NCS wrestling championships: Liberty’s David Calkins Jr. wins third consecutive section title
North Coast Section boys
Liberty’s David Calkins Jr. three-peats
As Liberty wrestler David Calkins Jr. emerged victorious in his 192-pound North Coast Section championship match, the junior looked at the crowd and counted with his fingers, one-two-three. Calkins won his third consecutive NCS title on Saturday, defeating Clayton Valley’s Brady Coddington by fall 100 seconds into the first period. “This was always part of the process,” Calkins said. “I’m just always trying to get better. I know what my main goal is and this feels great, but it’s back to work.” In just his third year, Calkins has already made school history. “We’ve never had a three-time NCS champion,” Liberty coach Alex Encarnacion said. “At the end of the day, he brings that competitive nature to us.” Calkins helped Liberty finish second in the NCS team results with 181.5 points – the highest finish for a team in the Bay Area News Group’s coverage area. Windsor took first place with 187.5 points and Del Norte third with 154.5. Calkins’ teammate Christopher Anderson took home the 122-pound title, defeating Dublin’s Yousuf Amin 11-4. Calkins will be looking to win a state championship to close out his illustrious career at Liberty. He fell short last year, falling in the quarterfinals to Canyon Springs’ Sonny Kling. When asked what his week will look like in preparation for the state championship, Calkins said, “A lot of hard work.” … At 115 pounds, Castro Valley’s Connor Jeong took home his second consecutive NCS title. Last year, he took first place in the 108-pound division and now has two section titles in two different weight classes. “This feels really good,” Jeong said. “But it means I have to do really good next week.” … After years of dominating the section championships, De La Salle did not have a participant in any championship match on Saturday. Last year, three De La Salle wrestlers took home first place medals. The Concord school had its streak of NCS championships snapped at nine as the Spartans finished in a tie for ninth with Las Lomas on Saturday. … Other local winners included Kennedy-Fremont’s Cameron Jackson, Granada’s Tyson Tran and Livermore’s Asher Nischke.
Liberty’s David Calkins Jr. struggles to pin Clayton Valley’s Brady Coddington in the 192-pound NCS wrestling championship match at James Logan High School in Union City, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Calkins Jr. won by fall.(Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Team scores (top five)
Windsor 187.5, Liberty 181.5, Del Norte 154.5, Amador Valley 137.5, Granada 128.5
Championship results
108: Cameron Jackson (Kennedy-Fremont) d. Antonio Garaventa (Windsor) 13-0
115: Connor Jeong (Castro Valley) d. Alexander Osborne (Del Norte) 18-6
122: Christopher Anderson (Liberty) d. Yousuf Amin (Dublin) 11-4
Castro Valley’s Connor Jeong heads toward Del Norte High wrestling coaches to shake hands after Jeong defeated their athlete Alexander Osborne 18-6 in the 115-pound NCS wrestling championship match at James Logan High School in Union City, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
North Coast Section girls
Clayton Valley wins first NCS title
Clayton Valley notched its first NCS crown after totaling 135.5 points, ahead of Diablo Athletic League rival Northgate, which had 130.5. Savannah Talmadge (130 pounds) and Isabel Leyva (140) each took home NCS titles for the Ugly Eagles. … Three different wrestlers won their second consecutive NCS title on Saturday. Granada’s SJ Martin (120), Oakland Tech’s Shayna Ward (125) and Northgate’s Symone Jewell all earned their second consecutive first place medals. … James Logan’s quest for a third straight NCS crown fell short on Saturday. The Union City school eighth with 93 points. Daniela Gomez was the Colts’ lone NCS winner on Saturday. Logan has six NCS titles, which includes four straight from 2013 to 2016.
Monte Vista’s Trevor Economos, bottom, andDel Norte’s Remington Escobedo compete in the 152-pound NCS wrestling championship match at James Logan High School in Union City, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Economos lost 2-9. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Granada’s Tyson Tran, top, and Casa Grande’s Caleb Quintua compete in the 159-pound NCS wrestling championship match at James Logan High School in Union City, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Tran won 9-3. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Granada’s Tyson Tran celebrates his victory against Casa Grande’s Caleb Quintua in the 159-pound NCS wrestling championship match at James Logan High School in Union City, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Tran won 9-3. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Granada’s Tyson Tran celebrates his victory against Casa Grande’s Caleb Quintua in the 159-pound NCS wrestling championship match at James Logan High School in Union City, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Tran won 9-3. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Liberty’s Christopher Anderson celebrates after defeating Dublin’s Yousuf Amin in the 122-pound NCS wrestling championship match at James Logan High School in Union City, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Anderson won 11-4. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Dublin’s Yousuf Amin reacts after Liberty’s Christopher Anderson defeated him in the 122-pound NCS wrestling championship match at James Logan High School in Union City, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Anderson won 11-4. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Liberty’s David Calkins Jr. struggles to pin Clayton Valley’s Brady Coddington in the 192-pound NCS wrestling championship match at James Logan High School in Union City, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Calkins Jr. won by fall.(Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Liberty’s David Calkins Jr. shakes hands with Clayton Valley’s Brady Coddington after Calkins Jr. won by fall in the 192-pound NCS wrestling championship match at James Logan High School in Union City, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Liberty’s David Calkins Jr. celebrates after he won by fall against Clayton Valley’s Brady Coddington in the 192-pound NCS wrestling championship match at James Logan High School in Union City, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Livermore coaches Herb Guidry, left, and John Lang react as Livermore’s Asher Nischke attempts to pin Novato’s Braeden Carroll in the 287-pound NCS wrestling championship match at James Logan High School in Union City, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Nischke won 15-0. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) A referee adds the last points to Livermore’s Asher Nischke on his victory over Novato’s Braeden Carroll in the 287-pound NCS wrestling championship match at James Logan High School in Union City, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Nischke won 15-0. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Livermore’s Asher Nischke celebrates his victory with his mother Asher Nischke, after defeating Novato’s Braeden Carroll in the 287-pound NCS wrestling championship match at James Logan High School in Union City, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Nischke won 15-0. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Monte Vista’s Trevor Economos recovers after being defeated by Del Norte’s Remington Escobedo in the 152-pound NCS wrestling championship match at James Logan High School in Union City, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Economos lost 2-9. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Liberty’s Christopher Anderson and Dublin’s Yousuf Amin compete in the 122-pound NCS wrestling championship match at James Logan High School in Union City, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Anderson won 11-4. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Upper Lake’s Aiden Dancer comforts San Leandro’s Easton Hearne after he won by fall in the 167-pound NCS wrestling championship match at James Logan High School in Union City, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Novato’s Braeden Carroll is upended by Livermore’s Asher Nischke in the 287-pound NCS wrestling championship match at James Logan High School in Union City, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Nischke won by fall. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Novato’s Braeden Carroll is upended by Livermore’s Asher Nischke in the 287-pound NCS wrestling championship match at James Logan High School in Union City, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Nischke won by fall. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Upper Lake’s Aiden Dancer reacts after defeating by fall San Leandro’s Easton Hearne in the 167-pound NCS wrestling championship match at James Logan High School in Union City, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Granada’s Tyson Tran attempts to pin Casa Grande’s Caleb Quintua in the 159-pound NCS wrestling championship match at James Logan High School in Union City, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Tran won 9-3. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Albany’s Isaac Judson, bottom, and Vintage’s Riley Youngblood compete in the 146-pound NCS wrestling championship match at James Logan High School in Union City, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Judson lost 2-5. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Albany’s Isaac Judson, top, and Vintage’s Riley Youngblood compete in the 146-pound NCS wrestling championship match at James Logan High School in Union City, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. Judson lost 2-5. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) NCS wrestling referees watch championship matches as they take turns during NCS wrestling championships at James Logan High School in Union City, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025.(Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)