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Wrestling: Gahr’s Espinosa repeats as state champ

Los Angeles Times staff writer Ben Bolch
By Ben Bolch
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Gahr’s Crystal Espinosa accomplished a rare feat over the weekend, capturing a second consecutive unofficial girls’ state wrestling title at 165 pounds at the California Girls Invitational at Hanford West High.

Espinosa defeated archrival Michi Stoke of Oxnard Pacifica for the second straight year en route to the championship. Espinosa could go for a ‘three-peat’ next year because she is only a junior.

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Pioneer Valley won the team title. In other championship results involving local wrestlers, Marina’s Victoria Anthony, the first girl to qualify for the Southern Section Masters Meet in 2007, defeated Stephanie Perrillo of Northview at 103 pounds; Samantha Lopez of West Covina won at 108 pounds; Brazel Marquez of Northview defeated Samantha Ortiz of West Covina at 114 pounds; Audrey Morehouse of Canyon Springs defeated Amanda Hendy of Beaumont at 126 pounds; Kelsi Nervik of Mayfair lost at 146 pounds; Jackie Williams of La Serna lost at 154 pounds; and Lizette Tenorio of Santa Ana won at 235 pounds.

The Gahr boys’ wrestling team also won the ABC District Championship over the weekend.

-- Ben Bolch

Varsity Times Insider
Ben Bolch

Ben Bolch has been a Los Angeles Times staff writer since 1999. He is serving his second stint as the UCLA beat writer, which seems fitting since he has covered almost every sports beat except hockey and horse racing. Bolch is also the author of the recently released book “100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.” He previously covered UCLA basketball from 2010-11 before going on to cover the NBA and the Clippers for five years. He happily traded in gobs of hotel points and airline miles to return to cover UCLA basketball and football in the summer of 2016. Bolch was once selected by NBA TV’s “The Starters” as the “Worst of the Week” after questioning their celebrity journalism-style questions at an NBA All-Star game and considers it one of his finer moments.

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