Rancho finishes fifth at 4A State Wrestling Championships

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Rancho High School senior Tyler Shimano finished his final wrestling season by winning a 4A State Wrestling Championship in the 165-pound weight class on Saturday, Feb. 21, leading his team to a fifth-place finish out of 21 teams.

Shimano won a gritty 4-0 decision over David Castellanos of Las Vegas in the championship bout. He escaped and took down Castellanos in the second period to get the win. His toughest match might have been the semifinal bout against Cimarron Memorial’s Benjamin Rodriguez, though. 

Down 5-0 in the second period, Shimano scored a takedown with four seconds remaining to make it 5-4. After exchanging reversals in the third period, Shimano got another just before the end of regulation to get the victory.

Sergio Martinez, wrestling at 175 pounds, climbed through the consolation bracket after falling via pinfall in his first match. He went on to get two pinfall victories and a technical fall win to qualify for the consolation final. He pinned Palo Verde’s Julius Fontes with two seconds remaining in the first period to finish third.

The Rams also had two fourth-place finishers: junior Adrian Salcido, wrestling at 120 pounds, went 2-2 with a pinfall and technical fall victories, and Rodolfo Islas had three pinfall victories before falling in triple overtime of the 215-pound consolation final.

Also winning matches for the Rams were: Wyatt Ljungquist (2-2 at 132 pounds), William Cruz (2-2 at 138 pounds), Owen Londergan (1-2 at 106 pounds) and Nehemiah Prawl (2-2 at 285 pounds).

Caption: Photo by Anthony Varriano

Rancho High School’s William Cruz gets a 30-second pinfall victory over Desert Pines’ Angel Coutino at the NIAA 4A State Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas on Saturday, Feb. 21.