The Santa Rosa Junior College wrestling team hits the mats with high expectations this season after finishing ninth at the State Championship last fall.

 
With few returning wrestlers the Bear Cubs are building a new foundation with incoming freshman.

 
“We have some older mature wrestlers, who aren’t your typical freshman, some returners and some from other sports,” said Coach Jake Fitzpatrick.

 
“My biggest ambition is winning state at 184 pounds and assisting my teammates,” said freshman wrestler Taryn Christensen from El Molino High School.

 
Christensen returns home to Santa Rosa after competing at Wartburg College.

 
2013 saw the Bear Cubs finish 9-5 in dual meets, fourth in Coast Conference and fourth in the Northern California duals.

 
Not all of the team is new to SRJC. Richard Morris was a state place winner at 141 pounds and Freddy Duerr, 24, played football at SRJC previously and is a first-year wrestler.

 
“Everything here is at a fast pace, everyone keeps pushing you,” said freshman Freddy Duerr. “No one is going to baby you here.”

 
With a cast of new wrestlers, Fitzpatrick is still figuring out which young athlete will compete at which weight.

 
“We have some wrestlers who at this point in the season are not at their peak per say,” Fitzpatrick said.  “We don’t have our natural 165 pounders right now but in due time we will have our guys running in top shape.”

 
Following duel matches on Sept. 5, the starting lineup will be figured out.

 
“After Friday we will have a better idea of who will be at what weight and where everybody is at,” Fitzpatrick said.

 
Following the conclusion of the duel meets, SRJC will be ready to make some noise.  The first matches are at 11 a.m. Sept.13 against Shasta and Delta College in Hayward.