STOCKTON — Four area wrestlers sewed up a berth to the California Wrestling Championships on the first day of the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Wrestling Championships on Friday at the Stockton Arena, and one set a school milestone along the way.
A top-seven finish for the girls and a top-six for the boys at Masters is needed to advance to the state finals, and making it to the semifinals guarantees that threshold. Sierra’s Stefany Perez (111 pounds) and Ripon’s Riley Rangel (137) and Katelyn Cardoza (150) made it to today’s semifinals on the girls side, and Sierra’s Manny Zavala (285) advanced for the boys.
Cardoza is the first Ripon wrestler to qualify for the state championships three times. She started the day with a first-round pin of Rodriguez’s Anniynn B. Martinez and followed up with a second-round pin of Elk Grove’s Bianca Pesole.
“This is just so amazing,” Cardoza said. “This is my third time going to state and that is the first time that has happened, boys or girls.
“I am so to be part of this school and I am so excited to be going to state.”
Perez tallied a pair of first-period pins over Julianni Rubi of Laguna Creek and Atwater’s Zoey Brown, pinning Brown in just 34 seconds.
“This is really exciting,” Perez said. “I have been working really hard and when I saw the competition I would have this week I put in even more work and started working even harder and running even farther.
“I am so happy right now and I am super excited.”
Rangel pinned Bear River’s Grace Gurrola in just 23 seconds, but then fell behind to Whitney’s Alex Maday 4-0 on penalty points in the first period. The second period was a different story with Rangel getting a pin 35 seconds into it.
“She was flexible and put up a good fight in that arm bar,” Rangel said of Maday. “I am so excited — I have been wanting this since I was like 5.”
Zavala was like a man among boys, pinning Bella Vista’s Roman Schitik, Lodi’s Felipe Dematos and Vacaville’s Luke Levengood – all in the first round.
“This is great,” Zavala said. “I kind of feel like I deserve this because I worked so hard this year.”
Finishing the day in the girls consolation quarterfinals needing one win in their first two matches this morning to qualify for state are East Union’s Grace Lacanglacang (106) and Amaiya Guyton (116), Manteca’s Yadhira Rodriguez (121) and from Sierra Alyanna Loaiza (121) and Marisa Rush (131).
Sierra’s Benjamin Wheeler (170) must win his first two matches this morning to qualify for state.
Wrestling begins today at 9 a.m.
