Isaiah Locsin, a 2012 state wrestling champion and a runner up in 2013, will not suit up to finish his high school career.
A panel with the California Interscholastic Federation ruled his transfer from Live Oak High School to Gilroy High was athletically motivated and denied his appeal of an earlier Central Coast Section determination, CCS confirmed on Feb. 7.
According to CIF rules, students may transfer schools so long as the motivation is not based on athletics. Students may switch schools because of family hardship, they move to a new district or for academic reasons, but are subject to a sit out period.
Locsin, a senior, will now have to wait until he begins Stanford in the fall before he can wrestle again.
“It’s very sad. I feel horrible for Isaiah,” Mustangs coach Greg Varela said. “He’s crushed, but the good news he’s going to Stanford. He made the transfer for academic reasons. He wasn’t on pace to get into Stanford had he stayed at Live Oak. If he knew then what he knew now he wouldn’t change it. Without coming to Gilroy, he would’ve never have gotten into Stanford.”
CCS Commissioner Nancy Blaser would not comment on specifics of the case, but said the family had received notification of the ruling this week.
Locsin was a standout at Live Oak, including winning a state title in 2012 at 113 pounds. He finished second at 120 pounds following a controversial loss in 2013.
Gilroy was hoping Locsin would be cleared in time to get a few duals in before the CCS and CIF state meets. But Varela said his teammates aren’t looking at how the decision affects the team, instead they are empathic Locsin won’t take the mat at all his senior season.
“They just feel sick that one of their brothers can’t wrestle,” Varela said. “We haven’t even talked about ‘Oh no at CCS this happened’ or ‘This is the effect’. The only thing that’s come up is that their brother can’t wrestle.”
Locsin’s transfer to Gilroy came after Live Oak coach Robert Fernandez was let go by the high school after it reported itself to CCS for possible rules violations.
According to sources from Live Oak, Locsin had won an election to be the senior class president before transferring over the summer.
