Seaford's Ashley Diaz first female LI wrestler to reach county final
Ashley Diaz of Seaford, left, competes at 118 pounds during the Nassau Division II wrestling finals at Cold Spring Harbor on Saturday. Credit: James Escher
Ashley Diaz became the first female wrestler in Long Island history to advance into a sectional final.
The Seaford junior stormed into the 118-pound final at Nassau’s Division II tournament by way of two decisions earlier on Saturday.
Senior Jack Parise of Carle Place put the brakes on Diaz’s historic run by pinning her in 1:10 of the championship bout Saturday night at Cold Spring Harbor High School.
“She had an amazing run in the county tournament,” Seaford coach Dave Takseraas said. “She has been doing some incredible things for our wrestling program. She’s disappointed but very proud of what she’s done.”
Parise was a county runner-up last year at 118 pounds. He fell to the four seed in this year’s sectional tournament after missing time because of injury. That cost him points during the seeding process.
“He got a takedown and got a half in deep on her for the pin,” said Takseraas, who has been the Vikings head coach for 10 years but with the program for the past 22. “Ashley had never wrestled Parise before. He was much stronger and overpowered her.”
Diaz's path to the final went through freshman Aiden Zavlunov of Wheatley and the two seed Sonny Consolazio, a junior from Locust Valley. She beat Zavlunov in a quarterfinal bout, 10-4, and then decisioned Consolazio in the semifinal round, 8-4.
“Consolazio beat her twice this season, once by pin and once by decision,” Takseraas said. “She beat him for the first time in three meetings. She turned him to his back in the second period and really wrestled a smart match.”
Takseraas said Diaz, who has a record of 24-19, has reached milestones all season.
“She’s the first girl to make All-County in Nassau history,” he said. “Everything she’s done has been a first. The first girl in our school to get a win. The first to win a tournament. The first to win the girls-only state tournament. And she has more firsts to come.”
Perhaps one of her biggest moments came at the state Division II dual meet tournament.
The Seaford-Saugerties dual meet was coming down to the final bout at 118 pounds.
Diaz came away with a 14-3 major decision over Savannah Tittelback to clinch the win for the Vikings, 36-28.
“She’s been a big contributor,” Takseraas said. “She’s been great.”
Diaz still has one hurdle for next year — to qualify for the state tournament. She was pinned in the wrestle-off for the true second place by Island Trees junior Jefrey Trejo-Pachecho in 5:58 for a spot on the Nassau sectional team.
“She’s OK,” Takseraas said. “She was winning 6-4 late in the third period and got caught and pinned. And she’s still recognized as the county runner-up.”
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
