AIA Division IV, Section II wrestling: Page edges MV for second

WINSLOW

The Page wrestling team got a huge boost in the team standings with six grapplers making the finals at the AIA Division IV, Section II wrestling meet.

Two of those finalists claimed individual crowns, helping the Sand Devils to a second place finish on Saturday.

St. Johns won the team title with 201 points while Page racked up 181.5, edging Monument Valley by half-point for second.

“St. Johns ran away with it,” Page coach Kyran Keisling said. “That’s just Brandon Crosby coaching. He’s a pretty good coach and they finished fourth at state last year.”

Seniors Ashton Penrod at 120 and Sidrick Begay at 285 were crowned sectional champions for Page.

To finish as the reserve champions in the team competition, Begay earned Page six points in his finals by pinning Monument Valley’s Leander Tsinigine.

His fall helped the Sand Devils overtake MV as the Mustangs finished with 180 points.

“That was very exciting,” the Page coach said of Begay’s pin.

Keisling said his entire team did their part to secure second place, but the difference came down to freshman Daniel Szabo, who wrestled at 144 pounds.

“He wasn’t even going to come with us,” the Page coach said.

Two days before the sectional meet, Keisling said Szabo asked if he could bump up a weight-and-half to experience what sectionals is like.

“That’s the Cinderella story right there,” Keisling said. “I wasn’t even thinking about taking him, and he ended up third.

“He’s the reason we’re in second,” he added, “and not third or fourth and that makes me proud. That’s a testament of somebody just being tough and not being afraid.”

Of his two sectional champs, Keisling said Begay had to overcome a dislocated kneecap.

“He had injuries all throughout the first half of the year,” Keisling said.

Begay, who is seeded fourth for the state meet, improved his record to 31-8 after pinning Tsinigine in the finals.

“It was an interesting match,” Begay said. “I loved it, and it was challenging. I’m happy that I won the match because this is my first year wrestling at sectionals.”

With that, this is Begay’s first state qualification.

“It means a lot,” he said. “It’s the best feeling, knowing that I qualified for state. I hope to do well there and I hope to medal.”

At 120, Penrod defeated Ganado’s Cauy Curley in the finals with a tech fall. In the semifinals, he got a stiff challenge from Monument Valley’s Justin Yazzie, winning 12-9.

“I had a rough match in my second one,” Penrod said. “It could have went a lot better, but I ended up pulling through. I didn’t dominated like I needed to.”

The Page wrestler said he was really close of losing that match.

“It was pretty scary,” he said. “I was up big and then I got put on my back for a little bit.”

Keisling said he was real happy that Penrod came away with a sectional title, having been with the program for a number of years.

“Ashton has been wrestling with us since he was 5 years old,” Keisling said. “It’s nice to put my nephew on the ‘Wall of Champions.’”

With it being his final season, Penrod is looking to earn his first medal at state.

“I just got as far as the blood rounds,” he said of his previous results.

“I just need to go in with the right mindset,” he said.

Finishing as reserve champions at the sectional meet for Page includes Conner Peterson (126), Tsinajinnie Green (132), Conner Shirley (175) and Ian Yellowhair (195).

The Sand Devils also had four others that medaled with Antwain Majia (113), Daniel Szabo (144), Landon Mansker (165) and Hayden Charles (215) taking third.

All told, Page is sending 10 kids to state.

“I’m really happy with that,” Keisling said. “That’s means we’re taking two vans to state and that’s been one of our goals.”

Of the state qualifiers, Keisling said, six are underclassmen.

“We’re very young,” he said. “We underperformed in some area, and we overperformed in other areas, but I’m just so proud of them. The effort was there.”

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