TimeOut with Tambo: Briseno achieves wrestling goal to compete at state; sets goal to medal next year
“I wanted to win the league, earn a trip to the Masters and go to the state meet,” he said. “I knew that if I did my best I could accomplish those goals.”
The old saying goes: “If you can do it, it ain’t braggin’.” Briseno did it.
Briseno, his mother, Gale, and father, Jesus, made the trip to Bakersfield for the CIF State Wrestling Championships last weekend.
On day one, Briseno beat the Los Angeles Section champion from Birmingham High School to put himself in the top half of his weight class. The Bulldog then lost to the No. 6 seed by a decision. He lost to the No. 11 seed and was eliminated. He ended up in the final 25 in the state.
Next year, Briseno said, he will not be content with just going back to the state meet.
“My goal right now is to earn a medal at state,” he said.
“It was a great experience. Everything is first class. It is a big arena and the crowd is amazing. Just being in the arena with the elite wrestlers in the state is an experience,” said the Ramona wrestler.
Briseno is a standout in two sports. He was all league in football and a two-way starter. When asked if playing two sports is an advantage or a disadvantage, Briseno replied, “They both help each other.”
He feels that his best asset in both sports is his quickness. However, he plans to improve that asset in order to be better in both sports.
As to whether he had to lose much weight to wrestle, Briseno said, “I only dropped about five pounds and that came off naturally. I will probably move up a class in wrestling next year and wrestle at 220.”
Briseno has already set goals for next year and will do all that he can to accomplish them.