Sonoma Valley High senior Noah Bartolome finished in the top 12 this weekend in the prestigious Doc Buchanan Invitational wrestling tournament in downstate Clovis (Fresno County).
Dragon Coach Nico Saldana said only the top wrestlers in the state are invited to compete in the tournament.
Bartolome, wrestling at 182 pounds, pinned his first opponent Friday and then wrestled the number four seed – who happens to be the number two wrestler in the state. But Bartolome lost 9-3, which dropped him out of the championship bracket. In the consolation bracket, he beat the number 15 seed from St. John Bosco in Los Angeles, 4-0. In his fourth match of the day, Bartolome lost 3-0, to finish the tournament with a 2-2 record.
“This was an important experience for Noah as he prepares for the post-season, specifically the state championships in March,” Saldana said. “This is the type of competition he will see at NCS (North Coast Section) and at CIF state, and the experience of wrestling four competitive matches in one day is important. It also allows us to see areas of weakness that are often not seen, since Noah often pins his opponents in the first period.”
Bartolome will be wrestling again Wednesday evening as the Dragons host Piner starting at 6 p.m. for the JV matches.
The Dragons will host the Deets Winslow Memorial Tournament this Saturday in Pfeiffer Gym.
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