BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers GETTING READY—Royal’s Kevin Dunn, 17, is off to the CIF State Meet this weekend to compete in the 119-pound weight class. Here he practices a “fireman carry” takedown on teammate Adam Rungren. Royal High junior Kevin Dunn will complete his 2005-06 wrestling season by representing the Highlanders in the State Tournament at Bakersfield’s Rabobank Arena today and tomorrow.

To reach the State meet, the 119pound grappler was one of four wrestlers from Royal who placed first at last month’s Marmonte League championships at Simi Valley High. Dunn’s 12-1 since then.

Dunn wrestled for the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Division V championship Highlanders at Kaiser in Fontana.

Royal defeated the Azusa Aztecs, Highland Aztecs of Palmdale, Morro Bay Pirates and finally the Antelope Valley Antelopes for the title. It was the Highlanders’ second consecutive division championship.

After the team meet, Dunn was sixth at the CIF-SS Masters wrestling tournament last Friday and Saturday at Fountain Valley High.

“I’m looking to win enough to place in state or win the state championship,” Dunn said. “I think of it as any other match. I don’t try to change the way I wrestle. I don’t want to wrestle timid. It takes a lot of endurance. You are either in shape or you are not.”

Wrestling requires him to work a demanding schedule as he balances school, practices and matches, Dunn said.

“During the season it takes up a lot of time,” he said. “In wrestling you learn dedication, dedication to a lot of things. It’s demanding. You have to be dedicated to do the sport.”

In his training, Dunn said that a big part of his growth has come through his practice with workout partners sophomore Gerald Figueroa, 103 pounds, and junior Stephen Campbell, 145 pounds.

Because Campbell outweighs Dunn, wrestling against Campbell was especially helpful, Dunn said, “because the guys I wrestle my own size feel a lot lighter.”

Dunn said he’s also appreciated the guidance of first-year head coach Richard Carrillo, who was voted by his fellow coaches as the Marmonte League Coach of the Year.

“He’s done a good job,” Dunn said. “He’s taken us to the championship back-to-back as a team. He’s always giving me pointers before wrestling and how to eat the right things before weigh in. He’s a great coach.”

Wrestling, Carrillo said, is a sport that doesn’t receive a lot of attention.

“Wrestlers know they do it for themselves and they do it for the team,” he said.

The coach said he appreciates the work Dunn has put into his sport to gain the opportunity to represent Royal in this weekend’s championships.

“Having Kevin in the room elevates the level of wrestling for everybody else,” Carrillo said. “They see his success and try to emulate his style or moves. It just makes everybody better. It brings the whole team up.

“He’s pretty solid in all positions. Good on his feet, great from the bottom and this year one of the things he has developed is a desire to pin. He’s put his opponents away quick,” the coach said.

This season, Dunn added the Gene Mills Half Nelson to his repertoire of skills, and it has served him well. Using it, Carrillo said, “I don’t know how many pins he has, but he probably has broken the pin records at the school.

“Regardless of what happens, we’re all thankful we’ve had the opportunity of having someone like Kevin who makes the rest of the team be more successful.”

Dunn, said his coach, is one of those wrestlers who improve during every offseason. “He absorbs all kinds of new techniques and all kinds of new training methods,” Carrillo said.

After this weekend, his coach said Dunn will likely go up one, two or three weight classes to at least 125 or 130 pounds next year.

“He’s growing,” Carrillo said. “He’s grown a couple of inches since we determined his weight class.”