Ceres High’s girls wrestling program experienced success against Western Athletic Conference competition, at regular-season tournaments and during the Sac-Joaquin Section postseason in 2024-25.
Expectations remain high for the 2025-26 Bulldogs.
“I’m excited for this year,” head coach Curtis Hulstine said. “It’s one of the biggest rosters we’ve had. We have a good balance of experience and first-time wrestlers.”
“We have the ability to have multiple state-qualifiers, which would be a major step in the right direction for our program,” he added.
Ceres High’s roster consists of 21 wrestlers, up from last year’s total of 14.
The Bulldogs have seven returning grapplers, including Dayanna Alvarez (Sr.), Elizabeth Boyd (Sr.), Aubrianna Bautista (So.), Jazlyn Cisneros (So.), Gabriella Cole (So.), Abigail Schultz (So.) and Mezmeriah Zuniga (So.).
Ceres High has 14 newcomers: Aneyscia Pedraza (Jr.), Yeraldi Alvarez (So.), Isabella Ochoa (So.), Genesis Raya (So.), Camila Alfaro (Fr.), Alana Festa (Fr.), Amelie Franco (Fr.), Ayla Fuentes (Fr.), Avril Gaona (Fr.), Lilly Louis (Fr.), Aaliyah Martinez (130s), Destiny Medina (Fr.), Evelynn Tubera (Fr.) and Sharon Wheeling (Fr.).
“They all get along very well,” Hulstine said.
Alvarez, Schultz and Zuniga are team captains.
“They bring a lot of experience and leadership,” Hulstine said. “The other girls look up to them and try to follow their example.”
Alvarez, along with Boyd, etched their names in the record books by becoming the first female grapplers from Ceres High to medal at the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Championships.
Alvarez placed seventh with a 4-2 record while competing in the 145-pound weight bracket at Masters. She took second (3-1) at South Regionals.
Schultz compiled an 0-2 record at 130 pounds while making her first-ever appearance at Masters.
She took eighth (2-3) at South Regionals and third (1-1) at the WAC Championships.
Zuniga compiled an 0-2 record as a 135-pounder at Masters.
She placed sixth at both the South Regionals and conference finals.
Boyd placed sixth with a 4-3 record in the 170-pound division of the Masters Tournament.
She fell one victory shy of becoming Ceres High’s first-ever state-qualifier.
She finished fourth (3-2) at South Regionals and second at the WAC tournament (1-1).
Bautista was named an alternate for Masters.
She took ninth with a 3-2 record as a 115-pounder at South Regionals.
She was fourth (2-2) at the WAC Championships.
Cisneros took third in league (125s, 2-1) and did not place at the South Regionals (0-2).
Cole was fourth at the conference tournament (105s, 0-2) and 10th at the South Regionals (1-3).
Ceres High had a program-best two grapplers medal at Masters in 2024-25.
The Bulldogs qualified four grapplers for the tournament.
Ceres High claimed five individual medals at the WAC championships and finished in third place during the conference dual season.
The Bulldogs placed second at their home tournament, the Super Girl Showdown.
The WAC features a total of eight teams, including Ceres High, Central Valley, Livingston, Beyer, Grace Davis, Johansen, Pacheco and Lathrop.
Livingston won the conference’s overall title last winter. The Wolves placed first during the WAC dual season and tournament.
Central Valley (6-1) finished second.
“We’re excited to see what the team does this year. It’s a really tough league. We’ll definitely be in contention for the WAC championship. It’s going to be a battle all year for who’s No. 1.”
Ceres High and crosstown-rival Central Valley will battle at Phil de la Porte Gymnasium on Jan. 28.
The Bulldogs lost 52-24 to the Hawks last season.
“I absolutely love competing against them. It’s always a fun time. It’s such a healthy rivalry. We all get along so well.”
