REEDLEY – Reedley High wrestler Aiden Talavera feels ready to step out and seize an incredible opportunity that only a select group of amatuer wrestlers get a chance to experience. And even though his season has come and gone, Talavera is still training hard for what could be the biggest moment in his young career.
Talavera, who is coming off a successful freshman campaign with Pirates’ wrestling, is shooting for the stars as he prepares for a shot to grapple with the best fighters in the country. From July 10-19, Talavera is competing in the 2025 U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals at the Fargodome in Fargo, N.D.
According to the website, the Junior Nationals, also known as the Fargo Nationals, is the largest Olympic style tournament for high school wrestlers in the country. It pits young men’s and women’s fighters in freestyle and Greco-Roman competition. Talavera qualified for this prestigious event when he emerged victorious in the California USA Wrestling 16U Freestyle State Championships in the 106 pounds weight division back in April.
“To qualify for Fargo, there’s various regional and state events that qualify,” said Talavera’s coach, Wes Barone. “And he won the Cadet, or 16 and Under, state freestyle championship, which actually qualified him to compete in Greco-Roman, which is the other Olympic style of wrestling at Fargo.”
Shooting for the stars
Competing against some of the best young fighters throughout the country will truly be a Herculean effort for Talavera, but it sounds like he’s ready to compete on the biggest stage. Talavera said he feels like his resilience and grit give him the motivation to capture this dream.
“I think I’m just too fast, like, my speed is another level. And I think that I won’t give up,” said Talavera. “I have the grit to just keep going.”
Talavera proved that speed on the mat and demonstrated that grit in a successful rookie season with the Pirates. At the CIF Central Section Masters Championships back in February, Talavera finished 5th, defeating Bakersfield High’s Caden Herrera in a 6-2 decision in the 108 pound weight division.
Talavera is truly standing on a podium of greatness, as he is the first freshman wrestler from the Reedley area to qualify for this event in nearly 25-years.
“I don’t know the exact history, but talking with former coaches and people around town, it’s been at least 25 years since a freshman has qualified,” said Barone. “And we still don’t know if it exactly was for Fargo or another tournament.”
With his skills in freestyle already honed, Barone has been working with Talavera to perfect a unique transition from high school style wrestling to Greco-Roman.
“The Olympic style of wrestling that he’s going to be competing with is freestyle Greco-Roman, so we’ve been focusing a little bit more on that because it’s a different style than high school wrestling,” said Barone.
As for how far Aiden can go, the sky is truly the limit. After all, this young Reedley warrior isn’t going to Fargo to lose. That’s his goal, and his dream.
“It’s going to be unbelievable, because I put in all this hard work,” said Talavera. “I’m not going out there to lose. I’m going there to win.”
“With Aiden, the sky’s the limit for what he’s capable of doing in this sport, and he’s just started to scratch that surface, so I’m excited to see what transpires over the next several years for him,” said Barone.
