Every year California wrestling hosts a state championship tournament for three days where the best-of-the-best from all divisions come together to compete against each other. This year LBHS had four students qualify to go to this event due to their performance throughout the entire season.

This season of 2023, the Wrestling State Championship was held in Bakersfield at Mechanics Bank Arena. The best high school wrestlers in the state competed for the championship in their weight class. There were four student athletes who worked, sweated, starved, and qualified for this tournament:  Larry Borelli III at 160 pounds, Brokton Borelli at 152 pounds, Raymond Fernandez at 170 pounds, and lastly, Kiara Daniels at 170 pounds.

Junior wrestler Larry Borelli III said, “It was a great feeling knowing that being from a small town like Los Banos and able to compete against wrestlers from the best schools in the state.”

Sophomore wrestler Brokton Borelli detailed the event saying, “Very loud, competitive environment, UFC/WWE like crowd.”

He also said, “Everyone who was there to compete was there for a reason and not by luck but by the hard work that they put into the season.”

Larry Borelli II, one of the wrestling coaches described the event saying, ” There were kids from Red Bluff to San Diego, and everywhere in between.  If you have never been, I highly recommend the experience which always takes place on a Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  It is quite a spectacle.  There were celebrities, MMA fighters, Olympians, world placers, professional athletes, college coaches and scouts, etc……. It was wild.”

Although the experience was something unreal for the LBHS athletes, they still needed to compete. Larry Borelli and Kiara Daniels both finished the tournament with a record of 3-2 and placed in the top 12 in the state, but only 8 medals. While Brokton Borelli and Raymond Fernandez finished with a 2-2 record.  Congratulations to our state winners and to all the wrestlers for an amazing year of competition.