ALL-COUNTY GIRLS WRESTLING TEAM 2023-24
GIRLS WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
Duda Rodrigues, Newport Harbor, Senior
Duda Rodrigues won everything she could win in California high school girls wrestling.
CIF Southern Section champion. CIF-SS Masters champion. CIF State champion.
Rodrigues, a senior at Newport Harbor, never lost a match in two years of CIF wrestling.
For her undefeated dominance Rodrigues is the Orange County girls wrestler of the year.
Rodrigues, who moved from Brazil to Orange County before her junior year, was the 155-pound champion of the CIF-SS Eastern Division. After a first-round bye Rodrigues pinned opponents, in order, in 43 seconds, 56 seconds and again in 43 seconds before pinning Great Oak’s Alyssa Lovell in 1 minute, 35 seconds in the finals.
At the CIF-SS Masters Meet she pinned her first opponent in 19 seconds, advanced to the quarterfinals because of an opponent’s injury, won in the semifinals by fall in 1:33 and in the final defeated Villa Park senior Ximena Romero by technical fall 17-2.
It was more of the same in the CIF State Championships. Rodrigues pinned her first opponent in 53 seconds, the second in 1:16, the third in 5:08 in the quarterfinals followed by a semifinals pin in 5:57 before pinning Santa Clara junior Angelinah De Leon in 1:28 of the final round to repeat as a state champion and help lead Newport Harbor to a second-place finish in the team standings.
Rodrigues also was a CIF section and state champion at 150 pounds her junior year.
“It was very unexpected what I accomplished this season and in both seasons,” Rodrigues said. “I wanted to accomplish great things. But this was way more than I could ever expect or imagine.”
Now it’s on to various national high school tournaments over the next few months, culminating with the USA Wrestling Junior and 16U National Championships in Fargo, N.D., in July before she heads to McHenry College in Illinois.
“When I do look back at what I did in high school I will be able to say I did my best,” Rodrigues said. “I’m proud of all the work I put in and proud of what we accomplished at Newport Harbor.”
COACH OF THE YEAR
Mike Whitt, Newport Harbor
The 2023-24 season was Whitt’s first season as Newport Harbor’s girls wrestling head coach after serving as an assistant coach the previous season.
The Sailors finished second in the CIF State Championships and were fourth in the CIF Southern Section Eastern Division championships. Newport Harbor sent several athletes to the CIF State girls wrestling meet including state champion Duda Rodrigues.
“The most special thing about this season for me was that we got a legit girls program rolling,” said Whitt, 59, who is a teacher at Leuzinger High School in Lawndale. “We established many ‘firsts’ for the girls program at Newport Harbor.”
ALL-COUNTY TEAM
FIRST TEAM
100 pounds
Marlee Solomon, Newport Harbor, Fr.: Fifth place at state and CIF Southern Section Masters Meet Gold Division champion and CIF Southern Section Eastern Division champion.
105 pounds
Maggie Cornish, Tesoro, So.: She finished in fifth place at CIF State and was second in the Masters Meet Gold Division and second in CIF-SS Southern Division.
110 pounds
Sophia Cornish, Tesoro, Sr.: She finished fourth in the state meet, won Gold Division at Masters Meet and was second in the CIF-SS Southern Division.
115 pounds
Kylee Golz, Trabuco Hills, Jr.: Golz was a finalist at the state championships, was the Masters Meet Blue Division champion and won the Southern Division championship.
120 pounds
Mikayla Brent, Brea Olinda, So.: She was 1-1 in the CIF State Championships after finishing third in the Masters Meet Blue Division.
125 pounds
Lilyana Balderas, Anaheim, So.: Balderas finished third at the sate meet, was the Masters Meet Blue Division champion and Eastern Division champion.
130 pounds
Gwen Jewell, Foothill, Jr.: Jewell went 1-1 in the CIF State meet, finished second in the Masters Meet Gold Division and was the Northern Division champion.
135 pounds
Lena Nelson, El Modena, Sr.: Nelson advanced to the quarterfinals at the state championships, was second in the Blue Division at the Masters Meet, and was the Northern Division champion.
140 pounds
Yani Sanchez, Santa Ana Jr.: She was the CIF-SS Central Division champion at 140 pounds, was second in the Masters Meet Gold Division and made the CIF State quarterfinals.
145 pounds
Samantha Arce, Mater Dei, Sr.: Arce advanced to the finals of the state championships, finished second in the Gold Division of the Masters Meet and was second in the Southern Division.
155 pounds
Duda Rodrigues, Newport Harbor, Sr.: The Orange County girls wrestler of the year.
170 pounds
Eva Garcia, Newport Harbor, Sr.:Garcia was fifth at the CIF State meet and was the CIF-SS Masters Meet Blue Division champion.
190 pounds
Estafany Caballero, Orange, Fr.: She finished third in the Masters Gold Division and was third place in the Central Division.
235 pounds
Lorelei Hartman, Santa Ana, Sr.: Hartman went 3-2 at state, was Masters Gold champion and was Central Division champion.
SECOND TEAM
100 pounds:Zitati Morales, Tustin, Sr.
105 pounds: Alicia Serratos, Santa Ana, Jr.
110 pounds:Jenny Florez, Orange Lutheran, So.
115 pounds:Annabelle Serratos, Santa Ana, Fr.
120 pounds:Carmen Rosales, Tustin, Jr.
125 pounds:Nelly Hernandez, Laguna Hills, Jr.
130 pounds:Valerie Godina, Westminster, Jr.
135 pounds:Eliana Trevino, Aliso Niguel, So.
140 pounds:Dora Assis, Newport Harbor, Fr.
145 pounds: Berlyn Davis, San Clemente, Sr.
155 pounds:Ximena Romero, Villa Park, Sr.
170 pounds: Angela Salazar, Santa Ana, Jr.
190 pounds:Andrea Ramirez, Valencia, Sr.
235 pounds:Keye Osede, Cypress, Sr.
