Herd wrestlers finish second, again, at SJS Team Duals

For the 21^st time, Vacaville won the Section Team Wrestling Dual championship on Saturday. For the second year in a row, the Bulldogs defeated Elk Grove for the duals banner.

The Herd had earlier wins over Lodi and Del Oro on Saturday to set the scene for Division I championship late in the afternoon.

Elk Grove won the team dual title in 2016 and in 2015 the Herd lost the dual championship to Folsom. Herd wrestlers have won the Section duals three times and haven’t lost a league/conference dual match in 16 years.

And, a big congratulations go out to Bradshaw Christian’s wrestling squad for winning the Division VI championship Saturday.

All the team duals were held at Lincoln High School in Stockton.

Next up for the boys are the conference and league championships this weekend. The Section Divisionals follow Feb. 16-17.

Girl wrestlers finish second at Northern regional

While the boys were competing in the team duals Saturday, the girls were competing in the Divisional championships around the Sac-Joaquin Section. Elk Grove, with just six wrestlers, finished second at the North Regional Championships in Division I. Del Oro, with a full squad of 14 girls, won the team banner.

Taking individual championships for Elk Grove were Miranda DiBenedetto at 108 pounds, Audrey Elgarico at 139 pounds and Sienna Lejeune at 172 pounds.

Karly Scott was sixth at 103 pounds. Esmeralda Arroyo won the semi-final match at 113 pounds, but injured her shoulder and had to default the remainder of her matches.

Mykhala Bagler was fifth at 118 pounds for Elk Grove.

The Section Masters Championship is coming up Feb. 16-17 at McNair High School in Stockton.

Last season for Carlson?

With son Tanner in his senior year at the school, the baseball community has been asking if this will be longtime coach Jeff Carlson’s final year at Elk Grove. On Friday, he said he really doesn’t want to discuss it, not wanting that talk to take away from the 2018 squad.

“My teaching position here is my livelihood,” he said. “It’s hard to just walk away from something after you’ve done it for over 20 years. But, to walk away from coaching because your youngest son is gone, that’s just hard to do. I just don’t want any focus put on me. All these championships have been won by the players and I’ve had a great group of coaches around me. I am very grateful for them. So, I want (2018 season) to be all about them.”

Should the Herd pull it off this spring, it will be their fifth Section championship over the last six seasons.