The Sports Informant

By Patrick Ibarra
Editor

While local basketball teams secured section championships over the weekend for a right to enter the state playoffs, local wrestlers were already there, battling for a state championship both as a team and as individuals in Bakersfield on March 6.

Bakersfield High School secured its third state team title at the 2010 CIF State Wrestling Championships Presented by Farmers, getting five individual place-winners to boost its team total above all other competition. Bakersfield led with 126 points, while Selma High took second (113.5) and Clovis took third (97).

But in a sport dedicated to one-on-one competition, the state championship is all about individual performances. And one local wrestler took it to heart, securing a state championship in the sport’s biggest weight class.

Elk Grove senior heavyweight Lefi Letuligasenoa won the 285-pound division on Saturday, claiming the state title as the Sacramento area’s only champion. There were other state champs from the Sac-Joaquin Section, though, as Central Catholic’s David Ferry won the 135-pound division and Vacaville’s Tyler Johnson won the 145-pound division.

In all, 21 Sac-Joaquin Section wrestlers placed in the top eight of their respective weight classes at the state tournament.

Below is a list of the top three finishers in each weight class, along with a bolded listing of any Sac-Joaquin Section wrestlers who finished in the top eight. Wrestlers are listed by place, name, grade and school.

103 pounds

1^st Nahshon Garrett (11) Chico
2^nd Victor Lopez (09) Poway
3^rd Micah Perez (09) Central Union
8^th Garrett Fortado (10) Turlock

112 pounds

1^st Alex Cisneros (10) Selma
2^nd Chris Diaz (12) Sanger
3^rd Daniel Gaytan (10) Clovis
5^th Martin Ramirez (10) Elk Grove

119 pounds

1^st Bryan Grubbs (12) La Costa Canyon
2^nd Zach Zimmer (12) Clovis West
3^rd Gabe Brown (12) Poway
5^th Isaiah Hurtado (12) Sheldon
6^th Fabian Garcia (11) Turlock
7^th Jacob Purdy (12) Nevada Union

125 pounds

1^st Chris Martinez (12) Clovis West
2^nd Vince Rodriguez (11) Clovis North
3^rd Isaiah Martinez (09) Lemoore
6^th Cody Tow (11) Union Mine

130 pounds

1^st Nick Pena (11) Selma
2^nd Bobby Morales (12) Laguna Hills
3^rd Shane Tate (11) Oakdale

135 pounds

1^st David Ferry (11) Central Catholic
2^nd Joey Davis (10) Santa Fe
3^rd Nick Cano (11) Saint Francis
8^th Andrew Perez (11) Pitman

140 pounds

1^st Frank Martinez (12) Northview
2^nd Nathan Zarate (11) Selma
3^rd Jake Briggs (12) Bella Vista

145 pounds

1^st Tyler Johnson (12) Vacaville
2^nd Cody Rodebaugh (12) Slv
3^rd Derik Rizo (12) Foothill

152 pounds

1^st Nick Sierra (12) Lemoore
2^nd Jesse Stafford (12) Del Oro
3^rd Denzel Hawkins (12) Centennial/Cor
4^th Jim Wilson (10) McNair
7^th Trent Noon (11) Oakdale

160 pounds

1^st Bryce Hammond (11) Bakersfield
2^nd Vincent Waldhauser (11) Oak Ridge
3^rd Nikko Reyes (10) Clovis West

171 pounds

1^st James Cook (12) Madera
2^nd Zach Nevills (10) Clovis
3^rd Luke Sheridan (11) De La Salle

189 pounds

1^st Morgan McIntosh (11) Calvary Chapel
2^nd Tommy Burriel (12) Clovis
3^rd Derrick Hawkins (12) Santiago
6^th Adam Delagarza (12) Vacaville

215 pounds

1^st Tank Knowles (11) Calvary Chapel
2^nd JT Felix (12) Centennial
3^rd Brian Schoene (12) Bakersfield
8^th Charlie Gilstrap (12) Oakdale

285 pounds

1^st Lefi Letuligasenoa (12) Elk Grove
2^nd Drew Meulman (12) Saint Francis
3^rd Peter Anguiano (12) Franklin
4^th Daniel Gusev (12) Center
5^th Gavin Andrews (10) Granite Bay