MODESTO, CA. - The list of accomplishments grows almost every week for the Central Catholic Raiders Wrestling Club.

This past weekend, the grapplers added another achievement to their résumé at the Midway tournament in San Diego, California. In their first time attending the event, the Central Catholic Raiders were triumphant in garnering nine medals with Dulcy Martinez winning the girls 3-5 division at 87-pounds. The Nguyen siblings Angel and Aleena finished second respectively in their divisions.

The tournament which included pre-kindergarten to high school features the international style of wrestling such as Freestyle and Greco-Roman, as well as Folkstyle (the style used throughout the country in the United States).

The Central Catholic Raiders brought a total of 11 wrestlers from the Modesto area to compete in the event.  With such a small team compared to many that attended, the Raiders were successful in finishing in the top 10 when it came to earning the fall over the opposition.

The Raiders pinned 11 of their opponents with a total mat time of 17:31.

“We did pretty well,” Head Coach Emilio Saavedra said, “It felt really good to see my wrestlers put all their efforts into this great sport.”

Saavedra said that the team represented the community well at the Midway.

“Wrestling starts and ends with shaking the hands of your opponent,” he said. “The wrestlers shake the hands of the opposing coaches. For Central Catholic, win or lose, when that wrestler comes off the team is lined up waiting to give him a high-five. I told the kids that even though they go onto the mat alone, they’re not alone. They have someone in their corner cheering for them.”

Dulcy Martinez who won her division, earned 16 points for her team as she pinned all three opponents she faced in less than a minute.

Angel Nguyen who finished second in the Boys 10U Division at 61-pounds, also earned 16 points for the Raiders as he wound up with a 3-1 record in the tournament. He earned a fall, a 10-0 major decision, and a 1-0 decision before falling in the finals to Onofre Gonzales (Generals Wrestling).

His sister (Aleena) finished with a 2-1 record and felt in the finals to the always tough Jillian Wells (Elk Grove Wrestling Academy) via a 5-3 decision.

Team results for the Central Catholic Raiders

Boys 10U 61

Angel Nguyen's place is 2nd

Girls Gr 3-5 71

Leona Martinez's place is 5th

Girls Gr 3-5 87

Dulcy Martinez's place is 1st

Girls Gr 3-5 HWT

Annebella Austin's place is 3rd

Boys 12U 82

Jesse Meza's place is 3rd

Girls Gr 6-8 75

Aleena Nguyen's place is 2nd

Girls Gr 6-8 98

Yzabella Austin's place is 3rd

Girls Gr 6-8 106

Gabryella Austin's place is 3rd

Boys 15U 102

Elyjja Austin's place is 5th