Battling her way through an injury-plagued season, Escalon senior Julia Casillas won one of three matches at the state wrestling tournament in Bakersfield. Her final trip to the state saw her come away with one pin and two losses in wrapping up her high school career.

“She lost her first match and it was a match she was ahead in so that kind of hurt her chances of placing,” said head coach Derek Scott. “She beat a really good kid in her second match, she got that win by fall.”

In the third match, said Scott, Casillas started to tire and the lack of sustained practices during the season due to injury also came in to play.

“It was a close match,” Scott said. “She ended up getting pinned at the end when she was going for it.”

Overall, the coach said, Casillas performed well even while having to deal with a bad shoulder for the majority of the season, an injury that likely will require surgery.

She wrestled for the Cougars at 121 pounds at the state meet.