Ceres High School will be the host site of the 1st annual California Champ Camp.
Former Hughson High School star wrestler Billy Murphy will be the main instructor at the July 29-31 clinic.
Murphy won back-to-back 130-pound titles (in 2005 and 2006) at the California Interscholastic Federation State Meet. He had a combined record of 168-3 at the prep level according to intermatwrestle.com. He finished 55-0 as a junior and 48-0 senior year.
A three-time, high-school national champion, Murphy won all 15 of his matches while competing unattached at the University of Iowa in 2006-07. He took first at 133 pounds at the National Junior College Athletic Association finals during his lone season with the Iowa Central Community College wrestling team in 2009. He was also named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler.
“The goal has been to get back into wrestling and give back,” said Murphy, 34, who resides in Iowa with his wife and four children. “Me and my brother (Curtis Hulstine) had a conversation last year about running a camp. He got the ball rolling and here we are. I’m looking forward to it.”
“We’re trying to give local kids an opportunity to learn from somebody great at a reasonable cost,” said 29-year-old Hulstine, camp director, head coach of Ceres High’s girls wrestling program and Murphy’s younger brother. “Billy was one of the best high-school wrestlers in the nation. He’s got a bunch of awards. I’ll get to pick his brain when it comes to coaching and apply it to the upcoming season.”
The California Champ Camp is open to wrestlers, ages 4-18.
More than 60 grapplers, including a combined 31 from the Ceres High, Mae Hensley Jr. High and Ceres Pups wrestling teams, have already signed up for the clinic.
All wrestlers must have a USA Wrestling Card to attend.
Registration is $175 for three days, $120 for two days or $60 for one day.
Campers will check in between 8:30-9:30 a.m. during the first day of the clinic on July 29.
Participants will receive 161/2 hours of instruction on six full mats at Phil de la Porte Gymnasium in a three-day span from Murphy, Hulstine, Casey Paulino (Ceres High), John Alba (Ceres High), Angelique Huerta Alvarado (Ceres High), Steve Festa (Mae Hensley Jr. High), Adam Borges (Mae Hensley Jr. High), Tony Ormonde (Pups), Mark Kangas (Pups), Nathan Pimentel (Pups) and Austin Moore (Pups).
Hulstine was a standout wrestler at Ceres High from 2006-10.
He had a career record of 113-31.
He qualified for the CIF State Championships, collected 45 wins and just six losses, finished third at the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Tournament, placed first at the Division-IV Tournament and claimed the 125-pound title at the Valley Oak League Finals during his senior year.
“All the Ceres coaches will be helping out, too,” said Hulstine, leader of Ceres High’s girls wrestling program since 2019-20. “We may have some guest appearances. Our plan is for this to be an annual camp. Our biggest thing is giving the kids quality instruction. We’re trying to bring back a championship mentality to this town.”
For more information about the Ceres wrestling clinic, email centralvalleychampcamp@gmail.com
“Our goal is to have at least 100 wrestlers at the camp,” said Festa.
