MADERA — Last weekend, the Paso Robles Bearcats wrestling team made the trip to Madera to compete in the CIF Central Section Division 2 wrestling tournament and came home with eight wrestlers that will advance to Masters this weekend at Hoover. 

CIF-CS Division 2 is made up of 11 teams in Arroyo Grande, California City, Dos Palos, Exeter, Firebaugh, Golden Valley, Hanford, Liberty High School, Madera South, Monache, Pioneer Valley, Porterville, Redwood, Robert F. Kennedy, Sanger and Paso Robles who were all wrestling for a spot in Masters and eventually, at State. In order for a wrestler to advance, they must finish in the top seven.

The eight Bearcats wrestlers who have advanced are Shane Baugh, Jacob Marmalejo, Dylan Maduena, Peyton Kilber, Ian Rodriguez, Cameron Davidson, Leo Kemp and Blake Haupt. 

Paso Robles displayed their great depth in Madera, having one wrestler from each grade advance to Masters starting with freshmen Baugh and Kemp. One-hundred-and-six-pound Baugh, who placed fifth on Saturday, came on late in the season for the Bearcats and has continued to improve and impress head coach Nate Ybarra. Kemp occupies the 195-pound weight class for Paso Robles and placed fifth.

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The two top wrestlers in crimson were the senior Maduena and sophomore Kilber who each finished in third in their respective weight classes. Maduena, who wrestled at 126-pounds, missed his wrestling season last year due to injury but returned this year and has been one of the top wrestlers in the county this year. 

Kilber, who wrestled at 132-pounds, made his return to CIF after finishing third in the 120-pound class as a freshman last year and is hoping to make it back to the state meet this season. In order to advance to the state meet, wrestlers must place inside the top 10 this weekend at the Masters meet. 

Kilber was one of two Bearcats to advance to Masters the past two years joining his teammate Haupt, who finished third last year at 220-pounds and advanced this year finishing sixth in the heavyweight division. 

One-hundred-and-forty-five-pound wrestler Davidson joined the other two seniors on the podium, placing fifth in Division 2. Both Rodriguez, a sophomore, and Marmalejo, a junior, placed seventh for the Bearcats at 138 pounds and 120 pounds, respectively. 

Should any Bearcats advance to the state meet, they would wrestle inside the Rabobank Area in Bakersfield next weekend.