Santa Barbara High wrestler Pepper Marks won two matches by fall and advanced to the 235-pound weight class quarterfinals at the CIF State Championships on Thursday at the Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield.
Marks started her day by pinning Estrella Vasquez-Gutierrez of Greenfield of the Central Coast Section at 1:32 of the first round.
Marks was leading the Greenfield wrestler 2-0 when she recorded her first-period pin.
“It was important for Pepper to get off to a good start,” said Santa Barbara coach Marc Fidel. “We discussed the first 30 seconds of the match and she executed perfectly with a knee pick off of her underhook.”
In the Round of 16, Marks faced Esther Toavalu of L.A. Banning, who upset fourth-seeded Jamie Shapton of Pleasant Grove by fall.
Marks pinned Toavalu at 57 seconds of the first period.
She advances to a rematch with Marina’s Destiny Marquez in Saturday’s quarterfinals. Marquez won a 2-1 double-overtime decision against Marks in the final at last weekend’s CIF-Southern Section Masters Meet.