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CIF State Wrestling Championships: Lemoore's Isaiah Martinez highlights section's elite skills

- The Fresno Bee

Sunday, Mar. 03, 2013 | 12:45 AM

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BAKERSFIELD -- Lemoore High's Isaiah Martinez secured his place among the greatest wrestlers in state history.

But that wasn't the extent of Central Section accomplishments during the finals of the CIF State Wrestling Championships.

Porterville's Mason Pengilly capped a perfect season, Central's Adrian Camposano became his school's first state champion and Lemoore's Sean Williams got a runner-up finish after a shocking semifinals upset on Saturday at Rabobank Arena. Clovis, meanwhile, produced champions in Adrian Salas and Nick Nevills while cruising to a third straight team title.

Martinez, the nation's No. 2 and state No. 1-ranked 160-pounder, became only the 17th three-time champion in the 41-year history of the meet when he pinned Folsom's state No. 2 Nicholas Fiegener in 5 minutes, 18 seconds. He is the state's 28th four-time medalist adding on his third-place finish at 125 pounds as a freshman to the titles he won at 152 and 140 pounds the past two seasons.

"I don't want to take anything away from anyone else," Lemoore coach Marcio Botelho said. "But I know he's up there with the California greats. The gap between him and his opponents is so big. I haven't see that in a long time. He's separated himself."

Martinez was on his way to a technical fall when he got Fiegener on his back, finally putting a smile on the face of the Illinois-bound senior who finished the season 55-1 and his four-year career 205-7. He was named the Champion of Champions.

"It was a weight off my chest because I wanted to go out and dominate," said Martinez, who won all five of his matches with bonus points for the second straight year. "You look at past three-timers like the Tirapelles (Alex and Troy), Stephen Abas and Eric Guerrero, and I want to live up to everything I can like them."

Pengilly has gone from fourth at 103 as a freshman to fifth at 113 as a sophomore to Porterville's fourth state champion to cap a 41-0 junior season at 120. Pengilly, state No. 1 and national No. 9, beat Live Oak-Morgan Hill's state No. 2 and national No. 11 Isaiah Locsin 5-2 in overtime for the title.

Last year, Locsin beat Pengilly in the quarterfinals on his way to winning state at 113.

"He's the defending state champ," Pengilly said. "Even though I came in ranked No. 1, I had to take it from him. Now I've got to work hard to get another."

Camposano did the two things he came to Bakersfield to do: win a state title and put on a show.

The state's No. 2-ranked 106-pounder accomplished both, stagging the most entertaining match of the finals with his 11-10 victory over No. 1 Gionn Peralta of Vacaville.

Camposano (36-1) rallied from an 8-4 deficit at the end of the second. His takedown with 12 seconds left provided the win.

"When I was a little kid, I said I was going to be Central's first state champ, and I never lie to myself," Camposano said.

Williams reached the state finals with a 3-2 conquest of the nation's No. 1-ranked wrestler at 113 pounds, St. John Bosco-Bellflower's Zahid Valencia, who was the state champion last season as a freshman.

Williams, No. 3 in the state, had a 3-1 lead with 37 seconds left in the final against state No. 2 Isreal Saavedra of Modesto, but lost 5-3 in overtime.


Central Section medalists

106: 1. Adrian Camposano, Central; 5. Durbin Lloren, Buchanan

113: 2. Sean Williams, Lemoore; 4. Khristian Olivas, Clovis; 6. Isaiah Hokit, Wasco

120: 1. Mason Pengilly, Porterville; 3. Jonas Gaytan, Clovis; 6. Daniel Ruiz, Madera; 8. Arnulfo Olea, Exeter

126: 3. Michael Knoblauch, Clovis West; 7. Vincent Gomez, Frontier

132: 3. Javier Gasca, Kingsburg; 7. Abel Contreras, Porterville

138: 3. Martin Sandoval, Porterville; 7. Chris Garcia, Clovis West

145: 5. Jason Ladd, Clovis; 8. A.J. Fierro, Bakersfield

152: 3. Kyle Perreault, Clovis East; 4. Coleman Hammond, Bakersfield

160: 1. Isaiah Martinez, Lemoore; 5. Hunter Hodges, Bakersfield

170: 4. Bryce Martin, Bakersfield; 6. Alec Gamboa, Madera

182: 1. Adrian Salas, Clovis

195: 5. Gabriel Gonzalez, Washington

220: 2. Sean Medley, Wasco; 7. Cortes Morales, Clovis West; 8. Auggie Alcantar, Frontier

285: 1. Nick Nevills, Clovis


The reporter can be reached at (559) 441-6103, nickg@fresnobee.com or @NickG_FB on Twitter.

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