Tiger wrestlers well represented at upcoming State Wrestling Championships in Bakersfield

The tournament is slated for Feb. 27, 28, and 29 in Mechanics Arena. In all, a total of five Tigers – four boys and one girl – will hit the mats in hopes of winning a state championship.

The roster of this year’s Lemoore entrants is well known. Making return trips to the state tourney are 162-pound Will Kloster and 128-pound grappler Wayne Joint, both of whom finished second at this weekend’s Masters Tournament at Fresno’s Hoover High School.

Joint earned fifth statewide at last year’s wrestling championships.

Jesse Gaytan also earned his second trip to the state tournament, winning his final match, good enough for 9th place, and a spot in Bakersfield. The Tigers Dylan McDonald also did well enough to go to state, finishing sixth overall at 108 pounds.

On the girls’ side, Marisa Perico will also be gunning for a state title this weekend. The talented sophomore is making her second run at a state championship. Perico’s only loss at the East Bakersfield match was a third-period pin by Frontier High’s Alyssa Valdivia.

Perico won her opening match by an injury default then pinned her Tulare Union opponent in the first period. She also won in the quarterfinals 6-1 before dropping her finals match to Valdivia.

Perico’s sister, Mariah, fell short in her quest for a spot in the state championships, finishing sixth overall.

Kloster is making a return trip to the state championships. For the second week in a row, Lemoore’s talented grappler couldn’t get past Buchanan’s Rocco Contino, who beat him at the Lemoore Divisionals the week before. The Buchanan wrestler beat Kloster 12-3 to win the title at Hoover High School.