SACRAMENTO >> Golden State Wrestling, formerly the Upper Lake Junior Cougars club, opened its season with a tournament Oct. 4 at Natomas High School in Sacramento.
Aiden Dancer, competing for the first time in the intermediate division, finished third at 55 pounds, going 2-2 on the day. He won his first match 11-0 and lost his next two before coming back to pin his final opponent.
Gabriella Fernandez won the 70-pound intermediate division, pinning all of her opponents in the first round, the fastest in 13 seconds.
Donovan Fernandez, moving up to the novice division this year, went 2-1 to finish second at 65 pounds. He scored a technical fall and a pin for his victories.
Other second-place finishes went to Adriana Lopez in the 117-pound high school girls’ division and to Hayden Fowler in the 85-pound novice division.
Axel Fabisch, a first-year wrestler with the team, made his tournament debut in the 80-pound intermediate division and finished third.
Carter Rudolph, a member of the Lower Lake Punishers who was traveling with the Golden State team, had to move up a division but still finished first.
Jose Fernandez III, a freshman at Upper Lake High School, beat each of his first two opponents, both seniors, at 120 pounds. He advanced to the finals with a 13-5 decision before losing to Eric Rivera, a freshman from Clovis West, 11-8.
