Excitement turned into concern four matches into last week’s Central Valley-Ceres High girls wrestling dual meet.
Bulldog senior Madeline Schultz suffered a season-ending injury for the second year in a row when she fractured and dislocated her left ankle in the first round against Hawk junior Alicia Espinoza during their 190-pound matchup.
Schultz, who was ranked fourth in her weight class in the Sac-Joaquin Section, was taken by ambulance to Memorial Medical Center in Modesto.
“Maddie is one of my close friends,” Central Valley junior grappler Giana Breshears. “I feel so bad for her. It’s heart-breaking.”
“She’s bummed,” said Curtis Hulstine, Ceres High’s head coach and Schultz’s stepfather. “We’re all bummed. She didn’t deserve to go out that way. It’s really unfortunate. She’s been working really hard.”
The Hawks closed out the Western Athletic Conference regular season with a 52-24 victory against the crosstown-rival Bulldogs on Senior Night in front of a large crowd on Jan. 29.
Central Valley placed second in the WAC dual-meet standings with a 6-1 record.
Ceres High finished third with a 5-2 mark.
Livingston (7-0) took first.
“It shows how tough our league is,” Hulstine stated. “It ain’t no joke.”
“I expected this,” Breshears said while talking about the Hawks’ league success. “My team has worked extremely hard.”
“Our team got better,” Hulstine added.
Breshears, Arely Camarena, Jayden Corona, Madelyn Morales, Evelyn Zambrano, Tarnjot Kaur, Alicia Espinoza, Brianna Espinoza and Taylor Golling helped lead Central Valley past Ceres High.
Breshears secured her 100th career victory when she won by pin (2:40) versus Mezmeriah Zuniga in the 135-pound division.
“I had no idea,” she said. “I was in shock. It’s something I didn’t expect to happen this year. I thought it would happen senior year.”
“I work hard every day because I want to be a four-time state-qualifier and first-time state-placer this year,” Breshears added.
Camarena won by pin (0:56) versus Illiana Enriques at 155 pounds.
Corona won by pin (1:27) versus Aliah Ricaud at 115 pounds.
Morales won by pin (1:54) versus Abrianna Bautista at 125 pounds.
Zambrano won by pin (2:34) versus Galilea Ramirez at 140 pounds.
Kaur won by major decision (10-2) versus Jazlyn Cisneros-Nunes at 120 pounds.
Golling (100s), Alicia Espinoza (190s) and Brianna Espinoza (235s) all won by forfeit.
There was a double forfeit at 110 pounds.
Elizabeth Boyd, Dayanna Alvarez, Gabriella Cole and Abigail Schultz accounted for the Bulldogs’ four individual victories.
Boyd won by pin (0:57) versus Angela Alvarado at 170 pounds.
Alvarez won by pin (1:04) versus Vanesa Mendoza Balbuena at 145 pounds.
Cole won by pin (1:11) versus Valeria Garcia Morales at 105 pounds.
Abigail Schultz won by forfeit at 130 pounds.
Ceres High was leading 12-6 prior to Madeline Schultz’s devastating injury.
“It was a big blow to the team,” Hulstine said. “Everyone was crying. It’s tough to recover when a team captain goes down. It’s definitely something we weren’t expecting. Just a freak accident.”
A total of 10 Hawk seniors were honored before Central Valley’s final home dual meet this past week, including Corona, Kaur, Brianna Espinoza, Marianna Carranza, Bella Contreras, Savannah Espinoza, Angelica Hernandez, Destiny Herrera, Lucero Maciel and Navjeet Pattar.
Central Valley and Ceres High will compete at the WAC Championships this Saturday at Livingston High School.
