BOYS WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
TJ McDONNELL, FOUNTAIN VALLEY, SENIOR
CIF State champion TJ McDonnell of Fountain Valley is the Orange County boys wrestler of the year for the 2022-23 season.
McDonnell was Orange County’s only boys wrestling state champion this season, winning at 182 pounds. He also was his weight class’ champion at the CIF Southern Section Inland Division finals and was first in that weight class at the CIF-SS Masters Meet.
He finished first at the Mann Classic and the Doc Buchanan tournaments, and was the Sunset League champion at his weight class.
For McDonnell nothing could top winning his first state championship after falling short in previous attempts, and he was surprised by how calm he was at the CIF State meet in Bakersfield in late February.
“The whole state tournament, it felt a lot different this time knowing I was supposed to win it,” he said. “I was able to enjoy it more this time.”
Fountain Valley won a CIF-SS championship and finished 11th in the CIF State team scores.
“I was lucky enough to be on a team with guys who were friends even outside of the (wrestling) room and outside of school,” McDonnell said. “Sometimes the friends you wrestle with are just the friends you wrestle with.”
Fountain Valley coach Brad Woodbury said of McDonnell: “He’s a leader and he puts in the time. He strived to win his first state championship and he did it.”
McDonnell, who has a 3.4 grade-point average, will continue his wrestling career at Oregon State.
COACH OF THE YEAR
BRAD WOODBURY, FOUNTAIN VALLEY
Brad Woodbury of Fountain Valley is the Orange County boys wrestling coach of the year.
Woodbury led the Barons to the CIF Southern Section Inland Division championship. It was the school’s third CIF-SS wrestling championship over the past five years. Fountain Valley compiled 282 points to second-place Hesperia’s 221.
The Barons also won the Sunset League championship, their 12th straight league title and 14th in…
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