Trio of Pintos Strike Gold at Jaguar Invitational; Romero Avenges Loss for Bronze

The first results from the Jaguar Invitation incorrectly listed Lily Shoemate-Means finishing second in her weight class, but Shoemate-Means won gold. This rewritten article reflects that correction.

The Moriarty Pintos wrestling team traveled to Santa Fe on Saturday to compete in the Jaguar Invitational, delivering a great-season opening performance that resulted in three individual championships, two runner-up finishes, and a gritty third-place comeback story.

Leading the charge for Moriarty were Caleb Gustafson, Kristina Means, and Lilly Shoemate-Means, all of whom stood atop the podium as champions in their respective weight classes at the Saturday meet.

Three Champions Crowned

In the 157-pound division, Caleb Gustafson was dominant. After receiving a first-round bye, Gustafson wasted no time, pinning Koji Park of Los Alamos in the quarterfinals and securing a massive 17-2 Tech Fall victory over Raton’s Owen Kelley in the semifinals. Gustafson capped his run with a decisive pin (Fall 3:22) over Belen’s Stephan Ulibarri to take 1st place.

The Pintos were equally formidable on the girls’ side, bringing home two titles.

Kristina Means (125 lbs) tore through her bracket with a perfect record of pins. She defeated opponents from Pecos and Santa Fe in the early rounds before pinning Hayleigh Chavira of Grants in the semifinals. In the championship match, Means secured the gold by pinning Raeyna Valdez of Grants in 2:37.

At 140 pounds, Lilly Shoemate-Means completed the trio of champions. Shoemate-Means showed aggression early, pinning opponents from Los Alamos and Grants to punch her ticket to the finals. She finished the day strong, defeating Grants’ Kimberlyn Palmer to capture the 1st place title.

Silver Medal Performances

Two Moriarty grapplers fought their way to the finals, bringing home second-place finishes:

• Cotton Page (190 lbs): Page pinned his way to the finals with victories over Tierra Encantada and Raton. He eventually fell in a Major Decision (12-0) to Jeremy Trujeque of Belen in the championship bout.
• Sydney Kelley (155 lbs): Kelley earned her spot in the finals with a pin over Grants and a hard-fought 10-6 decision over Pecos. She finished as the runner-up after a loss to Miyamura’s Shundean Halkini.

Romero’s Revenge and Other Podium Finishes

One of the tournament’s best storylines came at 165 pounds. Marques Romero lost a tough decision (12-9) in the quarterfinals to Keeshawn Sandoval of Miyamura. Undeterred, Romero battled back through the consolation bracket with wins over Belen and Taos. In the 3rd Place Match, he faced a rematch with Sandoval. This time, Romero flipped the script, pinning Sandoval in 4:41 to secure the bronze medal.

Several other Pintos earned podium spots with 5th-place finishes:

• Ethan McClaskey (120 lbs): Bounced back from semifinal losses to defeat Robertson’s Adriano Gallegos for 5th.
• Lucas Rodelas Lozoya (138 lbs): Secured 5th place with a pin (1:33) over Shane Ortiz of Pojoaque Valley.
• Mishen Jaramillo (215 lbs): Pinned Stewart Miller of Los Alamos in 2:52 to take 5th.
• McKayla Miller (130 lbs): Finished 5th in her bracket.
• Karli Fulfer (235 lbs): Battled to a 6th place finish against tough competition.

Team Effort

Also competing for Moriarty at the Jaguar Invitational were Gavin Everett (132), Sonny Apodaca (150), Linda Gonzalez (110), Amber Lavery (115), Emma Rodriguez (120), and Megan Trujillo (140). While they did not place, Everett and Gonzalez both secured falls in their consolation matches, contributing to the team’s overall effort in Santa Fe.