No pin, no problem: Somerville's Valarie Maldonado guts out quality win in EB tournament
EAST BRUNSWICK – Valarie Maldonado is a prolific pinner, a top finisher who had more than 30 falls last season.
Sometimes, though, it’s nice to get into that back-and-forth tussle to the end.
“I love it,” the Somerville senior said. “It’s always fun, and then even if I lose it’s still a fulfilling match because you still put in the work. As long as you put in your best, then it doesn’t matter the outcome because you tried your hardest.”
More: Central Jersey girls high school wrestlers to watch in 2023-24
Saturday, Maldonado’s best was pretty good in winning a loaded 120-pound weight class at the East Brunswick Lady Bear Invitational. The stacked division featured five returning state placewinners.
Maldonado edged Kingsway’s Reagan Roxas 5-4 in the championship match in the 44-team tournament with squads from across the state.
Somerville finished tied for fourth with Southern (96 points). Kingsway won with 186 points.
The Pioneers’ medalists included Emme Hoarle finishing second at 126 with Keira Nocella (138), Isabell Kronow (145) and Anshul Kumar (152) each taking fifth. Sydnie Van Ness (145) placed sixth.
Maldonado, the state runner-up at 120 last season, had three pins to reach the final. That includes a semifinal fall in 1:39 against Middletown South’s Caitlin O`Reilly, who finished third in the state at 114.
That set up the final against Roxas, the fourth-place finisher in the state last season at 120. Maldonado led 4-2 entering the third period, but Roxas tied it with a takedown 57 seconds into the period. Maldonado received a penalty point on a full nelson with 19 seconds left for the 5-4 lead.
Roxas tried everything to turn the Somerville wrestler in the final seconds, but Maldonado held on for the win.
Maldonado is a three-time state medalist (third 2022 and fourth 2021). But she said after last year’s 6-3 loss in the state final, she took some time off from the sport.
“I’m going to be honest, probably like a good two months which I wouldn’t really recommend because then you do lose some progress,” Maldonado said, “but I guess my body really needed it after four years of wrestling almost non-stop. I think it helped me to re-fuel my body a lot. My body felt a lot stronger when I came back because I was doing lifting and stuff. So definitely a bit better.”
She got back into shape and has looked terrific in the early going. Plus, it doesn’t get much better than the donnybrook in Saturday's final.
“I’d rather have someone who puts up a real fight and we’re both going back and forth then just getting quick pins,” Maldonado said. “I’m going to be honest – I love pins, don’t get me wrong. It ends the match a little quicker. You get off a little quicker, but you got to love the fight for it, too.”
Other Somerset top finishes
Bound Brook’s Lennix Horsburgh placed third at 120. The state runner-up at 114 bounced back from a semifinal loss to Roxas to defeat O’Reilly 8-6 in SV to take third.
Franklin’s Citlaly Condado (152) placed third and teammate Katherine Hernandez (126) finished fifth.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ girls wrestling: Somerville's Valarie Maldonado wins EB tournament
