In a championship that came down to the final pin, the Ramona High School girls wrestling team made history in the Dawg House on Feb. 7, capturing the San Diego CIF Division 3 title for the second straight year.
“I got to see the work that they have been putting in since November. This has been something we have talked about since the beginning before our season began,” said Caitlin Munoz, head varsity girls coach. “Their discipline and their work ethic and their willingness to put in the extra reps is exactly what got us this win.”
Ramona High School hosted the championship meet, welcoming18 schools.
Ramona filled 11 of the 14 classes, while Santana High School entered all 14. After the morning bouts, the Bulldogs trailed the Sultans by 21.5 points heading into the title matches.
Ramona High School senior Kaitlyn Peck secured a win by pin over the No. 1 seed, Yarely Vasquez of Imperial High School —an opponent she had previously lost to earlier in the season. Peck also advances to Masters. (Stephanie Ogilvie)
Statistically considered the underdogs, Ramona responded with strong performances as both teams advanced six wrestlers into title matches. The pivotal match came in the 190-class between Ramona senior captain Kaitlyn Peck and Imperial’s Yarely Vasquez, the top seed. Peck, who had previously lost to Vasquez, secured a pin to earn 22 crucial points.
“Going into my finals match I was definitely nervous,” Peck said. “I knew that I had to win my match for us to have a chance at winning as a team. After I won, I was very overwhelmed with feelings…finally winning CIF after three years of placing but not winning and I knew that our team needed that win to secure us the title.”
As the finals continued, Santana lost four of their six title matches, while Ramona lost just one of their five heading into the final bout. The championship came down to the 235-class match between Ramona sophomore Robin Moore and Santana’s Shyann Barajas.
Ramona High School sophomore Robin Moore sealed the championship with a pin in just 1 minute and 5 seconds, pushing the Bulldogs over the threshold to capture the San Diego CIF Division 3 Championship by a narrow 2.5-point margin. With the clutch victory, Moore also earned her spot at the Masters Tournament. (Stephanie Ogilvie)
With teammates lining the mat, Moore secured the final pin just 1 minute and 5 seconds into the match, sealing the championship and pushing Ramona to a 165–162.5 team victory.
“Robin Moore is a very consistent athlete,” Munoz said. “She has grown immensely in the last year. She has truly given herself over to the program and has trusted us completely.”
Moore said she wasn’t nervous going into the finals match.
“I had all my teammates around me cheering me on and I trusted my skills as a wrestler,” she said. “It felt amazing winning CIF again, especially only being a sophomore.”
Ramona High School junior Giuliana Pekelder won the 155-pound class with a pin over Monte Vista’s Avianna Rios at the San Diego CIF Division 3 Championship Tournament. Pekelder also advances to Masters. (Stephanie Ogilvie)
Ramona High School senior Savanna Diaz won the 115-pound class with a pin over Santana’s Danelly Garcia at the San Diego CIF Division 3 Championship Tournament held at Ramona High School. (Stephanie Ogilvie)
Ramona High School junior Fatima Soto won the 110-pound class with a pin over Imperial High School’s Rosalina Santos-Martinez. Soto advances to Masters. (Stephanie Ogilvie)
Senior Isabella Silva won this year’s Sportsmanship Award at the San Diego CIF Division 3 Championship Tournament held at Ramona High School. (Stephanie Ogilvie)
Placing second in her title match and scoring 18 points toward Ramona High School’s overall total, senior Eden McNett will represent Ramona at the Masters Tournament on Feb.21, held at Eastlake High School. (Stephanie Ogilvie)
Ramona High School senior Isabella Silva placed third at the Feb. 7 San Diego CIF Division 3 Championship Tournament. Silva defeated Santana’s Yaricia Hernandez by major decision and scored 15 points toward Ramona’s overall total. She will advance and represent Ramona at the Masters Tournament on Feb. 21. (Stephanie Ogilvie)
Ramona High School freshman Lyla Chase finished fourth in the 120-pound class and will represent Ramona at this year’s Masters Tournament as an alternate athlete. (Stephanie Ogilvie)
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Ramona High School junior Giuliana Pekelder won the 155-pound class with a pin over Monte Vista’s Avianna Rios at the San Diego CIF Division 3 Championship Tournament. Pekelder also advances to Masters. (Stephanie Ogilvie)
Ramona High School Principal Mike Giaime praised the team’s performance.
“Ramona High School girls wrestling delivered an unforgettable championship finish, rising to the moment and cementing their place in history with consecutive CIF titles,” Giaime said.
Prior to CIF, Ramona had already secured the North County Conference Championship for the first time. Four Bulldogs were crowned North County champions: senior Eden McNett (140), junior Giuliana Pekelder (155), sophomore Robin Moore (235), and Angela Williams (105). Seniors Kaitlyn Peck (190) and Savanna Diaz (115) placed second, junior Fatima Soto placed third (110), and senior Isabella Silva finished fourth (130).
At CIF, Ramona won five of six title matches:
110 class: Junior Fatima Soto – pin over Rosalinda Santos-Martinez (Imperial)
115 class: Senior Savanna Diaz – pin over Danelly Garcia (Santana)
155 class: Junior Giuliana Pekelder – pin over Avianna Rios (Monte Vista)
190 class: Senior Kaitlyn Peck – pin over Yarely Vasquez (Imperial)
235 class: Sophomore Robin Moore – pin over Shyann Barajas (Santana)
Additional placings added key points:
105 class: Sophomore Angela Williams scored 2 points
120 class: Freshman Lyla Chase finished fourth, scoring 11 points
125 class: Freshman Brooke Lockyear gained valuable mat time
130 class: Senior Isabella Silva placed third, scoring 15 points
135 class: Freshman Kieranna Chapman scored 7 points
140 class: Senior Eden McNett finished second, scoring 18 points
The Bulldogs’ championship run was fueled by unity and a strong sense of family. The boys’ team helped set up the gym, ran score tables, assisted referees, reset the mats for title matches, and sat mat-side cheering throughout the finals.
“Girl’s wrestling is still so new, and having Caitlin as our girls coach adds another level of dimension to our program,” boys coach Tyler McKay said. “Our coaching philosophies clicked immediately — we both had a clear vision for what we wanted this program to develop into.
“She relates to our girl wrestlers in a way I cannot, and she brings a reliability and perspective that is invaluable. She is a fighter, a business owner, a mother, and a wife, and she serves as a high-level role model for our athletes.”
Eight members of the girls team will advance to Masters on Feb. 21 at Eastlake High School on the road to the state championships: Soto, Diaz, Pekelder, Peck, Moore, McNett, and Silva, with Lyla Chase serving as an alternate.
“I think it’s amazing that all the seniors on the team placed and will be advancing to Masters,” McNett said.