The Willow Glen Resident

Bellarmine's Cobb, Arai place in state mat finals

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 stars Brian Cobb and Kenji Arai of Bellarmine.

Cobb, a junior, clinched third at 140 pounds for the Bells, and Arai, a senior finished fourth at 130.

Cobb wrapped up third place with a 6-4 win over a Hollister foe after fighting his way to the tournament semifinals. He lost a tough 6-3 decision to Pat Cadwallader of Brethen Christian to drop back into the third-place match.

Arai also battled his way into the semifinals but lost 5-3 to Fabian Sandoval of Chico to miss a shot at the championship round. He then lost his last match to finish fourth in his weight class.

Other CCS wrestlers placing at state included sophomore Jarrod Rothman of Monta Vista, eighth at 112 pounds; junior Kurt Lorenz of Oak Grove, third at 119 pounds; senior Chris Valdez of Salinas, fifth at 135 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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