Buchanan’s Cristelle Rodriguez shines on world stage

Clovis’ own Cristelle Rodriguez earns a silver medal at the 2019 Cadet World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. PHOTO COURTESY OF BUCHANAN WRESTLING

Current Buchanan Bear and California State Champion wrestler Cristelle Rodriguez continued her historic year with a silver medal finish at the 2019 Cadet World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.

She represented the U.S. Wrestling team. 

Rodriguez, wrestling at 49 kg (108 pounds) led her opponent late in the gold-medal round 2-1, but 2018 U15 Asian champion Moe Kiyooka (Japan) scored consecutive takedowns, overtaking the Buchanan star 5-2 and eventually taking the match. 

But, she showcased her ability on the mat, outscoring her opponents 22-7 through in the final rounds. 

On her way to the gold-medal round, Rodriguez defeated Antim Antim (India) 10-5, she followed that up with a 7-2 win over Valeryia Kapustsina (Belarus) in the quarter final and a 4-0 victory in the semi final against Yung Hsun Lin. 

Rodriguez helped guide the women’s group to a third place overall finish with 106 total points. They came up just short in third place behind Japan and China.