GONZALES — Gonzales High School Class of 2023 graduate Andrew Zarate will be wrestling for New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, N.M.
Zarate competed for Lassen College the past two wrestling seasons and placed fourth at 184 pounds at the California Junior College State Championships.
New Mexico Highlands is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II school and is a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. New Mexico Highlands mascot is the Cowboys.
Zarate, the son of Jose and Laura Zarate of Gonzales, placed fifth at the Central Coast Section Wrestling Championships in his senior year at Gonzales High.
At Lassen College, Zarate placed eighth at the California Junior College State Championships in 2023. This year Zarate was recognized as an All-American wrestler.
Gonzales head wrestling coaches Larry and Sandra Rodriguez are excited that Zarate will continue to wrestle at a higher level while continuing to pursue his college degree.
“We are so pleased and excited for Andrew as he embarks on the next chapter of his academic and wrestling career,” said the Rodriguezes. “Andrew wrestled for us from fifth grade through high school. His strong work ethic and willingness to improve have served him well in his college career at Lassen. He is a strong proponent of our ‘Come Back, Give Back’ philosophy, and along with his other teammates and wrestlers before him, come home and share their college wrestling experience. The GHS wrestling staff looks forward to seeing him wrestle for New Mexico and wish him much success. We are blessed to have been a part of his wrestling career.”
