Two times a champion

By Neil H. Devlin, Mullen Sports Information Director
Soph Antillon wins her 2nd straight wrestling title.
 
THORNTON -- Alina Antillon is a good girl with goals, so don’t get in her way.

You’ll get trampled … pinned, actually, as Mullen’s lone girls wrestler is managing the mats as if she owns them.

On a long Saturday at a shortened Colorado tournament after a much-needed snowstorm, Antillon won her second consecutive weight-class title. The Mustangs sophomore pinned Montrose’s Kiersten Myers in 3 minutes, 4 seconds to claim the 136-pound championship held at a crowded Thornton High School.

Antillon capped her second prep season in style – she finished 31-0 and won her four bouts on Saturday with a technical fall and three pins, and said she simply wanted to do this season what she did the last one along with getting a little better.

“Really, nothing,” she said when asked if there was a difference between her two years that have produced a 51-1 record. “You just put in the work to get the results. I had last year to build off of and with the way the competition has improved, it’s more experienced.”

Said Mullen coach John Howes: “Yeah, nothing fancy, she just goes out there doing what she has done all year ... two times in a row is pretty good.”

Antillon has defeated Myers three times. In front of a support system that included family and male Mustangs wrestlers, she quickly grabbed a 5-0 lead, forced Myers into an injury timeout and completed the match just apst the halfway mark of the second period.

In between her opening-round technical fall at 15-0 (in 4:33) and title fall, Antillon earned falls in 1:10 and 2:46.

“You’d think she was out there throwing hay bales,” Howes said in referring to her strength. The coach is particularly pleased that Antillon “listens to me” and that her best positon “is on her feet. She doesn’t bounce around; she keeps her position.”

Said Antillon: “Yeah, obviously, I work on my weaknesses from last year … finishing my shots … my best position is when I’m (upright).”

Not afraid to admit that she wants to win every match she enters, Antillon certainly is aware of her opportunities as well as those of her opponents. Girls wrestling just completed what was termed as a pilot program and will welcome sanctioning in the next two-year cycle.

Winning twice during the pilot program would be a nice prelude to grabbing titles in the first two years of official recognition, but the straight-A student intent on entering the Ivy League knows not to get ahead of herself.

Wrestling is a sport that demands it.

“That’s always the goal,” Antillon said, “just do whatever is necessary (to win). That’s been my goal since coming in to high school, winning four.”

And she said she’ll especially enjoy having her sport joining the sanctioned ranks with her as a part of it in it sfirst year.

“It’s definitely great for girls wrestling in Colorado,” Antillon said. “So just being able to see the competition improve and the sport grow for girls, I definitely want to compete in that.”
 
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