AHS Boys Wrestling Finishes 4th in Division 3

BAKERSFIELD — The Atascadero Greyhounds wrestling team strolled into Bakersfield this weekend after rolling up the Ocean League in undefeated fashion and placed fourth as a team in CIF Central Section Division 3. They have eight wrestlers advancing to the Masters meet next weekend at Hoover High School.

Zerek Brown, Cael Cooper, Sean Hall, Alex Chavez, Isaiah Gleason, Vincent Zertuche, Carson Brander and Brendan Haydon each finished inside the top seven of their respective weight classes and have advanced to Masters.

AHS Wrestling Central Sec Div 3 Championship N Highi FB 2048 5854 — Photo By Teresa Brander

While the Hounds didn’t come home with any champions, their senior heavyweight, who joined the team late this season, continued his run of dominance that began at the start of the Ocean League, taking second place in the 285-pound class to lead Atascadero.

The Greyhounds have been led this season by their core of four seniors mixed with some young wrestlers ready to take off. They kept the same formula over the weekend with all four of their seniors advancing.

Haydon led the way and was followed by Chavez, who finished third in the 160-pound weight class, Cooper, who finished in sixth place in the 138-pound division, and Brown, who finished in sixth in the 126-pound weight class.

Atascadero did well in the lighter classes over the weekend but dominated in the heavier classes as junior Carson Brander finished in fifth place in the 220-pound weight class while sophomore Zertuche, one of the Hounds youngest contributors, finished in fourth place in the 182-pound division.

Hall (152-pound) and Gleason (170-pound) each finished in seventh in their respective weight classes and have also punched their ticket to Masters.

AHS Wrestling Central Sec Div 3 Championship N Highi FB 2048 5705 — Photo By Teresa Brander

As a team, the Greyhounds finished fourth overall out of 22 total teams just behind Bakersfield-North, Bakersfield-Centennial and Kern.

While the boys wrestled at North High School, the Greyhound girls were at Mission Oak High School and sent two wrestlers of their own to Masters in Allison Jespersen, who placed second, and Eleanor Rodriguez who placed fifth.

All ten of the Greyhound wrestlers advancing will be in action next weekend as they try and punch their ticket to state.