Success on the mat has been easy to come by as of late for Turlock High’s Isaac Bertalotto. After securing his first state medal last season with the Bulldogs, Bertalotto continued to wrestle and became an All-American in April with his third place finish at the USAW/Cliff Keen Folkstyle Tournament.
Rather than stop there and be content, Bertalotto opted for a return trip to Fargo, ND to compete in the ASICS/Vaughnan Junior and Cadet Greco and Freestyle Tournaments. He had participated in the same tournament a year ago and walked away with disappointing results; but things would be different this time around.
On Monday, Bertalotto began a 145 pound Greco campaign that ended with a 5-3 record and sixth place finish — good enough to earn him another All-American title.
“I was a little upset coming up short last year, so it feels good to come back with a sense of accomplishment,” Bertalotto said. “Last year I think I was in shock at the size of the tournament and all the kids from all the different states. This time around I felt like I belonged here.”
Bertalotto’s finish helped team California finish fourth in the overall team standings.
On Wednesday, Bertalotto entered the Freestyle leg of the tournament where he won his first three matches with relative ease. Unfortunately for the young Turlocker, disaster struck during his fourth match in the form of a sprained ankle. Bertalotto continued to compete, but with his mobility affected he was unable to win any more matches and finished the tournament with a 3-2 record.
Bertalotto will now take time out of his busy schedule to both recuperate and take a much deserved rest from competition.
“I’m going to take a little break from wrestling and just wait for the high school season to start,” Bertalotto said.
Needless to say, Turlock is looking forward to the start of prep wrestling and Bertalotto’s return to the Bulldog wrestling team.
“He deserves all the credit. He’s been working his butt off and wrestling a lot of matches,” Turlock’s head coach Mike Contreras said. “It’s very exciting to have a two-time All-American in our room.”
