SANTA ANA – Samantha Salas is focused on unfinished business for her senior season.
First on the list, the Godinez wrestler wants a podium finish at the CIF State Tournament, which would make her the first from her school to do so.
She came close last year, and that has fueled her fire this season.
Salas won all four of her matches at the two-day Lady Saints Tournament at Santa Ana High, finishing with a victory by fall in less than one minute in the final against Porterville’s Lorna Mendoza at 160 pounds Saturday.
“At first I was nervous about it (the tournament),” she said. “I heard a lot of outside wrestlers were coming in, but I feel like this is my year. I’ve been training and preparing myself for it.”
This was the first year the tournament moved to a two-day format. In all, 41 schools participated and a total of 281 wrestlers.
Salas received Upper Weight MVP honors for her performance.
“This weekend, mentally, she was ready,” Godinez coach Hector Maldonado said. “She seemed a little bit more calm and controlled. Before her last match, I told her we’re setting up for state, we’re not setting up for this tournament, this is just a step to get there, so we’re going to prepare mentally like this is state.”
All of the preparation has worked. The title was her second this season, following a win in the Rebel Rumble.
“I would get second or third, and in my eye, I come out as a loser,” she said. “This is my senior year. I’m not going to let someone come in and take first. I’ve had to practice through my pain and I’m not going to let another girl take it.
“This year, I want to be on the state podium and I want to be the first girl from Godinez to get on the state podium, and it is time for me to step up my game and give it all I’ve got.”
University’s Lorena Egea (137), Cypress’ Mia Guzman (143) and San Clemente’s Amara Devericks (189) were the county’s other individual champions.
Egea and Guzman won their final matches by fall. Egea pinned Kennedy’s Lauren Camp in the final. Devericks defeated Aliso Niguel’s Tristyn Bretana, 6-2, in their final.
Kennedy led all county teams with a fourth-place finish with 148 points. Kennedy finished with seven medalists.
Santa Ana finished fifth in the standings (111 points).
Godinez’s Jacqueline Alcantara (131) and Cypress’ Yajaira Valencia (235) advanced to the finals in their weight divisions.
Contact the writer: dcalhoun@scng.com
