MyCentralJersey All-Area girls wrestling team
Girls wrestling capped an eventful season with a full return to Atlantic City for the state tournament.
Here are the MyCentralJersey All-Area 2023-24 girls wrestling selections that include competitors from the Greater Middlesex Conference and the Courier News areas (Somerset, Hunterdon and parts of Union counties).
Wrestlers are slotted based on weights at which they competed in the postseason, meaning the start of the region tournament.
More: Wrestling index: Handy collection of All-Area links
More: Vote: Readers' Choice Wrestler of the Year poll
The first criteria is earning a state medal (Top 8). Then, other factors are weighed such as postseason advancement, quality wins and head-to-head matches with each weight decided on a case-by-case basis after evaluating the whole body of work.
FIRST TEAM
100 – Harlee Stracuzzi, Somerville, Fr.
23-12, 3rd Skyland, 2nd North 2 Region
The rookie scored a huge pin to qualify for the state tournament. Stracuzzi avenged two earlier defeats to North Hunterdon’s Allie Borzelli by getting the fall in 2:54 in the region semifinals. She also placed second in the PHHS Lady Vikings Jamboree
107 – Isabella Bonilla, St. Thomas Aquinas, Fr.
23-7, 2nd GMCT, 2nd North Region 2, State 6th
Bonilla put together a memorable consolation run in the state tournament to get on the podium in her first try. After falling to two-time state champion Leeana Mercado in the quarterfinals, the freshman won 6-4 over Watchung Hills’ Gabriela Giacone, who had pinned her in the region final. She then pulled out a 4-2 win in sudden victory to clinch a medal.
114 – Valarie Maldonado, Somerville, Sr.
39-3, 1st Skyland, 1st North Region 2, State 7th
Maldonado has been one of the state’s best wrestlers over the past four seasons. She has earned an incredible 97 career pins and four state medals. This season, she repeated as region champion and won a tough weight class at the EB Lady Bear Invitational and the Elizabeth Minutemen tournament.
120 – Lennix Horsburgh, Bound Brook, Sr.
27-9, 1st North 2 Region, State 6th
Horsburgh’s terrific career included becoming the second girl in state history to win four region titles. She also earned four state medals and reached the podium this winter in a difficult weight at Atlantic City. She also won the Bloomfield Girls Holiday Tournament and medaled at the EB Lady Bear Invitational, Elizabeth Minutemen tournament and the BCWCA Girls` Wrestling Invitational.
126 –Eva Altamirano, South Plainfield, Jr.
14-1, 1st GMCT, 1st North 2 Region, State 1st
Altamirano took time off in the middle of the season to enter the postseason fresh, and she was quite ready by late February. She put together a stunning run that included avenging an earlier loss to win a region title and claimed the state championship as the No. 4 seed.
132 – Jenna Magrino, Old Bridge, Sr.
25-7, 2nd GMCT, 2nd Central Region, State 7th
Magrino caps her career by getting on the podium at Atlantic City in her second state tournament appearance. She helped the Knights win the GMCT team championship and also placed first at the Ron Mazzola Memorial Girls Wrestling Tournament.
138 – Riley Conaty, North Hunterdon, Jr.
12-6, 3rd North 2 Region, State 8th
The multi-talented Conaty — she sings the National Anthem at games — had a breakthrough season, in which she earned a medal in her first state tournament appearance. She also reached the semifinals of the Queen of the East and took second at the Mustang Zoo.
145 – Saniyah Queen, St. Thomas Aquinas, Jr.
27-2, 1st North 2 Region, State 4th
Queen’s trophy case continued to grow as she earned the Outstanding Wrestler awards at both the GMCT (for Upper Weights) and region for her dominance. She also won the Elizabeth Minutemen Tournament and entered the state tournament undefeated in a tough division. Queen beat the state champion Thea Rowland, 3-1, on Jan. 20.
152 – Elizabeth Adebola, Perth Amboy, Sr.
27-4, 3rd GMCT, 1st North 2 Region, State 1st
Once her confidence kicked in, the success took off. Adebola, who placed fourth in the state last season, repeated as a region champion and then claimed the state title in a thrilling run.
165 – Aaliyah Matias, Perth Amboy, So.
25-11, 2nd GMCT, 1st North 2 Region, State 5
The sophomore just kept getting better and better as the season went on. She peaked down the stretch with a region championship and placed fourth in the state as the No. 8 seed.
185 – Naylani Delvalle, North Plainfield, Jr.
18-3, 1st North 2 Region, State 2
Delvalle didn’t know much about wrestling when she started last year. She quickly got up to speed with her athleticism and smarts in her first year competing. Delvalle captured a region title and became the school’s state finalist since head coach Jim Miller reached it in 1979. She also placed second at the Bloomfield Girls Holiday and the Lady Patriots tournaments.
235 – Amaree Walker, North Plainfield, Fr.
7-5, 1st GMCT
Walker, who missed the postseason, made a splash in her rookie year by winning the GMCT with a pair of first-period pins. She also took sixth in the Rumble in the Pines.
HONORABLE MENTION
(Criteria: State qualifiers or Top 3 finishers in the GMC, H/W/S, Skyland Conference or Union tournament not on the First Team)
GMC Teams
East Brunswick: Olivia Mitchell (107), April Sarmiento (120), Abigail Lydon (152), Aliya Graca (185), Alaiyna Mal (235)
J.F. Kennedy: Evangelia Kotsonis (107)
Metuchen: Caelum Ritzdorf (132), Celeste Falkovich (138)
Monroe: Aman Cheema (114), Miley Appiah (132)
New Brunswick: Zedekiah Pollard (165)
North Brunswick: Victoria Longo (100), Gabrielle Roberts (138), Melani Contreras (145), Rahkai Degrasse (235)
North Plainfield: Xiana Reymundo Igna (145)
Old Bridge: Samantha Larkin (100), Nuria Kojic (114), Adriana Farese (120), Mackenzy Brennan (120), Emma Sagi (126), Sofia Sousa (165), Emily Valerio (185)
Perth Amboy: Leeah Gutierrez (107), Leilani Zapata (114), Diana Sanchez (126), Audet Gamino (165), Nahomy Martinez (185)
Piscataway: Jane Rodrigues (100)
South Brunswick: Isabella Biviano (132), Elif Kosker (138)
St. Thomas Aquinas: Megyn Kerstetter (100), Makayla Decker (152)
Courier News-area teams
Bernards: Gabrielle Ruedy (114)
Delaware Valley: Annabelle Toye (114), Grace Jenkins (185), Emmy Hotz (235)
Franklin: Katherine Hernandez (125), Alberta Lasayo (138), Citlaly Condado (152)
Hillsborough: Charlida Cimino (107), Maria Imhauser (145)
Hunterdon Central: Annemarie Thompson (114), Carly Poggio (126), Mackenzie Champion (165)
Montgomery: Anshu Cherukumilli (107)
North Hunterdon: Allie Borzelli (100), Kayla Blazovic (100), Sarah Figurski (120), Layla LoPrimo (138), Erin Maloy (145), Autumn Connolly (152), Riley Dunn (165), Grace Dangell (185), Mackenzie Marks (235)
Scotch Plains-Fanwood: Rosalie Peattie (100), Jaliyah Richards (120), Carys Browne (126), Harper Shimko (132), Hana Zamor (145), Helene Velecela (165), Leyley Franchia (165), Aliya Hanjra (185)
Somerville: Elizabeth Malanga (120), Emme Hoarle (126), Sydnie Van Ness (132), Abigail Centeno (132), Keira Nocella (138), Anshul Kumar (152)
Voorhees: Bella Casanova (145)
Watchung Hills: Gabriela Giacone (107)
Westfield: Lena Wright (114), Serena Chalon (126)
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: New Jersey Girls Wrestling: MyCentralJersey All-Area team
