Sacramento (MPG) – It was a big week for the Elk Grove High School wrestling club with, first, the opening of the dual season and, secondly, a strong showing at the Tim Brown Memorial Tournament. Organizers squeeze about 10 wrestling mats into the main floor and stage at Memorial Auditorium in downtown Sacramento and some of the region’s top grapplers compete.

Perennial top teams Oakdale and Buchanan placed one-two in the two day event, Jan. 12-13. Elk Grove finished in third place as a team with two first placers, a second, two fifth-place finishers and two eighth-place wrestlers.

Oakdale won thanks to four of its grapplers finishing first, one second, a fourth and a seventh-place winner. Buchanan had two individual champions, two thirds, two fourths, a fifth, a sixth and two sevenths.

Josiah Sandoval won the championship at 120 pounds for Elk Grove while Paul Johnson at 144 pounds took first. Nick Bulanin was second at 132 pounds. Elk Grove’s fifth place finishers were Alex Portugal at 106 pounds and Octavio Negrete at 113 pounds. Place eighth in their weight group were Isaiah Gonzaga at 106 pounds and Jacob Briggs at 150 pounds.

Sheldon’s Noah Daniels placed second at 157 pounds, while Pleasant Grove’s Peyton Reiser was fifth at 285 pounds.

Delta League duals

The team dual season got underway Jan. 9 with a double dual at Pleasant Grove High School. In the meet, Elk Grove defeated the Eagles, 64-9, and beat Cosumnes Oaks, 76-6. Other dual results were Pleasant Grove 53, Sheldon 30 and Sheldon 54, Cosumnes Oaks 12.

On Jan. 16 at Franklin High School the Wildcats took on Elk Grove and Sheldon and Davis grappled Sheldon and Elk Grove. At Cosumnes Oaks the Wolfpack took on Jesuit and Pleasant Grove while the Eagles also dualed the Marauders.

The final set of Delta League duals will be Jan. 23. The league champion will advance to the Sac-Joaquin Section’s team dual championships on Jan. 27.