Angelo Gibson, Jeffrey Elerick, Israel Knight, Wyatt Hughes and Magdalena Ramirez leave for wrestling camp.
One way the PCHS wrestling program makes the most of its off-season is through summer wrestling camps.
Coach Mike Brooks says they give the wrestlers experiences to improve their skills.
“They also help them develop their character with character talks and camaraderie with teammates,” he added.
Last week, five Mustangs traveled to Gilroy, Calif. for the Daniel Cormier wrestling camp.
Later that week, 30 wrestlers aged seven through 16 participated in a two-day camp in Elko.
Thirty youth wrestlers attended a two-day camp in Elk
Jeffrey Elerick, Angelo Gibson, Israel Knight, Magdalena Ramirez and Wyatt Hughes spent five days at the Daniel Cormier Camp.
They slept in the training facility and had three practices each day.
“I drove them to Gilroy Sunday and dropped them off. They were on their own and supervised by the camp. Terasa Elerick picked them up on Friday,” said Brooks.
Jeffrey Elerick is a two-time State champion and hopes to earn a third championship in his upcoming junior year. Knight, a sophomore, is a one-time State champion.
Hughes and Gibson will both be seniors in the fall. Hughes was a regional champion last year. Gibson was a regional runner-up and fourth at State.
Last winter, Ramirez was one match from qualifying for the State tournament as a freshman. She hopes to put the skills she learned at camp to use in her sophomore year.
Daniel Cormier stands with Magdalena Ramirez at wrestling camp in Gilroy, Calif.
Daniel (DC) Cormier is a former Olympian, UFC and MMA star. He survived personal tragedy to earn multiple championships and become the head coach of Gilroy High School wrestling program. He got started in wrestling when he was about 10 years old.
Magdalena Ramirez's younger siblings LaReina, 14, Marisa, 13, and Gerardo, 10, were among the 30 wrestlers who attended the camp in Elko. Elko Youth Wrestling hosted the camp which featured guest coach Ben Askren, a Division 1 champion, Olympian and MMA fighter. They stayed overnight at Spring Creek High School.
The wrestlers will be talking about their experiences at the Gilroy and Elko camps for a long time to come.
“I met nine awesome coaches from different states who helped improve my skills. I learned a lot of new techniques in the week of staying at Daniel Cormier’s Academy. I’m super thankful that my coaches gave me and my teammates a good opportunity,” said Magdalena Ramirez.