Feb. 8 marked an historic day of high school competition at the inaugural North Bay League Wrestling Championships hosted by Ukiah High School, the first stop on the road to State.
The goal for most athletes at the NBL tourney was a top-five finish in their respective weight class, good for advancement to the upcoming North Coast Section Championships on Feb. 15 and 16 at James Logan High School in Union City. A top-three finish at NCS will earn wrestlers a spot at the prestigious CIF State Championships in Bakersfield on Feb. 22 and 23.
In all, Analy and El Molino qualified a combined six athletes to both NCS boys and girls meets, a strong showing considering the low number of participants for each team.
The Tigers qualified all four of its participating athletes to NCS, led by 113-pound senior Preston Bagan (third place), 120-pound sophomore Zach Fogg (fifth place), 138-pound senior Jimmy Carreras (fifth place) and 145-pound sophomore Lorenzo Robles (sixth place, NCS alternate).
“They all performed well, and we look forward to NCS next Friday and Saturday,” Analy head coach Francisco Manriquez said of his team. “Going into NCS Preston Bagan is seeded seventh in the section that has over 100 schools competing. We’re on the right track, we have a system that is proven, and we can’t wait for time to show what Analy wrestling is capable of.”
Lions medal at NBL
El Molino was also represented by a small contingent at the NBL tournament, led by 132-pound sophomore Erik Dimond, who entered the meet as the No. 6 seed. Dimond exceeded expectations, going 2-2 with a pair of pins to earn a fourth place medal and a return trip to NCS.
Also competing for the El Mo boys team in the JV tourney were 120-pound sophomore Zavier Grech (1-1), freshman Chance Martin (1-2) and 132-pound junior Aidan Herman (1-2).
“All competed in their final matches of the year,” El Mo coach Ron Wright reported of his JV charges. “They all showed impressive growth this year, and we look forward to what they do in the off-season to continue that growth into next season.”
Ricioli makes history
Ukiah also served as the host for the NBL Girls Wrestling Championships on Feb. 9, as El Molino sent sophomore Hannah Ricioli and freshman Ardenne “Chevy” Chevrolet to the mat.
Chevrolet made the most of her first league tournament, going 1-1 on the day to take home a third place medal.
Ricioli, seeded No. 1 in her weight class, showed why she’s considered among the best in the section, navigating her bracket unscathed to capture an individual league title. In doing so, Ricioli became the first female league champion for El Molino, helping to lift the Lions to their first NBL girls title.
“To say we’re proud of her would be an understatement; she is an incredible wrestler, honor roll student, team captain and mentor,” Wright noted. “Hannah should be seeded no less than third at NCS, and the top four finishers at NCS will advance to the State tournament.”
