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By Loren Kopff
@LorenKopff on Twitter
In just its second season of fielding a girls squad, the Cerritos High girls wrestling team sent three of its own to the California Interscholastic Federation State Championships in Visalia on Feb. 23 and 24. Out of 258 schools across the state, Cerritos finished in 19th.
Senior Desiree Estrada, wrestling in the 126-lb. class, finished in second place at the state championships. She capped off her season with a 29-3 mark and placed third in the CIF Masters Meet.
Freshman Nile Jernigan, at 131 lbs., was a top 12 state finalist and finished her season at 25-5 which also included a fifth place finish at the Masters Meet while junior Chimira Cooper, at 160 lbs., was 24-7 in 2017-2018, came in seventh at the Masters Meet and was also a top 12 finalist at the state championships.
“Three wrestlers came to the event and all three remained for the second day of the state championship,” said Cerritos head coach Bryan Jernigan. “We don’t have a huge program at CHS, but we were able to make do with what we have. These wrestlers exemplify the Cerritos Way.”
BASEBALL
Five area teams will wrap up competition in the prestigious Newport Elks Tournament that signifies the beginning of the high school baseball season. Artesia High has dropped its first four games, including a 26-2 thumping to the hands of Buena Park High this past Wednesday in the Orange County Division. The Pioneers will host Western High today before entertaining Calvary Chapel Downey High on Tuesday.
Elsewhere in the O.C. Division, Valley Christian High won its first game of the tournament after getting past Godinez High 7-4 this past Wednesday. The Crusaders (3-3) will visit Westminster High today and travel to St. Anthony High on Thursday.
In the Costa Mesa Division, Cerritos is off to a good start, defeating Kennedy High 5-3 this past Wednesday to improve to 5-1 on the season with three of those victories coming in the tournament. The Dons will host Schurr High today before going to Garden grove High on Tuesday.
John Glenn High began the season sweeping a doubleheader against Oxford Academy, then lost the first two games of the tournament before pummeling Laguna Beach 11-0 this past Tuesday and Los Amigos High 12-2 this past Wednesday. The Eagles will visit Troy High today.
In the Frank Lerner Division, Gahr High went 1-2 in the tournament and hosted Palm Desert High on Mar. 8. The Gladiators (2-2) will be home to JSerra High today before hosting Harvard-Westlake High on Monday.
Norwalk High is off to a 3-1 start after a 15-3 win at San Gabriel High this past Wednesday. The Lancers will visit Whittier High on Monday before being idle until Mar. 24.
SOFTBALL
Artesia has been up and down in its first three games thus far, defeating Oxford Academy 9-1 before falling to Fountain Valley 11-0. But the Pioneers bounced back by thrashing Pioneer High 15-5 this past Tuesday. All of those games were at home and the team will stay at home to face North Torrance High and Paramount High on Tuesday and Thursday respectively.
Cerritos was outscored 17-0 in its first two games before blanking Dana Hills High 3-0 this past Tuesday in its home opener. The Lady Dons travelled to Newport Harbor High on Mar. 8 and will participate in the Torrance National Tournament, which begins on Tuesday but won’t play until Thursday when they square off against Basic (NV) High.
Gahr, which lost one game last season, began this season with three straight wins before falling to Santa Fe High 2-1 this past Tuesday. The Lady Gladiators will visit Laguna Hills High on Monday in the first game of the Laguna Hills Tournament. Gahr will also face San Clemente High on Tuesday, Capistrano Valley High on Wednesday and Calvary Chapel Santa Ana High on Thursday.
Glenn lost its first two games of the season and visited Western High on Mar. 8. The Lady Eagles will travel to Sultana High for a doubleheader on Saturday while Norwalk was blasted by Paramount High 13-1 this past Tuesday to fall to 1-2. The Lady Lancers hosted Esperanza High on Mar. 8 before taking the next 12 days off.
Valley Christian outlasted Marlborough High 17-12 back last Thursday for its first win of the season. The Lady Crusaders will visit Samuelli Academy on Thursday.
Whitney High fell to Santiago High 15-4 in its season-opener this past Tuesday and will face Culver City today in pool play action of the 15th Annual St. Monica Catholic Softball Classic. The Lady Wildcats will then face Archer School for Girls on Saturday before hosting Cabrillo High on Tuesday.
