Rivera, O’Keefe top four in classic

Brady Rivera and Brady O’Keefe were just able to place at the Sierra Nevada Classic in Reno. Rivera and O’Keefe were able to finish in the top four.

Rivera placed fourth and O’Keefe took third to give Carson two medalists at the tournament, which featured many of the West Coast’s top programs. Behind Rivera’s and O’Keefe’s finishes, Carson was also able to finish ninth as a team, improving on its 10th place finish from last year.

Carson ended up as the third highest finishing Northern Nevada team at the event behind Lowry and Reno High. Lowry finished with 142.5 points to take fifth, Reno was eighth with 113 points and Carson was ninth with 111 points.

But the Senators did finish ahead of Spanish Springs, the school it expects to battle for the Northern Division I title. Spanish Springs was 15th with 92 points.

Del Oro won with 228 points, Folsom was second with 224 points and first day leader Servite was third with 217.5 points.

Rivera (220 pounds) and O’Keefe (145) both won their first four matches in the event as both won in the championship quaterfinals to advance to the semifinals on Tuesday. Rivera came within one point of wrestling for the title as he lost in the semifinals 3-2. “I think he had a legit shot to win that match,” Carson coach Paul Carter said. “He was right there.”

Rivera came back to win his next match to advance to the third place match in which he lost to take fourth.

O’Keefe also won in the quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals in which he lost to a “very, very tough kid” from Paradise who’s attending the U.S. Military Academy, Carter said.

O’Keefe then won his next match to advance to the third place match. His opponent had already wrestled five matches in the day, and by rule he couldn’t wrestle another match, so O’Keefe was awarded third.

Carter said O’Keefe and Rivera “getting places that high is the impressive part.” He said both wrestlers showed toughness to come back from losing in the semifinals to advance to the third place match. “It’s a big deal,” said Carter about having two wrestlers place in the top four in the tournament. “They both wrestled well.”

Carson had two other wrestlers compete on Tuesday. Brandon Basa (113) lost in the quarterfinals and then lost in his next match to be eliminated. Nolan Shine (152), who entered the day 3-1, lost his first match to be eliminated.