ALL-NORCAL WRESTLING
2019-2020 Ike’s Ironmen & Ironwomen: Saldate, Freitas and 22 NorCal teams represented in SportStars’ Third Annual All-NorCal Wrestling Honors Story & Photos by Ike Dodson Though it again spanned three grueling days, the combined Boys-Girls CIF Wrestling Championships at Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield was a resounding triumph for NorCal’s best talent. The region’s boys escaped with only one champion, but NorCal girls claimed gold in eight of the 14 weight classes. The North Coast (three qualifiers per weight), Central Coast (five qualifiers) and Northern (two qualifiers) sections combined for just nine total medalists, but the Sac-Joaquin Section impressed with big wins in the “blood round” (top-12) and brought home 20 medals. Below is a look at the top performers from last week’s CIF championships, and four recipients of special “Most Valuable Wrestler” and “Breakout Wrestler” recognition. Note: SportStars NorCal coverage includes the Central Coast, North Coast, Sac-Joaquin, Northern, Oakland and San Francisco sections.
BOYS MOST VALUABLE WRESTLER CHASE SALDATE, SR., GILROY (CCS) The only NorCal state champion, Saldate also ended the year as the national No. 1 and capped his prep career
Lilly Freitas, 150 poumds
by going undefeated. He will redshirt his first year at Michigan State before aiming for All-American prestige as a redshirt freshman in 2022.
ALL-CIF CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM
GIRLS MOST VALUABLE WRESTLER
101 POUNDS (GIRLS)
LILLY FREITAS, SO., PITMAN-TURLOCK Freitas won her second-straight state title after another undefeated season, and still sports a perfect record in prep folkstyle matches. She pinned every opponent at state. Freitas is a cadet national champion who is gunning for a world cadet medal this offseason. She is a 2024 Olympic hopeful when the Games arrive in Paris.
Lizette Rodriguez, Sr., James Logan-Union City (NCS) Rodriguez led James Logan to the girls team title by winning this weight class at state. It helped when No. 1 seed Paige Morales of Central-Fresno was upset and pinned in the first
BOYS BREAKOUT WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
round of the tournament, but Rodriguez beat Southern Sec-
CASEY ROBERTS, FR., VACAVILLE
tion champ Brianna Gonzalez of Arroyo-San Lorenzo to win
Only an on-the-bubble name before the SJS Masters and ranked as low as ninth (NorCal) and 31st (state) before the CIF tournament, Roberts exploded with a monster consolation bracket performance at state. He fought off elimination with five consecutive victories, ultimately placing seventh in the bracket. Roberts may be the only SJS wrestler in history to lose both his first match at Masters and his first match at state and come back to win a medal at both events.
GIRLS BREAKOUT WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
the crown here. Rodriguez was also the NCS champ. 106 POUNDS (BOYS) Clarence Moore, Fr., Gilroy (CCS) This spot seemed destined for Oakdale sophomore Michael Torres until the consolation quarterfinals at state, where Torres was bested by Temecula Valley’s Ethan Perryman and dispatched to the seventh-place match. It’s the same round
ELENA IVALDI, FR., DEL ORO-LOOMIS (SJS)
where Moore outlasted Vacaville’s Isaiah Medina to reach the
She was only third at state, but Ivaldi beat the eventual repeat state champion (Folsom’s Desinee Lopez) twice dur-
top six. Moore ended sixth and beat two wrestlers who were
ing the postseason. Ivaldi is one of the top freshmen in California and will look to pick up her first gold in 2021.
seeded higher.
22
SportStars™
March 20, 2020
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