Cuesta Wrestling has been chasing its first 3C2A Title since 1980 and appears to have the depth to make a run for the crown.  The Cougars are respectable 8-3-1 in dual meets this season, which helped Coach Joe Dansby pass Gary Meissner's marks of dual wins for Cuesta, but the Cougars were built for tournaments.  Cuesta has made the podium and medaled as a team in each of their last four tournaments.  The Cougars won their Meathead Mover Invitational and the 2025 SouthEast Conference (SEC) Tournament, while earning a team Silver at East LA's The Brawl Tournament and Bronze at last week's Southern California Regional Finals.  The Cougars' point totals at the Regional demonstrated their team depth, while advancing nine grapplers to the 3C2A State Championships, without winning a division.  Returning All American Preston Scharf (165) and fellow 2025 SEC Champion Dom Marquez (133) both earned a Silver at the Regionals, while four others claimed the Bronze.  2024 All American Chance Evans led the way by taking 3rd at 197, while Grant Eklund "Showed" at 157, on his way to setting the Cougars' career win record (64- below).  Sophomore Kodie Cooks (174) also took 2nd in the Region, while Freshman Kaden Pryor (157) took Third Place.    Freshman Drew Croft earned his way to the finals with a 7th place finish at 184, while Sophomores Marshall Beecham and Ben Green both claimed the final spot in their division, 165 and 285, respectively. 

 

The Cougars' individual achievements over the weekend also overshadowed a major collective accomplishment by the entire team.  The Cougars earned their 298th match victory of the season, which eclipse the program's previous (recognized) standard of 297 match set in 2014.  This year's team is the first Cuesta team to post over three-hundred victories, and the team goes into the weekend with a collective 302 wins under their best.  

 

Returning All American Grant Eklund now has 64 career wins, surpassing the mark set by former All-American Michael Williams broke former record of 63 set from 2004-2006.  Williams collected 62 wins in 2005 and 2006, however he was also 1-1 in 2004, before earning a medical redshirt.  Eklund's teammates was joined by fellow sophomores Preston Scharf (59 wins), Dom Marquez (57) and Marshall Beecham (50) on the Cougars career win list.  Scharf, at 59-5 (92.2%) is currently on pace to claim former State Champion Dan Martinez's (1999-00) mark for career winning percentage of 84.0%.