Shyra Randle makes wrestling history at Natomas High
Senior's last-seconds reversal claims tournament crown
Shyra Randle became the first girls wrestler in Natomas High School history to capture a Sac-Joaquin Section crown Saturday night, using a stunning reversal in the final seconds to break a tie in the 155-pound title match in Stockton.
Randle, a senior, defeated Kate Luzuriaga of powerhouse Del Oro High School, 13-11, to conclude a 5-0 run in the two-day Section Masters tournament. After the victory, with her Natomas teammates screaming throughout Adventist Health Arena, Randle jumped into the arms of head coach Marcus Young.
“I feel like all my hard work paid off,” said the champion wrestler, who advanced to the CIF California State Wrestling Championships in Bakersfield, held Thursday through Saturday. “I’m really glad I pulled through because it was kind of a close match. I was kind of scared. I was really tired.”
Randle previously qualified for the state championships as a sophomore, but missed the event last season after being disqualified before the second day of the Section Masters for not making her required weight. This week put those memories to rest.
“I saw Shyra peek up at the screen and realize that she was tied,” Young recalled of the pivotal final seconds of the title match, when Luzuriaga was in the advantaged position and overtime seemed inevitable. Instead, Randle used her hands to rise to her feet, then spun out of Luzuriaga’s hold and into an advantaged position of her own for the two-point reversal and 13-11 victory.
“Just like we drew it up,” Young said with a laugh.
“I literally said, ‘Ooooh!!!’ and ‘Ahhhh’ in my head. She took care of business.”
Young, in his second season as head coach, is assisted by daughters Renée, Raquel and Monique Young on the girls’ team, and son Marcus Young on the boys’ team. All four of his kids wrestled at Natomas High. Raelen Bruce is also a boys assistant.
“I couldn’t be more proud of Shyra,” said Renée, who sat in Randle’s corner with her father for the championship match. “She’s continued to grow and grow and grow and surprise us every day. It shows that she is dedicated to her coaches as much as we are dedicated to her. She’s one of those girls that’s always wanting to work with coaches longer, stay longer and just really put in that extra work.”
Natomas placed 14th in the girls tournament and 64th in boys. Inderkum High of north Natomas placed 48th in girls and 43rd in boys.
In other Natomas girls action, sophomore Kaylee Kearns (105-pound division) received a first-round bye because of her runner-up finish at the section regionals, and won her second-round match before losing in the quarterfinals; junior AnnA’LiciA Rendel (115 pounds) won her first-round match, lost in the second, and then won two consolation matches; sophomore Alma Gutierrez (170 pounds) won a consolation match; junior Manaat Kumari (145 pounds) and senior Nayeli Ramos (130 pounds) each went 0-2.
For Natomas boys, sophomore Santiago Villa (113 pounds) and senior Eduardo Hernadez-Avila (285 pounds) each won two consolation matches. Hernandez-Avila injured his ankle during his final consolation-round match, a painful end to his stellar wrestling and football career at Natomas High.
But Saturday night belonged to Randle, the senior who can’t even tell you her season record. The losses are easy to count. There are none. It’s the wins she lost track of.
Randle says she’s “not a very serious person” off the mat. On match day, things change.
“As soon as she locks in and her music is on (in her headphones), there’s no breaking that,” Renée explains. And once the headgear is strapped on, forget about it.
“You can’t get her out of focus. When her match is up, she’s ready to go.”