Wrestling: Rio Hondo finishes fifth at SoCals, qualify four for State Championships

Rio Hondo College totaled 75.5 team points to finish in fifth place overall at the Southern California Regional Championships on Saturday. The event was held at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo.

Four Roadrunners also earned a spot at the upcoming California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) State Championships by finishing among the top six at the regional finals.

Freshman Alexis Tellez was Rio Hondo's top finisher, taking second place at SoCals. Tellez won two matches at the 125-pound weight class before falling 9-3 to Cerritos' Jonathan Prata in the championship final.

Also advancing to the state championships for the Roadrunners are Adrian Rios at 157 pounds (4^th), Victor Atherton at 125 (5^th), and Donovan Sanin at 149 (5^th).  

After dropping his opening match, Rios earned three wins in the consolation bracket before losing in the third-place final to end in fourth place.

Atherton joins Tellez at 125 pounds. Tellez defeated Atherton in their first-round match before Atherton won two to earn a spot in the consolation semifinals and ultimately finish fifth with a 13-7 win.

Sanin reached the semifinals with a win at 149 but lost to fall to the consolation bracket. After another loss, Sanin won by fall in the fifth-place match to secure his spot at state.

The CCCAA State Championships are set for Dec. 10-11 at nearby Cerritos College. Rio Hondo will look to improve on its ninth-place finish from the 2019 state finals. Under head coach Mike Tellez, the Roadrunners have finished among the state's top-15 for the past six seasons.