After an impressive showing at Central Coast Section (CCS), team captain Kyle Botelho, a junior, advanced to the state tournament on Friday, Feb. 22. Many other Burlingame wrestlers competed in the tournament, including Alexis Sawyer, Cian Hennebry, Evan Pozzo and Joshua Wong.

“I felt confident during CCS; I was determined to make it to state,” Botelho said.

Botelho placed second at CCS and went 1-2 at state. During his CCS run, he competed against five opponents, going undefeated in his first four games in his respective bracket. Botelho lost in the final, but he had already secured a spot in the state tournament.

“[Noah Castro] was a tough opponent. I was mad that I was not able to place first in CCS, but I was also excited to compete at the state level,” Botelho said.

Unlike many high school sports in California, wrestling state tournaments are not separated into divisions based on school enrollment or other factors. This means Botelho was facing some of the top wrestlers in the state. After losing in his first match, Botelho competed for third place in his 132-pound weight class. He defeated his first opponent and lost in the second round, ending his state run.

“It was a good run, and I’m going to work hard to hopefully do better next year,” Botelho said.