5 Beat the Streets Academy student-athletes win PSAL Girls Freestyle City Championships

Leona Gao won the PSAL Cheryl Wong Most Outstanding Wrestler Award.

Five Beat the Streets Academy student-athletes won titles at the Public Schools Athletic League Girls Freestyle City Championships on Saturday at Harry S. Truman High School in The Bronx.

Leona Gao, Ariana Oliveri, Lanxi Xu, Belen Medina and Isabella Lorenzana all reached the top of the podium. Gao, a freshman, had two technical superiority wins and a fall to claim her title and the PSAL Cheryl Wong Most Outstanding Wrestler Award.

Xu had two falls, a tech and a win by injury default; Medina had two falls and two techs; and Lorenzana had three falls.

Oliveri went 4-0 and as the No. 4 seed was the lowest seed to claim a freestyle title. Oliveri had two falls then upset the No. 1 seed in her bracket with a 12-1 semifinal victory then posted a 10-4 decision over fellow Academy student-athlete and No. 2 seed Joy Murray in the finals.

BTS student-athletes Willa Nawaday, Scleshia Cox and Ana Carolina Lockard also won a title. Nawaday and Lockard each had four falls, while Cox had two falls and a 9-6 decision in the finals.

Lockard, Xu, Medina and Lorenzana were among the double champions, winning city championships in folkstyle and freestyle this year.

(Photo by Sean Jamar)

PSAL Girls Freestyle City Championships

Individual Results

101: Jayla Chen Hom (Petrides) VFA Aracelli Rodriguez (Harry S. Truman), 1:37

109: Lenoa Gao (Brooklyn Tech) VFA Marielys Lugo (Bathgate), 2:06

116: Nanyeli Encinas (Tottenville) VSU1 Madison Tavares (Cardozo), 15-4

123: Ariana Oliveri (Bronx Science) VPO1 Joy Murray (Grover Cleveland), 10-4

130: Lanxi Xu (Francis Lewis) VIN Anel Smanova (James Madison), 4-0 in :49

136: Willa Nawaday (Bronx Science) VFA Nicole Kremyanskiy (James Madison), 1:34

143: Scleshia Cox (James Madison) VPO1 Angela Garcia (Edward R. Murrow)

155: Ana Carolina Lockard (Brooklyn Tech) VFA Jacqueline Jackson (Curtis), 1:30

170: Belen Medina (W.C. Bryant) VFA Leah Nunes (Harry S. Truman), 5:39

191: Greisy Penalo (Bronx Science) VFA Grace Wang (Bronx Science), 1:07

255: Isabella Lorenzana (Francis Lewis) VFA Isabella Decaro (W.C. Bryant), 1:51

Team Scores (Top 5)

1. Harry S. Truman (194.5)

2. Curtis (193.5)

3. Bronx Science (167)

4. Brooklyn Tech (130.5)

5. James Madison (120)

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 New York City urban youth and strengthen the city's 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.