Central Valley's varsity boys wrestling program totaled 243.5 points en route to a runner-up finish at the Western Athletic Conference Championships on Saturday at Pacheco High School.
"We fell a little short of our goal," said head coach Rob Beckhart, whose team was vying for its third consecutive WAC tournament title. "But I think the kids wrestled well. I'm proud of them. We're bringing back the majority of our wrestlers next season. We'll have the chance to be competitive. The future looks bright for the entire program."
Crosstown-rival Ceres High (262.5) took first.
Patterson (192) and Livingston (192) tied for third.
Los Banos (163) and Pacheco (55.5) finished fifth and sixth, respectively.
"The WAC is very competitive," Beckhart said. "It's not easy to win a title. The last three championships have been from the city of Ceres. Obviously, you never want to lose. But I'm happy for Ceres High. They deserved it. They have some talented kids. Their coach (Steve Festa) does a great job over there. They get a lot of support from parents."
Approximately 12 of Central Valley's 14 grapplers extended their seasons by virtue of their top-four finishes at the WAC finals.
Central Valley had four individual champions, including Christian Oliver, Nasson Sanchez, Tyler Beckhart and David Lezama.
"That's the second most we've had in program history," Beckhart said. "Last year, we had six."
Oliver captured the 138-pound title. He posted a 2-0 record.
Sanchez (3-0), Beckhart (1-0) and Lezama (2-0) placed first at 170s, 220s and 285s, respectively.
Severo Vazquez (145s, 1-1) and Angel Rico (195s, 1-1) both compiled identical records while finishing second.
Anthony Voss (106s, 1-1) and Ryan Hendrix (126s, 1-1) both placed third.
Kyle Hendrix (113s, 1-2), Will Sprouse (132s, 1-2), Ryan Palecek (152s, 2-2) and James Murphy (160s, 2-2) finished fourth.
Antonio Castillo (120s, 0-2) and Thomas Carrillo (182s, 0-2) were fifth.
Castillo and Carrillo were named alternates for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division-IV Championships.
"Ceres High led from beginning to end," coach Beckhart said while talking about the team standings at the WAC finals. "We gave them a push. They were looking over their shoulders. We'll try to start another streak next year."
Oliver, Sanchez, Beckhart, Lezama, Vazquez, Rico, Voss, Sprouse, Palecek, Murphy, Ryan Hendrix and Kyle Hendrix will compete at Divisionals this week at Union Mine. The tournament will be staged on Friday and Saturday.
