ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - The Delta League Wrestling Meet was hosted at Elk Grove High School on Feb. 8 with many student-athletes taking home hardware along with their ticket to the Sac-Joaquin Section Divisionals. 

Specifically, the Elk Grove Thundering Herd crowned eight boys as Delta League Champions within their respective weight classes. 

“I thought that we came in here and we did what we were supposed to do from top to bottom,” said Nick Jordan, Elk Grove’s head coach and Delta League coach of the year. “We had to plug some guys in at the last minute and they were able to step up and make it to next weekend.” 

The Herd have historically dominated the local wrestling scene and this season wasn’t much different. Jordan attributes it to setting a higher standard for his wrestlers, which has been the key for the past 22 years. 

“We make sure that everybody's accountable,” Jordan said. “Everybody has the same goals and we stress that day in and day out. We go back to the drawing board, we’ll look at where we made mistakes and we’ll come to make those adjustments for the divisional tournament.”

For Jordan he said names like David Maxson, Paul Johnson, Jacob Briggs, Bryce Camara and Jovani Sandoval can make it to the next level. 

The divisional playoffs are Friday-Saturday, Feb. 14-15 at Pleasant Grove High School. The following week, Masters will take place at Stockton Arena, before the State Championships at Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield on Feb. 27-28. 

Despite many of their grapplers being either sick or injured, The Pleasant Grove War Eagles had a successful meet with 11 of their 14 of the boys finishing in the top five to qualify for the divisional championships.

“It’s been a rough week. Illness swept through my team,” head coach Jay Viodes said. “A lot of them stepped up, they felt better and came in and competed so got to commend them for that.”

One of his wrestlers, Logan Robison, was the lone War Eagle to come out on top as Delta League champion within his respective weight class. Viodes highlighted Robison’s “tenacity” and “focus” as the key attributes that propelled him into a Delta League champion. 

“Even after we’re done warming up in the morning, he’s still out there for another 30 minutes,” Viodes said. “That’s just what he does. He leads by example. So, we saw more of the same thing that he’s been doing all year long, to be our state-ranked kid and take first place.”  

The Laguna Creek Cardinals and the Cosumnes Oaks Wolfpack also crowned multiple Delta League champions. Zachary Hoover and John Schaezlein won for the Cardinals, while Lonzell McClanahan and Reuben Musa’s arms were raised for the Wolfpack. 

On the girls’ side of the bracket, the Cosumnes Oaks Wolfpack had three runners up and three Delta League champions in Hazel Hy, Bailey Rademaker and Iiyah Rashi. 

As Divisionals are coming up this weekend, many schools are poised to make a deep postseason run toward state championships. 

“We’re looking to set records this year,” Viodes said. “This has been a record-setting year for us. I think the most we’ve ever sent to sections was six kids, so of the 11 boys we have rolling next week we’re hoping we send all 11 and break the record.” 

As for the Herd, Jordan does not want to get ahead of himself, but he’s optimistic of what his wrestlers can do in the postseason. 

“Anything can happen, but we’ve got nine seniors in the lineup so hopefully some of these guys can make it through, that they’re supposed to make it through, and hopefully we can get some of the guys that aren’t ranked in a position to go,” Jordan said. “I think our preparation will hopefully get them there in the next three weeks.”