Mia Dischner definitely has set the early standard for the Yuma High School girls wrestling program.
The senior capped her third straight state tournament appearance last Saturday afternoon at Ball Arena with a third-place finish at 185 pounds in the CHSAA Girls State Wrestling Championship. She also placed fifth last year, and placed sixth as a sophomore and freshman. (The girls tournament was unsanctioned her first two seasons.)
“We had a game plan and she wrestled the tournament of her life,” head coach Brandon Newton said. “It was a good way to lead the way for the other girls.”
Five of Yuma’s six wrestlers won at least one match. The collective effort resulted in the Indians finishing 17th in the final team standings, in a field of more than 40 teams, with 33 points. 
It was the second state tournament since girls wrestling became a sanctioned sport by CHSAA, and the first held at Ball Arena at the same time as the boys’ four-classification state tourney.
“They thought that was great,” Newton said. “It was a fun experience for all of them.”
Girls wrestling is just one classification. Chatfield won the team title with 88 points. The only similar-size schools to finish ahead of Yuma were Calhan with 52 points, and Soroco with 41.
Dischner led the way, reaching the semifinals before finishing third.
She opened tourney action Thursday with a third-period pin of Pueblo’s Lauren Martinez. She was back on the mat Friday morning for the quarterfinals, where she again got a pin, this time in the second period over Coronado’s Marissa Rosario.
Dischner took center stage that evening in the semifinals against Eagle Crest’s Blythe Cayko. She gave a good battle, but eventually was pinned early in the third period.
The loss did not deter her, though, as she came back strong on Saturday.
Dischner won by fall (2:08) in the consolation semifinals over Mountain Vista’s Katie Macfarland. Her third-place match with Vista Ridge’s Amya Norman was low-scoring affair, until Dischner made her move in the third to get the pin at 4:57.
Dischner finished her senior season with a 24-6 record.
She was not the only one of the Tribe to make to the tournament’s third day.
Fellow senior Fatima Duran opened the tournament, her second appearance in three seasons, with a win by fall (2:18) over Ignacio’s Faye Hackett at 127 pounds. She lost by fall in the quarterfinals, Friday morning, via a first-period pin by Doherty’s Sarah Savidge. However, Duran responded with a win by fall (1:23) over Grand Junction’s Appollonia Middleton in the consolation second round.
That sent her into the third round, Saturday morning, one win from placing in the top six. However, her season came to an end with an 8-2 loss to Loveland’s Sierra Lynne Moskalski.
Duran finished with a 21-10 record.
Newton said Duran’s final match with Moskalski should have been the third-place match, but sometimes that is how it works out in the “heartbreak” round at state.
“The seniors were great this year,” Newton said. “The other girls really took after them.”
The opening round was not kind to Yuma’s four other wrestlers, but three made it to the consolation second round.
Chloe Smith was pinned in the third round of her first match at 105 pounds. The freshman came back with Friday with a 9-0 major decision over Chatfield’s Sophia Warren. However, she was pinned in the third period in the consolation second round, Friday afternoon, by Riverdale Ridge’s Isabella Smouse.
Ashley Marshall got herself a win at 111 pounds. The junior was pinned quickly in her first match by Eaglecrest’s Savannah Smith. She came back in the consolation first round with a dominating performance, earning a 14-1 major decision over Nic Honig of Mountain Vista. Her season ended later Friday with a 6-0 loss to Mia Thorne of Discovery Canyon.
Abril Montes de Oca came close to a win in the first round at 147, dropping a 6-4 decision to Kenya Contreras of Grand Junction. Montes de Oca had tied the match at 4 in the third period, but lost on a reversal in the final seconds. The junior received a bye in the consolation first round, then came close again before eventually losing 7-4 to North Fork’s Kacey Walck in the consolation second round.
Camila Sanchez wrestled for Yuma at 100 pounds. The freshman was pinned in the first period in each of her matches, but will have plenty of opportunities to return.
“I think overall it was a pretty good year for Yuma girls wrestling,” Newton said. “They’ve led the way for other girls to do it in the future. In fact, I’ve heard from others who told me it was neat for their little girls to see that.”
