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Three take 2nd at SJS girls regional
Sierra’s Zavala wins Division III boys heavyweight championship
SJS South Regional girls wrestling
Manteca's Yadhira Rodriguez grabs Merced's Jessica Flores on the way to a 6-0 decision for Flores for third place at 123 pounds. - photo by Dave Campbell

CERES — Three local wrestlers finished second Saturday and Sierra was sixth as a team in the Sac-Joaquin Section South Regional Girls Championships at Central Valley High School. The top eight finishers advance to the two-day Sac Joaquin Section Masters Championships beginning Friday at the Stockton Arena.

Sierra’s Steafany Perez faced Lexy Beadles of Calaveras for first place at 113 pounds. Beadles, ranked No. 1 in the state at 116, remained undefeated with a 44-second pin in the championship bout.

Joining Perez in the Masters are teammates Alyanna Loaiza (123, fifth), Susett Bermejo (128, fifth), Marisa Rush (133, sixth), Prabhnoor Dhillon (108, sixth) and Arianna Rosas (103, eighth).

“When I was preparing for this, I did the most I could so I did a lot of running,” Perez said. “My coaches told me that she (Beadles) was going to be in my weight bracket so I was kind of expecting this, but in the end no matter what she is human so there was nothing for me to be afraid of.

“Whether I win or lose, as long as I give it my best it doesn’t matter. I lost, but I did the best I could. Now I know what she is like.”

Ranked fourth in the state with just two losses, Chavez’s Taydem Khamjoi notched a first-round pin against Ripon’s Riley Rangel for first place at 139 pounds.

“I had a sinus infection, so I haven’t been able to practice for a whole week,” Rangel said. “So. I feel great about finishing second.

“My freshman year I got fifth, the next year I was seventh and placing second after all the ups and downs — I had COVID for a week and then I was sick for a week—  it has been horrible, at times, so I am just really happy that I even had the opportunity to be here and then to place second wrestling against the top girls.”

Ripon’s Katelyn Cardoza was pinned by Gregori’s Mikayla Lancaster in the second round of the championship bout at 152.

“It’s really amazing to do this well because after COVID I have been weaker than normal,” Cardoza said. “I had it twice and I still don’t have my taste. It’s awful.

“Coming out and wrestling strong after like a whole year of not wresting is pretty amazing. This is my senior year and I have to make it all count. So I wrestled my hardest and I will come back next week.”

Ripon’s Alexia Garcia (162) finished seventh.

After a semifinal loss, East Union’s Amaiya Guyton (118) bounced back to win two in a row to finish third with a 47-second pin over Lodi’s Jocelyn Shelley.

“My first match of the day was pretty tough,” Guyton said. “A girl caught me with a good move but I had to move on from that. I am really excited and looking forward to Masters.

“I am very thankful for even being able to wrestle in this tournament because with Covid going on and the whole mess with that. Because of that tough loss I wanted to come back stronger than ever and leave everything on the mat.”

East Union’s Grace Lacanglacang (108) finished eighth.

Manteca’s Yadhira Rodriguez (123) won her last two matches after a semifinal loss capped with a 6-0 decision over Merced’s Jessica Flores for third place.

“I could have done better and got at least second,” Rodriguez said, “I want to thank my coaches — Vince and Benny (Garcia) and Jasmine (Ivey) — for pushing me and motivating me. Without them I wouldn’t be out here.”

 

BOYS DIVISIONALS

Sierra’s Manny Zavala notched a pair of pins in his last two matches Saturday to claim first place in the SJS Section Division III Wrestling Championships at Vista del Lago High School in Folsom.

Manteca’s Derrick Day (115) and East Union’s Nicholas Luna (162) finished seventh and Sierra’s Benjamin Wheeler (172) was eighth.

The Top 8 finishers advance to the two-day Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Championships at the Stockton Arena.

In Division IV the Top 4 finishers advance to the Masters. Lathrop’s Hector Meza (285) advanced out of Division IV at McNair High in Stockton with a fourth-place finish.