Alde Nguyen
Online Sports Editor
In hopes of pinning down his goal to win a state championship, senior wrestler Jared Williams transferred out of Costa and to Edison High School to take his wrestling career to the next level.
Williams was an important member of Costa’s wrestling program: He was both the varsity team captain and one of two members who was in the top three for the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Individuals. This year he plans to better his chances of winning the California State Individual Championships.
“I left Mira Costa because I believed that I would have a better opportunity at Edison, not only with wrestling, but with a lot of college connections,” Williams said. “I still love Mira Costa and all the people there, but I had to do what I thought was best for my future.”
Last season Williams went 45-8 overall, competing in the 152 pound weight division for a majority of his tournaments. He also competed at the 145 pound division for major tournaments including the State Championships. Williams vanquished most of his competition in his respective weight class by placing first in Bay League and CIF, and fourth in CIF Masters. However, he fell short in State, placing in the top 12.
“Placing top 12 at state was very hard for me because my goal last year was to place in the top eight at state,” Williams said. “To say that I was one match away from my goal hurts.”
Williams first began wrestling in sixth grade after being influenced by his older brother’s passion for the sport. As a freshman on varsity at Peninsula High School, Williams placed second in Bay League but went 0-2 at CIF. The following year, Williams transferred to Costa because he disliked Peninsula’s coaching style. At Costa he was unable to participate in CIF sophomore year due to a shoulder injury.
“Williams is a very good wrestler and is not super physically strong, but [he] has great technique because in wrestling it is all about learning the moves and doing it right,” Mira Costa head coach Jim Chaney said. “He has been one of the best wrestlers that we have ever had at this school.”
A season ago, the Mira Costa wrestling team placed first out of 80 teams to become CIF Southern Section Division Six dual champions for the second time in three years. Williams helped the team win CIF by improving the caliber of the other wrestlers on his team, Chaney said.
“Jared Williams helped our team by being someone everyone could have looked up to,” former teammate and junior Tyler Gordon said. “By becoming a CIF team and individual champion, he taught the team what a leader is like.”
For his upcoming wrestling season at Edison, Williams will compete in the starting varsity lineup at the 145 pound weight division. Williams says he aims to make it further at the state tournament, hopefully placing in the top eight performers and possibly becoming a California State champion after doing well at CIF Masters.
“At Edison, I have a lot of great coaches and training partners there with a variety of styles which will help me a lot in the long run,” Williams said. “I am also training twice a day there to hopefully improve myself and win a state title this year.”
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