BAKERSFIELD — After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet wrestling championships returned in mid-February and were dominated by local wrestlers. The Temecula Valley boys’ wrestling team kept their fire lit by claiming the team title with 243.5 points, just four points ahead of Palm Desert, who beat the Golden Bears in this year’s CIF Southern Section Division 1 finals. As for what has happened since then, it has been nothing but success for Temecula Valley, who had 11 wrestlers advance to this past weekend’s CIF State meet in Bakersfield.
At the Masters Meet, champions Ethan Perryman (120-pound) and Alec Peralta (145-pound) led Temecula Valley. Perryman defeated Richard Murillo of Canyon Springs (16-7) in the championship match by major decision and Peralta beat Calvary Chapel’s Koa Ruiz, 1-0. The Golden Bears also had three other wrestlers advance to championship matches in their respective weight classes: Devin Avedissian (132-pound), Mark Takara (152-pound) and Manuel Gaitan (160-pound).
On the girls’ mats, Temecula Valley’s Leah Gaitan won the 121-pound championship by pinning Marina’s Anderson Presley. This marks the third section championship for her career, but first as a Lady Golden Bear. Gaitan won the 106-pound title in 2019 and the 111-pound title in 2020, though both came while she wrestled at Yucaipa.
Vista Murrieta’s Mariyah Casados also captured her second section championship, winning the 170-pound title after pinning Hueneme’s Angelina Renteria at the 3:47 mark. The win for Casados is the first as a Lady Bronco, she won the 150-pound title during her sophomore season at Corona.
Paloma Valley’s Reyna Montenegro claimed the 137-pound title, pinning Palm Desert’s Chloe Overgaag at the 3:55 mark. Three additional Inland girls’ wrestlers advanced to championship finals: Lakeside’s Jillian Wells (101), Paloma Valley’s Karissa Turnwall (111-pound) and Elsinore’s Gabby O’Connell (189-pound).
At the state finals, which concluded Saturday, Feb. 26, at Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield, a slew of local wrestlers represented Inland schools in hopes of keeping their dream of winning a CIF State championship alive. Wrestlers who reached the semifinals were guaranteed a podium finish (top 8 places). For those in the consolation brackets, a victory in their first match of the final day also secured them a spot on the podium.
Temecula Valley had four wrestlers advance to the semifinal round, including Ethan Perryman (120-pound) Mark Takara (152-pound) and Manuel Gaitan (160-pound) on the boys’ side, as well as his cousin Leah Gaitan (121-pound) on the girls’ side. Three other Golden Bear wrestlers made it to the consolation brackets, including Abel Gaitan (138-pound), who is Leah’s brother, as well as Devin Avedissian (132-pound) and Alec Peralta (145-pound). Anthony Pererya of Lakeside (126-pound) also had high hopes of finishing on the podium.
Joining Leah Gaitan in the girls’ semifinals were Paloma Valley’s Reyna Montenegro and Vista Murrieta’s Mariyah Casados. Jillian Wells of Lakeside (101-pound), Karissa Turnwall of Paloma Valley (111-pound), Makayla Correa of Paloma Valley (121-pound), Janelle Gomez of Paloma Valley (143-pound), Mariz Soliman of Temescal Canyon (143-pound) and Gabby O’Connell of Elsinore (189-pound) all made it to the consolation brackets.
By the final day at the CIF State tournament, things ended well for the Temecula Valley boys wrestling program as Ethan Perryman and Manuel Gaitan captured titles, marking the first time in the program’s history that two of its wrestlers won state titles in the same season. Gaitan and Perryman joined four former Temecula Valley wrestlers that secured state championships in the past: Justin Flores (1997), Ryan Kane (1998, 1999), Calvin DeVault (2004) and Patrick Martinez (2009). Also claiming an individual girl’s state championship this year was Vista Murrieta’s Mariyah Casados.
Temecula Valley placed sixth in the boys’ team standings with 141 points. The Golden Bears had four other wrestlers finish on the podium: Abel Gaitan (7th, 138-pound), Devin Avedissian (7th, 132-pound), Alec Peralta (7th, 145-pound) and Mark Takara (6th, 152-pound). Paloma Valley tallied 58 points and finished in a tie for third place in the girls’ team standings. The Wildcats, who had the programs best finish at a CIF State championship, also had three wrestlers finish on the podium: Reyna Montenegro (3rd, 137-pound), Karissa Turnwall (7th, 111-pound) and Makayla Correa (7th, 121-pound).
The biggest news from the tournament came before the state championship matches started as Temecula Valley co-head coaches Arnold Alpert and Lyndon Campbell were inducted into California’s wrestling hall of fame during this year’s state meet. The honor was supposed to happen last year but the event was canceled due to the pandemic. Alpert and Campbell then announced their retirements during the parade of champions, which many insiders already knew was coming. The Valley News will catch up with the two coaches in a later issue, recapping the illustrious careers the two have had at Temecula Valley High School.
JP Raineri can be reached by email at sports@reedermedia.com.
