- Corona wrestlers and coaches were part of Arizona’s USA Wrestling National team at the 2011 Cadet/Junior National Freestyle and Greco-Roman tournament held in Fargo, N.D. Bottom row: Coach Martinez, Glenn Farina, Colton Winstead, Zach Walton. Top row: Coach Richards, Michael Clair, Daniel Cartagena, Ethan Tursini, Jay Tucker, Coach Cartagena.— Photo contributed by Jim Martinez
Athletes from Corona del Sol High School’s wrestling team spent the summer training and gaining valuable competitive experience for the upcoming season at local training camps and wrestling competitions across the country, according to Corona’s head wrestling coach Jim Martinez.
Training camps were held during June and July at Grand Canyon University, Arizona State University and Desert Vista High School.
“Our wrestlers got opportunities to train with some of the best wrestlers in the state of Arizona over a six-week period,” said Martinez. “In addition, the wrestlers where exposed to technical instruction from some of the best high school and university coaches in Arizona.”
Several Corona wrestlers also had the opportunity to compete against nationally ranked opponents at wrestling meets and tournaments in Indiana, Florida and North Dakota.
“Aztec Wrestling Club members, including Jonny Waddell, Bridger Barker and Angel Cartagena, wrestled in the Schoolboy Dual Meet in Indianapolis, June 13-18,” said coach Martinez.
Other members of Corona’s wrestling team competed at the Cadet Duals in Daytona Beach, Fla., June 16-18.
“The Aztec team members who competed at the Cadet Duals in Florida included sophomores Glenn Farina, Zach Walton, Ethan Tursini, Colton Winstead, Michael Clare and Dustin Nelson,” said Martinez. Also competing in the Cadet Duals were incoming freshmen wrestlers Daniel Cartagena and Brix Kronborg.
Several Corona wrestlers were selected to be part of Arizona’s USA Wrestling National team that competed at the 2011 Cadet/Junior National Freestyle and Greco-Roman tournament in Fargo, North Dakota, July 15-23.
“Aztec wrestlers Glenn Farina, Zach Walton, Ethan Tursini, Daniel Cartagena, Colton Winstead, Michael Clare and Jay Tucker were part of Arizona’s team that competed at the nationals in Fargo,” said Martinez.
Corona had five wrestlers on Arizona’s 2011 Cadet Freestyle team. Farina wrestled in the 112 pound weight bracket winning one of his three matches in this double elimination tournament.
Cartagena wrestled at 135 pounds, winning one match; Tursini competed at 145 pounds, defeating two of his four opponents before being eliminated. Winstead competed in the 140-pound classification and Clare represented the Arizona team in the 160-pound bracket.
Clare also wrestled in the 2011 Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals at the 160-pound weight.
Tucker was one of the Arizona wrestlers in the 2011 Junior Freestyle and Junior Greco-Roman Nationals. He wrestled in the 189-pound category in both events, winning two of his four matches in the Greco-Roman event before being eliminated.
Coach Martinez says he is looking forward to the coming wrestling season to see how Corona’s wrestlers benefitted from the competition and training they experienced this past summer.
CdS volleyball player credited
Corona varsity team member Olivia Ortiz played a major role in the Arizona Girls Select team’s third place finish in the USA Volleyball High Performance Championships held at the Tucson Convention Center July 26-30.
The Corona sophomore was selected in May to be one of the setters at the tryouts where over 150 girls from all over the state competed for the honor of being one of the 12 girls to represent Arizona in this tournament.
The team was coached by Pat Mooney, the head volleyball coach at South Mountain Community College, who formerly coached at Corona.
“I actually got my start coaching at Corona under Debbie Moore,” said Mooney. “I coached both girls and boys teams and was the first boys varsity coach in the school’s history.”
Mooney was impressed with Olivia from the beginning.
“At the first and second tryouts, Olivia was one of the top three setters,” said Mooney. “She stuck out among all of the setters in her age group because she could set all three hitting positions with accuracy and consistency.”
“What also sets Olivia apart from other setters is her consistency, accuracy, deceptiveness and setting instinct,” continued Mooney. “There are setters and then players who think they are setters. Olivia is a true setter in the sense that she can look for an opposing team’s weaknesses and exploit those weaknesses by utilizing her hitter’s advantages.”
Olivia also has a very effective serve according to Mooney and as evidenced by her 38 aces. Olivia ranked fourth, as a freshman, on Corona’s varsity team last year where she played back-up setter and defensive specialist.
Olivia, who played in 83 of the 116 games her freshman year at Corona, tallying 131 digs and 161 assists on the overall stat sheet, has aspirations to not only help Corona win at least one state championship in the next three years but to play at the next level.
“We are going to have an awesome team this year so I am looking forward to helping my team in any way I can, whether I’m a setter or not, to win a state championship,” said Olivia.
Olivia would like to play college ball for Nebraska but if that doesn’t work out she is open to any Division I school.
I would love to be a Husker,” said Olivia. “They have been my favorite since the seventh grade.”
Mooney thinks there is no doubt a college out there that would be lucky to have Olivia in their program.
“The intangibles she brings to any team is her knowledge of the game, her leadership and her calm demeanor,” said Mooney. “In the short two weeks I got to work with Olivia, I saw her grow tremendously.”
“I think she is just starting to scratch the surface of her capabilities of being a very good setter and she’s already one of the best in her class.”
Olivia, who started playing volleyball when she was five, took away several memories from the USA Volleyball High Performance Championships.
“I really enjoyed meeting and getting to know the other girls on my team from all over Arizona but I was really excited to meet girls from China, New Zealand, Chile, Mexico, Peru and the Dominican Republic who played on other teams competing in this tournament,” said Olivia. “Of course, the BEST thing was getting the bronze medal!”
Aztec Lacrosse Awards
The Aztec Lacrosse team had several athletes recognized with awards from the 2011 season. There were five All Star selections according to Cliff Prausa, Program Director for the Corona del Sol’s Boys Lacrosse Club. Selections included then junior Jeff Smith, Attack position, senior Richard MacQueen, Attack, senior Cody Wagner, Midfield, senior Ryan Berns, Defense, and senior Hunter Wall, Defense.
Berns also made First Team All-State and Wagner was Second Team All-State. Smith was recognized for coming in second in Arizona’s Division I for goals scored and as seventh for total points.
Andrus Peat
Andrus Peat, considered by many experts to be the No. 1 football recruit out of Arizona, has gotten considerable ink over the last few months concerning what school he will choose to not only play football at but to attend as a serious student.
Nebraska wants him badly as does Notre Dame, rumored by these schools to be his top two choices. There are still a slew of others who would consider the six foot seven, 305 pound offensive lineman a major catch.
According to people close to Andrus, though, he still does not know what school he will choose. Right now he plans on focusing on Corona football.
Expect the period heading up to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in December, if he’s anything like his brother Todd, to be a busy one for college recruiters. That may include Arizona State University and University of Arizona, who will probably still be trying to snag this highly sought prospective college football player.
