The wrestlers for Ripon High have been hard at it on the mat since the beginning stages of this year’s winter season. Now, the boys will get the weekend off while their female teammates take center stage during the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters tournament at McNair High in Stockton.
Julianna Triplett and Hailey Owens will be two of the noticeable standouts looking to get their postseasons off to a quality start. The pair will join 185 of the section’s wrestlers looking to earn a berth in the CIF State Championships Feb. 25-26 at Lemoore High by putting together a solid tournament run.
All wrestlers finishing in the tournament’s top four places will earn a trip to Lemoore, shooting for a state championship in the inaugural season of the CIF officially sanctioning the event.
Both Triplett and Owens have put together an impressive season to date, closing out the recent Lady Eagles Invitational at Enochs High by winning their respective weight classes. The duo will likely both draw high tournament seedings, but still will have a less challenging task than squaring up with a boy.
“Wrestling girls is a lot easier than wrestling the guys,” Owens said. “The guys mostly try and muscle me around, and I won’t have to deal with being muscled around and can work on moves and my techniques and not even worried about being muscled.”
Triplett, who outlasted Heather O’Conner of Vintage a year ago for the 165-pound title in this tournament, will be one of the tournament’s favorites to advance on. Triplett has been consistent throughout her junior season and should have no problem advancing to state.
Both Indian standouts have earned the respect of their teammates from their effort on the mat, but have depended on one another for the strength to try and concur a sport that has been geared solely for boys in recent years.
“I know that we really motivate each other,” Owens said. “We don’t always get to train together because of our difference in weight classes, but I know that I would not be able to do as good as I am doing now without her support.”
Tournament action is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., with the finals scheduled for the early afternoon Saturday.
Julianna Triplett and Hailey Owens will be two of the noticeable standouts looking to get their postseasons off to a quality start. The pair will join 185 of the section’s wrestlers looking to earn a berth in the CIF State Championships Feb. 25-26 at Lemoore High by putting together a solid tournament run.
All wrestlers finishing in the tournament’s top four places will earn a trip to Lemoore, shooting for a state championship in the inaugural season of the CIF officially sanctioning the event.
Both Triplett and Owens have put together an impressive season to date, closing out the recent Lady Eagles Invitational at Enochs High by winning their respective weight classes. The duo will likely both draw high tournament seedings, but still will have a less challenging task than squaring up with a boy.
“Wrestling girls is a lot easier than wrestling the guys,” Owens said. “The guys mostly try and muscle me around, and I won’t have to deal with being muscled around and can work on moves and my techniques and not even worried about being muscled.”
Triplett, who outlasted Heather O’Conner of Vintage a year ago for the 165-pound title in this tournament, will be one of the tournament’s favorites to advance on. Triplett has been consistent throughout her junior season and should have no problem advancing to state.
Both Indian standouts have earned the respect of their teammates from their effort on the mat, but have depended on one another for the strength to try and concur a sport that has been geared solely for boys in recent years.
“I know that we really motivate each other,” Owens said. “We don’t always get to train together because of our difference in weight classes, but I know that I would not be able to do as good as I am doing now without her support.”
Tournament action is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., with the finals scheduled for the early afternoon Saturday.
