The Bakersfield College wrestling team took first place at the East Los Angeles Duals Nov. 17 at East L.A. College.

In a tight-points race from first to third, BC led the way with 89, East L.A. took second with 88, Cerritos College took third with 81, and Victor Valley finished fourth with 60.

“It’s kind of a good tune up before the Regionals,” BC coach Bill Kalivas said on the team’s ability to finish first place.

“It was beneficial for some of our guys.

“Some people shot themselves in the foot by not performing very well.”

Freshman 125 pound Josh Johnson finished in third place in his weight class. In the 174-pound class Lance Castaneda finished second, and heavyweight Quinn Moore also finished second and only lost by one point in his weight class. Kalivas thought that Moore improved significantly against East L.A.

“I thought as a whole, we wanted to get more matches for our second team guys,” Kalivas said.

“Because at the end of the day, your individual performance dictates how your team is going to do.”

Kalivas believes that Moore and Castaneda have the opportunity to be finalists.  He said that their sophomore leadership can also be a big plus in terms of how far they can go.

BC starts Regionals on Dec. 1 at East L.A. College.