Whitman Wins Again: Kelani Ramos is a Pinning Machine

Whitman's second-ranked sophomore Kelani Ramos spent less than two minutes on the mat while decking all seven of her opponents in a combined 1:52 to win her 105-pound weight class of The Pat Briscoe Memorial Tournament for girls at runner-up Parkside last weekend.

"This is a historic moment for our school," said Ramos, who earned pins in nine, 12, 17, 24, 27, 30 and 33 seconds, the last in her championship match with Parkside senior Logan Newton. "I am deeply proud of how we have grown the girls' wrestling program at Whitman from Ground Zero to dominating our first girls' tournament of the season."

Ramos was joined on the victory podium by sophomore Dorothy Velez (100), sophomore Yoki Shiferaw (235), juniors Sophie Krause (120) and Isabelle Delgado (130) and freshman Kohme Yamazaki (115) among eight finalists and 10 top-four place-winners as the Vikings (349.5 points) overcame the host and second-place Rams (284) as well as the rest of the 14-team field.

"I'm incredibly grateful to be part of it with the unconditional support of my teammates and coaches who have made all of this possible," Ramos said. "Our Lady Vikes competed relentlessly and with determination. Every wrestler supported one another and we fought through every match together."

Whitman also received runner-up finishes from eighth-ranked junior Sydney Kantor (125) and freshman Giulia Bastos (135) as well as third- and fourth-place efforts from sophomores Maya Harada (145) and Aanya Palety (140).

The Rams crowned fourth-ranked senior Mable Woodgeard (125), who decked Kantor at 3:25 of their title match to go along with pins at 50, 59 and 79 seconds as well as at 3:32 of her five falls.

"Our girls are so young. We only have one senior, and she's not even in the lineup right now. I'm so proud of our girls and their performances as a team. They work hard and they are learning quickly from each other during practices," said 19th-year Vikings' coach Derek Manon. "I'm proud of our team's camaraderie. It's great to see them cheer so hard for their teammates' success. They cheer for each other so much and they are always right along the mat when their teammates are wrestling. They're recognizing that hard work pays off."

Delgado earned falls in 16 and 32 seconds to go along with those in 3:38 over runner-up junior Nestaline Charles of Parkside and in 4:18 against fourth-place finishing sophomore Shiza Gondal of Easton.

"We have come so far. It's crazy to see how much our team has grown from having only four girls my freshman year to now be at 22-and counting this year," said Delgado, who went distance for an 18-11 decision over third-place winning freshman Emma Harper of Snow Hill.

"To win our first-ever girls' tournament with a full lineup was incredible. No one failed to cheer on their teammates whether they were winning or losing. Seeing Whitman having the highest team scores showed how much all of our hard work has paid off."

Shiferaw earned four pins, including those at 28 seconds of her title match with Wicomico sophomore Ella Snead and at 56 seconds of her victory over fourth-place finisher Natalie Moore of Hampton.

Shiferaw also took 2:13 to flatten third-place winning sophomore Jayla Sterling of Seaford and 2:22 to finish off sixth-place finisher Mahaella Michel of Parkside.

"My favorite thing about our girls' team is the energy we all have. I think we have the cutest bond ever," Shiferaw said. "No matter who is wrestling, there is always a group of girls sitting on the side of the mat, screaming and cheering and ready to help."

Velez won her title by 9-7 decision over Parkside junior Caitlyn Terrell after having registered four of her five falls in the first period. Velez nailed pins in 20, 31 and 80 seconds to go with those at the 1:52 and 2:19 marks.

Krause exhibited her mastery over the second- and third-place finishers, decking runner-up senior Mariana Morales-Chan of Nandua in 15 seconds after having taken 65 seconds to finish off Easton freshman Elissa Melendez.

Yamazaki won a three-way tie based on bonus points, finishing ahead of runner-up Isabella Di Peppe of Henrico and third-place finishing Stephanie Cruz-Vargas of Nandua. Yamazaki pinned Di Peppe in 3:28, but was decked in 4:42 by Cruz-Vargas, who in turn lost to Di Peppe by 10-2 major decision.

Yamazaki also earned a fall in 5:37 against senior Emma Loos of Snow Hill, who placed fourth, in addition to winning by pins in 11, 14 and 23 seconds as well as by 15-0 technical fall.

"Being part of the first Whitman girls' wrestling team and to watch it grow has been something I will never take for granted," Kantor said. "Whether through hard-fought pins or cheering from the sidelines, we earned this win at Parkside together. This is just the start of us making history at Whitman."

Wicomico's fifth-ranked senior Iyanna Graves (145) earned falls in 45 and 74 seconds and another in 1:55 before scoring a 17-2 technical fall in her title match with Parkside sophomore Rickelle Simpson-Henry.

Colonel Richardson's champion Estelle Lima (190) won by falls in 36, 39 and 68 seconds, the last in her championship bout with Briena Thorpe of Hampton.