All-Inland Boys Wrestling: North's Coby Merrill is the IE Varsity Boys Wrestler of the Year
North High School senior heavyweight Coby Merrill had 9 minutes and 22 seconds of total match time during the postseason.
Only one of those matches went beyond the first period, and Merrill pinned 11 opponents in an average time of 34.5 seconds.
One might think Merrill would become bored with being so dominant, but that never has been a problem throughout his career.
“Coby is one of those wrestlers who treats every one of his matches like it’s an Olympic final,” North coach Harlan Kistler II said. “He is so meticulous with his preparation and goes through his warm-up routine the same way. That keeps any boredom away.”
Merrill put the finishing touches on one of the most accomplished wrestling careers in state history, as he went undefeated and claimed the CIF State championship in the 285-pound weight class for the second straight season. Merrill also became only the 13th boys wrestler to be a four-time state meet finalist. He was the runner-up at 195 pounds in 2023 and at 215 pounds in 2024.
For these reasons, Merrill has been selected the IE Varsity Boys Wrestler of the Year for the second consecutive year.
Merrill, who is headed to Iowa State, clearly has outclassed the competition recently, but he treats every opponent with respect.
“I train with the thought that every match is going to go the distance,” Merrill said. “I wanted to leave a lasting legacy and continue to dominate, and that means never changing the way I prepare. I’m going to work hard and never take my foot off the gas pedal.”
Merrill is an Inland native but wrestled for Gilroy High School as a freshman. He spent his final three seasons representing North. Last year, Merrill became the first wrestler from a Riverside Unified School District program to bring home a state championship.
“I’m grateful to JW North High School and all of the coaches who I’ve worked with over the years,” Merrill said. “I am proud to be able to represent the school and district and make history and shed some light on just how strong the wrestling is (in Riverside).”
Merrill made a notable gesture after winning the state title this year by holding up a “Keep CBU Wrestling” T-shirt after the match. Earlier this year, California Baptist University announced its wrestling program would be cut at the conclusion of the 2026 season.
“It’s a shame to see that happening, and I wanted to bring awareness to the situation,” Merrill said. “A few of my coaches wrestled at CBU, and I’ve trained there against many of their wrestlers. I wouldn’t be where I am now without the time I spent over at CBU.”
For the past month, Merrill has been bouncing back and forth between the Olympic Develop Training facility in Colorado Springs and Iowa State in preparation for next week’s U.S Open Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas. Merrill will be pulling double duty, competing in the U20 Division against others his age and also the Senior Division against some of the top wrestlers in the nation.
“I want to stay ahead of the curve, and wrestling against the best of the best will help me do that,” Merrill said. “I want to face the best competition I can, because that is going to help me achieve my goals. I’m never going to back down from top competition.”
Merrill’s goal is to be an Olympic champion, and Kistler believes that moment could happen as soon as the 2028 Games in LA.
“I’ve already bought my tickets for the heavyweight championship match,” Kistler said. “I’m hoping I will see Coby in that match.”
IE VARSITY COACH OF THE YEAR
Lyndon Campbell, Temecula Valley
Temecula Valley has been the CIF Southern Section’s most accomplished boys wrestling program over the past four decades. Campbell has been a mainstay for many of those seasons, and he guided the Golden Bears to another successful campaign. Temecula Valley extended its impressive league title winning streak to 38 seasons, the longest such streak by any program in Inland Empire history. The Golden Bears claimed the CIF Southern Section Division 2 dual-meet championship, the program’s 19th title in that format. Temecula Valley also won the team championship at the Inland Division finals, its 22nd section title in that format. The 41 combined section titles are a Southern Section record. Ten Temecula Valley wrestlers won Southwestern League titles, 11 advanced to the Masters Meet and four qualified for the state meet,
IE VARSITY FIRST TEAM
Lower Weights
106: Madrid Ladines, Lakeside, Sr.
CIF-SS Southern Division champion and a Masters Meet runner-up.
106: Julian Biguer, Chaparral, Jr.
Placed second at Inland Division finals and third at Masters Meet.
113: Nathan Solorio, Damien, Fr.
CIF-SS Southern Division champion also was third at Masters Meet.
120: Zachary Samano, Chino, Jr.
Inland Division champion also finished sixth at the CIF State finals.
126: Jesse Quiroz, Roosevelt, Jr.
Second at Southern Division finals and fourth at the Masters Meet.
132: Marco Costa, Redlands East Valley, Fr.
Placed second at the Northern Division finals and the Masters Meet.
132: Jonathan Madera, Chino, Sr.
CIF-SS Inland Division champion also placed third at Masters Meet.
138: Jonah Guerra, Montclair, So.
CIF-SS Inland Division champion and was second at Masters.
144: Rocco Godinez, Centennial, Sr.
CIF-SS Southern Division champion and placed eighth at state.
144: Jacob Fernandez, Bonita, So.
CIF-SS Eastern Division champion and placed third at Masters.
Upper Weights
150: Damen Vollmer, Temecula Valley, So.
CIF-SS Inland Division champion and fourth place at Masters.
157: Peter Brown, Canyon Springs, So.
CIF-SS Eastern Division champion and placed third at the Masters Meet.
165: Jesus Guzman, Lakeside, So.
Won section and Masters Meet titles and placed fourth at state finals.
175: Ashton Lassing, Temecula Valley, Sr.
Section and Masters Meet champion also finished sixth at state.
190: Jaxen Cooke, Norco, Sr.
CIF-SS Southern Division champion and a Masters Meet runner-up.
190: Dylan Natceli, Chaparral, Sr.
CIF-SS Inland Division champion and placed third at Masters.
215: Kaden Cryer, Moreno Valley, Sr.
CIF-SS Inland Division champion and placed sixth at CIF State meet.
215: Jaxon Smith, Chaparral, Sr.
Masters Meet champion and also finished eighth at the state finals.
285: Coby Merrill, North, Sr.
Went unbeaten and claimed CIF State title for second straight year.
285: Carlos Sutton, Etiwanda, Sr.
Closed the season strong with eighth-place finish at the state meet.
IE VARSITY SECOND TEAM
Lower Weights
106: Trevor Lambert, Temecula Valley, Fr.
106: Daniel Zamora, Grand Terrace, Jr.
113: Jayren Chan, Ayala, Sr.
120: Isaac Castaneda, Canyon Springs, Sr.
126: Leonardo Cabrera-Nava, Murrieta Mesa, Sr.
126: Tyler Vanbebber, Temecula Valley, Fr.
132: Anthony Saldana, Paloma Valley, Sr.
138: Cameron James, Centennial, Jr.
144: Nathan Cauwel, Chino, Sr.
144: Jacob Dalton, Heritage, Sr.
Upper Weights
150: Jesse Jimenez, Centennial, Sr.
157: Micah Freimuth, Redlands, Sr.
165: Luc Sorenson, Yucaipa, Jr.
165: Leon Murphy, Santiago, Jr.
175: Keshaun White, Centennial, Sr.
190: Demetri Clark, Temecula Valley, Sr.
215: Michael Baeza, San Dimas, Jr.
215: Matthew Casas, Beaumont, Sr.
285: Angel Rodriguez, Centennial, Sr.
285: Andrew DeLaTorre, Moreno Valley, Sr.
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This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 12:38 PM.