The UC High Wrestling Team has done very well this season, and have made it to CIF for the second year in a row.

   Last year, Senior Hunter Phillips made it to the state tournament, and is only the fourth wrestler in UC High history to attend that tournament according to Varsity Wrestling Coach Eddie Hernandez. Phillips has continued to do well this season.

  Another wrestler to look out for is Senior Sean Gonzales. In the six tournaments the team has been to this year, Gonzales has placed first once, second three times, and third once.

  “Sean is an extremely strategic wrestler. For him, it’s just having the right mindset on the day of the match at the tournament. I think that he can do it,” said Hernandez.

   The season did not start off so hot for Senior Nolen Carlton. Carlton missed several weeks after receiving an injury in practice.

   “I got my ear split open,” said Carlton. “It was pretty bad, and I got seven or eight stitches.”

   However, Carlton has an optimistic outlook. “[Wrestling] really is a team sport, because you have your team and your coach supporting you, but it really comes down to yourself when you’re on the mats,” said Carlton.

   CIF team duels were on February 10, according to Gonzales.

   According to Phillips, the team almost won a City tournament in the first weekend of February.  “We got second as a team. It was a close loss to Mira Mesa. They got first,” said Phillips.

   Mira Mesa has won the tournament several years in a row according to Gonzales.

   According to Gonzales, the team is ranked second place in Division Three.

  The team faced Mar Vista in the first round of CIF, and Brawley in the finals, according to Gonzales.

  “We took second in CIF Dual Meet Championships. We lost to Brawley, but prior to that we beat Monta Vista 76 to 12 in the semifinals. We lost 66 to 12 to Brawley, which is ranked eighth in the state, so I don’t mind losing to them. They were a really tough team, and traditionally have been for the last fifty years,” stated Hernandez.

   According to Gonzales, Sophomore Dusty Carr and Junior Cody Renly were the only two wrestlers to win their match against Brawley. Gonzales said, “Throughout the whole period [Dusty Carr] dominated the kid and he ended up pinning him in the second period and everyone went nuts. I’m so proud of Dusty, and he’s only a sophomore so when he’s a senior he’s going to be a beast.”

   “Getting into the finals with Brawley was perfect; it was exactly what we wanted. We are right where we think we should be, and just getting an opportunity to test ourselves against them was pretty great,” stated Hernandez.

   Gonzales said that Individual CIF will be held on February 24.

Last year, Seniors Hunter Phillips, Ben Srioudom, Eddie Roa, and Sean Gonzales all went to the Masters Tournament, according to Coach Hernandez. If they place well at CIF, they get to advance to the Masters Tournament, the state qualifier.