The miners competed in the Division IV Section III tournament this past weekend. Eleven wrestlers made the trip with eight placing in the top four which qualifies them for the state tournament.

2013 State Qualifiers (Submitted photo)

Morenci repeated as Section Champions with Benson finishing as runner up champions. The Miners placed fifth out of 14 teams.

“We almost had a perfect tournament. Everyone wrestled their hearts out and that’s the effort we wanted to see. We have one week left to prepare for the best wrestlers in Arizona. We will be ready,” said coach Daniel Najera.

Wrestlers of the week:

Cisco Medina, a sophomore who wrestles at 126 lbs started the season as a third string wrestler. Never giving up or being satisfied motivated Cisco to work hard every day at practice. Cisco has placed at two Varsity tournaments and qualified for state. He has done everything we’ve asked him to do and is a great teammate with strong leadership skills.

Martin Rodriguez, a senior who wrestles at 132 lbs has been the anchor of our team. Bouncing back from two serious knee surgeries shows the commitment and desire Martin has to be the best. His positive attitude and willingness to help the team is any way possible makes Martin a very valuable asset.

Individual results:

120 lbs: Anthony Lopez- 4th place

126 lbs: Cisco Medina- 4th place

132 lbs: Martin Rodriguez- Runner up Champion

138 lbs: Bryce Main- 4th place

145 lbs: Colten Smith- Champion

152 lbs: Adrian Torres- 3rd place

160 lbs: Nick Wright- 3rd place

170 lbs: Roberto Guerrero- 4th place

The Miners will finish their season this weekend, Feb. 8 and 9, in Prescott at the Arizona State Championships. The tournament will be held at Tim’s Toyota’s Center.