FRESNO — Austin Fredrickson is a state champion.
Competing in the 45-pound division for 7- and 8-year-olds, Fredrickson became the fifth Punishers Wrestling Club member in the last two years to capture a state championship title. He did it Sunday while competing in the USA Freestyle State Championships at Selland Arena in Fresno.
More than 1,000 wrestlers participated in the state tourney, including eight Punishers, five of whom brought home medals.
Fredrickson started the tournament with an 11-second pin of Vanden Caudillo of Caudillo Wresting. Three more wins put him into the finals, where he won by decision over Miranda Tanner of the Silverbacks to cap a 5-0 showing.
Blake Fredrickson finished second to Patrick Sampson of the USA Pounders in the 60-pound novice division. Blake beat Meriah Morales from Team Puma in the semifinals. Morales, a current girls” state champion at 60 pounds, beat Blake in the 2010 semifinals with a first-round pin. This time around it was Blake pinning Morales in 1 minute, 28 seconds.
Three Punishers brought home fourth-place medals. They were:
— JJ Cushman in the 80-pound intermediate division for ages 9-10. In his first trip to the state championships, he won his first three matches and ended up 3-2.
— Jonathan Fred-rickson in the 50-pound intermediate division for ages 9-10. Jonathan posted a 2-2 record.
— Jacob Campos in the 95-pound intermediate division for ages 9-10. Campos finished 2-2.
Also competing for the Punishers were Ricky Campos, who turned 7 over the weekend while wrestling in the 60-pound bantam division for ages 7-8. Campos sailed through his first four matches in his first trip to state and ended up 4-3 overall.
Daniel Meyer, wrestling in the 98-pound schoolboy division for ages 12-13, won his first match with a 49-second pin before losing to JJ Figueroa of the Fresno Knights, who went on to place second in the tournament.
Nick Meyer also wrestled for the Pun-ishers, competing in the 87-pound intermediate division.
Daryl Fredrickson coaches the Punishers, who finished the season with 40 wrestlers on their roster. They will hold their awards banquet this weekend. The 2012-13 season begins in November.
