Carter heavyweight wrestler Kenny Clark is currently competing with the California Cadet National Team in a national tournament at Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho. Clark, who recently won the state Greco-Roman championship, will be competing until June 26 according to Carter wrestling coach Kevin Henessey.

Carter will also be hosting a two-day wrestling camp Friday and Saturday at the school, with University of Minnesota wrestlers Tyler Safratowich and Manny Rivera (a Rosemead native) working with prospective campers. The camp runs in the morning and afternoon both days.

Oak Hills junior wrestler Robert Marchese, competing at the NSCA National Wrestling Championship, Junior Division, in Virginia Beach, Virginia has advanced all the way to the finals.

Marchese, who was seventh at the state meet four weeks ago, had to win five matches in the 171-pound weight class to reach Friday’s final. The medal rounds for the juniors are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. PDT today.

Marchese won his first two matches of the tournament 12-3 and 11-1, then won by fall. His last two were close: 9-7 and 3-1 to advance to the final where he’ll face California State champion Nikko Reyes of Fresno Clovis West. Marchese and Reyes did not meet in the state tournament.

Oak Hills freshman heavyweight Justin Gillham, competing in the Freshman division of nationals, advanced all the way to the semifinals, before losing 2-1 on Thursday. He’ll be competing in consolation today before wrestling for a medal.

The Senior Division gets underway Friday, including 135-pound state champion Chris Mecate of Redlands East Valley.

Redlands East Valley senior Chris Mecate (135 pounds) and Oak Hills senior Ray Delgado (119) both advanced to the semifinals at the CIF State Championships Friday in Bakersfield.
Check back with this blog Saturday for updates on Mecate, Delgado and the other county wrestlers.
Both Mecate and Delgado secured a spot in the top six, and still have a shot at a state title.
But overall, it was a rough day for San Bernardino County wrestlers.
Of the 25 state qualfiers for the county, only seven made it to day 2.
Joining Mecate and Delgado today, but competing in consolation are: Bloomington’s Juan Alvarado (152), Los Osos’ Jon Solano (160), Oak Hills’ Robert Marchese (171), Etiwanda’s J.J. Everard (215) and Oak Hills’ Gerardo Aguirre (215).
Marchese was his school’s first state placer last year, and Solano is hoping to be his school’s first this year. Colony, Kaiser and Chino Hills all had wrestlers at state hoping to be the first from their schools to place, but none made it to day 2.

After the first day of the CIF-SS Masters Wrestling Championships at Temecula Valley, 12 wrestlers from the county have advanced to the semifinals and clinched a spot among the top six. The top 9 in each weight class advance to the CIF State Championships at Bakersfield next weekend. There are 18 others from the county alive in consolation. In each weight class, there are 12 wrestlers who make it to day 2.

County semifinalists: 103: Christian Martin (Chino Hills), 119: Timmy Maldonado (Los Osos) vs. Ray Delgado (Oak Hills), 135: Eric Dunlap (Cajon, despite finishing 5th last week), Chris Mecate (Redlands East Valley); 140: Eli Mack (Alta Loma), Seth Whisner (Rim of the World), 145: Michael Gonzalez (Sultana); 160: Jon Solano (Los Osos); 171: Robert Marchese (Oak Hills), Ryan McWatters (Sultana); 189: Anthony Flores (Kaiser).

Others still alive: 103: Anthony Roybal (Hesperia), Anthony Soto (Colony), 125: Edward Lopez (Victor Valley), Spencer Glasheen (Upland), Gilbert Gomez (Colony); 130: Michael Rodriguez (Alta Loma); 135: Jacob Leon (Alta Loma); 145: Alex Cruz (Bloomington); 152: Juan Alvarado (Bloomington); 160: Zach Vom Steeg (Oak Hills), Edward Randolph (Bloomington); 171: Brody Goens (Chino HIlls); 189: Marin Padilla (Bloomington); 215: Garrardo Aguirre (Oak Hills), J.J. Everard (Etiwanda), Rene Sanchez (Bloomington); Heavyweight: Martin Gonzalez (Montclair), Anthony Jimenez (Oak Hills).

Leading teams with wrestlers alive: Oak Hills 5, Bloomington 5, Alta Loma 3.

Tony Rotundo/wrestlersarewarriors.com

Last weekend was the prestigous Doc Buchanan Wrestling Invtiational in Clovis. There were only two county teams entered in the event: Redlands East Valley and Sultana, and each brought home an individual champion.
REV’s Chris Mecate (pictured above at the tournament) won the 135-pound weight class, defeating Bakersfield’s Natrelle Demison 6-4 in overtime in the final, and defeating several ranked wrestlers earlier in the event. Demison entered the event ranked No. 1 in the state at 130 pounds.The placers at 135 included Demison, Mecate (ranked No. 4), third place Wiliam Fox of Gilroy (ranked No. 6), fourth place Shane Tate of Oakdale (No. 3), sixth place Nikkolas Pena of Selma (ranked No. 1 at 140) and seventh place Andrew Perez of Pitman (No. 5),
Sultana’s Michael Gonzalez took home the title at 145, defeating David Meza of Buena Park 9-5 in the finals. Gonzalez was ranked 10th at 145 pounds before the event, while Meza was sixth at 140.
The only other placer from the county was REV’s Taylor Rippy, who was sixth at 171 pounds.

Here’s how the San Bernardino County wrestlers fared so far through two championship rounds at the CIF State championships in Bakersfield on Friday. Two losses on the first day and you’re eliminated. Some wrestlers didn’t have to wrestle until the second round.
Sultana’s 5 wrestlers have not lost yet (8-0)

Matt Welch, Sultana (112)
won by pin 1:14, won by pin :28
Ray Delgado, Oak Hills (112)
won 10-2
Richie Cascante, San Gorgonio (112)
did not make weight, was eliminated
Sean Silva, Barstow (119)
won 10-0
Tim Maldonado, Los Osos (119)
won 11-6, lost 12-4
Alec Smith, Sultana (125)
won 13-4
Chris Mecate, Redlands East Valley (125)
won via tech. fall 18-3, won via tech. fall 15-0
Pedro Vazquez, REV (130)
won 6-5, lost 12-5
Michael Gonzalez, Sultana (135)
won via default, won via pin, 3:29
Juan Alvarado, Bloomington (152)
lost via pin, 2:45
Ryan McWatters, Sultana (152)
won 11-1, won 8-5
Cody Dixon, Colony (160)
lost to No. 3-ranked Bryce Hammond, 15-1
Chris Sloat, Hesperia (160)
won via pin 1:03, won 7-0
Robert Marchese, Oak Hills (160)
won 5-3
Andrew Hudson, Redlands East Valley (215)
lost to No. 6 Paul Buchanan, 3-1
Giordan Porter, Rialto (heavyweight)
won via pin in 1:46
Manuel Mazariegos, Sultana (heavyweight)
won 5-3

In addition to T.J.’s previous post about REV’s Chris Mecate (seeded third) winning the 119 pound title at the Five Counties Wrestling Invitational last Friday, there were seven more wrestlers from the county who placed at state.

The were three county wrestlers placing in the 112 pound class, as Oak Hills’ unseeded Ray Delgado was second, Sultana’s unseeded Matt Welch was fifth and Ayala’s unseeded Andrew Delgado was eighth.

At 135 pounds, Victor Valley’s unseeded Chris Swayze took seventh, while Carter’s Chuck Wilson, also unseeded was eighth at 140. REV’s sixth-seeded Andrew Hudson took seventh at 215 and Sultana’s fifth-seeded Manny Mazariegos was third at heavyweight.

There were eight wrestlers in each weight class seeded prior to the event, and the top eight placed. As far as I can tell, Mecate, Hudson and Mazariegos were the only county wrestlers who were seeded, yet not only did they all place, but five others from the county who were unseeded placed.

Looks to me like county wrestlers are deserving of a little more respect than what was given to them at the seeding meeting.

Redlands East Valley junior wrestler Chris Mecate continued his impressive season, taking first place in the 119-pound division at this past weekend’s Five Counties Tournament at Fountain Valley High School according to an e-mail sent to me by his father, Perry Mecate.

Mecate, ranked third in the state coming into the tournament, bested the two wrestlers ranked ahead of him Saturday, defeating No. 2-seeded Bryan Grubbs of Carlsbad La Costa Canyon 3-2 in the semifinals and No. 1 seeded Zach Zimmer of Clovis West 3-1 in the championship match to grab the title.