FRESNO >> Jose Fernandez Jr. of the Upper Lake Junior Cougars Wrestling Club put in a long day on the mats that was rewarded with a third-place finish last weekend during the California USA Freestyle State Championships at Selland Arena in Fresno.
Led by Fernandez Jr., a trio of Junior Cougars participated in the tournament and all three placed.
Competing in the middle school 112-pound bracket, Fernandez Jr. won his first match by technical fall before losing a hard-fought 9-8 decision to Eric Rivera, the folkstyle and greco California champion. Once in the consolation bracket, Fernandez Jr. reeled off five consecutive victories, two by pin and another by tech fall. He came up against Rivera again in the third-place match, this time prevailing 10-6 to earn the highly sought California State Bear trophy.
Hayden Fowler, competing in the 87-pound intermediate division, won a 9-3 decision in his first match before losing in his second. In the fifth-place match later in the day, Fowler lost to end up sixth.
Aiden Dancer, competing in the bantam 55-pound division, lost to the eventual division champion in his first match of the day. He won each of his next three matches by pin before losing by pin. In his final match for seventh place, Dancer won by 12-2 technical fall.
It’s the second time Dancer has placed at the state but the first time for both Fernandez Jr. and Fowler. It also was the final tournament of the season for the Junior Cougars.
Fernandez Jr. will be traveling to Idaho later this month to compete in the Cliff Keen Western Kids Regionals at Idaho State University in Pocatello.
