CYPRESS — By the time wrestling concluded Friday, McAllen Memorial’s Serenity De La Garza had gotten hurt and her sister Eternity De La Garza had gotten angry.
Their results, however, were pretty much the same as all year, each winning their two matches by pins and advancing to today’s semifinal round of the UIL state wrestling tournament at the Berry Center.
Serenity, the top-ranked Class 5A wrestler in the state according to wrestlingtexas.com, improved to 29-0 with 29 pins after taking down Frisco’s Destiny Simms (38-8) in 5 minutes, 5 seconds — the longest match of Serenity’s season — and then pinning Jaden Culifer (35-4) of Amarillo Caprock in 2:00.
During her first match, Serenity said something “popped near her collarbone,” and she ended up at the hospital before her second match. She was visibly uncomfortable during that second match, even though she steamrolled through it
“During my first match, I was trying to get a chicken wing on her and she jerked and I popped something in my collarbone,” she said. “It was hurting and I got scared for this match and thought I wasn’t gonna be able to do it, but I did fine.
“I kept thinking, ‘Just one more (match) today.’ Now it’s rest, ice and get something to eat.”
Eternity, who improved to 30-1 with pins of New Waverly’s Beverly Brock (22-8) in 4:21 and Burleson Centennial’s Brijatte Garcia (37-6) in 2:59, said a key to her year was staying focused.
Garcia, however, got “into my head a little and I was a little nervous,” Eternity said. “She just kept moving and kept slapping me and I haven’t had a girl like that and it scared me a little bit.”
Her response, however, was epic.
“She got me mad,” she said. “And I got my head straight. Now I feel good. I’m going to the second day.”
Eternity said she was also hungry after a long day.
“I want some pizza and wings,” she said, before pointing to her sister and teammate, Maya Marroquin. “But they won’t let me.”
“I just want the gummies. They are so good,” Serenity responded. “They keep my energy up.”
Eternity will face Midlothian freshman Eve Smith (28-11), while Serenity will wrestle Fricso Reedy Senior Hadley Snyder (31-3), the Region II champion.
“I feel good. I’m a little faster when it comes to things this year,” Serenity said. “Last year I didn’t feel ready. This year, I feel ready to kick some butt.”