GREEN COVE SPRINGS - For the past three years, as the Middleburg High girls wrestling team built a reputation of strong, tough grappling, it was a core roster group of four wrestlers—graduated Cheyenne Cruce and present seniors Sarah Walsh, Lily Bradshaw and Memphis Moses—that comprised a formidable mat presence for coach Jamie Harrison and got a district title and Clay Rotary title last year.

And their own nickname: "The Four Amigas."

"It's pretty good for a team to have a band of leaders to jump start a roster," said Harrison, who has molded the Lady Broncos into a squad that could possibly get a top three finish at the 2026 state meet. "They push each other, train tough together and make everyone else in the room accountable. It's very well known that this team is all home grown. We don't have a bunch of transfers."

Down in Lake Gibson, Oakleaf High's Kailani Barrientos got her 100th career win with an individual title in that tournament.

At the Clay Rotary, with Cruce now at Lindsey Wilson University in Kentucky, the fourth Amiga may have presented herself with the departure of two-time state champion Cruce, as freshman 115 pounder Fallon Dames has emerged as a fourth formidable battled for Harrison.

"Fallon could definitely fill the role as the fourth 'amiga' but don't forget we have great girls at the upper end of the roster with Toni Silcox maybe making this year a fifth Amiga.

At the 2026 Clay Rotary Invitational, held Saturday at Clay High School, Middleburg dominated to a 188-81 team title over Fletcher High with Riverside third at 75 points. Dames was named Outstanding Wrestler for her individual title at 120 with three first period pins.

The Broncos ran up the point score with individual titles to Dames (120), Bradshaw (105), Moses (115), Walsh (135) and Baker (235).

"Just remember, Toni Silcox missed weight by a hair and wrestled down with Lilly and both were in the final," Harrison said. "That would give us five tough wrestlers in a row. We have a full team and don't forget Baker at 235 (Kailey Baker)."

Dames and Walsh have both quickly presented themselves as a force for the Broncos on a state level with thirds at the Osceola Knockout Invitational and a third-place finish last week at the Wonder Woman Invite in Columbus, Missouri for Dames against a plethora of Midwest-strong wrestlers, a second at Knockout and a third at Wonder Woman for Walsh.

"When the girls from Oklahoma came out, I was like, 'Oh my, those girls are huge, strong and intimidating,'" Harrison said. "I told our two girls, Fallon and Sarah, to just wrestle their own match and don't worry about what they look like. It was tough and we came home with medals."

The duo of Walsh and Dames has become one of Harrison's pet projects with the pair normally training together despite Walsh holding a 15-pound advantage.

"I roll a lot with Sarah and just keep learning more and more from here," said Dames, who came to Middleburg amid a childhood basket of national tournaments as a pre-high school wrestler. "I started at about fifth grade, probably 11 years old, with the Creeks club. My brother, Truman, got me started."

For Walsh, Dames is a solid fourth Amiga with Cruce gone in one aspect.

"Now we don't have to wait the entire meet to get the final win with Cheyenne graduated," said Walsh, who recently committed to wrestling next fall at Felician University (NCAA Div. II) in Rutherford, New Jersey, who just started their wrestling program this year. "We get a big bunch of team points early in the meet and just keep building. Kailey (Baker) has also become a solid wrestler at 235."

Walsh's success, she noted, was a change of mental attitude.

"I just worked to improve my mindset when things get tough on the mat," Walsh said. "I don't get rattled so much as before, I think, I try to keep pushing hard. I lost at Wonder Woman to a three-time Wisconsin champion but only lost by a few points."

For Bradshaw, the thought of leaving Dames after graduation was one thing she didn't want to think about.

"She's going to be great for the next four years and we're leaving her," Bradshaw said. "They will have to make another bunch of Amigas next year, but I'm sure we'll be around."

Middleburg piled on the points with seconds from Lorena Chaput at 140 and Toni Silcox at 105. Silcox lost in her final to teammate Lily Bradshaw. Middleburg got thirds from Juliette Delgado at 100, Kadyn Parker at 110 and Riley Toomey at 135.

Other area wrestlers in the girls Clay Rotary included Orange Park: De'Lise Hutchinson at 140, Mikayla Brunson at 120 and Westynn Bresler, second at 100.
Ridgeview wrestled four girls: Cailyn Crocker at 125, Shyann Schioppa fourth at 120, Sophia Kendrick at 130 and Thalia Rodriguez at 100.

Fleming Island had Auryanna Phelps at 135, Kailyn Rogers fourth at 155, Keightlin Goodson fourth at 190, Leilah Carter first at 125 and Mila Quezada at 170. Clay had Angeline Kiss Dominguez fourth at 125, Cadence Riddle at 110, Lanie Bryant second at 130, and Madison Skatkyvich and Tyese Cox at 120.

Cruce at Lindsey Wilson

On Dec. 13, Middleburg High two-time state champion wrestler Cheyenne Cruce, now a freshman at Lindsey Wilson University in Kentucky, registered a first period pin for the No. 5 ranked in NAIA Blue Raiders who won a 5-0 Dual Match at the Berg Holiday Duals in Ohio.

In a 36-12 win over Otterbein College, Cruce got her first period pin in the final match of the dual. Cruce is in the 207 weight class with Lindsey Wilson sophomore Hayeni Costa, ranked fourth in NAIA.

Lindsey Wilson is currently 24-7 in season play.