In a sea of black, maroon and gold, Lauren Cione’s platinum blonde hair stands out amongst her fellow Lancers at any wrestling tournament.
At a packed Lever Gym on the Pueblo High School campus last week, Cione was one of the easiest wrestlers to spot — but not just because of her hair. As she sat sidelined waiting for her match, positivity radiated from her as she cheered on teammate after teammate throughout the evening.
To her, wrestling is so much bigger than securing a win on the mat. It’s about the community. Her own at Salpointe Catholic, of course, but also the overall wrestling community, one that she has come to know and love in just her one year of competing in the sport.
Beginning wrestling last year was kind of a spur-of-the-moment choice for the current high school junior, after a friend encouraged her to try it out, despite her never setting foot on a mat before.
She grew up cheerleading, a passion she held for nine years, alongside trying out almost every sport imaginable, including lacrosse, softball, volleyball, basketball, soccer, swimming and multiple styles of dance.
Lauren Cione, third from left, cheers on one of her teammates as the Salpointe Catholic wrestling team competes against Vista Grande at Pueblo High School on Dec. 3.
But no sport gives her the feeling that wrestling does, she says.
“I have everything that I want here and I just realized that this is my place, these are my people,” Cione says.
Although she’s only a year into wrestling, she’s already making a name for herself in the sport.
Last year, she made the high school girls state wrestling tournament, competing in the 145-pound weight class. While she didn’t come home with the state title, making the tournament in your first year, let alone as a new wrestler, is a feat in itself.
First-year Salpointe Catholic wrestling coach Martin Chavez knew from the moment he saw Cione wrestle that she was something special.
“She’s one of these kids that has a gift for wrestling,” he says. “I’ve been doing this for over 30 years and I’ve seen many kids and I’ve only met another female wrestler that’s done what she’s done. And now she’s in college wrestling, so I think she (Cione) is on that same path and it’s good to see her skills grow so fast from not knowing anything.”
This season, Cione currently holds a 14-4 record, according to FloWrestling.
While things didn’t go exactly as she hoped for at the Pueblo dual on Dec. 3 against Vista Grande and Sahuarita, after losing her only match of the night, the disappointment was short-lived.
Cione bounced back to win four of her six matches at Pueblo’s William Bell Girls Wrestling Tournament on Dec. 5-6.
“I'm feeling good. I'm feeling really excited for this season,” Cione says. “I went to a whole bunch of camps this summer. I did a club team and a whole bunch of fun tournaments and stuff. And I just feel like I'm more prepared than last year and I'm ready. I'm ready to take on this year.”
Despite it being early in the season, Chavez can see her advancing through the 2025-26 state tournament early next year.
“She should be the sectional champion in Division II and she could be a state champion if she keeps doing things the way she’s doing it,” he says.
Lauren Cione, top, of Salpointe Catholic, competes against Amaris Aguilar, of Sahuarita, during a bout at Pueblo High School in Tucson on Dec. 3.
Cione is just one of around 15 girls on this year’s Salpoine Catholic wrestling team. The number of girls on the team has grown over the years, from only a handful to needing more than two hands to count them all.
Cione wants to help that number grow, creating an even bigger girls wrestling community, which is her favorite part of participating in the sport.
“I love this community. I love how inviting they are and how you're fighting with one girl on the mat one second and the next you're best friends with her,” Cione says. “Like, ‘Oh my gosh, I love your outfit. I love your hair.’ I also love the adrenaline that I get from it, and I love this. It just makes me so happy.”
Outside of Salpointe wrestling, Southern Arizona’s wrestling community is strong and unified.
Just before the Pueblo dual kicked off at 4 p.m. last week, all participating teams gathered in a large circle, kneeling, as two Salpointe Catholic wrestlers led them in prayer.
Faith plays a big role in Cione’s success on and off the mat, she says.
Lauren Cione is a Salpointe Catholic wrestler who's only been wrestling for about a year. During her first year, she made it to the state championship.
“Every time before a match, I do a prayer. I pray to God. I just thank Him so much for keeping me healthy and keeping me here on this mat,” she says. “Throughout the season, it starts off like, ‘I have God here,’ and the feeling just grows because God is with me and He's here keeping me safe as I'm on this mat.”
In school, she maintains a 3.5 GPA while spending equal amounts of time doing homework as she does wrestling. Off the mat, she enjoys creating art, especially sculpting.
After she graduates from high school, she aspires to join the Air Force and become a pilot. She hopes to later become a commercial airline pilot.
But even with a military and pilot career, she’s not giving up wrestling that easily. Cione would like to wrestle long-term, even if it’s just recreationally.
“She’s new to the sport, but she jumped in with both feet and wants to make a good impression of our team,” Chavez says. “But she also wants to grow girls wrestling at a higher level. I think she’s the perfect person to do it based on her personality. … She’s somebody that we want in the light to further succeed and emulate as we go in this girls wrestling sport.”
Fast Five with Lauren
Who is your current favorite wrestler?
I like Miraculous KC (also known as Kayla Miracle, an Olympic wrestler). I did a camp with her and she was super nice and super fun to talk to.
What’s your go-to wrestling move?
I like a good High C, but I don't really shoot that much. When I get down on the person, I go for the far ankle, or a reversal, which I love.
What’s your current hype song?
I really like anything by BabyChiefDoit, which is super like, ‘What the heck,’ but he gets me pumped up.
What’s your favorite sculpture you’ve created?
A container (that looks like human) ribs that you can open.
What’s your favorite class in school right now?
3D Art or English.
