The inaugural Granite Hills Invitational on May 8 made history as the first sanctioned high school wrestling tournament held in the state this year.
Sixteen schools attended the event, with wrestlers from 12 of those schools advancing to the championship round.
Participants were elated to finally compete on the mat in a tournament-style format while being able to showcase all their hard work that had mostly been accomplished in private because of ongoing coronavirus protocols.
The host Eagles had two weight class champions and four finalists.
Collin Guffey defeated Eastlake’s Thomas Jacobo to win the 129-pound weight class title while Justin Carroll defeated Patrick Henry’s Elijah Vinoray to win the 148-pound weight class title.
Kailey Smith finished second in her 109-pound division while Logan Ransdell finished second in his 288-pound heavyweight division.
Other division champions included Olympian’s Abram Cline (109), Mt. Carmel’s Anthony Beato (116), Mira Mesa’s Zachary Antonio (123), La Costa Canyon’s Kael Sepulveda (135), Brawley’s Joey Navarro (141), Mira Mesa’s Devhante Hayes (155), Brawley’s Robert Platt (163) and Alejandro Flores (173), Olympian’s Michael Esquer (185), St. Augustine’s Kevin Clements (198), Mira Mesa’s Kurtis Modlin (223) and Valley Center’s Cameron Fuller (288).
