RENO >> It was a big weekend for a handful of youth wrestlers at the Reno World Championships as both the Golden State Wrestling Club of Upper Lake and the Punishers Wrestling Club of Lower Lake were well represented at an event that drew 3,400 boys and girls representing 38 states.
No Lake County wrestler had a bigger tournament than did Junior Fernandez of Golden State Wrestling. Unseeded in the 15-and-under, 125-pound bracket, which was the largest in the tournament’s history with 147 entries, the Upper Lake High School sophomore went 9-1 with five pins to claim true second place. His only loss was a 3-2 decision in the semifinals to Cleveland Belton, the 120-pound champion earlier this year at the CIF State Championships.
Fernandez won both of his matches in the consolation bracket, including a 7-3 victory over Max Wheeler from Washington in the third-place match. Fernandez then challenged runner-up Angel Rios, the Idaho state champion who lost to Belton in the championship match, for true second place. Fernandez prevailed 6-3.
It was the best finish ever by Fernandez in the Reno World Championships, his previous best being third place when he was in eighth grade.
Fernandez received a trophy, a medal and All American status for his high finish.
Representing the Punishers in Reno, Lower Lake High School sophomore Blake Fredrickson earned a fourth-place medal in the 15-and-under, 104-pound division. Fredrickson won his first four matches before losing by pin in the semifinals to No. 3 seed Maximo Renteria of Selma. Fredrickson rebounded with a win over William Giron of Turlock in the consolation semifinals but lost to four-time national champion Alex Ramirez in the third-place match.
Fredrickson finished 5-2 but earned All American status for the third time.
Also for the Punishers, Carter Rudolph finished fifth in the 8-and-under light-heavyweight division, going 2-2, and Isaiah Rubio placed sixth in the 12-and-under, 73-pound division where he rebounded from a loss in his first match with four straight victories before losing to Jace Bowers by 5-0 decision in the fifth-place match.
Austin Fredrickson went 2-2 in the 12-and-under 67-pound division, missing the medal round by one win.
Adam Viramontes, Myles Conatser, Junior Peregrina and Carlos Avelar all went 1-2.
Girls
Christina Wilson of Golden State Wrestling placed third in the 18-and-under, 132-pound girls division. Seeded No. 2 in the division, the Upper Lake High School junior won her first two matches by pin before prevailing 7-1 in the semifinals against the No. 3 seed. Wilson lost in the finals and then dropped the match for true second place after being challenged by the third-place finisher.
For the Punishers, Lexy Peregrina placed third in the 9-and-under, 85-pound all-girls division where she made it to the finals and lost to the No. 1-ranked wrestler in the country. Peregrina then dropped a 4-2 decision in a battle for true second place.
Also for the Punishers, Megan Stottsberry placed fourth in the 12-and-under, 110-pound all-girls division with a 2-2 record.
Both Golden State and Punishers members will begin focusing on freestyle and greco tournaments now that the folkstyle season has ended.
