Joint repeats as 141-pound champ, Tripp second; Golden Eagles finish 10th at State Championships
LEMOORE – The 2022 West Hills College Lemoore wrestling season came to a close as the Golden Eagles totaled 44.5 points to finish in 10th place out of 21 teams at the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) State Championships. The two-day event, hosted by West Hills College, took place at Golden Eagle Arena.
Leading the way for West Hills was sophomore Wayne Joint as he wrapped up his Golden Eagle career as a two-time state champion at the 141-pound weight class. Joint went 4-0 on the weekend and defeated Mario De La Torre by a final score of 3-0 in the state championship final.
Sophomore Justin Tripp came up just short in matching Joint. Tripp advanced to the 184-pound final but suffered a 9-3 SV loss in overtime to Luke Meyer of Fresno City College to finish in second place.
Joint and Tripp were the lone Golden Eagles to place at the state championships and by finishing among the top-four, earned All-America honors.
Xander Romero (125 lbs.), Cesar Guzman (133 lbs.), Will Torres (141 lbs.), Phillip Arroyo (149 lbs.), Devonya Kee (157 lbs.), Hector Alatorre (165 lbs.), and Daniel Jacuinde (285 lbs.) all qualified for the state championships.