Hohenfels’ Nehemiah Baleto slams Stuttgart’s Alex Levardi to the mat during the 215-pound final at the Stuttgart sectional tournament on Feb. 1, 2025, at Stuttgart High School in Böblingen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

BÖBLINGEN, Germany – Hohenfels’ Nehemiah Baleto contemplated giving up during the final of the 215-pound bracket at the DODEA European wrestling sectional tournament at Stuttgart High School on Saturday.

Heading into the third frame, the senior trailed Stuttgart senior Alex Levardi by double digits. Even after a takedown and four near-fall points dragged Baleto back into the match, Levardi flipped him back to increase the lead.

In yet another twist, the Hohenfels wrestler turned it around by putting the Panther on his back, and at the 1-minute, 16-second mark in the third period, Baleto heard the smack on the mat that signaled victory.

“It was pretty interesting,” said Baleto, who still faced a 15-12 deficit before the pin. “When he threw me with the arm throw, I was about to give up, but then I heard my coach yelling and I was like, ‘I can’t give up right now.’

“I knew I was down, so I just went for the pin.”

Baleto’s victory was a part of a perfect ending for the Tigers, who finished the tournament by winning the final two championship bouts.

Following the boys’ 215 final was the girls 110 title match – the lone girls weight class to have a full bracket.

There, Hohenfels’ Ileana Rodriguez pinned Stuttgart senior Emi Toone in 1:13. It marked the second fall for the Tiger junior, having defeated Wiesbaden’s Carmen Lima in the semifinals at the 2:14 mark.

Rodriguez, who moved to 14-3 on the season, mentioned how important Saturday’s performance was to her. In her two years wrestling in Chattahoochee County, Georgia, she never reached the state-level competition, let alone won the qualifying tournament a step below.

She’s also the lone girl in the Tigers’ program.

Hohenfels’ Ileana Rodriguez smiles after pinning Stuttgart’s Emi Toone during the 110-pound final at the Stuttgart sectional tournament on Feb. 1, 2025, at Stuttgart High School in Böblingen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

SHAPE’s Sofia Colalongo and Vilseck’s Ayanna Tennial grapple during a 130-pound round-robin match at the Stuttgart sectional tournament on Feb. 1, 2025, at Stuttgart High School in Böblingen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Vilseck’s Jayden Freeman holds down SHAPE’s Donovan Traylor during the 150-pound final at the Stuttgart sectional tournament on Feb. 1, 2025, at Stuttgart High School in Böblingen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Vilseck’s Sean-Carlos Fuentes, top, holds onto teammate Jayden Cruz’s leg while trying to get out of a headlock during the 120-pound final at the Stuttgart sectional tournament on Feb. 1, 2025, at Stuttgart High School in Böblingen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Vilseck’s Jessica Gomes tries to roll over SHAPE’s Alexis Hall during a 120-pound round-robin match at the Stuttgart sectional tournament on Feb. 1, 2025, at Stuttgart High School in Böblingen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Vilseck’s Jayla Webb tries to outmuscle Ansbach’s Sarah Felice during a 170-plus-pound round-robin match at the Stuttgart sectional tournament on Feb. 1, 2025, at Stuttgart High School in Böblingen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Hohenfels freshman Ben Tocco also automatically qualified for next week’s DODEA European championships at the Wiesbaden Sports and Fitness Center on Clay Kaserne in Wiesbaden, Germany.

The top three placers in weight classes with six or more wrestlers and the top two in classes of five or fewer advanced to the final tournament.

“I think it gives us a pretty big bump,” Rodriguez said of her win. “I want to put this place on the map and show the girls from Hohenfels can also do it.”

Hohenfels wasn’t the only Bavarian team to make some noise Saturday.

Sure, Stuttgart, SHAPE and Wiesbaden racked up numerous wins, but Vilseck also picked up victories in four of the 22 weight classes across the boys and girls divisions.

And while the Tigers ended the championship round with a flourish, the Falcons got off to a hot start, winning three of the first four. Freshman Sean-Carlos Fuentes pinned teammate Jayden Cruz at 120, junior Lucas Landrum took 144 via forfeit and senior Jayden Freeman continued his domination at 150 with a pin over SHAPE’s Donovan Traylor at the 4:41 mark.

Jessica Gomes added the team’s fourth title in the girls 120 round robin. The senior recorded pins in all three matches, including two within the first 21 seconds of a match.

“This was a great day as a team,” said Freeman, who improved to 15-0 on the season. “A lot of these kids are new, so it’s great to see them come out here and perform everything they’ve been learning at practice. And it’s just great to watch our team grow as a whole.”

Wiesbaden’s Wyatt Massey throws Ansbach’s Nathan Arreguine to the ground during a 165-pound round-robin match at the Stuttgart sectional tournament on Feb. 1, 2025, at Stuttgart High School in Böblingen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Stuttgart’s Preston Schneiders looks up while being held by SHAPE’s Julyan Serrano-Garcia during a 126-pound round-robin match at the Stuttgart sectional tournament on Feb. 1, 2025, at Stuttgart High School in Böblingen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Stuttgart’s Kai Lewis holds the arm of Vilseck’s Maverick Chase during a 157-pound semifinal at the Stuttgart sectional tournament on Feb. 1, 2025, at Stuttgart High School in Böblingen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Stuttgart’s Dane Westberry flips SHAPE’s Donovan Traylor during a 150-pound semifinal at the Stuttgart sectional tournament on Feb. 1, 2025, at Stuttgart High School in Böblingen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Wiesbaden’s Munro Davis holds onto Stuttgart’s Dominic Welsh during a 138-pound semifinal at the Stuttgart sectional tournament on Feb. 1, 2025, at Stuttgart High School in Böblingen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Another athlete in complete control on the mats was SHAPE’s Sofia Colalongo. The Italian wunderkind carried on her regular season form with a pair of wins to take the girls 130 bracket.

The former judo athlete is 14-0 on the season, which the freshman admitted she didn’t foresee when she joined the team. Now, she said she has confidence when she steps onto the mat.

“It’s the first time that I’ve believed in myself,” Colalango said. “I’m so excited about it.”

Like Colalango, Violet Tomko is a first-time wrestler finding success.

The Stuttgart junior joined the squad this winter and posted a 10-1 record in the regular season. On Saturday, Tomko blitzed through the competition with three pins all within the first 1:12 of her matches.

“I love the adrenaline rush,” Tomko said. “I love hearing that whistle. When I pin somebody, it just sounds so nice. I remember my first two weeks of wrestling and tournaments, and hearing them slam the mat, it was like, ‘Yeah!’”

Stuttgart’s Camille Acosta flips SHAPE’s Ella Guerrero on her head during a 105-pound round-robin match at the Stuttgart sectional tournament on Feb. 1, 2025, at Stuttgart High School in Böblingen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Wiesbaden’s Salifu Fariid lunges at the legs of Hohenfels’ Sawyer Baxter during a 150-pound consolation match at the Stuttgart sectional tournament on Feb. 1, 2025, at Stuttgart High School in Böblingen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Stuttgart’s Sammie Johnson holds onto Hohenfels’ Ben Tocco during a 132-pound round-robin match at the Stuttgart sectional tournament on Feb. 1, 2025, at Stuttgart High School in Böblingen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Ansbach’s Sarah Felice grabs onto Stuttgart’s Rylea King during a 170-plus-pound round-robin match at the Stuttgart sectional tournament on Feb. 1, 2025, at Stuttgart High School in Böblingen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Black Forest Academy’s Rogan Ivey attempts to grasp Stuttgart’s Alex Levardi during a 215-pound semifinal match at the Stuttgart sectional tournament on Feb. 1, 2025, at Stuttgart High School in Böblingen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)