Dos Pueblos wrestling’s Brandon Velasquez qualified for the State Meet to headline four Charger wrestlers at the CIF Masters Meet on Saturday at Sonora High.
“DP wrestlers represented themselves, their school, and the DP Wrestling Program quite well this weekend,” Dos Pueblos head coach Matt Bernard said.
Velasquez went 4-2 in the 157-pound weight class, securing a fifth-place finish and a spot in this weekend’s State Meet.
“Brandon wrestled a gritty tournament,” Bernard said. “He got caught in a move early in the tournament, battled his way back, and then avenged that earlier loss to punch his ticket to States.
“It is fun to watch Brandon work; his combined explosiveness and creativity really make the matches exciting and keep his opponents on their toes.”
Meanwhile, Ethan Ono and Andrew Gilligan had their seasons come to an end in the 215-pound and 132-pound brackets, respectively. Ono picked up one victory, while Gilligan went 0-2 on the weekend.
“Andrew had a tough draw and ran into two opponents who pushed him beyond his comfort zone. He put together a strong season; it has been fun watching him leverage his athletic abilities in competition this season,” Bernard said.
“Ethan encountered some adversity this tournament. It was a great learning experience for him and will make him all the better for it. He’s already looking for ways to get back at it.”
Ariana Valladares was the lone Charger girl to qualify for the Masters Meet, and she turned in a solid performance despite not placing, putting together a record of 3-2.
“Ari wrestled like a lion – she was on a mission and won some really tough battles against great opponents,” Bernard said. “She was one shy of punching her ticket to the State Tournament; the coaching staff and I are incredibly proud of her.”