Shoemate-Means Takes Gold at Shash Invitational for Moriarty Girls

The Moriarty High School girls wrestling team produced several podium finishes at the Shash Girls Invitational on Dec. 17, led by a dominant performance from Lilly Shoemate-Means and a third-place finish by Emma Rodriguez.

The Lady Pintos utilized a high efficiency scoring style throughout the tournament, recording a combined 13 pins across six weight classes.

Individual Highlights

Lilly Shoemate-Means (140 lbs) secured an undefeated record on the day. Shoemate-Means opened her tournament with a 20-second pin of Bernalillo’s Angie Arriola and followed with falls over Tomeka King (Ganado) and Olivia Yazzie (Wingate). She did not concede a single point in contested action.

In the 120-pound bracket, Emma Rodriguez claimed third place after a five-match afternoon. Rodriguez advanced to the semifinals with pins over Natasha Smith (Wingate) and Dominique Price (Kirtland Central). Following a semifinal loss to Hozho Academy’s Zoriahna Cutler, Rodriguez rebounded with a 15-7 major decision over Janitza Villanueva (Valencia) and a 4:52 pin of Angel Begay (Wingate) in the consolation final.

McKayla Miller (130 lbs) finished with a 3-1 record in contested matches. After an opening-round loss, Miller secured consecutive pins against Karen Solis (Valencia) and Daylana Garcia (Shiprock), along with a forfeit victory over Bernalillo.

Upper Weight Results

At 190 pounds, Karli Fulfer reached the consolation finals. Fulfer advanced to the quarterfinals with a pin of Hozho Academy’s Brooke Nelson but was sent to the consolation bracket following a loss to eventual finalist Persaeus McRoy of Shiprock. Fulfer earned a spot in the third-place match with a fall over Mavis Zamarripa (Raton) before falling to Nelson in a 13-10 sudden-victory decision.

In the lower weights, Amber Lavery (115 lbs) finished 1-1 in contested matches, highlighted by a first-period pin of Tierra Encantada’s Kendy Lopez-Melara. Linda Gonzalez (105 lbs) faced a challenging field, finishing the day without a contested win despite receiving a bye in the fourth round.

Tournament Results at a Glance

• 140: Lilly Shoemate-Means (3-0, 3 Falls)
• 120: Emma Rodriguez (4-1, 3rd Place)
• 130: McKayla Miller (3-1, 2 Falls)
• 190: Karli Fulfer (2-2, 4th Place)
• 115: Amber Lavery (1-1, 1 Fall)