Rio Rico鈥檚 Jesse James Octavio-Callejo wins Arizona Division III state wrestling title
RIO RICO, Ariz. — Jesse James Octavio-Callejo of Rio Rico High School (RRHS) became the Arizona Division III state wrestling champion in the 285-pound weight class in February. Callejo earned the program鈥檚 first individual title since 2013.
Rio Rico High School wrestling program has had a history of success. From 1998 to 2013, the team earned five region championships, two state runner-up finishes, and one team state championship. In that same time frame various wrestlers amassed five individual runner-up finishes and 24 individual state titles. Five wrestlers were multiple time state champions. Coach Brad Beach was an integral part of that entire run making Rio Rico a feared competitor throughout the state.
In 2019, Coach Alex Palumbo and Coach Manuel Tapia took over the program. After only three seasons and a lot of hard work, a new state champ emerged under their leadership.
鈥淲restling is a very challenging sport,鈥� said Coach Palumbo. 鈥淚t is one on one, so the pressure falls squarely on the athlete. It can be very intimidating. This is a sport where you can test your mental and physical prowess and find out very quickly what weaknesses you need to strengthen.鈥�
Jesse Octavio-Callejo finished the season with a 29-3 record and winning Section Champion and State Champion titles.
鈥淭o Become the 2022 AIA State Heavyweight Wrestling Champion, I had to put in countless hours of training and conditioning. During the week, I would train at school then when practice was over, I would condition at home on my own. I would even condition on weekends. I trained both physically and mentally to achieve my goal that I set forth in the beginning of the season. I am forever grateful for my coaches, family and friends for pushing me to become a better wrestler. I would not have been able to achieve that goal without them.鈥澛� -Jesse Octavio-Callejo
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