Belen girls wrestlers finish fifth at 32-team Region 2 meet

Belen High School scored 130.5 points to finish fifth in the 32-team NMAA Girls Region 2 Wrestling Championship in Roswell, ending the regional weekend just 7.5 points shy of a podium spot. Las Cruces won the region with 192.5 points, Atrisco Heritage finished second with 190, and Hobbs took third with 138.

Belen’s seven regional placers matched the number of athletes the program advanced to the state meet. The Eagles qualified seven wrestlers for the State Championship, Feb. 20-21 at Rio Rancho Events Center. Olyvia Sanchez was runner-up at 115 pounds and opened her bracket with a seven-second pin. Lynsey Sanchez placed third at 120 pounds. Olivia Ortiz took fourth at 140 pounds. Marissa Valdez placed fifth at 105 pounds. Hailey Olguin and Emma Perez each finished sixth at 110 and 235 pounds, respectively. Azana Williams rounded out the qualifiers with a seventh-place finish at 130 pounds.

The margin between Belen and Hobbs underscores how narrow team scoring can be in region play and how individual performances will decide team outcomes at state. “In the case of BHS, the Eagles have enough depth to challenge for a podium finish in the team battle at the all-classes event,” observed the region recap. The broader evaluation noted: “Following the NMAA Girls Region 2 Wrestling Championship, Belen, Los Lunas and Valencia seem to have the talent to win individual glory at next week’s state tournament at Rio Rancho Events Center.”

Local rivals also posted notable results. Los Lunas tied for ninth with Albuquerque at 92 points. Los Lunas’ Haidyn Garley captured the 190-pound regional title and “earned the 190-pound championship on a second-period fall over her opponent from Atrisco Heritage Academy.” Janie Wheeler finished runner-up at 235 pounds for Los Lunas. Valencia placed 16th as a team with 68 points, but Alexis Avis-Labus delivered a dominant individual performance, taking the 105-pound title and “racking up pins in each of her four matches.” Valencia also advanced Adrianna Berni (fourth at 100), Emma Ramsey (seventh at 135) and Angelique Ortega (eighth at 190).

The region meet serves as the immediate lead-in to the all-classes state tournament in Rio Rancho, where depth and individual champions will shape final team standings and scholarship exposure for athletes. Belen, Los Lunas and Valencia will head into the Feb. 20-21 event with clear targets: convert regional placings into state medals and, for Belen, push for a podium team finish.

Local boys regionals run separately on Friday and Saturday; Los Lunas will compete in the Region 2-5A meet at West Mesa, while Belen and Valencia travel to Santa Teresa for the 4A regional. Community supporters should mark the Rio Rancho Events Center dates and follow the brackets closely as Valencia County’s qualifiers seek state hardware and further momentum for their programs.

Background items among the source materials highlight continued interest in girls wrestling across the region. A student news site excerpt from 2023 captured a wrestler saying, “I hope we have more achievements as a team,” and a social media snippet read, “Girls Wrestling has 4 athletes that have a chance to advance today in the IHSA Regional! Good luck girls. So proud of you all! more. 2 days ago.” Those lines reflect the growing grassroots enthusiasm that will follow this weekend’s qualifiers into the state tournament.