Sportstars
Best Of 2023: March | Tales From Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Wrestling
Ike Dodson Delivers Six Stories From A Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Wrestling Championships Weekend Full Of Surprises, Impressive Feats • PICTURED ABOVE: Oakdale Wrestler Carlos Garcia Points At The Camera In Celebration After Claiming The 170 Pound Title At The Sac-Joaquin Masters Wrestling Championships. (Ike Dodson photos) Fierce battles in... Read more
Ike’s Ironmen/Ironwomen | All-NorCal Wrestling ’22-’23
Gilroy’s Isaiah Cortez, Pitman’s Lilly Avalos Shine Brightest As 37 Different Programs Crack Our Fifth Annual All-NorCal Wrestling Honors • PICTURED ABOVE: All-NorCal Wrestling Selection At 220 Pounds, Nolan Frank Of Elk Grove High. (Ike Dodson photos) Our final wrestling story of the 2022-23 season awards special recognition to... Read more
Journey To The Center Of The Mat | NorCal’s Kathy Kopara Makes History
Santa Rosa Native And Vacaville Sixth Grade Teacher Kathy Kopara Endured To Become Groundbreaking Wrestling Official At The 2023 CIF Wrestling Championships • TOP PHOTO CREDIT: John Sachs/Tech-Fall.com Kathy Kopara remembers the moment distinctly, though she was oblivious at the time. The 45-year-old Vacaville resident was officiating a first-round... Read more
Best Of The Best | NorCal Wrestling Puts 64 On State Podium
A Strong Weekend For Boys & Girls NorCal Wrestling Yielded Eight State Titles At The CIF State Wrestling Championships In Bakersfield • PICTURED ABOVE: Cesar Chavez-Stockton Senior Taydem Khamjoi, Who Won The 131-Pound Girls State Title On Feb. 25. (Ike Dodson photos) Sixty-four Northern California wrestlers escaped the three-day... Read more
NorCal Girls Wrestling | Who’s The Next Amit Elor?
As The Postseason Begins, Expect Big Things From These 137 Wrestlers — The Best Of NorCal Girls Wrestling This Season • PICTURED ABOVE: Bella Vista-Fair Oaks Junior Gianna Dibenedetto (137 Pounds) At The 2022 SJS Masters. (Ike Dodson photos) Before she was the No. 1 ranked female wrestler on... Read more
STARS OF OUR SHOW | NorCal Wrestling Postseason Preview
We Take A Glance At Every Weight Class As The NorCal Wrestling Postseason Grind Arrives — CIF Contenders, Upset Threats & More • PICTURED ABOVE: Franklin-Elk Grove Senior Ammar Khan Is A CIF Medal Contender At 145s. (Ike Dodson photo) Load up the RV with hot dogs and headgear,... Read more
NorCal Wrestling’s Power Five | Gilroy
If The Roster Stays Healthy And Fully Eligible, The ’22-’23 Gilroy Wrestling Team Could Change History Over a month of California prep wrestling has cleared the way for five of Northern California’s best boys wrestling programs to represent the true power of NorCal grappling. This five-part series takes a... Read more
NorCal Wrestling’s Power Five | Vacaville
Never Count Out The Vacaville Wrestling Program, Which Seeks Sixth Straight Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Title Despite Inexperienced Squad Over a month of California prep wrestling has cleared the way for five of Northern California’s best boys wrestling programs to represent the true power of NorCal grappling. This five-part series... Read more
NorCal Wrestling’s Power Five | Los Gatos
With Nine State-Ranked Wrestlers To Open The ’22-’23 Season, Los Gatos Wrestling Is Developing Into A Legit Central Coast Section Challenger Photo: Los Gatos Wrestling (Facebook) Over a month of California prep wrestling has cleared the way for five of Northern California’s best boys wrestling programs to represent the... Read more
NorCal Wrestling’s Power Five | Oakdale
Led By An Extremely Balanced Lineup — From Six Seniors To Three Freshmen — Oakdale Wrestling Is So Good It ‘Stangs Over a month of California prep wrestling has cleared the way for five of Northern California’s best boys wrestling programs to represent the true power of NorCal grappling.... Read more
NorCal Wrestling’s Power Five | De La Salle
In Second Season Since His Passing, Mark Halvorson’s Standard For Excellence Lives On In A Very Talented De La Salle Wrestling Room Over a month of California prep wrestling has cleared the way for five of Northern California’s best boys wrestling programs to represent the true power of NorCal... Read more
SportStars’ Bay Area 75 Athlete Rankings 2022 | Nos. 50-26
Our 10th Annual Bay Area 75 Athlete Rankings Honoring The Top High School Athletes From The ’21-’22 School Year Continues With Nos. 50-26 • PICTURED ABOVE: No. 49 Makayla Winchell of Granada-Livermore (Chace Bryson photo) Welcome to our tenth annual Bay Area 75 rankings — SportStars’ countdown of the... Read more