Watsonville High junior Danisha Nunez placed second in the 106-pound division at the CCS Wrestling Championships at Watsonville High on Feb. 19. (Raul Ebio/special to The Pajaronian)

BAKERSFIELD—Watsonville High junior Danisha Nunez made it through two days of competition in the 106-pound division at last week’s CIF State Wrestling Championships in Bakersfield. 

Nunez, who was a CCS runner-up, was pinned in 2 minutes, 28 seconds by Kacey Shafer of Marina High on Feb. 25. Nunez finished with a 2-2 overall record in the tournament. 

Prior to that, Nunez pinned North Monterey County High’s Mariela Ramirez-Paredes in 46 seconds to stay alive in the consolation bracket.

Nunez won her opener Feb. 24 against Benicia’s Janessa Abisia by fall in 4:45. But then she then lost in a 13-0 major decision to Buchanan’s Diana Olivarez-Gomez, which sent Nunez down to the consolation bracket. 

Ramirez-Paredes (1-2), who placed third at CCS, lost to Calaveras’ Cynthia Meza on Feb. 24 and then bounced back with a win against Birmingham’s Odelia Sandoval in the consolation bracket. 

Aptos High sophomore Janie Houser (121 pounds) went 1-2 after a 4-1 decision loss to Bullard’s Devin Silva in the consolation bracket’s Round of 16.  

Houser, a third-place finisher at CCS, lost a 12-0 major decision in the championship bracket opener to Rancho Buena Vista’s Kayla Edwards. Houser pinned Los Osos’ Kayla Ganac in 4:33.

Girls basketball

Capuchino 55, Aptos 40: Senior guard/forward Jasmine Ackerman scored a team-high 14 points for the Mariners in a loss to the Mustangs in the Central Coast Section Division III semifinals Feb. 24.

Ackerman finished with seven rebounds, four assists and two steals for Aptos, and Miricole Baity added 10 points and two rebounds.

Grace Parry had six points and four rebounds for the Mariners, who finished the season with a 16-10 overall record.  

Girls track and field

Aptos, NMC compete in non-scoring meet: The Aptos and North Monterey County high school track and field squads competed in the teams’ annual non-scoring meet Feb. 24. 

According to the Mariners track program, both schools have larger teams this season and there were nearly 230 athletes competing.  

Aptos senior Elizabeth Churchill was a triple winner. She won the high jump with a jump of 5 feet, 2 inches along with the long jump (15′-9″) and the 100 meter hurdles in 16.26 seconds.

The Mariners had a trio of athletes that each won two events. Rachel Hoops won the 800m in 2 minutes, 40.70 seconds and the 1600m (5:36.69). Isabelle Graff, a freshman, won the 200m in 28.85 seconds and the 100m (13.71), and Izzy Rodriguez won the pole vault with a jump of 6 feet and the triple jump in (28′-3″).

Brooke Willoughby won the 3200m (12:26.29) and Annie Eikemeyer won the 400m (1:08.85) for Aptos.

Linette Morales Martinez won the discus with a throw of 79 feet, 5 inches and the shot put (24′-9″) for the Condors.

Rachel Mankins won the 300m hurdles in 58.72 seconds and was the runner-up in the 100m hurdles (20.10). She also placed third in the long jump with a jump of 13 feet, 11 and 1/2 inches. 

Other highlights for NMC include Kimberly DeLaTorre, who jumped 6 feet in the pole vault, placed second in the 300m hurdles (59.22) and placed third in the high jump (4’).

Patricia Rios placed third in the 400m (1:11.61) for NMC. 

Boys track and field

Aptos and NMC clash in friendly meet: Wade Watson, Rylan Sampson and Aidan Buckler each had two first place finishes for the Mariners in their annual non-scoring meet against the Condors on Feb. 24. 

Watson won the shot put with a throw of 40 feet, 5 inches and the discus (143′-3”), Sampson won the pole vault (12′-6″) and high jump (5′-2″), and Buckler won the 110-meter hurdles in 18.47 seconds and 300m hurdles (47.39).

Jack Killian won the 400m (54.22), James Timko won the 100m (11;52), Trent Nosky won the 800m (2:03.94), Raymond Barrios won the 200m (24.40), Peter Delfino won the long jump (19’-4 1/2″) and Elijah Smith won the triple jump (34′-11″) for Aptos.

Irineo Navarro won the 1600m (4:50.33) and placed second in both the 800m (2:12.48), and 3200m (10:55.90) for the Condors. 

Navarro’s teammate, Gael Godinez, won the 3200m in 10 minutes, 54.18 seconds and Aidan Ibarra won the high jump with a jump of 5 feet, 2 inches.

Other highlights include third place finishes for Angel Martinez in the 110m hurdles (21.87) and Jonathan King in the pole vault (7′-6″). 

Aptos High athletics

Aptos High seeks help to name lower grass field: Aptos High announced they have created an advisory committee process to recommend a name for the lower grass field at the bottom of campus. 

The first meeting is slated for March 9, followed by a second meeting March 29. Both meetings will take place at 6 pm inside the cafeteria at Aptos High.

According to the school, an advisory committee will be created from those in attendance at the first meeting. The advisory committee will select the criteria for nominations for a field name and nominations will be accepted. 

During the second meeting, the committee will discuss the nominations and select the name or names. Those names will be submitted to the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees for their consideration at a future Board meeting.

The advisory committee meetings will follow all California Department of Public Health guidance for masking in public school settings.

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A Watsonville native who has a passion for local sports and loves his community. A Watsonville High, Cabrillo College, San Jose State University and UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism alumnus, he primarily covers high school athletics, Cabrillo College athletics, various youth sports in the Pajaro Valley and the Santa Cruz Warriors. Juan is also a video game enthusiast, part-time chef (at home), explorer and a sports junkie. Coaches and athletic directors are encouraged to report scores HERE.

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