Monte Vista Christian sophomore Christian Cabuag took sixth in the 113-pound division of the California Interscholastic Federation state tournament at Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield on Feb. 23.
Cabuag, the Central Coast Section champion at 113 pounds, won his first four matches of the tournament over the first two days to advance to the semifinal round, but lost his next three en route to his final placing.
He was the lone local who earned a spot on the podium at the tournament.
Teammates Amman Klair (0-2, 145 pounds) and Nate Fernandez (1-2, 220) combined for only one win. Aptos seniors Marcos Reyes (1-2, 182) and Alex Zacarias (0-2, 106) also combined for only one win. All four wrestlers advanced to the state tournament with third-place finishes in their respective weight divisions at last week’s CCS Championships.
On the girls’ side, Aptos junior Camila Barranco won her first match at 111 pounds, but was eliminated after dropping her next two.
Cabuag, the No. 5 seed at 113 pounds, bulldozed his way through his first two matches of the tournament with a 49-second pin over Madera’s Giovani Madrigal and a 13-4 decision against Rancho Bernardo’s Gavin Concepcion.
In the quarterfinal round, Cabuag met a tough challenge in Sutter senior Jimmy Heryford, the No. 4 seed and Northern Section champion, but pulled an upset via a 3-2 decision to advance to the semifinals.
That’s where the winning stopped for Cabuag.
Selma junior Tristan Lujan, the top seed and eventual state champion, pinned Cabuag in 4 minutes and 47 seconds in the semifinals. Clovis junior Justin Mouritsen, the No. 7 seed, pinned him in 27 seconds in the consolation bracket. And Windsor senior Blake Fredrickson, the No. 8 seed and North Coast Section champion, pinned Cabuag in 43 seconds.
