PARADISE, CA (MPG) – Competing at the 2026 NSCIF Division III/IV Wrestling Championships hosted by Paradise High School on Valentine’s Day, wrestlers from the Pierce and Williams squads made big strides as they qualified for the Northern Section Championship Tournament at Shasta College in Redding that starts today and runs through tomorrow.
Pierce had the largest contingent advance to the meet, seeing eight move on, while Williams will send four to the competition.
In the biggest moment for the Bears, Grace Szmurlo made school history, becoming their first ever division champion after she secured a huge upset in the semifinals then went on to win her title match.
Kiana Alvarez and Quin Stephens both finished second in their respective weight classes, while Rylie Delepierre registered multiple upsets on her way to a third place finish.
Additional qualifiers for Pierce were Miguel Hernandez, Jordan Arens, Chase Friel and Ailize Saavedra.
In another significant accomplishment, the Pierce girls took third in the team competition, falling just a half point short of second place.
Meanwhile, Williams also made a strong showing with Lupita Flores taking second place at 112 pounds then had a trio including
Julian Camarena, Rafael Moreno and Jose Valdez all qualify for the section meet as well, with fourth place finishes in their respective divisions.