Pipkins goes for four-peat state title

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Bloomfield High School senior Kira Pipkins, arguably the best girls wrestler in state history, is one win away from winning her fourth state girls wrestling championship.

Pipkins won two matches in the 126-pound weight class in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s state tournament on Sunday, Feb. 26, at Phillipsburg High School. She will face Liliana Zaku-Ramos of Newton/Kittatinny high school in the championship bout at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on Saturday, March 4. 

Pipkins pinned Emma Sagi of Old Bridge High School in 3 minutes, 44 seconds in the quarterfinal, and posted a 10-2 major-decision victory over Stacy Bloomfield of Glen Ridge High School in the semifinals.

Bloomfield High School had four other competitors at the state tournament.

Ahlexa Montalvo, a junior in the 114-pound class, and freshman Saharia Quamina, at the 185-pound class, each took seventh place; sophomore Reno Prochilo took eighth place in the 165-pound class; and sophomore Madelyn McLaughlin took 10th place in the 138-pound class.

Montalvo and Quamina each went 3-2 on the day. Montalvo decisioned Paige Kirk of Ramsey High School 7-4, and Quamina decisioned Nataly Torres-Miron of Jackson Memorial High School 6-2 in their respective seventh-eighth place bouts.

Prochilo was 1-3 on the day. She lost twice to Daniela Palacious of Lakewood High School, including a tough 2-1 decision in the seventh-eighth place bout.

The state tournament consisted of the top four finishers in each weight class from the three region tournaments from the previous weekend. Bloomfield competed at the North 2 region at Union High School on Sunday, Feb. 19.

Earlier this season at the Bergen County tournament in Rockland Community College, Pipkins became the first girls wrestler in state history to record her 100th career victory. Pipkins will continue her career at Columbia University.

All the girls wrestling bouts will be held at Boardwalk Hall on March 4 along with the NJSIAA’s boys state tournament on the final day of the three-day boys tournament.