Photos by RT Tolentino

Boys & Girls Wrestling:

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor

The San Gabriel Valley area boys (4) and girls (11) contingencies combined for 15 CIF State placers on Saturday at the Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield.

And that included a pair of state champions.

Walnut’s Ronnie Ramirez defeated Antonio Rodriguez (Los Gatos), 9-2, in the 113-pound title match last night.

Ramirez went 6-0 over the three-day meet, and that included a 2-1 victory over Poway’s Edwin Sierra in the semifinal round.

The Northview boys finished 12th as a program, and that included three of the area’s four state placers.

The best was a fourth-place effort by an injured Mario Sandoval.

In spite of competing with a torn meniscus, Sandoval grinded his way into the championship semifinal round, and lost to eventual state champion, Daniel Zepeda of Gilroy.

In the third-fourth match, Sandoval fell in sudden death after Brandon Eusebio of Rancho Bernardo got a takedown with approximately 10 seconds remaining in the third period to force overtime.

To see Sandoval get carried off the mat after each match and then return and fight his ass off inspired many in attendance.

Jacob Salcedo lost in the quarterfinal round, but he regrouped and finished sixth in the 152-pound weight class.

Nate Cruz (170) was also gimped up as all wrestlers are this time of the year, but the Vikings senior earned an eighth-place showing.

Anaya Falcon (106 pounds) claimed the Mustangs’ second championship with an impressive 8-2 victory over Paige Morales.

Entering the night, Morales and Falcon were ranked second and third in the nation, respectively.

The Walnut girls finished second as a program to Marina in team points, and they featured four placers, including Deandra Meza (4th at 111 pounds), Jasmine Macias (6th at 126) and a fifth-place finish by 160-pound Jordan Carrillo.

Glendora’s Samantha Sachs (121) made history on a couple of levels.

Sachs earned the best showing in GHS history, with a third-place finish on Saturday.

Sachs lost her semifinal round showdown with top-ranked and eventual champion, Lilly Avalos of Pitman, 13-6.

But Sachs went 5-1 with two pins to place third, and the Tartans’ sophomore was the only of Avalos’ victims that did not get pinned.

Northview’s Johanna Forman was impressive.

The 150-pound senior pinned her way into the finals with four wins.

But Duda Rodrigues of Newport Harbor defeated Forman, 6-0.

Leilani Lazaro finished sixth at 116 pounds to give Northview two female placers.

San Dimas’ Juliana Marquez (160) and Kaley Rice (170) earned their way into the championship semifinal round.

Marquez would finish fourth and Rice claimed sixth place.

Renice Gonzalez of Colony (131) and Behnaz Agahzadeh of Los Osos (189) both placed eighth.

To view a photo gallery by RT Tolentino, click on the Facebook link here: Facebook

Directly below, Glendora coach David Hester & Samantha Sachs talk about the GHS sophomores’ showing in Bakersfield.

I am calling my shot for 2024.

Northview’s Marcus Tolentino will be a state placer.

The Vikings’ 106-pounder fell just short, but went 3-2 this weekend at the Mechanics Bank Arena.

Below, Tolentino talks about his season and being part of the Vikings’ program.

 

State Champion:
Ronnie Ramirez, 113 Pounds, Walnut:
Champ: Ramirez 9, Antonio Rodriguez (Los Gatos) 2
Semi: Ramirez 2, Edwin Sierra (Poway) 1
Quarter: Ramirez 11, Aaron Silva (Calvary Chapel) 3
Third: Ramirez 16, Jacob Estrada (Monache) 4
Second: Ramirez 17, Ethan Vinoray (Patrick Henry) 2
1st Round: Ramirez pinned Alijah Guzman (Silver Creek) at 1:28

State Champion:
Anaya Falcon, 106 Pounds, Walnut:
Champ: Falcon 8, Paige Morales (Central) 2
Semi: Falcon 6, Diana Gonzalez (Buchanan) 0
Quarter: Falcon 5, Sophia Cornish (Tesoro) 1
Second: Falcon pinned Micaela Correa (Ernest Righetti) at 0:55
First: Falcon pinned Alexandra Lorretto (Pacheco) at 1:54

SGV Area Boys State Placers:
113: Ronnie Ramirez (Walnut) Champion
132: Mario Sandoval (Northview) 4th
152: Jacob Salcedo, (Northview) 6th
170: Nathan Cruz, (Northview) 8th

SGV Area Girls State Placers:
106: Anaya Falcon (Walnut) Champion
111: Deandra Meza (Walnut) 4th
116: Leilani Lazaro (Northview) 6th
121: Samantha Sachs (Glendora) 3rd
126: Jasmine Macias (Walnut) 6th
131: Renice Gonzalez (Colony) 8th
150: Johanna Forman (Northview) 2nd
160: Juliana Marquez (San Dimas) 4th
160: Jordan Carrillo (Walnut) 5th
170: Kaley Rice (San Dimas) 6th
189: Behnaz Agahzadeh (Los Osos) 8th

Boys Team Scores:
1. Buchanan (244)
2. Poway (202.5)
3. Gilroy (194)
4. Clovis (173)
5. Bakersfield (166.5)
6. Palm Desert (165)
7. St. John Bosco (163.5)
8. Los Gatos (89)
9. Granite Hills (76)
10. Oakdale (75)
12. Northview (55)
14. Walnut (49)

Girls Team Scores:
1. Marina (114)
2. Walnut (88)
3. Pitman (86)
4. Gilroy (73)
5. Golden Valley (62)
6. Buchanan (57.5)
7. Evergreen Valley (55)
8. Northview (54)
9. Redwood (45)
10. Clovis East (41)
10. Golden West (41)

CIF State Individual Championships:

Boys:
106: Clarence Moore (Branham) pinned Rocklin Zinkin (Buchanan) at 4:45
113: Ronnie Ramirez (Walnut) def. Antonio Rodriguez (Los Gatos). 9-2
120: Isaiah Cortez (Gilroy) def. Isaiah Quintero (El Dorado), 1-0
126: Elijah Cortez (Gilroy) def. Joseph Toscano (Buchanan), 2-1
132: Daniel Zepeda (Gilroy) def. Gavin Bauder (Clovis North), 20-5
138: Dario Lemus (Clovis) def. Brock Mantanona (Palm Desert), 6-3
145: Miguel Estrada (Frontier) def. Laird Root (Poway), Dec 4-2
152: Beau Mantanona (Palm Desert) def. Collins Guffey (Granite Hills), 2-0
160: Nicco Ruiz (St. John Bosco) pinned Angelo Posada (Poway) at 1:24
170: Luke Condon (Poway) pinned Sloan Swan (Buchanan)at 1:59
182: Timothy McDonnell (Fountain Valley) def. Sonny Kling (Canyon Springs), 5-4
195: Robert Platt (Brawley) def. Coby Merrill (Gilroy), 3-1
220: Nicholas Sahakian (St. John Bosco) def. Kannon Campbell (Buchanan), 5-1
285: Daniel Herrera (Palm Desert) def. Sam Hinojosa (Stagg), 3-2

Girls:
101: Brenda Nunez (Buchanan) def. Jillian Wells (Lakeside), 3-0
106: Anaya Falcon (Walnut) def. Paige Morales (Central), 8-2
111: Kiely Tabaldo (Menlo) def. Karissa Turnwall (Paloma Valley), 3-0
116: Isabella Marie Gonzalez (Clovis East) pinned Alex Waitsman (El Camino Real) at 1:38
121: Lilly Avalos (Pitman) pinned Lilyana Balderas (Anaheim)at 1:19
126: Carissa Qureshi (Marina) pinned Baya Austin (Pitman) at 1:05
131: Taydem Khamjoi (Cesar Chavez) pinned Gabryella Austin (Pitman)at 2:54
137: Gianna Dibenedetto (Bella Vista) def. Valerie Glenn (Gilroy), 10-0
143: Jennah Creason (Redwood) pinned Adelaida Fernandez (Birmingham)at 1:42
150: Duda Rodrigues (Newport Harbor) def. Johanna Forman (Northview), 6-0
160: Leilani Lemus (Clovis) pinned Vida Beckel (Cypress) at 3:04
170: Jocelyn Yepez (Paramount) def. Kathryn Hingano (Rio Linda), 10-1
189: Saiheron Preciado-Meza (Marina) pinned Naomi Roby (Golden Valley)at 1:56
235: Destiny Marquez (Marina) def. Allie Phillips (Mark Keppel), 1-0