Huntington Beach’s Belman leads local quartet at CIF girls’ wrestling finals
The saying goes that girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice.
Yeah, right!
Although a lower participation rate in dual meets may limit their visibility, there is a world of girls’ wrestling.
Contestants poured in by the hundreds to compete in the CIF Southern Section girls’ wrestling championships on Friday at Eastvale Roosevelt High.
“This is the beginning of girls’ wrestling,” Huntington Beach coach John Morgan said. “We’re the guinea-pigs.”
Morgan’s program supplied two of the four locals competing in the tournament. Senior transfer Chloe Belman entered as the top 143-pound qualifier from the Southern Regional at El Toro High last week.
Belman, who was one match away from placing at the CIF State meet as a member of Bakersfield Liberty last year, is headed to the state meet. She pinned all three of her opponents on Friday to advance to the championship semifinals.
“I’m not too worried about this tournament,” the third-seeded Belman said confidently. “I’m not too worried about state, either. I think if I believe in myself and I don’t doubt myself, I should go far.
“I’m actually glad with where I was placed in the bracket because all the girls that I’ve wrestled aren’t worrying me too much.”
The top eight from each weight class advance to the state championship meet in Visalia on Feb. 23-24. In reaching the main draw semifinals on Friday, Belman has already punched her ticket.
The Oilers’ coaching staff worked to foster an environment that does not allow for cliques. No matter what class year or what gender an individual is, all in the program are wrestlers first.
Belman assumed an immediate leadership role under that structure, and freshman Breanne Raya excelled because she was required to do the same work as her teammates. With each win, her confidence grew, and it was no longer easy for Raya to come up with the excuses of not putting in the work.
“You’ve got to learn how to win,” Morgan said. “You learn by trial and error.”
Raya’s growth was on display during the first day of the CIF finals. She won two elimination matches to advance to the second day of the tournament.
While the Oilers are making noise as the new kids on the block, the other two locals competing at Roosevelt are writing their own comeback stories.
Ocean View’s Angie Vu, a 150-pounder, is hoping to qualify for back-to-back state championship meets. As a junior, Vu qualified for state, but Vu said she did not wrestle in the tournament due to a shoulder injury sustained in her last match of the section’s championships.
“Everyone has their injuries and their sicknesses,” Vu said. “You just have to push through it. In the end, it’s all about you and your effort.
“The moment that you say, ‘That person looks scary,’ or, ‘I think I’m going to lose,’ that is the moment that you’re going to lose.”
Vu is trying to make it to state through the consolation bracket after dropping a tight 4-3 decision to Covina’s Cynthia Galicia in the second round.
Corona del Mar junior Kiersten Muse (137) returned to CIF after a one-year absence. In her sophomore year, Muse said she missed out on the postseason due to an illness that made her miss three weeks of school.
On Friday, Muse went 3-1. There is no rest for the weary, as Muse is headed for what CdM coach Mark Alex likes to call “the blood match.” The winner of the first match on Saturday will advance to state, while the loser will see their season end on the spot.
“Seeing 448 girls in that weigh-in room, I think about just how lucky I am to be here because I was sick last year,” said Muse, calling her season a success regardless of the outcome of the tournament. “I’m just fortunate enough to have a coach who supports me. I worked really hard to get here, and I’m just proud to be here.”
Muse pushed the door open for her family to enter the CdM wrestling program. Her brother, Wayne, wrestled as a freshman this season, and the Sea Kings earned a berth in the CIF Southern Division Dual championships as an at-large selection out of the Pacific Coast League.
Her youngest brother, Brendan, plans to join the team next year.
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CIF Southern Section girls’ wrestling finals
At Eastvale Roosevelt High
Locals in tournament
137 pounds
First round – Gonzales (Rancho Verde) pins Muse (Corona del Mar), 3:09.
First consolation – Muse (Corona del Mar) pins Medina (Gabrielino), 0:56.
Second consolation – Muse (Corona del Mar) pins Ontiveros (Oxnard Pacifica), 2:33.
Third consolation – Muse (Corona del Mar) pins Howe (Ventura), 1:18.
143 pounds
Belman (Huntington Beach) pins Yglesias (Santa Maria), 1:32.
Belman (Huntington Beach) pins Rivera (Hillcrest), 1:05.
Belman (Huntington Beach) pins Matthews (Serrano), 3:39.
150 pounds
Vu (Ocean View) pins Avila (Roosevelt), 3:50.
Galicia (Covina) dec. Vu (Ocean View), 4-3.
Vu (Ocean View ) tech. fall Barrera (Capistrano Valley), 16-0.
Vu (Ocean View) pins Perez (West Covina), 1:40.
170 pounds
Raya (Huntington Beach) pins Silva (Lompoc), 0:46.
Casales (Paramount) dec. Raya (Huntington Beach), 7-5.
Raya (Huntington Beach) pins Gray (Beckman), 3:27.
Raya (Huntington Beach) pins Morales (Walnut), 1:57.
Twitter: @ProfessorTurner
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