National champ with UFC pedigree one of several Azle wrestling standouts

A national championship is a dream for every athlete, one that only a proud few are able to reach. It’s a badge of honor that separates them from others for the rest of their lives.

One young lady in Azle knows this feeling very well — and she’s only recently started attending high school.

Lady Hornets wrestler Zaylyn Woods, whose mother and stepfather are former UFC fighters, has won not one, not even two, but three USA Wrestling national championships since late last year in the girls 14-under division. It was a spotlight accomplishment in a span of time that included other standout performances on the national level for her Azle High teammates.

“Her triple crown is a huge accomplishment only a couple wrestlers around the country earned this past year,” Azle wrestling coach Tyler Harrison said. “Zaylyn is a freshman, so she is going to come in and make some noise.”

Woods’ titles include the Brian Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals in Des Moines, Iowa, in October (120-pound weight class), Kids Folkstyle Nationals in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in January (115) and Women’s Nationals in Spokane, Washington, in April (120).

Making her accomplishment even more impressive is that she won her championships in three different styles of wrestling — freestyle, Greco-Roman and folkstyle.

“I am very proud of my national championships. It reminds me of all the hard work I’ve put in,” Woods said. “... Winning the first title builds confidence and makes me want to work harder for the next.”

While it’s not the first time she’s been crowned a national champion, winning three in such a short span is a rarity — and she sees it as a springboard. Future goals include state championships in high school, national championships in college and perhaps even wrestling in the Olympics.

It’s all part of a mission that began even before she started school, as she began at age 4 and was competing at a competitive level by age 5.

“My mom and dad were and are grapplers, which drew me to the sport of wrestling,” she said.

Mark and Montana De La Rosa bring UFC experience

Today, her mother and stepfather, former UFC fighters Mark and Montana De La Rosa, operate a successful mixed martial arts gym in Azle. Montana De La Rosa is in the Azle High School Hall of Fame and wrestled on the 2013 Lady Hornets team that won a state championship.

Woods has grown up in Azle, with her roots tracing back to her grandparents, who also still live there. She is thrilled about finally being a Lady Hornet and can hardly wait for the season.

“I am very excited to wrestle for Azle High School,” she said. “The program is proven, and I am eager to contribute as an athlete and a great teammate.”

Indeed she is entering one of the state’s renowned programs. This past season, the Lady Hornets finished third at the Class 5A state tournament with two individual state champions, the now graduated Mariah Dillard (back-to-back titles) and now junior Noah Kovach.

The Lady Hornets were state runners-up as a team in 2024. The upcoming season starts in November.

Harrison believes Woods can join that elite group of individual champions and even help bring another team title to the program.

To which Woods humbly responded: “I have been very blessed with my success in competition.”

“I am incredibly thankful for my family and the multiple gyms and coaches that put long hours into my training that contributed to the success I have had,” she said. “None of it would be possible without them.”

Other Azle wrestling standouts

While Woods’ three national championships are certainly a spotlight achievement, the Azle program included more success over the summer, most notably a strong showing by a quartet of team members at the U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota, in mid-July.

One Azle wrestler, sophomore Tyler Yancey, finished seventh in the 132-pound weight class to earn All-American honors in the boys 16-under division.

“This is a big deal, and only a handful of Texas wrestlers accomplished this,” Harrison said.

Tyler and his older brother Chase, a senior, each finished as state runners-up in 2024, the first Azle boys to reach a state final since 2018.

Chase competed in the 138-pound class at state and moved up to 144 for the Fargo tournament, competing in the Junior division.

Kovach competed in the 100-pound category in the girls Junior division at Fargo, the same weight class in which she won state.

Another Lady Hornet freshman, Mackenzie Harris, competed in the 120-pound division in the 16-under category in Fargo.

Those performances, along with Woods’ accomplishments and a host of other returning talent, have Harrison anticipating another standout season.

“The lessons that these wrestlers learned competing against the best talent in the country is going to have an impact on the Azle wrestling program as they are bringing this experience back to our practice room and their teammates,” he said. “We are excited for these kids to lead our program towards our goals this year.”

This story was originally published September 24, 2025 at 12:57 PM.