The Palo Alto Viking Wrestling team had a total of three varsity qualifiers compete at the 2024 CIF State Championship this past weekend, which took place at the Mechanics Bank Arena. These wrestlers were senior Ej Rudolf-Harris, sophomore James Otuhiva, and freshman Brian Miller. All three faced tough opponents and ultimately did not place.

“We all faced top-ranked guys from across the state early in the tournament, so it placed us in the consolation bracket early,” Miller (’27) said.

Miller lost his matches 2-1, while Rudolf-Harris and Otuhiva both faced 2-0 losses in their respective matches. Nevertheless, qualifying was a significant achievement for Paly Wrestling.

“It felt good being able to qualify for the state meet and seeing how the tournament is set up,” Miller said. “The difficulty of the competition is going to help us train harder for higher placement next year.”

This meet marks the end of the wrestling season for the Vikings. The team gave their all at State Champs and fought to the end, capping off a historic season.

“It was definitely a different level of competition,” James Otuhiva (’26) said. “I thought it was good to see that level, and I’m ready to get back out there next year.”