By Nyah Toomes
Staff Writer
On Feb. 17, boys varsity wrestling advanced to the CIF playoffs which took place at Westminster High School after league finals on Feb. 11. The boys were required to wrestle seven matches. Those placing in the top five will then move on to Masters. CIF is set up as a 32-man bracket, meaning that 32 schools competed in the playoffs.
Harry Sanin placed fifth, moving on to the masters tournament, and David Garcia placed eighth out of the 32 schools.
“My coaches yelling at me to work harder has pushed me and gotten me to where I am now.” Senior, David Garcia stated appreciatively.
Sophomore Cassidy Do, junior Jezebel Diaz, and senior SkyeLynn Bojorquez wrestled at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in CIF on Feb. 10. The girls wrestled in a 24-man bracket, which requires them to wrestle in six matches. Bojorquez placed fourth and Do placed sixth, which qualified them both for the State tournament.
“We saw a lot of people we have wrestled before,” stated Do, “so I just put my all out there.”
This is both of the girls’ first time wrestling at the CIF State Girls Wrestling Championships which takes place from today until tomorrow and is located at Visalia Convention Center in the San Joaquin Valley.
“I’m happy [to be going to State] I placed higher than I did last year, so I’m happy with that,” Bojorquez stated proudly.
At the CIF qualifying tournament on Feb. 5, Do placed sixth and Bojorquez placed second, which pushed them through to compete in the CIF playoffs.
On Jan. 20, GHS girls varsity wrestling headed to the El Monte Wrestling Tournament as a team. This tournament was the last tournament before the CIF qualifying tournament. Bojorquez placed second in the 150 weight class. Diaz and fellow junior Alexis Medina placed seventh and fourth in their respective weight categories while Do placed third in the 106 weight class.
For the boys’ CIF qualifying tournament on Feb. 11, Donovan Sanin, Harry Sanin, David Garcia, and Peter Villa all placed first in league in their respective weight classes while Sean Gallagher and Natwhan Manalastas placed second overall in league.
