Storm girls wrestling takes district title

FARMINGTON – The Storm packed into the bus for a little road trip to Farmington this past weekend to compete in the district 5A-1 Duals. The meet brought together all district rivals, including Rio Rancho, Farmington, Piedra Vista, Cibola and Volcano Vista.

It was the Storm’s time to shine, especially the girls’ team, who took first place thanks to key performances from three-time state-placer Ashley Smith, three-time state-qualifier Jianna Coon (both of whom have both been with the Storm since eighth-grade), Alexis Birner and Briseis St. John.

“This is [St. John’s] first-year wrestling and she has been contributing a lot to this team, said head coach Macario Borrego.

Borrego knows his stuff. He was inducted into the RRHS Sports Hall-of-Fame this year for his wrestling exploits when he was a Ram.

The victory secured the district 5A-1 title for the Storm girls, who are now ranked #48 in the country, according to USA Wrestling. That includes a nationally-ranked athlete in Eloise Woolsey, who is #16 in the 145-pound weight class and the only New Mexican girl to make the list.

“I’m proud of them, but it’s a small piece of the puzzle,” said Borrego. “The girls accomplished a short-term goal, and they did it in a dominant fashion. It’s just a steppingstone in preparing for bigger goals individually and as a team.”

The boys fought hard as well and were rewarded with the silver medal, just getting edged out by Volcano Vista.

Next up, the Storm look ahead to the postseason and the State Championship, taking place Feb. 21 and 22 at the Rio Rancho Events Center. Tickets can be purchased at gofans.co.

The road will be rough for the Storm, but Coach Borrego says his squad is ready.

“I feel like the team is excited,” he said. “There is no pressure. They are out here having fun and making the most of their opportunities. Most of these young ladies train year-round and I think they’re excited to go out and compete and put their hard work on display. We are in the right place to do big things, but we still need to show up and perform.”