By Al Fontes, NWHOF Writer

Aaron La Farge’s wrestling story is one defined less by a single result and more by sustained excellence, resilience, and growth at every level he competed. While his prep career at La Habra High School placed him among California’s elite, his journey is especially notable for what came next—turning near-miss state glory into a decorated collegiate career marked by multiple All-American honors and national success.

La Habra Standout and California State Contender

At La Habra High School, La Farge established himself as one of the program’s most accomplished and battle-tested competitors. A two-time CIF Divisional Champion and three-time CIF Southern Section Masters qualifier, he consistently proved himself in one of the deepest and most competitive wrestling regions in the country.

He was a two-time California State Championships qualifier in the highly competitive one-division format, advancing to the Round of 12 with a 4–2 tournament performance. While he came up just short of placing at the prestigious CIF State Championships, his qualification alone underscored his standing among California’s elite wrestlers during a notoriously unforgiving era of state competition.

La Farge also built an impressive résumé of signature wins and tournament performances. He captured two third-place finishes at the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet, earning key victories over state-caliber opponents such as Juan Jaime of Laguna Hills and Kevin Mai of North Torrance. He also defeated DII All-American Bradford Gerl and Division I wrestler Miguel Comparan of Cal State Bakersfield—results that demonstrated his ability to compete beyond the high school level.

His tournament success included a 5th-place finish at the prestigious Five Counties Invitational, where he made La Habra history as the first wrestler from the school to medal at the event. He also became the first La Habra wrestler to reach the finals of the California Invitational Tournament (CIT), finishing runner-up after a competitive 5–2 bout against nationally recognized Super 32 All-American Vince Rodriguez of Clovis North.

By the end of his prep career, La Farge had accumulated 146 victories, multiple league and county honors, and a reputation as one of La Habra’s all-time most accomplished wrestlers.

Collegiate Career: Turning Near Misses into National Success

Although La Farge did not place at the CIF State Championships, his wrestling career was far from defined by that result. Instead, he elevated his trajectory at the collegiate level, where he not only proved he belonged but thrived against some of the best competition in the country.

Recruited by several West Coast programs including Cal State Fullerton, Cal Poly, San Francisco State, and Cal Baptist, La Farge ultimately began his collegiate career at California Baptist University. Even early on, he showed immediate promise, finishing 4–2 at the California Open with wins over athletes from UC Davis, Cal Poly, San Francisco State, and Stanford.

His breakthrough came at Palomar College, where he earned CCAAA (aka 3C2A) All-American honors with a 4th-place finish and was named Team MVP. He also recorded a notable victory over Cal Poly’s Jake Tanenbaum, signaling his ability to consistently compete at a high level.

At Montana State University-Northern, La Farge reached another peak, earning NAIA All-American honors as a sophomore and helping lead the program to back-to-back Top 3 national finishes. By his junior season, he had climbed to a #1 national ranking before a season-ending injury cut short a dominant campaign.

He returned strong at Oklahoma City University for his senior season, finishing with over 40 wins and earning NAIA National Runner-Up honors after reaching the championship finals against Iowa State transfer Ryak Finch. He also received the NAIA Champion of Character Award and helped guide his team to a 5th-place national finish.

Across his collegiate career, La Farge accumulated over 100 wins against NCAA Division I, Division II, NAIA, and junior college competition, along with multiple All-American honors at different programs—cementing his reputation as a proven performer on the national stage.

A Career Defined by Growth, Not Setbacks

While missing the podium at the CIF State Championships could have been a defining limitation, for Aaron La Farge it became a launching point rather than an endpoint. Instead of being defined by that result, he used it as fuel to build a collegiate career marked by multiple All-American honors, national finalist status, and sustained success against elite competition.

That same competitive drive has carried directly into his post-competitive career, where La Farge continues to make a lasting impact on the sport as a coach in the state of Oklahoma. Drawing from extensive coaching experience across Montana, California, and Oklahoma at the youth, junior high, high school, and club levels, he has built a reputation as a developer of talent and a leader of programs.

His coaching résumé includes roles as Assistant Coach at Capital High School, Head Coach at La Habra High School, Assistant Coach at Putnam City West High School, and his current position serving as both Assistant Coach and Junior High Head Coach. In addition, he is the Owner and Head Coach of the Oklahoma Jets Wrestling Club, where he continues to invest in the growth of young athletes.

Across these roles, La Farge has coached and developed numerous State Qualifiers, State Medalists, State Finalists, and State Champions—extending his competitive legacy into the success of the next generation.

His journey reflects a wrestler and coach who consistently rose with each level—transforming early setbacks into long-term achievement and demonstrating that true greatness is defined not only by personal accolades, but by the ability to elevate others and give back to the sport that shaped him.

I had the distinct opportunity to sit down with Aaron. We discussed his journey on the mat, including setbacks, collegiate accomplishments, the unique demands of the California State Tournament, and what it truly takes to reach the podium.

The conversation also explored his current outlook on the sport, his coaching role in Oklahoma, and much more.

Below is a highlight of his prep and collegiate career, followed by a Q&A that captures his experiences, insights, and perspective on wrestling at every level.

AARON LA FARGE’S PREP – COLLEGIATE – COACHING ACCOLADES

PREP LEVEL ACCOLADES

• La Habra High School (Class of 2009)
• 2x CIF State Qualifier (reached the round of 12)
• 2x CIF Divisional Champion
• 3x CIF Southern Masters Qualifier 
• 2x Freeway League Wrestler-of-the-Year
• 3x All-County Daily News selection 
• 146 career wins 

COLLEGIATE ACCOLADES

• Received a Bachelors in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Community Leadership – Montana State University – Northern 
• 3C2A All-American honors (Palomar College) | Team MVP
• NAIA All-American honors (Montana State University – Northern)
• Ranked #1 nationally in the NAIA (Junior year)
• NAIA National runner-up | All-American (Oklahoma City University)
• NAIA Champion of Character Award
• Compiled 100+ college victories against NCAA Div. I, Division II, NAIA, and JUCO competition. 

COACHING EXPERIENCE

• Assistant Coach – Capital H.S.
• Head Coach – La Habra HS (S)
• Assistant Coach – Putnam City West H.S.
• Current Assistant Coach and Jr. High Head Coach
• Club – Owner and Head Coach of Oklahoma Jets WC

COACHING ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Coached and developed:

• State Qualifiers
• State Medalists
• State Finalists
• State Champions

Q&A WITH AARON LA FARGE

COACH AL: The CIF State Wrestling Championships is widely regarded as one of the most challenging tournaments to qualify for, and earning a top-eight placement is an exceptional achievement. Please describe your experience throughout the qualification process and your overall experience competing in the tournament itself.

LA FARGE: Right, it’s a multi-tournament process consisting of League Finals, CIF Divisionals, Masters, and ultimately the California State Tournament.

League Finals consisted of 8-man brackets, with the top two or three wrestlers advancing to CIF Divisionals. CIF Divisionals was a 24-man bracket where athletes had to place in the top five to qualify for Masters. I won the CIF Divisional Tournament twice, earning victories over future NCAA Division II All-American Bradford Gerl and future NCAA Division I wrestler Miguel Comparan en route to those titles, while also placing three times overall.

The Southern Section Masters Tournament was essentially a 32-man bracket during my time in school. At that time, only the top eight wrestlers advanced to the state tournament; it moved to top 9 now today, they qualify ten. The CIF Southern Section alone had approximately 550 participating schools, making it larger than many entire state tournaments across the country.

Some matches that stand out in my career include a 6–5 quarterfinal loss to Jeremy Gendearu of St. John Bosco, who later became the school’s first NHSCA Senior National Runner-Up. I rebounded from that loss to defeat California state medalist Kevin Mai of the well-known Mai family from North Torrance to place third, finishing the tournament with a 7–1 record.

The following year, I lost a close 4–3 semifinal match to Fargo All-American and NHSCA All-American Sean Silva of Barstow. Earlier that season, we had also wrestled an overtime match at the Five Counties Tournament. That year, I finished 5–1 and defeated Juan Jamie of Laguna Hills, another California state medalist, whom I went 5–0 against over a two-year span. I later defeated Sean 10-3 in college as well. 

The California State Tournament itself is a 40-man bracket and is widely considered the toughest state wrestling tournament in the United States, especially because California competes with only one classification. It is fair to say that the Southern Section and Central Section are the two toughest sections in the state. What makes the tournament unique, however, is that even the nation’s top-ranked wrestlers can be beaten, success ultimately comes down to who performs best at that time of year.

There are approximately 950 schools competing statewide, and the deeper you advance into the tournament, the more likely you are wrestling against some of the top athletes in the country. That level of competition prepared me tremendously for wrestling after high school.

As you know, the California State Tournament has produced many memorable upsets, unexpected runs, and Cinderella stories over the years. It is difficult to fully explain the intensity and depth of the competition unless you have experienced it firsthand, either by competing in it or witnessing it in person.

COACH AL: The decade from 2000 to 2009 produced a remarkable group of high school wrestlers who went on to achieve significant success at the collegiate level. Notably, several athletes from that era qualified for the CIF State Wrestling Championships but did not place, yet later earned All-American honors in college competition. Based on your experience, what advice would you offer to young athletes who may face similar setbacks early in their careers?

LA FARGE: It was a remarkable era of wrestling. Believe in yourself. It is all about progress and continuous growth. Remember that high school wrestling is only a stepping stone in both your athletic career and your life. That is something my uncle who coached for 20 years and worked as a high school English teacher always taught me. I always looked up to my uncle he graduated from college with a bachelors and masters to go along with his successful coaching career in Southern California. Hopefully, we can see him in the prestigious California Wrestling Hall of Fame one day. 

During my junior year of college, the No. 1 wrestlers in the country across every collegiate division were all from California. Jesse Delgado was ranked No. 1 in NCAA Division I, Bryden Lazaro in NCAA Division II, I was ranked No. 1 in NAIA, and Gilbert Camacho in NCAA Division III. What made it even more remarkable was that we had all competed in the same California state tournament at the same weight classes.

Never allow anyone to discourage you from pursuing the goals you set for yourself. I won starting spots over multiple time state-placers, finalist and champions from other states in college. Anything is possible with commitment and belief in your abilities. Growing up, I watched wrestlers my uncle coached become state placers, state finalists, state champions, and even high school All-Americans or started wrestling younger than I did, yet many of them did not achieve the level of success I had in college. Talent alone is not enough, you must be willing to put in the work every single day, year-round. Wrestling is not just a sport; it is a lifestyle, so buy in and get after it.

Surround yourself with great workout partners, mentors, and coaches who genuinely believe in you as well that push you to become the best version of yourself every day.

COACH AL: With nearly 1,000 high schools competing in California under a single-class state tournament format, earning a top-eight finish at the CIF State Wrestling Championships is an extraordinarily difficult accomplishment. As a result, many talented wrestlers with collegiate potential do not place at the state level and, for various reasons, choose not to continue competing after high school. What are your thoughts on this issue? Do you believe California should maintain its current single-class format, or would implementing multiple classifications create more opportunities for student-athletes while still preserving the prestige of the tournament?

LA FARGE: There truly is no state tournament quite like the California State Tournament. It is difficult to fully explain to people unless they have either competed in it themselves or attended the event in person to witness the depth of talent throughout the state. Personally, I have not experienced another state tournament anywhere else in the country that compares to it due to it being one class.

I would also love to see more California wrestlers compete out of state to further demonstrate how strong and competitive wrestling is in California. Even our state qualifiers and wrestlers who place between fifth through eighth are extremely talented and capable of competing at a very high level nationally.

At the same time, wrestlers should never be afraid to leave the state for opportunities and to experience different wrestle styles and cultures. Coach John Azevedo always told me that if you can minimize distractions and focus entirely on wrestling in places like the Midwest, you can achieve tremendous success. 

The debate surrounding California wrestling classifications is truly a million-dollar question. Roughly half of the wrestling community wants to keep the state tournament as a single classification, while the other half supports dividing it into two or three separate state tournaments. Personally, I would not mind seeing multiple classifications implemented today if it creates more opportunities for athletes.

In many other states, there are three, four, or even more state champions in each weight class, yet those athletes are celebrated with the same recognition as someone who wins California’s single-classification, 40-man state tournament. Entire schools and communities rally behind them and support their accomplishments.

I also believe expanding classifications could help continue to grow wrestling in a large and highly competitive state like California, where wrestling competes with major sports such as football and baseball for participation and attention with seven California high schools ranked in the nation with less college programs across the board now. There is still a tremendous amount of untapped wrestling talent in California.

Times change, and the sport must continue to evolve with them. It is important that we continue finding ways to grow wrestling and give back especially in California.

COACH AL: During the 1970s and 1980s, California was home to a strong network of junior college and NCAA Division I and II wrestling programs, many of which competed successfully at the national level. Today, however, the number of collegiate wrestling opportunities within the state has declined significantly, leading many of California’s top wrestlers to continue their careers out of state. In your opinion, what steps should be taken to expand collegiate wrestling programs in California and help retain more of the state’s elite wrestling talent?

LA FARGE: The 1970s and 1980s were truly a golden era for college wrestling in California. College programs were thriving across the country. In California that time period produced some of the toughest and most accomplished wrestlers in the sport Mark and Dave Schultz were among my favorite wrestlers from that era. Both were innovators of the sport and, at one point competed at UCLA before the program was discontinued, they both left a lasting impact on wrestling both nationally and internationally.

It is disappointing to see the decline of college wrestling programs across the country in recent years. I was part of only the second recruiting class ever at California Baptist University under Hall of Fame Coach Roye Oliver, and it was an exciting time to help build something new. Seeing that program eventually get eliminated, despite its success at the NAIA and Division II levels, where it produced All-Americans, team trophies, and later began establishing itself in Division I was difficult to see for wrestling. More importantly, it removed another valuable opportunity for California wrestlers to continue competing at the next level, which hurts the region from a wrestling perspective.

That is why it is so important for California wrestlers to give back to the sport and become involved in coaching, administration and developing programs to help keep these opportunities alive. Wrestling only continues to grow when people are willing to invest in the next generation and push the sport forward.

My uncle began wrestling in sixth grade under legendary California Hall of Fame coach Kent Olson, who at the time of his induction was the second-winningest coach in California history. I have been fortunate enough to meet Coach Olson several times and speak with him about his vision for the sport of wrestling along with other great coaches inducted in the California plus National Wrestling Hall of Fame. While I have had the privilege of meeting many outstanding coaches, Coach Olson stands out for the impact he has made in building wrestling opportunities throughout California.

One example of that vision was helping establish the junior college wrestling program at West Hills College, now known as Lemoore College. That program is currently coached by one of his former wrestlers, Marcio Botelho, who went on to become an NCAA All-American for Fresno State another program California unfortunately no longer has.

With California widely regarded as the premier state for high school wrestling in 2026, it is important that we begin thinking outside the box to create more opportunities for California athletes. Whether through junior college programs, NAIA institutions, or Division II programs, expanding collegiate pathways is critical to the continued growth and long-term success of wrestling in California.

Photo images: Aaron La Farge, John Sachs (Tech-Fall), and Austin Bernard.

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