Yuma High School’s girls wrestling team had a great return to the season, last Saturday, which bodes well for the future.
“I can see a lot of improvement,” head coach Brandon Newton said. “I have high hopes for regional and state for these girls.”
The Indians are at the Poudre Girls Wrestling Tournament in Fort Collins on Saturday, after resuming the season last weekend with a strong showing at the fourth annual Bennett Women’s Invitational.
“I am seeing they’re into it and they’re all on board now,” Newton said. “You can see they want to improve. They’re showing emotion, whether they win or lose, which means to me that they care.”
Yuma finished third in the 20-team field at Bennett, with 105 points. Doherty won the team title with 133 points, while Pomona was second with 113.5.
The Indians had two wrestlers place second, another place third, two place fifth and one sixth. A total of 13 competed for Yuma.
“We did pretty well,” Newton said. “Most of the girls worked hard over the Christmas break and it showed.”
Fatima Duran reached the championship match at 127 pounds. She won by fall in her first three matches, including one in 13 seconds. She ran into Doherty’s Sarah Savidge in the championship match, getting pinned at the 1 minute, 41 seconds mark.
Mia Dischner also made it to the finals at 189 pounds. She won by fall in the 
quarterfinals and semifinals, then ran into Calhan’s Taylor Knox in the championship, getting pinned in 1:33.
Abril Montes de Oca went 3-1 while placing third at 147. She won by fall in the quarterfinals, was pinned in the semifinals, but then got a pin to reach the third-place match. Montes de Oca then earned a major decision, 16-4, over Kenna Pino of Pueblo Central.
Chloe Smith took fifth place at 105, going 3-2 on the day. She lost in the quarterfinal, then went 3-1 in the consolation bracket, including getting a pin of Skyview’s Laya Poindexter for fifth place.
Ashley Marshall also went 3-2 while placing fifth at 111. She lost in the first round but then went 3-1 in the consolation bracket, finishing with a pin (2:50) of Fallon Chavez Bravo of Riverdale Ridge in the fifth-place match.
Destiny Henderson placed sixth at 136, going 3-3 on the day. Two of her three wins were by fall. Nadia Carias and Camila Sanchez both wrestled at 100 pounds, Peyton Hynson 105, Tera Leifheit and Maci Daugherty both at 118, Ximena Garcia at 127, and Natalia Serrano at 161.
