Two Malden/Everett Co-op wrestlers finish state runner-ups at MIAA Division 1 State Meet

Vo, Hounain will compete in Girls All-State Meet Sat.; Malden/Everett finishes ranked #6 in Massachusetts – highest Girls Wrestling season mark ever for MHS

By Steve Freker

Two local varsity wrestlers just missed in their bid for the ultimate prize – an MIAA Division 1 State Championship. Competing in the Girls Division States, sophomore Katelynn Vo and junior Nora Hounain both battled their way into their respective Championship Final match – only to fall just short of the title win. Both Malden/Everett/Greater Boston League Co-op Varsity Wrestling Team members finished State Championship runner-up in their respective weight classes.

In addition, due to the two wrestlers’ fantastic performances, Malden/Everett/GBL Girls Division finished with their highest ranking in school history – since girls’ rankings started in 2021 – sixth overall in Mass. For their efforts, both Vo, a Malden High School sophomore, and Hounain, a MHS junior, earned berths in this weekend’s MIAA All-State Meet. The All-State Meet is being held at Salem (Mass.) High School.

Hounain competed in the 165-lb. Division. Because there were just two girls competing, she and her opponent Amada Moundele of Lowell High School went after it in the State Final. Moundele captured the 165-lb. State Championship by pinning Hounain at 1:09 of the first period.

Seeded fourth at 120 lbs., Vo pinned Natalie Barney of Framingham just 22 seconds into her first match to advance to the Finals versus Adriana Groat, also of Framingham. Groat, just a freshman, pinned Vo 1:06 into the first period to claim the 120-lb. State Championship.

Even though the two Malden/Everett/GBL wrestlers did not break through to the pinnacle State Championship win, the pair certainly made their community and team proud. “It was an amazing run,” first-year Malden/Everett/GBL Head Coach Kevin Isaza told the Advocate. “Both girls worked so hard all season and they deserved a shot at the State Title.”

Coach Isaza said that both Vo and Hounain had registered close to 20 victories each this season. “They wrestled against boys in a lot of our matches and tournaments.”

“Katelynn had some great battles at 120 versus some experienced boy and girl wrestlers, so did Nora,” the Malden coach added.

This is believed to be the first time in history that two GBL wrestlers will be competing in the MIAA All-State Meet. In 2019, when Yohan Costa won the Girls State Championship and her sister finished State Runner-up, the sister opted not to compete in All-States. Another Malden High female wrestler, Corynne McNulty, won the State Championship at 127 lbs. in 2022. She also excelled at the National Level in private meets.

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Pair of Malden/Everett/GBL wrestlers set for All-States

  Katelynn Vo and Nora Hounain are set to compete in tomorrow’s MIAA All-State Meet, which is set for 9:00 a.m. at Salem High School. Vo is Division 1’s #2 seed at 120 lbs. in the Girls Division and will wrestle Sadie Hermann of Holliston High in the first round of the quarterfinals. Hermann is Division 3’s fourth seed.

In the 165 lbs. class, Hounain is the second seed in Division 1. In first-round action, she will match up with the top seed in Division 3, Megan Wiebe of Sharon High School. Amada Mounele, who eliminated Hounain in the Division 1 States, is the weight class top seed at 165 lbs.

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Everett’s Argueta competed in MIAA States at 285 lbs.

Malden/Everett/GBL’s Kevin Argueta, an Everett High School student, competed in the MIAA Division 1 State Wrestling Tournament.

Argueta, the Division 1 Central fourth seed, was pinned by Alex Bajoras of St. John’s Prep at 46 seconds of the first round. Bajoras was the top seed of Division 1 North.

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Malden/Everett/GBL wrestlers in D1 Central-Metro Sectionals

A number of Malden/Everett/GBL wrestlers competed in the Division 1 Central-Metro Sectional Tournament on February 10 at Newton South.

At 106 lbs., Christopher Seccareccio was pinned by Aryav Pimrale (Lexington) at 1:27 of the first period. In his second match he was defeated by Takuto Nakamura of Arlington in a 13-4 decision. Pimrale eventually won the Sectional Title, defeating Nakamura by pin in the final.

At 113 lbs., Malden/Everett/GBL’s Maria Luisa Medeiros was pinned by Arlington’s Cedric Daniels in the first round and then was pinned by Jack Williams of Lexington. Daniels won the Sectional Title.

At 126 lbs., Kenneth Wong won his first match, pinning Joseph Clark of Concord-Carlisle. He then was pinned by Lexington’s Dillon Noonan in the second period, before falling to Julian Riccio of Brookline, 13-8.

At 132 lbs., David Parada Araujo pinned Samuel Brook of Concord-Carlisle in his first match, then he was pinned in the first round by Isaac Bitran of Brookline in the first period. Parada Araujo then eliminated Luke Coelho of Belmont. The Malden/Everett/GBL wrestler was then eliminated by Robert Bobocea of Needham.

At 136 lbs., James Montello lost his first two matches and was eliminated.

At 190 lbs., Carlos Jiminez won his first two matches before being eliminated with two losses.