After cancellations and postponements due to COVID-19, the Moore League Girls Wrestling Finals took place on Thursday at Millikan and everything went off without a hitch.
“Clap it up for getting through league,” Millikan coach Blake Lovato said in a microphone before the award ceremony.
The winners featured plenty of repeat champions as six individuals won titles for the second straight year.
Poly had the most individual champions with five while Wilson had four, Lakewood had three, and Millikan added two.
For Lakewood senior Zainab Hakeem, it’s been a quick ascent in the sport after not beginning wrestling until her sophomore year.
She is a back-to-back champion and moved up to the 160-pound weight class this year.
“My mentality is to end the matches in the first period,” Hakeem said. “I try not to play around.”
Hakeem is 16-0 this year and said it’s been a tough year after facing strong competition in tough tournaments.
She also missed a month due to COVID.
“(Staying undefeated) is important with all the work I put in,” she said.
Other repeat champions were Lakewood junior Saiheron Preciado-Meza, Millikan seniors Tru Jones and Destiny Moreno, and Poly senior Eliana Eats and Arely Salguero.
The Moore League boys’ wrestling championships will be hosted at Lakewood High on Saturday, Feb. 5. The CIF Individuals Meet is Feb. 11 and 12 at Marina High School.
