Wrestling: Cerritos leads team standings after first day

Cerritos leads the state wrestling championships after the first day of action

Posted: Dec 12, 2014

After the first day of the CCCAA Wrestling State Championships at Cuesta College, Cerritos College is in first place with 84.5 team points and have qualified nine of their 11 entries into the semifinals. The Falcons are looking for their first state championship since 2002 and fourth in school history. They lead second place Fresno City College, who has 83.5 team points and have advanced eight of their 12 wrestlers into the semifinals. The second day will get underway at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, with the championship round set for 7:00 p.m., which will determine the overall team champion.

In one of the more crucial matches set for the second day comes at 133 pounds, where sophomore Dustin Kirk (Elsinore HS) will take on Fresno City's Arnulfo Olea. The two were both All-Americans at 125 pounds last year, with Kirk losing to Olea in the semifinals. A win by the Falcons will go a long way in helping garner the team some big team points. Cerritos is guaranteed a finalist at 197 pounds, with sophomore Jeremiah Gerl (Calvary Chapel HS) and freshman Oscar Martinez (Centennial Corona HS) facing each other in the semifinals. They won advanced to the semis with triple-overtime wins, with Martinez recording his over Northern California's top-seeded Mark Papish of Sacramento City College.

At 285 pounds, the team is sending the duo of sophomore Robert Chism (Downey HS) and freshman Jesse Gomez (Buena Park HS) in the semifinals. Gomez defeated NorCal champion Jimmy Dawson, 3-2, while Chism needed just 2:31 to pin his lone opponent of the day.

Also qualifying into the semifinals include sophomore 125-pound Gary Howe (Los Alamitos HS), freshman 149-pound Antonio McKee (Long Beach Poly HS), 157-pound sophomore Keanu Tom (Los Alamitos HS) and sophomore 184-pound Max Kumashiro (Los Alamitos HS). Sophomore 174-pound Dylan Clarke (Burnt Hills, NY HS) is three wins on Saturday from taking third place, with only sophomore 141-pound Eric Ambriz (Temescal Canyon HS) eliminated from the tournament.

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Click HERE for updated team scores