LAKE MARY - Middleburg High's girls wrestling team continued their streak of top finishes for north Florida programs against the southern Florida powers with an eighth place finish at the Lake Mary Lady Rams Invitational on Saturday.
Led by two time defending 190 state champions three wins to an individual gold at 235, the Lady Broncos scored 78.5 points for their eighth place finish with Hernando the top team at 192.5 in front of Osceola at 177 and Riverdale at 132.5.
For Cruce, who had a first period pin in her first match, then survived a stall-filled second match that she won just 1-0, the finals was a quick second period pin on Harmony's Katelyn Holt, who came in with 19 wins. Cruce's record is at 17-2.
For Sarah Walsh, 18-9 at 110 and a state qualifier at 120 last year, two first period pins and a tech fall 17-1 win got her to the finals against Ponte Vedra's Natalia Choquegonza, a 33-7 senior who was fourth at 115 at state last year, where Walsh lost off a first period pin. Choquegonza, a senior, has been wracking up top three finishes throughout the season; a first at the Ponte Vedra Own the Ocean Invite and a second at the Flagler Rotary in November, and will be a prime target of Walsh for the state championships.
At 100, Lily Bradshaw finished fourth for the Lady Broncos with three pins along the way. After losing her first match and pushing back to consolations, Bradshaw, 20-9, battled to her fourth place finish behind three pins before falling to Riverdale's Gabriella Delapaz, a freshman with a 18-12 record.
Middleburg was top north Florida finisher with Bartram Trail 11th, Ponte Vedra 12th and St. Augustine 14th.