Santa Barbara High wrestler Jonathan Corona finished fourth in the 190-pound weight class at the CIF-Southern Section Masters Meet and qualified to compete at the State Championships this weekend in Bakersfield.
Corona pinned Eugenio Escalera Henderson of La Habra at 1:38 of the first period of the elimination “Blood Round” to book his spot in the State Meet at the Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield. The Masters Meet was held at Sonora High in La Habra.
The win over Henderson put Corona in a match for third place against Northview’s Michael Vassella, whom he had beaten earlier, 12-4, to reach the semifinals. Vassella won the rematch, 7-1.
“I’m really proud of Jon’s wrestling this post season. He works to really understand situations and continually develop his skill set after each match,” said Santa Barbara coach Christopher Hamman. “As a coach, it’s easy to work with an athlete who takes each match as a learning experience, win or lose.
“Jon comes from a wrestling family. His brother, Angel, a former SBHS wrestler himself, spends a lot of time working with Jon and understands the sport, on and off the mat. A lot of Jon’s athletic success can be attributed to this support system, but ultimately Jon is accountable. He’s out there getting himself better on his own.”
Corona opened the Masters tournament with a first-round pin against Jasper Lewis of Santa Ana and then defeated Vassella by a major decision. He lost in the semifinals to No. 2 seed and eventual champion Gabriel Barragan of West Valley. They battled into the third period, and Barragan prevailed on a pin with 54 seconds left in the match.
Corona, the Channel League champion and a third-place finisher at the CIF-SS Divisional Championships, is the first male wrestler in school history to qualify for the state meet.
Santa Barbara alum Pepper Marks qualified for the state in girls wrestling in 2023. She made the podium, placing sixth in her weight class.