Meadows finished 27-1, with just the one loss to Woolsey at 165 pounds at the metro tournament several weeks ago. Meadows, too, registered pins in all four of her state matches. She is a three-time New Mexico state champ. Also for Cleveland, junior Heaven Guevara won state, at 132 pounds.

“It’s sweet,” Guevara said after her second state title. “Growing women’s wrestling has been a big part; in juniors, I used to have to wrestle guys all the time.”

Although Lorenzo Gallegos fell short, his younger sister Esperanza, a freshman, won a title at 100 pounds for Volcano Vista.

“It meant a lot to me,” she said. Her father was once a New Mexico state champion. “I worked hard for this, and I’m just very grateful.”

Sophomore Emma Gutierrez of Manzano (39-1) ended her outstanding season by winning at 107 pounds. Atrisco Heritage had a pair of champions, with Leslie Nayarez (38-2, including four pins this weekend) at 114 pounds, and sophomore Sophia Rimbert (39-0) at 126 pounds.

CLASS 1A-4A BOYS: Aztec’s 184 points bested Bloomfield’s 169.5 points. West Las Vegas (152.5) was third, seven ahead of St. Pius.

The Dons had one of the other four-time state champions on Saturday, as senior Cruz Martinez joined Luttrell and Posa from 5A. He took the crown at 160 pounds.

St. Pius had two champions, with Dane Padilla opening the championship round with a victory at 107 pounds, and junior Valentine Papadiuc later winning state at 152 pounds to cap a 41-3 season. It was his second state title, and this one, he said, was harder.

“I felt excited, grateful, grateful for my family and friends who supported me, and who got me here to this moment,” Papadiuc said.

Take a look at thrilling moments from state wrestling