Fifteen members of Ceres High’s varsity boys wrestling program stayed busy during winter break by competing at the Dec. 28-29 Pat Lovell Classic in Aptos.

The Bulldogs totaled 40 points on their way to finishing in 35th place at the 58-team tournament.

Lake Stevens (256), Pitman (217.5) and Clovis (178) took first, second and third, respectively.

Elias Saldana, Argel Arroyo and Edison Jimenez advanced to the second day of the Lovell Classic.

Saldana was Ceres High’s lone placer.

The junior placed seventh with a 4-2 record in the 285-pound weight division.

He earned 15 points for the Bulldogs.

Saldana beat Junipero Serra’s Jacob Aho (pin, 5:33), Acalanes’ Tony Correa (pin, 0:18), San Benito’s Alex Jeffery (pin, 0:41) and William C. Overfelt’s Joel Ortiz (decision, 5-4).

He lost to Sunnyvale’s Cohle Feliciano (pin, 1:15) and Madera’s John Cook (decision, 6-2).

“To be the only one to place meant a lot,” Saldana said. “It shows how much I’ve grown. I went 0-2 last year. I got kicked out real quick. I wasn’t mentally and physically prepared. I let my opponents get into my head. I wanted to prove I was better this year.”

Saldana improved his overall record to 14-5.

He placed first at the Mike Tamana Classic.

“I didn’t have a lot of confidence last year,” he said. “I was new and my own worst critic. If you’re skeptical of a match, chances are you’re not going to win it. My coaches and Argel have helped me change and grow as an overall wrestler. They want me to do well.”

Arroyo won three of five matches at 220 pounds.

He beat Terra Nova’s Benicio Talamante (pin, 1:56), Archbishop Riordan’s Raymond Russell (pin, 2:53) and Santa Cruz’s Isaac Marquez (pin, 0:53).

Arroyo lost to Sunnyvale’s Tj Takafua (pin, 5:35) and San Benito’s Alberto Rodriguez (pin, 3:18).

Jimenez posted a 3-2 record at 132 pounds.

He beat Everett Alvarez’s Caleb Holguin (pin, 3:18), Christopher’s Nathaniel Alvarez (pin, 0:53) and William C. Overfelt’s Gerardo Cortez (pin, 2:21).

Jimenez lost to Gonzales’ Gregorio Alfaro (pin, 1:22) and Livermore’s Timothy Cowan (pin, 3:13).

Joshua Ofisa (220 pounds), Angel Figueroa (160s) and Jesus Nungaray (160s) all went 1-2 in their respective weight classes.

Ofisa beat Christopher’s Omar Macias-Nandino (pin, 0:46).

He lost to Marquez (decision, 3-2) and Takafua (pin, 3:30).

Figueroa beat Archbishop Riordan’s Bo Zhang (pin, 2:45).

He lost to Independence’s Garrett Thompson (pin, 3:12) and Junipero Serra’s Alan Kauffman (pin, 1:52)

Nungaray beat Bulldog teammate Pablo Gonzalez (pin, 1:18).

He lost to Bullard’s Ocean Granada (pin, 1:16) and John F. Kennedy’s Abdurrahman Garner (pin, 1:54).

Gonzalez (160s), Daniel Arendt (220s), Joshua Garcia (220s), Israel Esparza (170s), Allen Thy (170s), Mason Foster (160s), Joshua Dominguez (152s), Victor Torres (152s) and Marcus Martinez (126s) compiled identical 0-2 records.