Merced High boys wrestlers, Golden Valley girls clinch outright CCC championships

Shawn Jansen
·2 min read

The Merced High boys wrestling teams wrapped up the outright Central California Conference championship by winning the team title at the conference tournament on Friday at Awater High School.

The Bears, who went a perfect 6-0 in dual matches in CCC action, took home seven individual championships after sending eight wrestlers into the finals on Friday.

Merced started with four straight victories in the finals as Nathaniel Granados (106 pounds), Elijah Valencia (113), Michael Wilson (120) and Michael Castillo (126) all won their respective divisions.

Bears teammates Vincent Almanza (157), Eric Almanza (175) and Anthony Nixon (215) also won championships.

Golden Valley, which defeated Merced last weekend to win the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III dual championship, placed nine wrestlers into the CCC finals. Trytin Gastelum (285) and Isaac Le Blanc (15) both took home individual championships.

The Bears finished with 233.5 team points to edge Golden Valley, which finished with 225 points.

Buhach Colony’s Rosalio Leal (165) and El Capitan’s Akhileus Orenlas (190) were the other two local wrelsters to win CCC championships.

Patterson’s Gavin Ross (132) and Joseph Lopez (144) won championships along with Central Valley’s Joey Zuniga (138).

The next step for CCC wrestlers in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III championships at Manteca High on Saturday, Feb. 10. The top eight wrestlers in each division from there advance to the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters championship the following week at the Stockton Arena.

CCC Girls

The Golden Valley girls wrestlers won the CCC tournament to clinch the outright CCC championship. The Cougars went a perfect 6-0 in CCC dual meets this season.

Golden Valley took home five individual championships with Neveah Rodriguez (100), Evangelina Galindo (105), Yurehlly Burgos (130), Elyse Flores (135) and Sienna Moua (145) all winning their division.

Merced had a trio of girls win their division with Jessica Flores (120), Calista Ramos (125) and Evelyn Vargas (190) winning championships.

The other area wrestler to take home a title was Atwater’s Diana Alvarez with a win in the 155-pound division.