Three High Desert wrestlers reach podium at CIF state championships

[ASFN Admin]

Sultana’s Cael Humphrey and Excelsior’s Itzel Padilla became two-time placers at the CIF State Wrestling Championships in Bakersfield.

Humphrey reached the podium on Saturday, Feb. 28 in the 132-pound division with a sixth-place finish. As a sophomore last year, Humphrey placed eighth in the same division.

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Humphrey reached the fifth-place match and lost an 8-4 decision to Poway's Jack Malinconico.

Padilla and Victor Valley’s Daniel Mendoza both took seventh place in their divisions.

Padilla, who also claimed seventh in the 135-pound division last year as a junior, scored a 13-2 decision over Gilroy's Sarai Cortez in the seventh-place match.

Mendoza scored a pinfall at the 4:41 mark over Poway's Julius Villamil in the 113-pound division’s seventh-place match.

In total, eleven local wrestlers from four different schools qualified for the three-day state tournament, held at Dignity Health Arena.

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Here’s a full look at how our local wrestlers did in Bakersfield, beginning with the three placers.

More: Victor Valley ends a 73-year drought in the High Desert with a CIF-SS title

Cael Humphrey, Sultana, 132 pounds​

• Day 3: Humphrey, ranked No. 5, began the consolation action with a 10-0 major decision over Joseph Albert, of Everett Alvarez. Humphrey then scored a 7-1 decision over Gilroy's Dominic Bozanic before losing a 5-0 decision to St. John Bosco's Nathan Carrillo and heading to the fifth-place match.
• Day 2: Humphrey lost a 14-2 major decision against Birmingham’s Arno Vardanyan, ranked No. 4.
• Day 1: Humphrey made quick work in his opening match, pinning James Logan’s Miguel Rodriguez in just over a minute. The junior followed that up by pinning Esperanza’s Joseph Guardado at the 3:29 mark.

Daniel Mendoza, Victor Valley, 113 pounds​

• Day 3: Mendoza began the action with a pinfall victory over Palm Desert's Alekzander Espinoza at the 3:46 mark. Mendoza then lost an 8-4 decision to Servite's Uriah Correa before the seventh-place match.
• Day 2: Mendoza began the consolation bracket action by pinning Folsom's Nox Cruzat in 35 seconds, and Elk Grove's Isaiah Gonzaga in 20 seconds.
• Day 1: Mendoza scored a 20-second pinfall victory over Escondido’s Jayden Montoya before losing by tech fall (22-6) to Buchanan’s Thiago Silva, ranked No. 2 in the division.

Itzel Padilla, Excelsior, 135 pounds​

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• Day 3: Padilla began the consolation rounds with an 18-2 tech fall over Poway’s Edna Rodriguez-Villanueva. Padilla then lost a 19-5 major decision to Marina's Rianna Bernal before the seventh-place match.
• Day 2: Padilla lost by pinfall in the quarterfinals against No. 1-ranked Zahra Stewart, of Orange Vista. The two faced off at the CIF-SS Masters on Feb. 21.
• Day 1: Padilla scored a pair of tech fall victories. She first beat Durham’s Emma Waggoner at the 2:45 mark, and followed that up by pinning Golden West’s Alex Torres at 3:55.

How the rest of the High Desert wrestlers fared​

Cheyanne Stepanian, Hesperia, 125 pounds​

• Day 2: Stepanian lost her opening match in the consolation bracket. She was pinned by St. Francis' April Gao in one minute.
• Day 1: Stepanian began the day with a pinfall victory over Red Bluff’s Madison Bailey at the 1:17 mark. She was pinned by Del Oro’s Kaiya Maggini to drop into the consolation bracket.

Ellie Meyer, Victor Valley, 115 pounds​

• Day 2: Meyer lost her opening match in the consolation bracket. She lost a 10-1 major decision to Cosumnes Oaks' Bailey Rademaker.
• Day 1: Meyer lost her opening match to Galileo’s Daisy Infante at the 2:27 mark.

Emiliano Hernandez, Hesperia, 150 pounds​

• Day 3: Hernandez's run ended by losing an 18-6 major decision against Birmingham's Greg Torosian, who is ranked No. 6.
• Day 2: Hernandez, ranked No. 9, began the consolation action with a 10-1 major decision over Del Oro's Cooper Sheesley. Hernandez then scored a 7-1 decision over Clovis North's Blake Trelles.
• Day 1: Hernandez, ranked No. 9 in the division, wrestled three times, drawing a pigtail round matchup against Red Bluff’s Charles Rice and scoring a pinfall at the 2:17 mark. He then beat Turlock’s Jack Locke by major decision (15-2) before being upset in a 5-4 decision to Poway’s Carlos Valdiviezo, ranked No. 24.

Jackson Humphrey, Sultana, 126 pounds​

• Day 3: Humphrey began the third day of action by losing a 5-0 decision against No. 5 ranked Aaron Meza, of Esperanza. Humphrey also lost a 6-3 decision against Meza at the CIF-SS Masters on Feb. 20.
• Day 2: Humphrey scored a 10-6 decision over Roosevelt's Jesse Quiroz and then pinned at the 4:49 mark.
• Day 1: Humphrey scored an 11-2 major decision over Oakdale’s Jake Simmons in his opening match. He then lost by pinfall against Clovis North’s Sirah Sidhu, ranked No. 2 in the division, at the 2:20 mark.

Jonathan Ugarte, Hesperia, 157 pounds​

• Day 2: Ugarte went on a big run to begin the consolation bracket. He scored a 9-0 major decision over Kingsburg’s Paxton Palomar, pinned St. Augustine's Georges Daniel at the 4:37 mark and pulled off a 10-9 decision over Dos Pueblos' Brandon Velasquez with a late takedown. Ugarte’s run came to an end with a 9-5 decision loss to Birmingham's Roman Arakelyan.
• Day 1: Ugarte lost his opening match by decision (4-2) against Gilroy’s Anthony Cazarez.

Maddox Hazard, Sultana, 120 pounds​

• Day 2: Hazard lost his opening match in the consolation rounds by pinfall against Selma's Caleb Cisneros at the 2:32 mark.
• Day 1: Hazard lost a 9-4 decision against Joey Guanella, of Windsor, in his opening match.

Max Stevenson, Hesperia, 175 pounds​

• Day 2: Stevenson began the consolation rounds with a pinfall victory over Serra's Finnian Hannegan at the 2:30 mark. Stevenson also pinned Hannegan at the CIF-SS Masters. Stevenson’s run came to an end with a 10-5 decision loss to Centennial's Keshaun White.
• Day 1: Like his teammate Hernandez, Stevenson also began by pinning Shafter’s Jayden Gonzalez at the 1:53 mark in the pigtail round. He then pinned Vallhalla’s Marcelino Nona (1:59) before losing by tech fall (20-4) against St. John Bosco’s Isai Fernandez, who is ranked No. 3 in the division.

Zander West, Victor Valley, heavyweight​

• Day 2: West lost his first match in the consolation bracket. He lost a 21-2 tech fall against Granite Hills' Travin Shahbaz.
• Day 1: West lost by decision to Clovis West’s Bedros Behnam (7-2).

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Three High Desert wrestlers reach podium at CIF state championships

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