For the second straight year, Mason Ontiveros left Clovis as one of the most talked about wrestlers in the nation.

Despite a consecutive runner-up finish in his weight class at the annual Doc Buchanan Wrestling Invitational over the weekend, the Pitman High School senior pulled off an upset victory over one of the biggest names in the country’s prep wrestling scene.

Competing in the 178-pound weight division, the No. 4-ranked Ontiveros, a CIF State finalist in the last two years and University of Oklahoma commit, met head-on in Saturday’s semifinal round with the top-ranked grappler in the United States in Oklahoma’s Joseph Jeter. Following three periods, it was Ontiveros who had his hand raised after muscling an 8-5 decision.

Ontiveros quickly fell behind to Jeter, being taken down at the minute mark of the opening period, but he quickly flipped the script with an escape and takedown of his own right before the first horn. Jeter quickly knotted the match at four with an escape in the early stages of the second period, before Ontiveros jumped out ahead with a takedown with 30 seconds remaining. Jeter closed the gap momentarily in the third after Ontiveros was penalized for stalling, but earned the point back with a late escape to cap off his victory.

The success couldn’t be translated to the championship match that took place later that day, as Ontiveros dropped an 8-1 decision to No. 3 Mario Carini of Poway High. Carini and Ontveros are now sitting 1-2 in the national rankings, and are early favorites to contend for a state title in the coming weeks.

Prior to his clash with Jeter, Ontiveros notched wins against Hawaii’s Gavin Buelow (F 12-1), Clovis North’s Elijah Ornelas (TF 16-0) and No. 5 Brody Kelly of Illinois (DEC 4-2). His season record is now 24-2. He represented the highest placer for the Pride over the two-day tournament, widely considered one of the toughest in the United States with wrestlers representing 128 high schools across 14 states. The program earned a 17th-place finish.

Also placing for the Pride up in the 193-pound division was fellow senior and future Sooner Carter Vannest, who finished eighth following a trip to the quarterfinal round. Seeded seventh, the senior notched victories over Birmingham’s Ari Hasani (F 7-0), Buchanan’s Raiden bishop (TF 19-4) and St. John Boscoe’s Mason Savidan (DEC 9-7). He earned a win in the consolation bracket with a 7-6 decision over No. 9 Elijah Hawes of Utah.

Austin continues dominance in Hughson

Also representing the Pride on the state stage over the past three years has been Yzabella “Baya” Austin, having qualified to the state final in her first three high school seasons and earning a second straight state crown last year. But now, the senior and younger sister, sophomore Annebella, have traded in their green, gray and black singlets of Pitman for a black and yellow kits of Hughson High.

A transfer that shook the regional women’s wrestling landscape over the offseason, Baya Austin is a key figure in the Huskies establishing its first female program. She earned a runner-up finish at 142 pounds at the 26th annual Napa Valley Girls Classic at American Canyon High School on Friday and Saturday, a tournament featuring over 800 grapplers from across 168 California high schools. Annebella Austin earned eighth at 237 pounds.

Baya Austin began her run with a pair of first period pins over Granada’s Adriana Ramirez-Basurto and Inderkum’s Allegra Kelley. She then earned a second period pin over Golden Valley’s Sarah Harthorn in the quarterfinal round before recording a first-round fall over Northgate’s Hailey Liu in the semifinal. In the title match, Austin dropped a close 4-3 decision to Dulcy Martinez of Central Catholic.

Other local wrestlers competing and placing at the tournament included Pitman’s Bella Serrano (3rd-112), Lily Dizon (4th-107) and Patricia Bray (4th-117), as well as Turlock’s Aliah Bertalotto (7th-102).