Four local boys’ wrestlers advance to state quarterfinals

The CIF State individual wrestling championships have begun, with four local boys’ wrestlers making it through to the quarterfinals on Thursday at Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield.

Fountain Valley, which qualified seven individuals into the state tournament, has four alive in the main draw after the initial day of the three-day event.

Seniors Ryland Whitworth (215 pounds), Hercules Windrath (138) and Anthony Lucio (126), as well as junior Khale McDonnell (190), navigated Thursday’s competition without incident.

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Masterful performance: Fountain Valley wrestling foursome wins at CIF Masters

The Fountain Valley wrestling team was the runner-up in the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet on Friday, producing four bracket winners and seven state qualifiers.

Feb. 21, 2024

Whitworth, a West Point commit, recorded pins in both of his matches.

Lucio’s road was more of an adventure, the Cal Poly-bound grappler surviving a first-round scare with a 5-4 decision over Arthur Parra of Hollister.

Windrath had more work to do. Assigned to a pigtail match to begin the tournament, Windrath wrapped two wins by decision around a first-period pin in the round of 32.

McDonnell allowed a single point between his two matches, earning a victory by fall before a 3-0 decision over Clovis North’s Ross Cinfel.

Hunter Jauregui (106) went 1-1 for Fountain Valley, while Nathan Marquez (144) and Christian Stoeber (150) were sent to the consolation bracket in their first matches. The consolation competition begins on Friday.

Corona del Mar’s Antonio Aramburu (157) nearly broke through to the quarterfinals, but he was denied in his third match of the day by a 7-6 decision against West Hills Chaminade’s Arvin Khosravy.

The Sea Kings saw Zion Hernandez (175) fall in his first match. Eugenio Franco (190) is not competing in the state meet after suffering an injury at the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet, CdM coach Mark Alex said.

Newport Harbor’s Anthony Manno (150) had split results, getting knocked out of the championship bracket in the round of 16. Teammates Rikki Villasenor (106) and Demian Pryima (132) dropped to consolation in their opening matches.