This weekend's Conflict At Cleveland proved to be one of the toughest tournaments on New Mexican soil. With a few teams representing Arizona, Colorado, and Texas the action was nonstop from start to finish in both Men & Women's divisions.

The Volcano Vista Hawks Women's team dominated the tournament with two tournament champions and eight placers. Junior Chelsea Rivera (VV) edged out a win in the finals extending her record to 17-1 making her a top contender for a state title this year.

Teammate Elena Moya (VV), a senior, had a dominating performance pinning every opponent she faced on the mat leaving her with a 16-2 overall record.

The Lady Hawks as a whole looked very cohesive and determined to send a message to the rest of the field with this weekend's win. Coming in second were the defending state champions Miyamura Patriots, followed by the Farmington Scorpions in third place.

In the Men's division, the balance went up and down throughout the tournament with team scores until the semifinals. The Hawks had two tournament champions with six wrestlers taking home medals at the Conflict giving them enough steam to edge out a victory over Cleveland Storm.

Junior Anthony Lopez (VV) dominated the 114-pound weight class with an impressive performance making him a top contender for a state title.

Tournament Champion in the 127-pound weight class senior Noah Jones (VV) extended his flawless season to 15-0. Jones has been very diligent this season showing his worth as a top contender for a state title as well for the Hawks.

In the 172-pound weight class senior defending State Champion Ivan Smith out of Farmington pinned his opponent in the finals collecting five wins at the Conflict showing he is ready to defend his title in February.

Also looking sharp in the 215-pound weight class was senior Miguel Andrade out of Los Lunas. Andrade pinned all five of his opponents this weekend showing his hunger for a state title this season.

In the 152-pound weight class, senior Mario Tafoya out of La Cueva extended his undefeated record to 15-0. Tafoya has been grinding out all of his opponents this season showing off a great performance this weekend as he seeks out a title this February for the Bears.

The Conflict at Cleveland is brewing up to be one of the toughest tournaments year after year. In hindsight, this weekend's tournament gave a good indication of what is to come this February in both divisions as the state tournament lingers around the corner.

Date Published: 1/8/2023