Serineh Crane is a freshman and a Master athlete.
Crane qualified for the CIF Southern Section Masters Wrestling Meet with an exceptional performance on Friday and Saturday.
She won eight matches on Saturday to finish third in the 115-pound division in the Central Division, punching her way to the elite Masters Meet.
The top eight wrestlers in each weight class from the Individual CIF Southern Section Championship Tournament qualified for the Masters Meet.
The Masters Meet will be held on Friday and Saturday in Palm Springs.
“I did expect this because she was raised on the mat,” Hoover wrestling Coach Mazhan Isaeian said. “She has been doing jiu-jitsu for nine years. She’s a very seasoned athlete and warrior.
She being a freshman has never crossed my mind. I never think of an athlete as a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior. It depends on how seasoned they are on in the sport they are participating in. She knows how to wrestle with an opponent on the mat. Her family has raised her in the gym.”
Isaeian was in Westminster with members of the Hoover boys’ wrestling team while his assistant coach was with Crane in Victorville.
“It was a really cool day for a lot of different reasons,” Hoover assistant wrestling coach Azad Herabidian said. “It’s pretty special to be qualifying for Masters as a freshman. Her performance was very dominant. It was either all pins or a dominant decision. We’re super excited for her.”
Serineh’s dad, Alberto, was a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter and a King of the Ring champion. He owns Legacy Jiu-jitsu Academy, including a location in Glendale.
“There are no words to explain what I’m feeling right now,” Alberto Crane said. “She beat that girl who beat her [in the league finals]. It’s a different level. She could’ve easily won today. I’m really proud of her. I’m excited for Masters next week. She did eight matches. She’s a freshman. Shout out to her teammates and her coaches for their support. I’m excited to build for the future for Hoover wrestling.
“I always used to bring her in. She always liked it. She always liked takedowns. During the pandemic, she was in a bunch of other activities, and they stopped all of that, and all she had was jiu-jitsu.”
“I feel like I did the best I could, especially because I won all my matches except one because they didn’t give me 2 points,” Serineh Crane said. “I felt really good when I had a rematch with the girl who beat me during the league finals.”
“I think I’ll do well in Masters, especially with all the support and training from my coaches from Hoover and outside. My goal this year is to make state as a freshman. It would be really cool.”
