Camp Verde Elementary School fifth-grader Tori Black was named Most Outstanding Wrestler as her team, as well as the local middle school girls, won titles March 5 at the Arizona All-Girls Club Wrestling Championships.
“She’s a hair better every year because it’s a part of our household,” said father Travis Black, head coach of New Breed Wrestling, which won both state titles. “I can’t expect any more. She’s fulfilled all my expectations, and that’s awesome.”
Wrestling in the 90- to 100-pound weight class, Tori Black earned top honors and her third state title by pinning each of her three opponents in the first periods of their matches.
Also wrestling at 95 pounds was Camp Verde Middle School sixth-grader Tessah Uhler — little sister to junior Hayden Uhler, three-time Camp Verde High School state champion — who finished top in the state for the third time.
“Her older brother actually worked with her a lot before this tournament,” said father Jeremy Uhler, CVMS boys wrestling coach. “She keeps her brothers on their toes. She’s catching up to them.”
Another Camp Verde Elementary School fifth-grader, Rowen Wolfe, had two pins in the elementary division before winning her first state championship in the third and final period on points against her 80- to 85-pound opponent.
“She had to work for that one,” Black said. “Rowen wrestled with the boys this year, so she got a little more experience, then just went in there and took care of business.”
The three champions highlighted a day at Camp Verde High School in which 20 of the 33 New Breed wrestlers placed — including 14 in the elementary division with a grand total of four days experience.
“I put a clinic on and only spent a week with them training,” said Black, whose daughter Tori, along with Wolfe, were the only local elementary girls who had ever wrestled State before. “I basically dropped them in and just said, ‘Hey, remember what you learned and go for it.’”
For all Camp Verde results from the girls state wrestling championships, please see the Wednesday, March 23, issues of the Camp Verde Journal and Cottonwood Journal Extra.
