Photos by Chuck Kirman / Star staff Pacifica High's Sabrina Gonzales, top, wrestles against Pioneer Valley's Julia Veglia in a 103-pound match at Pacifica High on Wednesday night. Gonzales, a senior co-captain, won her match in the dual meet against the school from Santa Maria.

Jasmine Duron is used to eliciting cheers as a varsity cheerleader at Pacific High, but nothing raises her spirits like success atop the wrestling mat.

"There's no feeling that compares to having the referee raise your hand at the end of the match," says the senior co-captain for the Pacifica girls' wrestling team.

Duron got another rush on Wednesday night, and helped make history in the process, when she registered a pin during the Tritons' dual meet with Santa Maria-Pioneer Valley at the Pacifica High gymnasium.

The fall, at 2:24 of her match against Jen Velasquez, couldn't deter the outcome. Pioneer Valley rallied with pins in the final three bouts to score a 33-26 victory over its host.

In the end, the verdict was overshadowed by the event.

By hosting a three-way dual meet competition that included Santa Maria-Righetti High, the Tritons rang up a county first. The three dual meets were the first ever conducted in Ventura County featuring all-girls' high school wrestling teams.

"It's a first for the county and a big deal for our wrestling program," said head coach Darren Hatch. "It's an indication of how much our sport has grown."

In this county, Pacifica is at the vanguard of girls' wrestling.

The Tritons boast 28 female wrestlers on their team in a region where one or two girls out for the sport is a rarity. Indeed Pacifica and Pioneer Valley, with 30 girls on its first-year program, rank among the largest girls' wrestling teams in the entire CIF-Southern Section.

The Tritons' program had no less than 40 girls try out for the team this season, with 28 surviving the final cut.

"I think it's because we make the sport fun," said senior co-captain Sabrina Gonzales. "We're trying to win, for sure, and we're putting in a lot of hard work. But we don't put a lot of pressure on our athletes, and we want everyone to have fun."

Duron said the team grew on reputation.

"We started out with a few girls, and everyone recruited their friends," she said. "Once you come out and try the sport, it's hard to give it up."

Pacifica plays an eight-event schedule, mostly individual tournaments, that culminate in the second CIF-SS girls' wrestling championships set for Channel Islands High on Jan. 18-19.

"We really think we've got a great chance to win the whole thing this year," said Hatch. "It would be a great accomplishment for this program and this school."

Pacifica is fueled by athletes like Gonzales, who wrestles at 103 pounds and placed sixth in the CIF-SS championships last year, and Duron, who wrestles at 138 pounds.

Gonzales, also a standout softball player, said the sport offers different kinds of enjoyment.

"It lets you get your aggression out, and it's all legal," she said with a grin.

Tiffany Leon, who wrestles at 146 pounds, is a former varsity cheerleader who gave up that specialty to focus on wrestling. In a typical day, she practices with the girls' wrestling team from 3 to 5 p.m., joins the JV boys' wrestling team for practice, then heads to the gym to work out.

"My goal is to win the state championship, and the only way to do that is through hard work."

Duron, whose brother Ray was a former standout on the Pacifica boys' wrestling team, said she appreciates the opportunity to test her skills against other girls.

"Boys are just stronger, so this is more fair," she said. "But if I had to, I'd wrestle the boys too. Whatever I have to do to keep wrestling."

After handling Righetti, 66-15, Pacifica settled in to a tough matchup with Pioneer Valley.

Gonzales won a 9-2 decision over Julia Veglia at 103 pounds, and Pacifica jumped out to an 18-0 lead by winning the first five bouts.

Leon's 5-0 decision over Desiree Ionata at 146 pounds upped the lead to 27-15. But Pioneer Valley controlled the match late by winning the final four bouts.

"It was a great match," said Hatch. "And very exciting. That's all we could ask for."