They didn’t win the team title, but Poway wrestling coach John Meyers couldn’t be any prouder.
Meyers’ young squad tied a state record, capturing 11 medals on the final day at the CIF State Wrestling Championships at Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield on Saturday night.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I don’t care we finished in second place,” Meyers said via telephone. “I know we are the best team in the state, at least the best team in this gym today for sure.”
The Titans finished second behind only the state’s top-ranked team, Buchanan, for the team title. Buchanan finished with 10 medals.
In fact, Poway closed the team gap to under two points, 258-256.5, after the medal round, but Buchanan still had five wrestlers to go in the Finals, finishing with three champions and 270 team points.
The Titans’ previous best in medals came in 2015 with eight. It was also the school’s most team points at State, breaking the 189.5 by the 2016 team.
Overall, San Diego came home with 13 medals for the boys, while the girls added another 10.
All this came on the heels of a disappointing day two, when seven of the 10 Titans to reach the quarterfinals failed to advance to the semis.
“There were a lot of dreams shattered (Friday),” said Meyers. “We met and I told them they don’t realize there are moments like this which build character and they came in today and showed it.”
Five Poway wrestlers came away with third-place medals, two with fourths, two with fifths, one at sixth and one at seventh.
Taking thirds for the Titans were Brock Bobzien (132), Johnny Lopez (138), Noah Tolentino (145), Laird Root (152) and Lucas Condon (170).
Other placewinners for the Titans were Edward Sierra (fourth at 106), Angelo Posada (fourth at 160), Braden Pease (fifth at 195), Mikey Lytle (fifth at 285), Elias Navida (sixth at 113) and Paul Kelly (seventh at 126).
Ryan Badgett of Rancho Bernado took a fifth at 160.
In girls wrestling, Poway’s Alejandra Valdiviezo was sixth at 121.
BOYS WRESTLING
CIF State Championships
At Bakersfield
Team: Buchanan 258, Poway 256.5, Clovis 174.5, Palm Desert 149, St. John Bosco 139; (other: 20. Rancho Bernardo 42, 36. Brawley 21, 33. Granite Hills 22, 64. (tie) La Costa Canyon, Mira Mesa 10, 75. (tie) Carlsbad, Olympian 9, 99. (tie) Mater Dei Catholic, St. Augustine 6, 125. (tie) Eastlake, Holtville, Mountain Empire, San Ysidro 4.
Individual Results
Semifinals
132 – Gioffre (Buchanan) maj. dec. Bobzien (Pow) 9-1; 160 – Gayer (Santa Ana Calvary Chapel) dec. Posada (Poway) 6-1; Herrera (Palm Desert) pin Lytle (Pow) 3:24.
Third-place
106 – Cortez (Gilroy) dec. Sierra (Pow) 3-1 sudden victory; 132 – Bobzien (Pow) dec. Zinkin (Bullard) 4-2, 138 – Lopez (Pow) dec. Lela (Selma) 11-6; 145 – Tolentino (Pow) dec. Lake (Buchanan) 5-1, 152 – Root (Pow) dec. Fernandez (De La Salle) 6-5; 160 – Aranda (St. John Bosco) dec. Posada (Pow) 6-1, 170 – Condon (Pow) dec. Sandoval (Vacaville) 3-2;
Fifth-place
113 – Holeman (Clovis) def. Navida (Pow) medical forfeit; 132 – Guffey (GH) dec. Elliot (Del Oro) 6-2; 195 – Pease (Pow) maj. dec. Whitworth (Fountain Valley) 11-1; 285 – Lytle (Pow) pin Roe (De La Salle) 1:25.
Seventh-place
126 – Kelly (Pow) dec. Contino (Buchanan) 3-1 sudden victory; Badgett (RB) Garcia (Oakdale) 10-8.
Consolation Round 4
106 – Ramirez Jr. (Central Catholic dec. 1-0; Sierra (Pow) pin Kobashi (Clovis North) 4:28; 113 – Harris (Buchanan) dec. Jones (RB) 6-3; Elias Navida (Pow) pin Carranza (Arlington) 2:28; 120 – Valledor (Vacaville) pin Townson (Pow) 4:41; 126 – Kelly (Pow) pin Pererya (Lakeside) 4:02; 132 – Guffey (GH) de. Luna (St. Francisa) 3-1; 138 – Lopez (Pow) Ayres (Fountain Valley) 1-0; 145 – Tolentino (Pow) maj. dec. Salcedo (Northview) 11-3; 152 – Honey (Bakersfield) maj. dec. Hayes (MiM) 13-1; Laird Rood (Pow) dec. Aikman (Ukiah) 4-0; 160 – Badgett (RB) dec. Nagra (Vacaville) 5-1; 170 – Condon (Pow) dec. Abrahason (Pioneer) forfeit; 182 – Costa (Yucaipa) pin Walsh (Cbad) 3:44; 195 – Preciado (Santa Ana Calvary Chapel) dec. Platt (Braw) 5-3; Pease (Pow) maj. dec. Trelles (Buchanan) 9-0; 220 – Greer (Soledad) pin Sorensen (SM) 3:26; Ozuna (Clovis West) dec. Farha 7-5.
Consolation Round 5
106 – Sierra (Pow) maj. dec. Madayag (Novato) 14-6; 113 – Navida (Pow) pin Riley (Vacaville) :37; 126 – Cholakyan (St. John Bosco) dec. Kelly 3-2; 132 – Guffey (GH) maj. dec. Leon (Northview) 8-0; 138 – Lopez (Pow) maj. dec. Thongseng (Exeter) 14-3; 145 – Tolentino dec. Peralta (Temecula Valley) 7-0; Root (Pow) dec. Morgan (Granada) 7-5; 160 – Espinoza (Buchanan) pin Badgett (RB) 4:01; 170 – Condon (Pow) pin Munoz (Valencia) 2:28; 195 – Pease (Pow) maj. dec. Precaido (Santa Ana Calvary Chapel) 8-0.
Consolation Semifinals
106 – Sierra (Pow) dec. Medina (Vacaville) 4-2; 113 – Cortez (Gilroy) def. Navida (Pow) default 3:38; 132 – Bobzien (Pow) dec. Guffey (GH) 3-2; 138 – Lopez (Pow) dec. Almarinez (Vacaville) 5-2; 145 – Tolentino (Pow) dec. Parker (Fountain Valley) 5-1; 152 – Laird (Pow) def. Takara (Temecula Valley) default; 160 – Posada (Pow) dec. Espinosa (Buchanan) 2-1; 170 – Condon (Pow) dec. McCown (Palm Desert) 10-8; 195 – Vega-Sanchez (Palo Cedro Foothill) dec. Pease (Pow) 3-0; 285 – Takaua (Freemont) pin Lytle (Pow) :27.
GIRLS WRESTLING
CIF State Championships
At Bakersfield
Team: Marina 92.5, Gilroy 64, Birmingham 58, Arroyo 54, James Logan 53 (Other) 16. Valley Center 44, 23. Brawley 37, 34. Mira Mesa 28, 37. Mt. Carmel 27.5, 48. Poway 21, 54. Calexico 19, 58. El Cajon Valley 18, 62. Olympian 17, 78. La Costa Canyon 12, 82, Crawford 11, 87. San Marcos 10, 93. Central Union 9, 106. Rancho Buena Vista 7, 123. Steele Canyon 6, 153. Montgomery 4, 175. (tie) Carlsbad, Del Norte, Grossmont, Tri-City Christian 3.
Individual Results
Semifinals
106 – Gonzalez (Arroyo) dec. Salais (Cx) 3-0; 137 – Gomez (Braw) dec. Montenegro (Paloma Valley) 4-0; 235 – Miles (Elk Grove) dec.. Leal (Oly) 3-2; Fritts (Capistrano Valley) dec. Rocha (ECV) 5-0.
Third-place
106 – Salais (Cx) dec. Olivarez-Gomez (Buchanan) 5-1; 150 – Jones (VC) dec. Lancaster (Gregori) 1-0 sudden victory; 235 – Templeman (Rocklin) dec. Rocha (ECV) 7-1.
Fifth-place
121 – Vega (Westmont) dec. Valdiviezo (Pow) 5-2; 131 – Ripper (Miramonte) pin Sims (MtC) 2:50; 235 – Lerena (Ridgeview) pin Leal (Olympian) :36.
Seventh-place
106 – McCaskill (MiM) dec. Schafer (Marina) 2-0; 143 – Young (VC) pin Jimenez (Valley View) 4:52; 170 – Rice (Montclair) pin Mallard (Craw) 3:48; 189 – Gutierrez (Gridley) def Perez (LCC) forfeit.
Consolation Round 4
106 – McCaskill (Mi) dec. Roschmann (Roseville) 4-2; Meza (Calaveras) pin Gallego (Pow) 4:39; Li. Lopez (MtC) 1-0; 116 – Wells (Granite Bay) dec. Juarez (Braw) 9-2; 121 – Vega (Westmont) dec. Edwards (RBV) 4-3; Valdiviezo (Pow) dec. Anderson (Marina) 5-3; 126 – Gomez (Birmingham) maj. dec. Le. Lopez (MtC) 18-7; Sims (MtC) pin Langford (Redwood) 4:53; – 131 – Guerra (Downey) dec Pattillo (MiM) 3-2; 143 – Young (VC) pin Duus (Fremont) 2:03; 150 – Jones (VC) dec. Slecienski (Albany) 5-0; 170 – Mallard (Craw) pin Cubias (Hillcrest) 4:44; Castillo (Ridgeview) pin Ware (4:19); 189 – Perez (LCC) dec. Macias (Hillcrest) 10-3.
Consolation Round 5
106 – Olivarez-Gomez (Buchanan) pin McCaskill (MiM) 4:04; 121 – Valdiviezo (Pow) dec. Glenn (Gilroy) 3-0; 131 – Sims Mt. def. Nguyen (Palm Desert) forfeit; 143 – Smith (Clovis East) dec. Young (VC) 7-2; 150 – Jones (VC) pin Pineda (Valencia) 4:22; 170 – Castillo (Ridgeview) pin Mallard (Craw) 4:13; 189 – Mendieta (Vintage) dec. Perez (LCC) forfeit.
Consolation Semifinals
Salais (Cx) dec. Meza (Calaveras) 2-0; 121 – Galtan (Temecula Valley) pin Valdiviezo (Pow) 2:48; 131 – Ortiz (San Dimas) dec. Sim (MtC) 7-1; 150 – Jones (VC) pin Leaty (Yuba City) 2:22.
