12 local wrestlers headed to state meet after top finishes at CIF-SS Masters

12 local wrestlers headed to state meet after top finishes at CIF-SS Masters
After winning six CIF-Southern Section individual titles a week ago, local wrestlers continued their strong postseason at the CIF-SS Masters meet at Palm Springs High. Six boys and six girls qualified for the CIF-State Wrestling Championships, scheduled for Thursday-Saturday at Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield. For the first time, the Masters meets were hold over one day instead of two, with the boys wrestling Friday and the girls competing Saturday.
The meets was separated into two brackets — Blue and Gold — with top-five boys finishers and top-four girls placers in each weight class advancing to the state meet. In the boys meet, three CIF-SS champions punched their tickets to state. More: Six local wrestlers win CIF-Southern Section individual titles Rio Mesa's Anthony Garcia finished second in the 285-pound division of the Blue Division bracket to qualify for state.
Garcia, who won the CIF-SS Coastal Division title, reached the Masters final but the Channel League champion decided to sit out the match to rest a sprained ankle. Camarillo freshman Joshua Requena took third in the 126-pound division of the Gold Division bracket. Requena won the CIF-SS Eastern Division title at 126 after capturing a Coastal Canyon League crown.
Camarillo senior Daniel Gurovich finished third in the 195-pound division of the Blue Division bracket. Gurovich won the CIF-SS Eastern Division title at 195 after winning a Coastal Canyon League championship. Mason Carrillo of Royal qualified for the state tournament for the second straight season.
The Coastal Canyon League champion, who finished second at the CIF-SS Eastern Division finals, took second in the 113-pound class of the Blue Division bracket. Emilio Medina gave Camarillo three state qualifiers by finishing third in the 132-pound division of the Gold Division bracket. The Coastal Canyon League champion was a second-place finisher at the CIF-SS Eastern Division finals.
Moorpark's Logan Andrews, who finished second at the CIF-SS Eastern Division finals after winning a Coastal Canyon League title, placed fifth in the 120-pound division of the Gold Division bracket. In the girls meet Saturday, Hueneme senior Audrey Diaz became the only local wrestler to win a Masters championship. Diaz, who won the CIF-SS Southern Division title last Saturday, defeated Desiree Vasquez of Northview by fall at 3:16 to capture the 137-pound crown of the Blue Division bracket.
The Citrus Coast League champion qualified for the state meet for the second straight time. Ventura junior Bela Smith placed second in the 143-pound division of the Blue Division bracket. Smith, a Channel League champion who helped Ventura win the CIF-SS Division 2 team title, qualified for the Masters by winning a CIF-SS Central Division title.
Royal senior Ireland Donnelly, who won a CIF-SS Northern Division title after claiming a Coastal Coastal League crown, placed third in the 111-pound division of the Blue Division bracket. Camarillo's Trinity Tipton, who won a Coastal Canyon League title and took fourth in the CIF-SS Northern Division, finished fourth in the 170-pound division of the Gold Division bracket. Camarillo's Makensey Schlimgen, who won a Coastal Canyon League title and placed third in the CIF-SS Northern Division, took fourth in the 189-pound division of the Gold Division bracket.
Cherish Hall-Taoai of Thousand Oaks finished third in the 235-pound division of the Gold Bracket. Hall-Taoai, who placed eighth in the CIF-SS Central Division to qualify for the Masters after winning a Marmonte League title, is a first-year wrestler for the Lancers who has a background in rugby. .