San Benito High wrestlers Michael Camacho and Kira Emma earned berths to the CIF State Championships after strong performances over the weekend. Camacho, a junior, took third place in the 182-pound weight class. The junior standout, fresh off a win in the Monterey Bay League Championships, won his first first three matches via pinfall before dropping a 9-1 major decision to Monte Vista Christian’s Lucas Olgiati.
Camacho was then dropped to the consolation bracket semifinals, where he pinned Oak Grove’s Anu Tuiono at the 3-minute mark. In the third-place match, Camacho pinned Alvarez’s Kevin Ruiz at the 2:26 mark to clinch a berth in the state championships, which start Friday in Bakersfield.
Emma lost her first match in the 106-pound main draw and had to reel off five straight wins to earn third and a spot to state. In the third-place match, the San Benito sophomore pinned Wilcox’s Alexis Perez Talmadge at the 4:23 mark. To get to the third-place match, Emma had to knock off Overfelt’s Chrizna Milanes, who pinned Emma midway through the third period in the second round of the main draw.
Emma rolled from there, recording five consecutive pins to seal a state berth. In other CCS news, the San Benito High girls soccer team opens up postseason play at Westmont of San Jose on Wednesday with a 7 p.m. kick time. The Haybalers (11-5-2) earned the No. 11 seed after tying for second place in the MBL’s Gabilan Division.
They’ll take on No. 6 Westmont (15-1-3), which won the Blossom Valley League’s Santa Teresa Division.
San Benito’s girls basketball earned the No. 11 seed and hosts Alvarez (11-11) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The Balers (13-11), who finished third in the MBL’s Gabilan Division, takes on an Alvarez squad that took fourth in the MBL’s lower Pacific Division.
