Skyline wrestling had a strong showing in regionals and is now headed to the state tournament.

The program has found late success this season, barring the early season defeats. The team placed fifth overall as a team while having eight out of 10 wrestlers qualify for the state tournament.

Wrestlers Anthony Andgrighetto, Tanner Robson, Brady Green, Ricardo Bribiescas, Dupra Goodman, Hugo Plancarte, Matt Ayla and David Corona have extended their wrestling season by qualifying for state.

“Eight is a pretty good number,” wrestling coach James Haddon said. “It’s been about 7-8 years since we qualified that many guys.”

By this time of the year, wrestlers heading out to the state tournament are spent, because of the toll of the season. Injuries pile up, and wrestlers in the tournament are often never 100 percent.

Skyline heavyweight David Corona has been battling a knee injury and seemed to have been written off the tournament completely, before having an impressive turn around.

“I went to the doctors and they told me I might have a torn my ACL,” Corona said. “The way the sport is, I might as well finish the season.”

Corona will have to endure the injury one more time as he has qualified for the state tournament.

“I wasn’t expecting to do very well,” Corona said. “But I managed to place. I guess I’m going to state.”

Corona has the worst injury on the team at the moment.

“We’re pretty healthy, considering it’s the end of the season,” coach Haddon said. “This is the time of year where guys are physically and often mentally broken down.”

For the wrestlers, this is the final stop of their season. There is no national tournament for their level. Team captain Brady Green emphasized leaving it all out there.

“At this point we have already come over all the odds to make it to state,” Green said. “We have done what we said we would do, so it’s just time to wrestle.”

Placing in regionals is a great accomplishment in itself, but the team is not settling on those results. The chance to become an All American still presents itself and the wrestlers are shooting for it.