CIF California State Wrestling Championship Day 2 highlights, photos

Defending boys team champion Poway holds narrow lead over Buchanan, Gilroy and St. John Bosco with one day remaining; Northview leads extremely tight girls team race

Emotions ran high in CIF California Wrestling Championship quarterfinal matches at Mechanic's Bank Arena in Bakersfield / Photo: David Dennis

From a long lens, the 2025 CIF California wrestling championships are going according to plan. At least among the boys team competition.

In Day 2 of the three-day event at Mechanic's Bank Arena in Bakersfield, defending champion Poway of San Diego, with 162 points, has a narrow lead over Buchanan (152.5), Gilroy (143) and St. John Bosco (141.5). Clovis, which was right in the hunt after one day, has dropped off slight to fifth at 126.5. Clovis North (106.5) is the only other team to break triple digits.

As far as how many wrestlers each team has alive, Poway and Bowco each have 13 and Buchanan and Gilroy each have 10. Buchanan has the most championship round wrestlers with seven.

• CALIFORNIA JEWEL | CIF Wrestling Championship Preview

The girls team race is even tighter with Southern Section's Northview in first with 51 points after two days, followed by Clovis East (44.5), Corona (44.5), Marina (41), Highland-Bakersfield (40.5), Clayton Valley (40), Poway (39.5), Birmingham (38.5) and Buchanan (37).

• AFTER DAY 2 | Boys team scores

Quarterfinal action Friday at Mechanic's Bank in Bakersfield was intense. / Photo: David Dennis

• LIVE STREAM THURSDAY NFHS

• LIVE STREAM FRIDAY NFHS

• LIVE STREAM SATURDAY NFHS

• LIVE SCORING | Flo Sports Arena

• LIVE BOYS PAIRINGS | CIF state

• LIVE GIRLS PAIRINGS | CIF state

• AFTER DAY 2 | Girls team scores

The three-day event — the 52nd boys tournament combined with the 14th girls tournament — figures to fill to its near 9,000 capacity all three days. There's close to 1,000 competitors qualified from the entire 760-mile length of the Golden State.

Previous state champions 

Among the 14 previous state champions there's been few surprises. Here's a look at how those wrestlers performed on Friday

BOYS

113 — Henry Aslikyan, Birmingham: won 106 last season: Defeated Aaron Meza (St. John Bo

120 — Rocklin Zinkin, Buchanan: Won 113 in 2024: Scored a TF over Ellijah Almarinez (Vacaville), 15-0 4:58

126 — Isaiah Cortez, Gilroy: Won 120 in 2023: Scored a majority decision over Robert Jones of Poway, 13-1

126 — Ronnie Ramirez, Walnut: Won 113 in 2023, 120 in 2024 : Lost in the quarterfinals to Paris Ruiz from Buchanan.

Quarterfinal action Friday from Mechanic's Bank Arena in Bakersfiee / Photo: David Dennis

138 — Elijah Cortez, Gilroy: Won 126 in 2023: Recorded a pin in in 1:26 to defeat James Ruiz of Esperanza.

144 — Nikade Zinkin, Clovis: Won 126 in 2024: Recorded a second round pin over over Vince Partingtton of Cypress in 3:52.

150 — Daniel Zepeda, Gilroy: Won 132 in 2023 and 138 in 2024: The No. 1 ranked 150-pounder in the nation scored a majroity decision over Sergio of St. John Bosco, 20-7.

215 — Angelo Posada, Poway: Won 175 in 2024: The No. 1 seed took less than a minute to pin Adan Castillo of Clovis, 0:59.

GIRLS

100 — Jillian Wells, Lakeside: Won 100 in 2024 for Central Catholic: Just got by Destiny Hultron, of Arroyo, 7-

120 — Isabella Marie Gonzales, Clovis East: Won 115 in 2023: Made quick work of Svea Gonzalez of Benicia with a pin in 1:18. sd

140 — Yzabeela Austin, Pitman: Won 130 in 2024: Recorded a second-round pin over Sumaya Lazaro of Northwestern.

145 — Delarie Juarez, Northview: Won 145 in 2024 for Brawley: trvptfrf s 5-0 win over Kelly Meehan of Tokay.

Day 2 quarterfinal action was intense and strategic / Photo: David Dennis

170 — Leilani Lemus, Clovis: Won 160 in 2023 and 170 in 2024: Gave the home crowd plenty to cheer about with a pin over Olivia Furlong of Salinas in 2:38.

190 — Juliana Marquez, Gabrielino: Won 190 in 2024: Another pin for another defending champion as Marquez pined Centennial's Onyi Oragwam in 1:56.

More quarterfinal action from Friday's matches at Mechanic's Bank. / Photo: David Dennis

Nationally rankedeew

Here are California male wrestlers ranked among the top 30 nationally in each weight class (number is national rank) as selected by Billy Buckheit

106 LBS

1-Samuel Sanchez (Esperanza, CA) FR

11-Anthony Garza (Clovis, CA) SO

12-Nathaniel Granados (Merced, CA) SR

13-Jorge Rios (St. John Bosco, CA) FR

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113 LBS

3-Paul Ruiz (Buchanan, CA) FR

4-Henry Aslikyan (Birmingham, CA) JR

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120 LBS

7-Rocklin Zinkin (Buchanan, CA) JR

8-Edwin Sierra (Poway, CA) SR

28-Sean Willcox (St. John Bosco, CA) JR

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126 LBS

2-Ronnie Ramirez (Walnut, CA) SR

5-Antonio Rodriguez (Los Gatos, CA) JR

8-Nathan Carillo (St. John Bosco, CA) JR

9-Isaiah Cortez (Gilroy, CA) SR

13-Paris Ruiz (Buchanan, CA) SR

28-Slater Hicks (Valencia, CA) SO

29-Siraj Sidhu (Del Oro, CA) JR

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132 LBS

6-Moses Mendoza (Gilroy, CA) JR

7-Ashton Besmer (Buchanan, CA) JR

18-Billy Townson (Poway, CA) SR

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138 LBS

10-Jesse Grajeda (St. John Bosco, CA) SO

11-Elijah Cortez (Gilroy, CA) SR

15-Leo Maestas (Clovis North, CA) SR

16-Raymond Rivera (Clovis, CA) JR

19-Jacob Perez (Monache, CA)

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144 LBS

3-Nikade Zinkin (Clovis, CA) SR

4-Joseph Toscano (Buchanan, CA) JR

27-Michael Romero (St. John Bosco, CA) SO

29-Arseni Kikiniou (Poway, CA) SO

30-Braden Priest (Bakersfield, CA) SR

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150 LBS

1-Daniel Zepeda (Gilroy, CA) SR

15-Ivan Arias (Buchanan, CA) JR

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157 LBS

8-Leo Contino (Buchanan, CA) SR

16-Beau Priest (Bakersfield, CA) SR

17-Alias Raby (Anderson, CA) 

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165 LBS

12-Mario Carini (Poway, CA) SO

13-Slava Shahbazyan (Birmingham, CA) JR 

14-Joseph Antonio (St. John Bosco, CA) SR

19-Travis Grace (Gilroy, CA) JR

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175 LBS

5-Tyler Eise (Gilroy, CA) SR

10-Dylan Pile (Los Gatos, CA) SR

18-Mason Ontiveros (John H Pitman, CA) JR

27-Isai Fernandez (St. John Bosco, CA) FR

29-Adrien Reyes (Clovis, CA) SR

190 LBS

13-Levi Bussey (Granite Bay, CA) SR

15-Jonathan Rocha (Clovis North, CA) JR

19-Brokton Borelli (Los Banos, CA) SR

215 LBS

3-Angelo Posada (Poway, CA) SR

10-Khale McDonnell (Fountain Valley, CA) SR

12-Kayden Kartee (Mayfair, CA)