Carina Rivera’s wrestling career started with her seeing a sign on a classroom door as a sophomore.
Nearly three years later, Rivera, who had never wrestled before, concluded her high school career as the most decorated girls wrestler in Nutley history.
This weekend at the NJSIAA Girls Wrestling State Championships, Rivera finished eighth in the 185 pound weight class. With that, Rivera became the first two-time medal winner for girls wrestling in Nutley history.
Rivera’s second medal is the latest addition to a resume that has raised the bar for Nutley’s girls wrestling program.
“She evolved, she learned, she listened and she did whatever we asked her to do (to get better),” head coach Mike DiPiano said. “She bought in and got better at it year by year.
“She’s proof that if you’re willing to put the work in and listen, you can accomplish great things.”
With 80 wins, she graduates as the program’s career wins leader. Rivera also placed three times in the North 1 Region and was an Essex County champion.
Last year, as a junior, Rivera finished seventh at 165 pounds.
“Mariah (Koster) was the first one (to medal in 2022) and then Isabella Bobadilla last year ended with 70-plus career wins and she placed last year,” head coach Mike DiPiano said. But Carina’s going to end as a three-time region place winner, a county champ, and a two-time state place winner. It’s a big deal. She finished with 80 career wins and she didn’t wrestle her freshman year.”
Rivera’s tournament run on Thursday started with a 4-1 decision over Hunterdon Central’s Madilyn Rios. However, in the quarterfinals later that day, Rivera was pinned by Paris Ford of Rancocas Valley.
The next day, Rivera won her first wrestleback, defeating Keyra Huastilian of Hightstown by a 2-0 decision to ensure a return trip to the medal stand. Rivera later lost by pin to Brianna Sandoval of Bound Brook by pin, then, in the seventh place match, dropped a 4-3 decision to Vernon’s Rowan Waite.
It marked the third time in four years that Nutley had a state medalist in girls wrestling, a trend that DiPiano expects to continue because of the example set by Rivera, who previously had a background in martial arts.
“We’d like to continue to bring people to Atlantic City,” said DiPiano. “We’re going to continue to and we’re to continue to get medals down there. That’s the goal.
“We hope people that are in the building and seventh and eighth graders look at Carina and say ‘Carina just saw a sign on a classroom and inquired about wrestling and ended up being good at it. We’re hoping more girls take a leap of faith like Carina did.”
While Rivera was the only one of Nutley’s four wrestlers to leave Atlantic City on the medal stand, the weekend proved to be a valuable experience. For freshman Michelle Gavilanes as well as Nutley boys wrestling standouts Aidan Rotbaum, a sophomore, and freshman Louis DellaVolpe, it was their first appearances in the state championships.
Gavilanes, at 138 pounds, dropped her opening match to North Brunswick’s Gabrille Roberts by fall. Gavilanes’ tournament run ended with a defeat to Ecrin Haliloglu of Delran to finish her rookie season with 28 wins.
On the boys side, DellaVolpe was defeated by Bergen Catholic’s Sowzrawca Tsay by a 4-3 decision in the first round of the 150 pound tournament. DellaVolpe won his 39th match of the year when he pinned Logan Kahrs of Burlington Township in the first wrestleback, but saw his tournament run end with a loss by decision to Ridgewood’s Charles Shaddow.
At 157 pounds, Rotbaum’s tournament run started on a rough note when he was pinned by Christian Brothers’ Brendan Boyer. In the wrestlebacks, Rotbaum defeated Dylan Jones of Cranford for his 37th win of the season before falling to Delsea’s Riley Boos.
“All three of them (are underclassmen) so we’re not upset about the weekend,” DiPiano said. “Michelle has big goals for her future. So do Louis and Aidan. Being there this year, everybody winning a match is a big deal. It’s going to get them better.”
DellaVolpe and Rotbaum headline a group of seven regional qualifiers who are set to return next season,so DiPiano expects to send an even bigger contingent to Atlantic City in the years to come.
“The goals have changed for next year,” DiPiano said. “The goals are different and we want to punch four, or five or six tickets to Atlantic City next year. That goal starts tomorrow for some of these kids.”
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Bloomfield once again had a strong showing during the Girls Wrestling Championship, as three Bengals returned home as medal winners. Junior Saharia Quamina took second at 235 pounds, junior Leanna Noel finished third at 132, and senior Madelyn McLaughlin ended her career with a fifth place finish at 126.
Reno Prochillo and Lesley Sanchez as well as heavyweight Gabriel McCulloch on the boys side, competeted, but did not medal.
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Jason Bernstein | Observer Sports Writer
Jason Bernstein joined The Observer as its sports writer in March 2022, following the retirement of Jim Hague. He has a wealth of sports-writing experience, including for NJ Advance Media (nj.com, The Jersey Journal, The Star-Ledger.)