STOCKTON — And then there were three.
Ten area wrestlers took to the mat Friday at for the Sac-Joaquin Section Girls Masters Championships at McNair High, and when the day ended Weston Ranch’s Karina Loya (137 pounds), Sierra’s Alexa Garcia (160) and Ripon’s Alayna Swilley (121) were the only local grapplers left to continue today with all three making their way to the semifinals.
Loya opened the day with a third-round pin over Gridley’s Malia Montero before ending up in a tough quarterfinal match Alaya Rucker of Modesto. Loya was clinging to a one-point lead late in the third period against Rucker when she tallied three back points for the 10-6 win.
“This feels great,” Loya said. “I didn’t place here last year and I have improved a lot.”
Swilley won by forfeit in the opening round and tallied a first-round pin over Shelden’s Yingyu Guan in the quarterfinal.
“I’m really excited,” Swilley said. “I got fourth last year and I’m trying to get first this year.
“I got first at Divisional, I want to get first at Masters and I want to get first at State.”
Garcia tallied two pins on her way to the quarterfinals — a first-round pin over Rosie Lopez of Live Oak and a second-round pin over Armijo’s Chyna Rodriguez.
“I used a power half on her (Rodriguez),” Garcia said. “And then I ran it to the left side.”
Loya, Garcia and and Swilley will continue wrestling this morning at 11 in the semifinals and need one win to punch their ticket to the two-day State Championships at the Visalia Convention Center on Friday.

SJS Division III boys
YUBA CITY — East Union sends five wrestlers to today’s semifinals at River Valley High School.
Tyler Diaz (113), Joe Patton (126), Joe Luna (132), Trinidad Diaz (152) and Jaysen Reindel (285) must all win at two more matches to finish in the Top 4 and advance to the two-day Masters Championships at Stockton Arena beginning on Friday.
East Union’s Nick Cervantes (120) is in the consolation bracket.
Manteca’s Diego Rodriguez (106), Dominic Day (138), Jacob Welch (160) and Armon Bayford (220) advance in the consolation bracket as do Lathrop’s Elijah Thomas (145), Keonnee Linnell (152), Sebastian Iniguez (170) and Mario Ragosa (182).
Information was not available on Sierra or Weston Ranch at press time.
Wrestling continues this morning at 11.