ROSEVILLE, CA (MPG) - Senior Kaydince Silva etched her name in school history books by becoming the first female wrestler from Liberty Ranch to win the prestigious Cliff Keen Women’s West Coast Tournament of Champions, held Dec. 19-20 at the Roebbelen Center in Roseville.

Silva’s championship performance came against a field of more than 1,300 girls and women wrestlers from nearly 200 college, high school and middle-school teams representing states as far away as Indiana and Nebraska. The tournament, the largest women’s wrestling event not connected to a national championship, featured competitors from all levels, including college athletes preparing for the first-ever NCAA championship in women’s wrestling.

“Kaydince winning is huge,” said Liberty Ranch Head Coach Brian Robinson, putting the achievement in perspective. “Our best girl ever before Kaydince was a three-time state qualifier and never got past fifth place.”

The historic victory came on the sport’s biggest stage, with college recruiters in attendance scouting talent. For Silva, a senior with aspirations of wrestling at the collegiate level, the timing couldn’t have been better.

 

Kaydince Silva savors her podium moment.

“We’re giving girls and women the opportunity to wrestle at this level,” said Don Martinez, tournament director and wrestling coach at Sierra College in Rocklin. “You get some great competition, the best against the best.”

Silva navigated through a bracket filled with regional powerhouses and college-level competition to claim the championship, demonstrating the skill and determination that has made her Liberty Ranch’s most decorated female wrestler.

The tournament featured dozens of Sacramento-area teams and hundreds of local wrestlers, from Bear River High School in Grass Valley to regional powerhouses Del Oro in Loomis and Tokay in Lodi, making Silva’s championship run all the more impressive.

As Silva looks ahead to potential college opportunities, her groundbreaking performance at the Cliff Keen Tournament of Champions serves as a calling card, proving she can compete with the best wrestlers on the West Coast.

For Liberty Ranch wrestling, Silva’s victory represents a milestone moment for the program and sets a new standard for future female wrestlers to aspire to reach.