Dos Pueblos wrestling had three wrestlers qualify for the CIF Masters Tournament with strong performances at the CIF-SS Eastern Division Championships over the weekend.
On the boys side, Seamus Fergus and Brandon Velasquez will represent the Chargers at Masters. Meanwhile, Sierrah Kendig will continue her season at the Masters Tournament as well.
As a team, the Dos Pueblos boys placed 14th out of 50 teams with 70.5 total points and the girls registered a 28th-place finish out of 63 after accumulating 35 points.
“All our wrestlers dealt with some adversity in this tournament but kept moving forward, which is a testament to their character and the effort they’ve invested in the room,” Dos Pueblos head coach Matthew Bernard said.
The boys team had nine total wrestlers in the tournament with five moving on to day two in Andrew Gilligan (126 lbs.), Fergus (150 lbs.), Velasquez (157 lbs.), Brody Hansen (175 lbs.) and Ethan Ono (215 lbs.).
Fergus, Velasquez and Ono all earned sixth-place finishes while Gilligan came in seventh.
“The boys varsity team went to work this weekend,” Bernard said. “They wrestled tough through difficult positions and dug deep late in the tournament when the grind can drain some.”
Lesly De La Rosa at 145 pounds and Kendig at 135 pounds were the two of seven total Dos Pueblos girls wrestlers to reach the second day of competition.
De La Rosa fell just one round short of qualifying for Masters while Kendig won her blood-round match to clinch eighth place and a spot in the Masters Tournament.
“It’s really exciting watching Sierrah wrestle,” Bernard said. “She is high energy and blasts through her opponents, leaving it all on the mat. The entire girls team brings it to every match and tournament, they are really a fun group to watch develop and grow.”
San Marcos
The Royals had six wrestlers compete in the CIF-SS Eastern Division Championships over the weekend.
“Overall, I’m happy with the team’s performance this season and looking forward to some off-season training,” San Marcos head coach Eric Flores said.
Anthony Leal turned in the best outing of all the Royals, taking home sixth place in the 24-man bracket at 132 pounds.
After receiving a first-round bye, Leal picked up a victory after falling in the quarterfinals. He then earned a pair of victories on the second day of competition to finish the weekend in sixth place.
“I’m hugely impressed with team captain Anthony’s ability to battle back and wrestle every match like it was his last. His heart out there was a sight to see,” Flores said.
At 150 pounds, Cole Dominguez went 2-2 in his matchups, including a victory by way of a fall and an overtime win.
“Team captain Cole Dominguez also impressed me with his ability to keep his head clear throughout his matches and wrestle tough,” Flores said.
Alejandro Pulet Rodriguez picked up one win at 138 pounds while Liam Fewell (106) and Isaac Trujillo (285) made their CIF debuts over the weekend.
Meanwhile, Ingrid Vargas was the lone representative from the San Marcos girls squad and went 1-2 on the weekend.
“Ingrid is also SMHS’s first female wrestler to make it to CIF as a freshman in recent memory, which is something to be proud of,” Flores said.