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Six Huskies Qualify for State with Performances at SoCal Regionals
Posted: Dec 03, 2022

Six Huskies Qualify for State with Performances at SoCal Regionals

Photos Complete Brackets Team Scores Results-Individual

by Cerwin D Haynes

(with Chris Nunez and Stephen Morales)

 

 

It's been many years since East Los Angeles College has had the pleasure to host the SoCal Regional Wrestling Championships, the final precursor to the State Championships. Head Coach Miguel Soto hoped that, at the very least, his two returning 2021 State placers - Devin Peries and Troy Garza - would wrestle well enough to qualify for a return to State.

The two sophomores came through for Coach Soto... and they'll be riding up to West Hills Lemoore next week alongside four of their freshman teammates. Ethan Irizarry, Joshua Padilla, Steven Ceja and Herb Challapa also qualified for State.

 

Here's how each of the six finished in today's Regionals along with Coach Soto's thoughts:

  • Ethan Irizarry (6th Place, 141 lbs)
    • "Ethan is a freshman and wrestles at the 141 weight class. Ethan has great energy and wrestle his best when he is flowing."

 

  • Joshua Padilla (8th Place, 149 lbs)
    • "Joshua is a freshman and wrestled at [149] weight class. Josh is a great kid and is wrestling in arguably one of the toughest weight classes this year. Josh is a great leader and every supportive of all his teammates."

 

  • Steven Ceja (6th Place, 174 lbs)
    • "Steven is a freshman and wrested at the 174 weight class. Steve had limited high school success, but has really flourished this season and qualified for state. Steven has had his fair share of injuries this season but has shown true grit."

 

  • Troy Garza (6th Place, 184 lbs)
    • "Troy is a sophomore and one of our captains. He wrestled at the 184 weight class. Troy has battled through illness and injuries this season. Even with all this going on he has remained positive and supportive of his teammates."

 

  • Herberth Challapa (8th Place, 184 lbs)
    •  
      "Herb is a freshman and wrestles at the 184 weight class. Herb has been the glue to the team, he shows up to train and wrestle. He definitely know how to motivate the rest of the team
       

  • Devin Peries (4th Place, 197 lbs)
    • "Devin is a sophomore and one of our captains. He wrestled at the 197 weight class. Devin is a hard worker and has consistently gotten better throughout the course of the season."