CIF state wrestling championships: Bay Area News Group’s top contenders

After a thrilling weekend of section championships, the Bay Area’s best wrestlers are moving on to the California Interscholastic Federation championships at Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield starting Thursday.

Southern California high schools have dominated the state tournament in recent years, but could some Bay Area wrestlers change that narrative?

Here are the top contenders from the Bay Area News Group’s coverage area:

Boys

Cody Merrill (Gilroy, 285 pounds): The Oklahoma State commit is a heavy favorite to come out of the state tournament with a first-place medal to cap off his senior season. Merrill has not lost a match in his high school wrestling career and won each of his last four matches by fall at the Central Coast Section championships last weekend. He will be looking to capture his first state championship as he was injured during the state tournament last year.

David Calkins Jr. (Liberty, 192 pounds): Calkins won his second consecutive North Coast Section title over the weekend. He lost in the third round of the state tournament last year, but said a year of experience will help him this time around.

Travis Grace (Gilroy, 157 pounds): Grace will be looking to finally capture a state championship after coming up just short last year due to a labrum tear in his shoulder. He was another Gilroy wrestler who was dominant at the CCS championships, winning each of his matches by fall.

Ethan Parco (Los Gatos, 150 pounds): Parco had one of the more impressive runs at the CCS championships. The Stanford commit went 4-0 and defeated Gilroy’s Kaleo Garcia to win the 150-pound section title.

Caleb Tatad (De La Salle, 115 pounds): Motivated by not making an appearance in the state championship last year, Tatad is hoping to break through and win a state title this year. He has a record of 45-11 and won the 115-pound NCS title on Saturday.

Connor Jeong (Castro Valley, 108 pounds): Jeong has been the best wrestler out of the West Alameda County Conference this season. He won the league tournament in dominant fashion, prevailing in both matches by fall. He won the NCS title by beating highly-ranked Jack Baker from Granada in the championship match.

Girls

Lauren Nguyen (Granada, 100 pounds): Nguyen was dominant in her NCS title run. She won her first three matches by fall and had a one-sided 12-0 majority decision victory in the finals.

Sophia Darer (Terra Nova, 110 pounds): Darer hadn’t won a wrestling tournament this year until she won the CCS title on Saturday and she could continue her tremendous run in the state tournament. She won a 10-5 decision in the championship match against Casey Azus of Willow Glen.

Shayna Ward (Oakland Tech, 120 pounds): Ward is the lone Oakland Athletic League representative in the state tournament. Ward has an overall record of 82-13 and won an NCS title at 120 pounds.

Tamara Grace (Gilroy, 130 pounds): Grace won each of her section tournament matches by fall to qualify for the state tournament. She came in third place in the 126-pound division in the state tournament last year.