This California Community College event matches up the best wrestlers from each region, and gets underway at 4 pm. Cuesta Head Coach, Joe Dansby, is looking forward the action: "I'm very excited to host this event at Cuesta College. I feel extremely fortunate to host, coach, and have a wrestler in the dual, all in the same year. We are working very hard to make this a successful event for these hard working wrestlers. They deserve some special recognition, given all the demands of the sport."
There's more than just regional bragging rights at stake for these athletes. The #1 wrestlers will toe the line determined to validate their ranking and demanding from the challenger the response of a champion. The challengers are anxious to show they have what it takes to be #1. A win here is not an upset, but a preview of things to come at the State Championships in December.
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North Coaches: Paul Keysaw, Fresno City College & Dave Pacheco, Sacramento City College
South Coaches: Joe Dansby, Cuesta College & Larry Watanabe, Mt. San Antonio College
125: North, #2 Chauncey Phillips, Sierra College vs South, #1 Ivan Sanchez, Santa Ana College. Their only meeting this season was a high scoring finals match at the Santa Ana Tournament with Sanchez winning 13-9.
133: North, #4 Mike Righi, Fresno City College vs South, #3 Gabe Aguilar, Santa Ana College. These two met in the Santa Ana Tournament semi-final in another high scoring affair with Righi taking it 11-10.
141: North, #1 Jordan Keckler, Modesto JC vs South, #3 Jose Serrato, Santa Ana College. These two are getting well acquainted with each other. This will be their 4th meeting in a weight class dominated by Keckler.
149: North, #1 Alfonso Sanchez, Fresno City College vs South, #3 Joe Barajas, Palomar College. Sanchez has won 4 tournaments and will be hard to handle. Barajas is a strong, solid wrestler and may have some success where others have failed.
157: North, #1 JD Thrall, Sacramento City College vs South, #3 Devin Velasquez, Santa Ana College. Thrall has not looked back since wining the prestigious West Valley Tournament, wrestling with skill and confidence. Velasquez had a tough 2OT semi-final loss in the West Valley Tournament, denying him the shot at Thrall that he'll have on Saturday.
165: North, #3 Nick Bardsley, Fresno City College vs South, #1 Glenn Shaw, Palomar College. Shaw has been in control of all of his matches this season and has beaten Bardsley twice 9-6 and 5-2.
174: North, #1 Kyle Griffin, Santa Rosa JC vs South, #2 Michael Williams, Cuesta College. Griffin has been unstoppable this season using quickness and strength to his advantage. Williams has had some big upset victories this season and would love to add Griffin to that list.
184: North, #3 Steven Urquizo, Fresno City College vs South, #1 Tim Hawkins, Mt. San Antonio College. Hawkins, a returning state champion, has easily dispatched all comers. He was the Outstanding Wrestler of the West Valley Tournament. The finals match was a 15-2 beating of Urquizo.
197: North, #1 Jayson Collard, Santa Rosa JC vs South #2 Ryan Silviera, Mt. San Antonio College. These two wrestlers who rely on strength and determination, last met in the West Valley finals. Collard's 3-0 victory included an incredible 5+ minutes of riding time.
285: North, #1 Eric Nye, Sierra College vs South #2 Josh Marquez, Bakersfield College. Nye has had little trouble this season and seems to be getting stronger and quicker as the season wears on. Marquez is a returning state medallist and is more than capable of making this a close match.
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