Destiny Nunez has been getting backhanded compliments since she first placed at the Arkansas wrestling state tournament two years ago.
"They're like, 'You're good for a girl,' " Nunez said. "Well, I don't want to be just compared to girls. I want to be compared to good wrestlers."
The junior from Beebe won't have to worry about that anymore.
Nunez, the No. 3 seed at 106 pounds, beat No. 1 seed Aiden Menchaca of Maumelle 5-2 in Saturday's final at the Jack Stephens Center to win the Class 1A-5A championship. She became the first girl to a win an individual state championship in the seven years the state tournament has been held.
Nunez placed fourth at the state tournament in 2013 and third last year before entering the tournament this year as a No. 3 seed. She pinned No. 3 seed Tommie Lor of Gentry in the quarterfinals and No. 2 seed Noah Forke of Berryville in the semifinals.
She came close to pinning Menchaca in the second period, but instead outlasted the Maumelle freshman for a close decision.
Beebe Coach Jimmy Price said he remembers watching Nunez place two years ago and hearing talk about how big of a deal it was becoming the first girl to do so.
"Now they know, hey, there's a wrestler out there," said Price, who is in his first season as the school's coach. "That's what she wanted. She's earned that respect."
Nunez entered the tournament at 2-0 officially, but that came after she wrestled most of the year at 113 pounds so that Beebe could get another wrestler at 106 pounds and place better in tournaments and duals.
"It makes me feel good about myself," Nunez said. "At the same time, I'm not saying I expected it, but I'm saying I have high goals."
Third time's a charm
Tyson Hume of Woodlawn is a senior and a returning state champion, but he wasn't insulted by his No. 2 seed at 126 pounds in Class 1A-5A.
"I like being the underdog," Hume said.
Hume also realized that freshman Michael Crockett, the No. 1 seed from Pulaski Academy, deserved the seed. Crockett entered the tournament 48-0, including victories over Hume at a tournament in Greenbrier and at a dual in Little Rock.
Hume got the best of him in the last match.
Hume's take-down with about 1:30 left in the third period gave him a 6-5 lead, then he scored two near-fall points to win an 8-5 decision and take the state title.
Hume arrived at Woodlawn from Webbers Falls, Okla., last year when his dad, Dudley, was hired to start the school's wrestling program.
He became the school's first state champion last year and its first two-time state champion with his comeback victory Saturday, one that also avenged his only two losses this season.
"I knew he had the upper hand on me," Humes said. "You just have to have courage and faith in yourself."
Good enough
One of the Arkansas' most dominating high school wrestling careers didn't exactly finish that way Saturday, but Bentonville's Aaron Grigsby could live with an 9-3 decision over Greenwood's Caleb Erskine in the Class 6A-7A 132-pound final.
"It was a little disappointing," Grigsby said. "But, overall, I came ahead and did what I had to do."
Grigbsy's victory, his second this season that went the full six minutes, was the 182nd of his career, a state record.
The senior who will wrestle at Williams Baptist next year entered the state tournament 48-3, with his only losses coming to wrestlers from Missouri.
He pinned North Little Rock's Ashton Crockett in 27 seconds in the first round, pinned Jonesboro's Chance McGuire in the quarterfinals in 55 seconds, and pinned Van Buren's Austin Whittmore in 1:05 in the semifinals.
Grigsby's pin of Whittmore was his 150th of his career, also a state record.
"It just feels good to be done with it," Grigsby said. "On to the college record books now."
Sports on 02/22/2015