9 Beat the Streets students place at 2023 Tyrant Nationals

Six girls and three boys earned top-eight finishes at the tournament.

Nine Beat the Streets high school students placed in the top eight of their weight class at Tyrant Nationals this past weekend in York, Pennsylvania.

The girls team led the way for BTS with six place-winners, including second-place finishes by Leona Gao, Marielys Lugo and Kimberllee Marrero. Lugo recorded two big wins by fall, each under 28 seconds.

Ashanty Peralta (fifth), Lanxi Xu (sixth) and Areti Kokonas (eighth) also earned a top-eight finish. Peralta had two big victories, a 12-2 technical fall and a fall to earn fifth. Xu also posted a technical fall, 11-0.

Three BTS boys students placed in the top six: Christian Solano took third, and Oumar Tounkara and Lukas Zakaidze each claimed sixth. Solano had four victories by fall, including one in 1:03 in his third-place match. Tounkara had a 21-3 technical fall and three falls, while Zakaidze had one fall.

BOYS

3rd: Christian Solano

6th: Oumar Tounkara, Luka Zakaidze

GIRLS

2nd: Leona Gao, Marielys Lugo, Kimberllee Marrero

5th: Ashanty Peralta

6th: Lanxi Xu

8th: Areti Kokonas

Since being founded in 2005, Beat the Streets has pioneered a movement that now includes 150 individual wrestling programs, a youth league and the first girls high school league.

BTS works to develop the full human and athletic potential of the urban youth and strengthen the New York City wrestling culture. BTS aims to make a lifelong impact on student-athletes through the lessons learned on the wrestling mat -- discipline, perseverance, self-reliance, humility and a strong work ethic. Discover how you can make a meaningful contribution to BTS' work at btsny.org/donate.