Bel Air’s Cydney Davis Caps 157-1 Run With a Texas Three-Peat And Another Dominant UIL State Title

Undefeated senior Cydney Davis storms to her third straight title while Azle’s depth powers a runaway team championship at the Berry Center in one of the nation’s premier girls wrestling showcases.

El Paso Bel Air's Cydney Davis is all smiles as she shows off her team's third-place trophy, her three gold medials and the UIL 5A Outstanding Wrestler Plaque after winning her third UIL 5A state championship. / The Davis Family

Over President’s Day Weekend, the University Interscholastic League (UIL), Texas’ governing body, held their girls state wrestling championships at the Berry Center in Cypress Texas.

A Pioneer State for Girls Wrestling

Women’s wrestling is big in Texas. The first state tournament for the ladies in 1999 was also the first occasion, across the entire country, a state association sanctioned a separate girl’s tournament. Texas is now up to two divisions, 5A and 6A.

Cydney Davis Finishes a Historic Three-Peat

Both were contested side by side and each had their star that shined brighter than the others, in the 5A slate, that would be El Paso Bel Air’s Cydney Davis. Davis, who is ranked 11th at 155 pounds in the latest girls’ national rankings by High School on SI, was in pursuit of her third title and locked it down with a fall.

“I’m really happy that everything turned out in my favor according to the lords will,” said Davis. “It’s not easy to win three consecutive titles and remain undefeated in the state of Texas the last three years but I commit myself to my craft everyday and try to be a better wrestle and that’s where I get my success.”

An unscathed sophomore year concluded with a 48-0 record and the first of what would be three championships. There was a hiccup on the road to title number two at the hands of No. 10 Eloise Woolsey (Cleveland, New Mexico) at the Las Cruces Tournament.

Even with the blemish, Davis’ 52 wins set a 5A single season record, one that she would break herself when she completed her three-peat this year with a 57-0 record, bringing her three-year total to 157-1.

“My goal in life is to never compare myself with anyone I step on the mat with, but to be in constant competition with myself and beating the best version of myself everyday,” Davis continued. “I always say in my mind that there is no competition or comparison to anyone else because my biggest competitor is always going to be myself.”

Dominance From Start to Finish

The road to the crown provided little drama with all rivals being dispersed by fall. The first two were dropped quickly in 24 and 26 seconds. Layla Hines (Leander Glenn) lasted the longest of anyone in the semifinals, almost escaping the first, but meeting an early demise at 1:57.

“My goal was to not just win every match but to dominate,” Davis added. “I wanted to make it be known that I am one of, if not the best wrestler in that stadium, not letting anyone out of the first period.”

In the finals, Davis placed a quick ending to Frico Heritage’s Londyn Jefferson’s time in the spotlight, sticking her in 47 seconds. The third title places Davis in that club alongside eight other legendary Texas Women and earned her the nod as the Outstanding 5A Wrestler.

“I just wanted to take my time and trust my instincts,” offered Davis. “My wrestling comes naturally because it’s second nature to me, but I wanted to allow everything to just fly because this was my last match in folkstyle ever. And like I said before, I wanted to leave no doubt that my performances were not just luck, but from constant dedication and hard work and the result of that is an unwavering level of achievement and success.”

On the national front, Davis was a runner-up at last spring's U.S. Open Girls Showcase where she picked up a 5-4 win over No. 8 Sarah Henckel (Blair Academy, NJ). A few losses since have pulled Davis down a touch in the ratings. As Davis takes time to make campus visits and decides her next destination, perhaps she’ll time the trips around some national events and build on the Henckel win?

“Thank you to Coach Martinez, Coach Armendariz and Coach Castillo along with my coaches from Wildcats and Supers for being such a great contribution to my success,” Davis said. “Also thank you to my mom and family, my teammates, warm-up partners and congratulations to my teammates and the Bel-Air girls wrestling team for placing third at state, only done once ever in history. Thank you, God.”

Azle’s Depth Decides the Team Race

Azle handled things on the team front in a stress-free manner, pushing three girls to the top of the podium en route to colleting 127.5 points. Melissa was a distant second with 87.

Azle had a repeat champ in their midst after Noah Kovach’s deeds at 100 pounds resulted in an 8-7 win over Lila Breedlove (Borger). Elizabeth Yelle had to push harder than Kovach to attain her one-point win in the finals, going into overtime to gain a 4-3 advantage against Jasmine Vick (Amarillo Palo Duro).

No. 23 Zaylyn Woods blanked Mission Sharyland’s Elvia Davila, 7-0, at 130. Azle had two others find their way to state hardware with Mackenzie Harris placing second at 120 pounds and Sage Mosier claiming a bronze at 125. Harris was pinned in the last frame of her final, 4:43, by Corpus Christi Carroll’s Genevieve Bellino.

Nationally Ranked Showdowns and Breakthrough Champions

There weren’t as many nationally ranked girls in the 5A division as there were in the 6A. In addition to Davis, two others graced the 5A gathering, one fulfilled her championship expectations, and the other came up short and settled for third.

Frisco Centennial’s No. 8 Jordyn Parker pinned her final opponent, Gilian Eckert (Comal Pieper), in the first period, 1:21. Three first period falls were the fuel used for last year’s runner-up to advance through the 140-pound bracket.

Title Dreams, Upsets and Podium Battles

Addison Hunt (Anna) carried a number 27 national ranking into her title defense at 115 pounds after winning last year's crown at 107. The move up in weight did not serve Hunt well as she was picked off in the semis by Isabella Arevalos (Corpus Christi King), on an 8-1 tally. Hunt came back to take third.

Arevalos moved onto the finals where she ran into a girl that ended up pinning her just before time expired as Killeen Chapparal’s Ava Milliner planted her with four seconds left, 5:56.

First period pins were the method Ava Aragon (McAllen), Rubie Chavez (San Elizario), and Shelby Cole (Henrietta) used to secure their top honors.

Aragon’s 105-pound crown took 80 seconds to acquire from Canyon Randall’s Anisa Nichols. The 145 bracket was secured by Chavez in just 67 seconds over Xazanya Gonzalez (Amarillo Palo Duro). Cole’s foe at 135 pounds, Robin Conkle (North Richland Hills Birdville) came close to forcing a second but succumbed with six seconds remaining, 1:54.

At 235 pounds, Liberty Hall’s Alyciana Rogers joined the win by pin club when she turned Dumas’ Khylee Whalen’s lights out in 2:51. Another easy first was achieved by Aro Ogle-Garza (Lucas Lovejoy) at 110 pounds with a 16-0 technical fall over Melissa’s Mary Griffin.

Melissa did bring home one championship with Malia Griffin at 125 pounds and her 14-5 major decision of El Paso Bel Air’s Olivia Ontiveros. Frisco Memorial’s Camille Harris won a low-scoring 3-2 bout over Dani Banks (Frisco Liberty) in the 190-pound final.

Team Scores (Top 10)

1-Azle 127.5

2-Melissa 87

3-El Paso Bel Air 74

4-Comal Pieper 65

5-Anna 54

5-Comal Smitson Valley 54

7-Lubbock Cooper 53.5

8-Henrietta 49.5

9-Amarillo Palo Duro 47.5

10-Killeen Chaparral 43.5

Individual Results

5A 100

1st Place Match

Noah Kovach (Azle) 44-1, Jr. over Lila Breedlove (Borger) 36-2, Jr. (Dec 8-7)

3rd Place Match

Carly Rodriguez (Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial) 47-2, Jr. over Ashley Marron Rodriguez (Austin Anderson) 38-3, Sr. (Dec 10-5)

5th Place Match

Natalie Garcia (Fort Worth Chisholm Trail) 42-9, So. over Hailyn Jaye Gonzalez (Mission Sharyland Pioneer) 29-11, Sr. (Fall 0:56)

5A 105

1st Place Match

Ava Aragon (McAllen) 41-2, Sr. over Anisa Nuchols (Canyon Randall) 34-11, Jr. (Fall 1:20)

3rd Place Match

Anaveh Gonzales (Lubbock Cooper) 40-7, Sr. over Nicole Soldevilla (Borger) 46-4, Jr. (Dec 2-0)

5th Place Match

Alexis Avalos (Comal Smithson Valley) 25-8, Sr. over Scarlet Hillis (Melissa) 38-9, Sr. (Fall 1:52)

5A 110

1st Place Match

Aro Ogle-Garza (Lucas Lovejoy) 28-2, Jr. over Mary Griffin (Melissa) 46-7, Jr. (TF-1.5 2:47 (16-0))

3rd Place Match

Laila Wetzel (New Braunfels Long Creek) 38-6, Jr. over Lauren Marquez (El Paso Bel Air) 47-12, Jr. (Fall 1:46)

5th Place Match

Emilee Smith (Frisco Centennial) 30-10, Sr. over Adiella Reyes (San Antonio Wagner) 36-9, Sr. (MFFL)

5A 115

1st Place Match

Ava Milliner (Killeen Chaparral) 31-1, Sr. over Isabella Arevalos (Corpus Christi King) 47-7, Sr. (Fall 5:56)

3rd Place Match

Addison Hunt (Anna) 41-1, So. over Lauren McHam (Canyon Randall) 28-5, Jr. (Fall 0:18)

5th Place Match

Samara Lerma (Harlingen South) 31-8, Jr. over Evelyn Fuentes (Frisco Lone Star) 40-8, Jr. (Fall 3:31)

5A 120

1st Place Match

Genevieve Bellino (Corpus Christi Carroll) 53-0, Sr. over Mackenzie Harris (Azle) 48-2, Fr. (Fall 4:43)

3rd Place Match

Matilda Villarreal (Brownsville Rivera) 14-6, Sr. over Tylie Ramos (Lubbock Cooper) 43-7, Jr. (Dec 7-2)

5th Place Match

Georgina Rangel Miranda (McAllen Memorial) 40-6, Sr. over Payten Gutierrez (Melissa) 35-5, Jr. (Fall 2:30)

5A 125

1st Place Match

Malia Griffin (Melissa) 40-1, Jr. over Olivia Ontiveros (El Paso Bel Air) 57-3, Sr. (MD 14-5)

3rd Place Match

Sage Mosier (Azle) 44-9, Fr. over Allie Salas (Mission Veterans Memorial) 36-6, Sr. (Fall 3:58)

5th Place Match

Samantha Marmolejo (Amarillo Tascosa) 39-12, So. over Jessica Conkle (North Richland Hills Birdville) 38-8, Sr. (Fall 1:45)

5A 130

1st Place Match

Zaylyn Woods (Azle) 49-0, Fr. over Elvia Davila (Mission Sharyland) 34-2, Sr. (Dec 7-0)

3rd Place Match

Dalilah Coyle (Henrietta) 38-3, Jr. over Marisa Iturrino (Carrollton Creekview) 16-4, So. (Dec 7-0)

5th Place Match

Nadiyah Elizondo (College Station) 31-4, Sr. over Yurianna Lippinghoff (Georgetown) 38-4, Sr. (MFFL)

5A 135

1st Place Match

Shelby Coyle (Henrietta) 36-2, So. over Robin Conkle (North Richland Hills Birdville) 32-4, Sr. (Fall 1:54)

3rd Place Match

Alyssa Indalsingh (Burleson) 37-3, Sr. over Kaelyn Reynolds (Killeen Chaparral) 25-8, Sr. (Dec 11-4)

5th Place Match

Alyssa Rodriguez (Lubbock Cooper) 39-11, Sr. over Dayana Gonzalez (Rio Grande City) 15-4, Jr. (Fall 3:26)

5A 140

1st Place Match

Jordyn Parker (Frisco Centennial) 35-2, Sr. over Gillian Eckert (Comal Pieper) 34-2, Sr. (Fall 1:21)

3rd Place Match

Presley King (Amarillo Tascosa) 47-6, Sr. over Cassandra Reyes (San Antonio Highlands) 39-6, Sr. (TB-1 3-2)

5th Place Match

Beila Wisley (Prosper Walnut Grove) 19-13, Sr. over Tessa Tighe (Melissa) 28-9, Sr. (Dec 6-1)

5A 145

1st Place Match

Rubie Chavez (San Elizario) 36-0, Jr. over Xazanya Gonzalez (Amarillo Palo Duro) 49-4, Jr. (Fall 1:07)

3rd Place Match

Caylee Owen (Argyle) 47-8, Jr. over Taylor Martell (Georgetown) 38-4, Sr. (Inj. 4:50)

5th Place Match

Alyssa Reyes (Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial) 29-4, Sr. over Maria Munoz (San Antonio Edison) 15-4, Sr. (SV-1 11-8)

5A 155

1st Place Match

Cydney Davis (El Paso Bel Air) 57-0, Sr. over Londyn Jefferson (Frisco Heritage) 40-4, Sr. (Fall 0:47)

3rd Place Match

Layla Hines (Leander Glenn) 42-5, Jr. over Haleigh Bodin (Anna) 30-3, Fr. (Fall 1:16)

5th Place Match

Keyondra Villagran (Lubbock Monterey) 40-12, So. over Daisy Davila (Mission Sharyland) 31-13, Fr. (Fall 1:27)

5A 170

1st Place Match

Elizabeth Yelle (Azle) 50-4, Jr. over Jasmine Vick (Amarillo Palo Duro) 55-2, Sr. (TB-1 4-3)

3rd Place Match

Kylie O`Dell (Canyon West Plains) 43-12, Sr. over Allyson Alaniz (Comal Smithson Valley) 33-5, Sr. (Fall 0:26)

5th Place Match

Natalia Roman (El Paso Burges) 38-7, Jr. over Jasmine Guillory (Comal Pieper) 31-9, Sr. (Dec 7-1)

5A 190

1st Place Match

Camille Harris (Frisco Memorial) 45-6, Sr. over Dani Banks (Frisco Liberty) 40-6, Sr. (Dec 3-2)

3rd Place Match

Gabriela Knight (Comal Smithson Valley) 30-9, . over Lyric Larry (New Braunfels) 46-4, So. (Fall 0:44)

5th Place Match

Shaianne Brown (Lubbock Monterey) 44-6, Jr. over Violet Winkley (Anna) 28-8, So. (Inj. 1:14)

5A 235

1st Place Match

Alyciana Rogers (Liberty Hill) 39-2, Jr. over Khylee Whalen (Dumas) 37-3, Jr. (Fall 2:51)

3rd Place Match

Shelby Wells (Comal Pieper) 38-3, Jr. over Angel Machiri (Frisco Liberty) 31-7, Jr. (Fall 1:46)

5th Place Match

Melissa Farmer (Belton) 26-10, Jr. over Josselin Large (Canyon) 40-15, So. (Fall 1:43)