State champions: Valley Stream North girls wrestling's Naomi Gonzalez, Bellport's Aaliyah Morrow

ALBANY — Naomi Gonzalez had been close before. But she never quite reached the mountaintop.

In the state invitational tournaments in 2023 and 2024, Gonzalez took second and sixth, respectfully. She placed third at the inaugural girls wrestling state tournament last year.

The Valley Stream North senior had one last shot and for a moment, it looked like it was slipping away.

Gonzalez was taken down to her back by reigning 235-pound champion Peyton Mullin of Dundee early in the first period, but avoided the pin to stay alive.

“Honestly, in my head I’m like, ‘I’ve kind of got this,’” Gonzalez said. “I felt like I’ve been through worse. We were screamed at the whole three weeks of practice leading up to this to not be scared and don’t panic.”

She didn’t.

When they returned to their feet, Gonzalez took Mullin down with a front headlock and secured the pin in 1:22 to claim the 235-pound state championship Thursday evening at MVP Arena.

SEE PHOTOSGirls wrestling state championships

“My heart was beating like crazy,” Gonzalez said. “I can’t even explain it. It’s surreal.”

Second-seeded Gonzalez, who has been wrestling since she was 3 years old, dominated the tournament. She had the most pins in the least time with four in 3:39.

“I went in this match saying, ‘Win or lose, this the last match of my high school career,’” Gonzalez said. “I was like, ‘I better give it my all and if I don’t, that’s on me.’ So, I just went out and did what I do best. I just wrestled.”

Morrow claims gold

Bellport senior Aaliyah Morrow knew what it was like to wrestle in the state final — she was pinned in last year’s 152-pound title match.

She ran through the tournament this year.

The top seed won an 8-0 decision over No. 6 Ja’Niyah Simmons of Canandaigua to claim the 152-pound title.

“After my loss last year, it made me work so much harder this year,” Morrow said. “I was so close and I was just working all year, thinking about getting pinned in the finals last year.”

Following her win, she took Bellport coach Joe Scioli down with a lat drop to celebrate.

“I’m 42, so I’m starting to slow down a little bit, but she demonstrated good control and took me through safely,” Scioli said. “We were really happy with her performance throughout the tournament and we’re super proud of her. She’s a great kid.”

Morrow picked up three technical falls in 2:03 on her way to the final.

“I haven’t been wrestling for the longest time, but I’ve just had the best support system and coaches that believed in me every day,” Morrow said. “It just means so much to me. It’s been a goal for a long time.”

Bellport, which won last year’s team competition, took second with 81 points. Shenendehowa won the title with 102 points.

Porcelli falls in final

Rocky Point junior Katie Porcelli simply ran into a buzz saw. The No. 3 seed lost, 10-0, by technical fall to top-seeded Charlie Wylie of Port Jervis in the 107-pound final. Wylie, a two-time champ and Lehigh commit, is one of the top wrestlers in the country.

In the quarterfinals, Porcelli found herself in a rematch of the Suffolk County championship match with East Islip’s Alicia Cardona. Two weeks ago, the match ended tied at 8-8, but Cardona won on criteria.

Porcelli left no doubt this time. She pinned Cardona as time expired in the first period to advance to the semifinals.

Porcelli’s teammate, Julianna Hernandez, who won last year’s 126-pound title, was upset in the quarterfinals by No. 8 Gabriella Franklin (Glens Falls). Top-seeded Hernandez led 6-2 in the second period before Franklin tied it up with a feet-to-back takedown. Franklin scored another takedown with 18 seconds left.

For the second year in a row, the Newfield sophomore, who wrestles for Rocky Point, returned from an ankle injury she suffered earlier in the season.

By Matt Lindsay

matt.lindsay@newsday.com@mattlinds19

Matt Lindsay is a high school sports reporter who joined Newsday in 2022 after graduating from Stony Brook University.