The Cupertino Courier

Monta Vista's Rothman places eighth at state

By Dick Sparrer

It's a place for only the best.

And a dozen wrestlers from the Central Coast Section ended up among the very best when the 26th annual State Wrestling Championships were held last weekend at the University of Pacific's Spanos Center in Stockton.

Individual champions Jacob and Ricky Palomino of Independence topped a list of 12 placers from the CCS at the rugged state event.

R. Palomino, a senior, won a state title at 135 pounds and his cousin, J. Palomino, a freshman, won a state crown at 103 pounds.

The two 76ers were the only CCS combatants to reach the finals, but 10 more wrestlers from the section placed in the prestigious event, including local star Jarrod Rothman of Monta Vista.

Rothman, just a sophomore, finished eighth at 112 pounds in just his first trip to the rugged state event.

The young Monta Vista sensation earned his place in the seventh-place round with a tight 2-0 win over a Clovis wrestler. He lost 10-3 in his final bout against the seventh-placer from Tulare Union.

Other CCS wrestlers placing at state included junior Kurt Lorenz of Oak Grove, third at 119 pounds; senior Kenji Arai of Bellarmine, fourth at 130 pounds; senior Chris Valdez of Salinas, fifth at 135 pounds; junior Brian Cobb of Bellarmine, third at 140 pounds; senior Matt Sabraw of Fremont, seventh at 140 pounds; senior Bryan Campbell of San Lorenzo Valley, eighth at 152 pounds; senior Rohner Segnitz of Los Gatos, seventh at 171 pounds; senior Robert Thomas of Palo Alto, eighth at 189 pounds; and senior Chris Evan of San Benito, fifth at 275 pounds.

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