When the dust settled, it was the Las Cruces boys team that emerged with the area’s lone boys medals, led by another statement performance from sophomore standout Kolby Gonzales.
By Levi Gwaltney
Photos and Images: Courtesy
The scale of the Conflict at Cleveland wrestling tournament was impossible to miss. With more than 1,500 wrestlers spread across 13 mats, dozens of brackets packed deep with competitors, and teams arriving ready to test themselves against some of the toughest high school talent in the Southwest, the two-day event sponsored by Cleveland High School and held at the Rio Rancho Event Center delivered exactly what its name promised.
Amid that chaos, four Las Cruces-area programs—Las Cruces, Centennial, Mayfield and Organ Mountain—stood out simply by showing up in force, each sending both boys and girls teams to one of the largest and most demanding tournaments New Mexico sees all season.
When the dust settled, it was the Las Cruces boys team that emerged with the area’s lone boys medals, led by another statement performance from sophomore standout Kolby Gonzales.
Conflict at Cleveland Champion at 165 lbs., Kolby Gonzales experiences rare decision win.
Gonzales captured first place at 165 pounds, continuing a remarkable early career that already includes a state title won as a freshman last season. This time, the road to gold included a rare opportunity to test himself against elite out-of-state competition. In the semifinals, Gonzales faced Wyatt Malara of Thompson Valley, Colorado—a matchup seldom available during the New Mexico season.
Gonzales earned a 6–0 decision, a result notable not for the margin, but for its rarity. Known for controlling matches decisively, Gonzales was pushed into a measured, tactical bout that demanded patience and precision—exactly the kind of experience tournaments like Conflict at Cleveland are designed to provide.
Las Cruces High School’s Carlos Gamboa wrestled at 175 lbs, taking second place at the 2026 Conflict at Cleveland.
Las Cruces added two more boys medals in a format that made every placement feel earned. Carlos Gamboa finished second at 175 pounds, while Alessio Cisneros placed fourth at 215 after navigating one of the most grueling paths in the tournament.
The event used a modified double-elimination format that punished early losses. Wrestlers who dropped into the consolation side often faced the equivalent of two matches per round, needing back-to-back wins just to advance. For athletes like Cisneros, that meant extended mat time, limited recovery, and constant pressure—an exhausting test of both conditioning and resilience.
On the girls side, Centennial and Las Cruces both left their mark in a field as deep as any in the region.
Centennial produced the highest-placing local girls wrestler, with Paige Jorge earning second place at 170 pounds. Jorge’s run ended in the finals when she was pinned at the 3:47 mark by Sandia’s Jaden Meadows, another reminder of the high-level in-state competition woven throughout the tournament. Centennial also saw Nissie Frazier place fourth at 125 and Anahbel Guerrero-Padilla finish eighth at 155.
Las Cruces added two girls medals of its own, with Emberlyn Atma earning fifth place at 110 and Paige Atma placing sixth at 140, contributing to a balanced showing that reflected the program’s continued growth on the girls side.
In a tournament defined by its size, depth, and relentless pace, the local programs didn’t just participate—they competed. From standout underclassmen testing themselves against out-of-state opponents to wrestlers grinding through marathon consolation rounds, Conflict at Cleveland offered a measuring stick few events can match. For the Las Cruces-area teams willing to step onto that stage together, the experience was as valuable as the medals themselves.
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