NCS wrestling championships: Liberty’s David Calkins Jr. claims fourth section crown
UNION CITY – When Liberty wrestler David Calkins Jr. emerged from the mat after securing his fourth consecutive North Coast Section championship with a convincing 12-2 victory over Ukiah’s Jordan Schwarm, his first thoughts weren’t on his historic accomplishment.
“Just another tournament,” Calkins said between heavy breaths. “It’s just for me, a step toward a bigger goal. Everybody knows what I want. Everybody knows what I’m chasing. But if I’m gonna get it, I gotta step it up a little.”
What Calkins is chasing is an elusive state championship.
Within a decorated resume that includes a bronze medal in the 2025 U17 World Greco-Roman section, a collegiate commitment from Iowa, and a No. 4 ranking in the nation, all that eludes him is a place on the state podium.
Last season, Calkins fell in the quarterfinals of the 190-pound weight class to Clovis North’s Jonathan Rocha. And the year prior, Calkins also came up short in the quarterfinals to Canyon Springs’ Sonny Kling.
This season, Calkins will be competing in the bigger 215-pound weight class. But based on how easily he discarded the competition, allowing only three points among his opponents on his way to the NCS title, the larger weight class shouldn’t pose any new problems.
Regardless, Calkins’ chase for the state championship doesn’t change his approach to what happens on the mat.
“Tone in, zone in, trust the people around me,” Calkins chanted. “Block out everything else, have fun, and trust God.”
Calkins’ straightforward, singular-focused approach is a contagious one among the NCS circuit and one that Kennedy-Fremont’s Cameron Jackson takes to heart.
Jackson took home the NCS 120-pound division title in a narrow 4-3 victory over Windsor’s Joey Guanella. It was a bare bones brawl that Jackson was able to come away with, albeit with some disappointment with the way he approached the match.
“I wouldn’t call it bittersweet, but the way the match went, I wasn’t too happy to be honest,” Jackson said. “It’s kind of hard to share these things with the public and everyone being able to hear, but I struggle with mental stuff. I kind of went out there just trying not to lose, which was a mistake on my part and something I regret.”
For a wrestler who is 38-0 in his senior season, the disappointment in himself seemed to outweigh any of the positives of earning a ticket to state championships.
But Jackson shared that the conversation he had with Calkins after the tournament, with the two holding a strong friendship, will help with his state preparation.
“I just talked to my buddy David Calkins,” Jackson smiled, the weight of his disappointment easing for a moment.
“He’s also a champ. Kind of goes through the same things. It’s just being grateful and positive for the opportunity. This is my last high school tournament, so I just got to make the most of it, for sure.”
In the 150-pound division, Monte Vista’s Trevor Economos came from behind at the last second to defeat Granada’s Charlie Herrington 7-4.
Economos fell behind early after Herrington secured a clean reversal as the two battled on the mat. But a late third-period surge in which Economos chained together a reversal and a nearfall shocked both Herrington and the crowd, giving him the title.
In the 113-pound division, James Logan’s Reshad Ahmadi took down Ukiah’s Gibran Silva 3-0 in front of a Union City crowd.
Competing in the heaviest division (280 pounds), De La Salle’s Wyatt Ferguson bested Arroyo’s Austin Celzo 8-2.
Though Ukiah did not secure a single NCS first-place finish, they came away with the team title, scoring 150.5 points and narrowly fending off Liberty’s 148 points, Granada’s 145.5 points and host James Logan’s 139.5 points.
Other winners included Las Lomas’ Elham Hashimi, Del Norte brothers Wyatt and Thunder Lewis, with Wyatt securing back-to-back NCS titles, Cardinal Newman’s Jonah Bertoli, and American Canyon’s Lorenzo Seymore.
Team Scores (top five)
Ukiah 150.5, Liberty 148, Granada 145.5, James Logan 139.5, Del Norte 100.5, John F. Kennedy 100.5.
Championship Results
106: Elham Hashimi (Las Lomas) d. Roscoe Juaschon (Livermore) 9-5
113: Reshad Ahmadi (James Logan) d. Gibran Silva (Ukiah) 3-0
120: Cameron Jackson (John F Kennedy- Fremont) d. Joey Guanella (Windsor) 4-3
126: Thunder Lewis (Del Norte) d. Chris Anderson (Liberty) 17-2
132: Jack Baker (Granada) d. Miguel Rodriguez (James Logan) 19-1
138: Jack Bronte (Granada) d. Cole Schmidt (Windsor) 6-0
144: Jacob Livermore (Liberty) d. Keith Christianson (Ukiah) 12-7
150: Trevor Economos (Monte Vista Danville) d. Charlie Herrington (Granada) 7-4
157: Wyatt Lewis (Del Norte Cresent City)-Caleb Quintua (Casa Grande) 20-2
165: Aiden Dancer (Upper Lake) d. James Emery (James Logan) 4-0
175: Jonah Bertoli (Cardinal Newman) d. Joseph Labarthe (San Ramon Valley) 22-7
190: Lorenzo Seymore (American Canyon) d. Ronan McAllister (Livermore) 7-6
215: David Calkins Jr. (Liberty) d. Jordan Schwarm (Ukiah) 12-2
280: Wyatt Ferguson (De La Salle) d. Austin Celzo (Arroyo San Lorenzo) 8-2
Girls
Oakland Tech sisters Shayna and Layla Ward emerge victorious
This season was the only chance for wrestling sister duo Shayna and Layla Ward of Oakland Tech to win an NCS championship together.
With the senior Shayna in her final season, and freshman Layla in her first go-around in the circuit, they only had one shot to hold up gold medals in the photo for the family mantle.
And they pulled it off.
With Layla first up in the 105 class, the younger Ward grinded her way to an 8-1 victory over Tennyson’s Priseya Ornelas, collecting two takedowns to earn her first NCS championship.
And just 30 minutes later, Shayna defeated St. Helena’s Anais Hernandez in a lopsided 3-0 victory, as she pinned Hernandez early in the first period to secure her third consecutive NCS title.
“It feels really great to win with my sister,” a proud Shayna said with Layla right next to her. “We’ve been working together in the gym [for as long as] I could remember. It’s cool to finally get recognized together because we’re two peas in a pod.”
For Layla, that hard work Shayna alluded to is an understatement.
Layla overcame an early-season illness followed by an elbow injury, which prevented her from competing in several tournaments.
“I’m really proud of myself,” Layla said. “Because I worked really hard and this season was pretty crazy, so I’m really glad I won it the first and last time with my sister.”
With states on the way for both sisters, the mantra is similar.
“One match at a time, and wrestle hard every single match,” Layla said as her older sister nodded in agreement.
“I don’t care where I’m seeded,” Shayna said. “I’ve never cared where I’m seeded. I eat one seeds for breakfast. I’m just gonna go out there, wrestle hard, trust in my training, and control what I can control.”
In the 120-pound division, Granada’s SJ Martin cruised to a 3-0 victory over Casa Grande’s Aliyah White, with her first-period pin securing her third NCS title.
Martin went unchallenged through the bracket, crushing her opponents with a 3-0 pin in every single match, all in the first period. As Martin stood atop the podium, all she could do was reflect on the immense challenges that threatened to cut her year short.
“I tore my UCL at the beginning of the season,” Martin said. “So, just battling from that, had to do a lot of physical therapy and stuff. Missed a lot of the season but just battling back from that, it’s been really rewarding. And I’m so glad to see my team do so well too.”
In the 125-pound final, Martin’s Granada teammate Maile Nguyen overcame an early head injury, which she suffered when she hit the wall near the mat, to secure a 7-1 victory over Albany’s Angelina Schlumpberger.
Martin and Nguyen led Granada to an NCS crown with 136.5 points, far ahead of Concord’s 113 points and Northgate’s 112.5
Other winners included Liberty’s Roselyn Diaz in the 190-pound division, Dublin’s Lana Nguyen in the 130-pound category and Northgate’s Hailey Liu in the 140-pound division.
Team Scores (top five)
Granada 136.5, Concord 113, Northgate 112.5, Dougherty Valley 107, Pittsburgh 105.5
Championship results
Girls 100: Eliana Caro (Amador Valley) d. Alyse Domingo (Washington Fremont) 5-3
Girls 105: Layla Ward (Oakland Tech) d. Priseya Ornelas (Tennyson) 8-1
Girls 110: Taylor Bell (Arcata) d. Emily Yeung (Dougherty Valley) 15-7
Girls 115: Maliah Poueu Ramos (Windsor) d. Charlotte Macachor (Dougherty Valley) 3-0
Girls 120: SJ Martin (Granada) d. Aliyah White (Casa Grande) 3-0
Girls 125: Maile Nguyen (Granada) d. Angelina Schlumpberger (Albany) 7-1
Girls 130: Lana Nguyen (Dublin) d. Alexis Peregrina (Upper Lake) 14-4
Girls 135: Shayna Ward (Oakland Tech) d. Anais Hernandez (St. Helena) 3-0
Girls 140: Hailey Liu (Northgate) d. Emeilia Velasquez-Owsiany (Willits) 5-0
Girls 145: Anakarla Hernandez (St. Helena)-Keirabella Brown (Concord)
Girls 155: Symone Jewell (Northgate) d. Catania Dekeyrel (San Marin) 9-2
Girls 170: Aiyanna Beane (American Canyon)-Alexis Rotenberry (Northgate) 11-0
Girls 190: Roselyn Diaz (Liberty)-Honesty Taavao (Pittsburg Senior) 7-0
Girls 235: Bella Glenn (Willits)-Samyra Abraham (Freedom)