Motivated Grizzlies aiming for state podium

Granite Bay has two state qualifiers lined up to compete in this weekend's CIF State Wrestling Championships: senior Julia Mendoza and junior Helena Rodriguez. Mendoza, Granite Bay's team captain, lost her first match of the Masters tournament 3-0 before winning six in a row to finish third in the 190-pound weight class. Mendoza won bouts against Lynsey Shelley of Lodi 3-0, Melanee Carrillo of Escalon 5-4, and Arely Ambriz of Hilmar 4-0 before finishing with three straight pins, all in under two minutes. Mendoza's record this season is 31-12. "Julia wrestled as expected but came up a little short of winning the overall championship," Granite Bay coach Robert Cooley said. "She was injured as a junior but qualified for state as a sophomore. She's a strong competitor with a strong drive to win along with being an awesome wrestler. She's also an excellent student." Mendoza has been wrestling since her freshman year. "This season I just wanted to come back from injury and make it back to state and I achieved my goal," Mendoza said. "Now I'm focused on placing at state while also enjoying the experience and having fun. "I believe my biggest strengths as a wrestler are my resilience and work ethic. Even when I'm tired, my technique doesn't fall apart, it stays consistent. I focus a lot on fundamentals, especially late in matches, and I think that's where you can see my growth. Coming back from injury has also helped me become more disciplined and mentally tougher." To place at state, Mendoza said it will take trusting her training, keeping a strong mindset and wrestling with confidence. Like Mendoza, Rodriguez also lost her first match in the 155-pound class before winning four in a row by scores of 2-0, 5-0, 12-1 and 6-0. Rodriguez (20-7) then lost 10-6 trying to advance to the third-place bout before pulling out an exciting 1-0 win to qualify for the state meet. "Helena wrestled extremely well at Masters and is excited about returning to state," Cooley said. "She's a hard-working athlete with a passion for the sport. Helena is also an excellent student. Both girls have worked hard to get to the state level and will be working hard to get on the podium." Like Mendoza, Rodriguez has been wrestling since her freshman year. "I qualified for state my sophomore year but lost both of my matches," Rodriguez said. "My goal for this year was to improve on last year and to learn from my mistakes. I can achieve my goal if I continue to push the pace and endure things nobody else wants to do. It's taken a lot of hard work, dedication and heart. From early mornings, long drives and multiple practices per day, my devotion to improving myself and my strive for greatness hasn't been easy, but I believe it will be a fruitful endeavor. "My strengths as a wrestler are more than just technique. This sport has taught me to stay focused, be consistent, be confident in my abilities and always looking for opportunities to improve and work towards my goals." Rodriguez would love the opportunity to wrestle in college, while Mendoza said it depends. "I would love to wrestle in college," Rodriguez said. "Getting a college scholarship has been my goal since freshman year. It's the exact reason I started wrestling and pushing the pace to achieve greatness. Falling in love with the sport was just an extra bonus." Said Mendoza, "I'm interested in majoring in biochemistry, so balancing academics and college wrestling would be challenging, but I'm open to the opportunity if it's the right fit."