RENO - Carson High's wrestling team will be short-handed today and Wednesday at the annual Sierra Nevada Classic at the Reno Livestock Events Center.
Approximately 100 teams are entered in the prestigious tournament with Buchanan High (Clovis, California), Crater High (Oregon) and Moses Lake (Washington) considered the top three teams in the event, according to Carson coach Tim McCarthy.
Carson will be without Junior Valladares (171), Ricky Ugarte (119), Justin Otero (145) and Jimmy Weir (160). Weir is academically ineligible, while the rest are either sick or injured.
Valladares injured his left knee in his last match at the Tournament of Champions two weeks ago.
"He got it twisted underneath him," McCarthy said. "He iced it, but it started to swell up on him. He's been to his primary physician who scheduled an MRI for Jan. 3."
Carson won't move a wrestler into Valladares' spot.
Austin Brown will move down to 119 to fill Ugarte's spot, while Nicolas Garcia will move from 152 to 145 to replace Otero, who has the flu.
McCarthy also said that heavyweight Justin Barlow has been bothered by the flu and he also could miss the tournament.