Sonoma, Hanna wrestlers hit NCS mats

With one weight class champion and four runner-ups at last Saturday’s Sonoma County League finals, Sonoma Valley High School had five wrestlers qualify to compete in the North Coast Section championships, which begin today and end tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 28, at James Logan in Fremont.

Directed by head coach Tony Albini and assistant coaches John Bartolome, Scooter McAllister and Eduardo Hernandez, the five Dragon wrestlers competing in the NCS first-round matches are junior Dalton Elster (14-5 record, SCL heavyweight division) facing senior Kevin Cummings (20-12) from Windsor; senior Giacomo Biaggi (12-7 overall, SCL second place at 172 pounds) facing senior Eduardo Mora (14-14) from Windsor; Noah Bartolome (17-7, 162 pounds) facing senior Thomas Garcia (5-3) from College Park; and freshman Dominic Biaggi (8-7 record, 132 pounds) senior Jack England (12-10) from Justin-Siena.

Sonoma senior Jake Randuch (15-6, 152 pounds) has an opening-round bye and faces the winner of senior Louis Bulivant (10-16) from Stuart Hall versus junior Pierce Baker (14-10) from College Park in the second round.

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Archbishop Hanna High School is being represented at the NCS championships by senior Alexis Garcia, who is the Coastal Mountain Conference 132-pound weight-class champion, and freshman Tyler Smith, who is the CMC 138-pound third-place medalist.

Garcia, who last year won Archbishop Hanna’s first-ever NCS medal with his seventh-place finish, has compiled an impressive 30-5 record, which includes the CMC crown and tournament titles, highlighted by his gold-medal effort as the most outstanding lightweight at San Marin’s Green and Gold Tournament.

In today’s NCS action at 132 pounds, Garcia will face junior Kenneth Vu (22-4) from Irvington, while Hanna’s Smith (20-10) will battle junior Justin Hansz (32-8) from Liberty at 138 pounds.

Archbishop Hanna’s young wrestling team is directed by head coach David Montano and assistant coaches Nick Evanson and Seth Thorton.