By Stephen Ramirez
EASTVALE — Since its inception, the San Gabriel Valley has owned the CIF Southern Section girls wrestling championships.That didn’t change Saturday.
The area produced three individual champions, 24 qualifiers to the CIF State championships and Northview scored the team title in dominating fashion.
The Vikings, led by 101-pound champion Angelina Gomez, had five top-eight medalists and won the event with 175.5 points, compared to 160 for second-place Hillcrest. Walnut was fifth at 97 points, with San Dimas sixth at 71.
The other area champions were San Dimas’ Jaylene Tiki Jaime, who won by fall at 150, and Baldwin Park’s McKayla Loza (170), who also scored a victory by fall to win a title for the second consecutive season.
Also qualifying for the state championships, scheduled for Visalia on Feb. 24-25, are Northview’s Haven Driscoll (106, third), Brittany Wynn (111, second), Julia Padilla (143, third) and Deidra Valles (170, fifth); Walnut’s Justine Barredo (101, sixth), Jeselle Corpus (116, sixth), Mia Dow (121, second), Alyssa Gomez (137, sixth) and Brianna Harrison (160, sixth); Bishop Amat’s Janeice Alcocher (160, eighth) and Vivanna Garcia-Reveles (189, fourth); El Monte’s Jennifer Garcia (126, eighth) and Nelly Mendoza (137, seventh); Gabrielino’s Cassidy Do (106, sixth) and Skye-Lynn Bojorquez (150, fourth); San Dimas’ Haley Valdez (126, third); Diamond Ranch’s Trina Nguyen (106, second); Schurr’s Sarah Zaragoza (121, fifth); Monrovia’s Mary Tuite (121, eighth); California’s Roxanna Barragan (150, sixth) and Baldwin Park’s Makayla Hernandez (189, second).

Northview, which is beginning to match its boys team’s title mettle, won the tournament for the third time in four seasons.
“We all bleed black and gold,” said Northview assistant Larry Medina, himself a former state medalist. “We try to live on with that legacy of winning championships. We just tried to do what we could, prove everybody wrong. They proved the doubters wrong.”
Loza, after winning at 189 last season, just kept on rolling, winning at 170 in impressive fashion. She scored three wins by fall, including pinning Eastside’s Dymond Guilford in five minutes, six seconds.
She built leads of 5-1, 8-4 and 11-6 before putting Guilford on her back with 54 seconds left in the third period.
“I’m excited,” Loza said. “It’s my second year in a row. I have so much joy.
“I knew what was there. I just went for it.”
Jaime was equally impressive in the 150 bout. The sophomore, whose older sister Daishea Jaime won at 121 in 2015, had five wins by fall in the tournament, including pinning Hillcrest’s Melissa Lopez in 2:21 in the final.
She got four quick points following a takedown and near fall before pinning Lopez 21 seconds into the second period.
“I’m really happy about this,” said Jaime, who was eighth at 160 last season. “I worked so hard for this.
“I just wanted to get it over with. I’ve been working so hard … I feel good about this.”
Gomez was solid in winning at 101. She built a 4-0 lead against Corona’s Shandrea Shelby before holding on for a 4-2 decision.
“I feel good,” Gomez said. “I get to see my mom in (Visalia). I do this for her, and my family in Texas.
“I was a little nervous, but I kept telling myself to relax and be confident and that’s what I did.”
Northview almost had two champions. Wynn lost in overtime to Norte Vista’s Monika Garcia in the 111 final. She had a 4-0 lead before giving up a reversal and near-fall to trail 5-4 with a minute left in the match. But she scored a late point before losing on a takedown in overtime.