Two members of Central Valley High School’s boys wrestling program qualified for the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Championships.
Senior Adan Garcia and junior Samuel Deleon secured individual berths after finishing in the top eight in their respective weight classes at the Division-III Tournament on Feb. 11 at West Park High School in Roseville.
Garcia posted a 2-3 record at 140 pounds.
A third-year wrestler, Garcia earned his second straight trip to Masters.
He notched hard-fought wins against Ponderosa’s Brady Fox (decision, 4-2) and Lincoln’s Jonathon Goshorn (decision, 6-5).
“Adan was in a bracket with tough kids,” head coach Rob Beckhart said. “He was determined. He battled and found his way to the podium. For him to be able to compete at that level was incredible.”
Deleon posted a 2-3 record at 285 pound.
He beat Sierra’s Aryan Kandola (pin, 1:33).
He won once by forfeit.
“He was aggressive,” Beckhart said. “He went after kids. At that weight, that’s what you have to do. He’s giving up 45 pounds to some kids. He’s able to overcome that with his athleticism and work ethic. Looking forward, I think he has potential.”
Hawk teammates Angel Melgoza, Mahkai Smith, Caleb Beckhart, Joey Zuniga, Albert Gonzales, Elijah Lee, Kenneth Orrin and Trey Anderson also competed at Divisionals.
Melgoza, Smith, Beckhart, Zuniga, Gonzales, Lee and Orrin all gained valuable experience.
Anderson represented Central Valley for the final time.
Melgoza, a sophomore, placed ninth at 154 pounds.
He posted a 3-2 record.
Melgoza beat Nevada Union’s Demetrius Jimenez (decision, 11-5) and Golden Valley’s Jayden Richards (decision, 7-3).
He won once by forfeit.
Smith, a junior, placed 10th at 222 pounds.
He posted a 2-3 record.
Smith beat Golden Valley’s Raymond Miller (pin, 2:49).
He won once by forfeit.
Beckhart, a freshman, posted a 1-3 record at 115 pounds.
He won by forfeit.
Zuniga, a junior, posted an 0-2 record at 128 pounds.
Gonzales, a junior, posted an 0-2 record at 134 pounds.
Lee, a junior, posted an 0-2 record at 147 pounds.
Orrin, a junior, posted an 0-2 record at 172 pounds.
Anderson, a senior, posted an 0-2 record at 184 pounds.
Central Valley amassed 21 points on its way to finishing 21st overall in the team standings.
“I’m proud of all of our kids,” Beckhart said. “They wrestled tough.”
Estrada advances
Arturo Estrada, Dakota Adams, McCoy Adams, Parker Borges, Nathan Miranda and Joseph Alcala represented Ceres High’s boys wrestling program at the Sac-Joaquin Section Division-IV Championships on Saturday at Casa Roble High School.
Ceres High finished 17th overall in the team standings.
The Bulldogs totaled 37 points.
The round trip from Ceres to Orangevale was three hours.
Bulldog grapplers and coaches departed from Ceres High at 4:45 in the morning.
“It was a long day,” head coach Casey Paulino said. “They all worked really hard. We went to dinner afterwards. They wanted to hit up a buffet because they’ve been cutting weight.”
Estrada extended his final season with Ceres High by placing second in the 132-pound weight bracket.
The top four finishers in each division qualified for the Masters Championships, to be staged this Friday and Saturday at Stockton Arena.
Estrada secured his first-ever berth to Masters. He just missed advancing to the tournament as a junior. Estrada took fifth at 126 pounds.
“That lit a fire under my butt to work harder in the offseason to get me where I’m at today,” Estrada said. “Wrestling with no pressure makes everything easier. I had that mindset going into Divisionals. I’m wrestling to have fun.”
“His whole mentality is different,” Paulino added. “He has a new way of thinking. He’s enjoying the journey.”
Estrada compiled a 3-1 record at Divisionals.
He collected wins against Pacheco’s Andy Garcia (pin, 0:40), Casa Roble’s Logen Otter (0:56) and Valley High’s Benjamin Heng (2:24).
Estrada lost to Pioneer’s Cael Sanders (decision, 5-4) in the finals.
“Overall, I did really well,” he said. “I’m looking forward to Masters. I’m 100 percent healthy. I’m ready to kick butt.”
McCoy Adams, a sophomore, compiled a 2-2 record at 106 pounds.
He collected wins against McNair’s Solomon Yang (pin, 2:08) and Linden’s James Boysen (decision, 8-2).
Dakota Adams, a senior, compiled a 1-2 record at 126 pounds.
He beat Dixon’s Edgar Alexis Aguilar (major decision, 14-5).
Borges, a freshman, compiled a 1-2 record at 120 pounds.
He won by forfeit.
Miranda, a senior, compiled a 1-2 record at 195 pounds.
He won by forfeit.
Alcala, a sophomore, compiled an 0-2 record at 145 pounds.
Miranda and Dakota Adams will be lost to graduation.
Borges, Alcala and McCoy Adams will return to the team next season.
“They (Parker, Joseph and McCoy) can’t wait until next year,” Paulino said. “They want to get back on the mat.”
