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How a high school junior earned college credit and became a champion wrestler

April 10, 2026

When Estefany Caballero first stepped onto a wrestling mat as a freshman at Orange High School, the sport was simply something new to try.

Three years later, Caballero, a junior, made history, becoming Orange High School’s first-ever CIF state champion.

Caballero, who wrestles in the 190-pound weight class, defeated Emily Carvalho of Redwood, 10-3, on Feb. 28 at the Dignity Health Event Center in Bakersfield to win the championship.

On the road to the state championship, Caballero won the CIF Southern Section Masters Championship and Southern Section Eastern Division championship.

Caballero pinned 12 opponents on the road to the state championship.

“I got more confident as the season progressed,” Caballero said. “Based on the results and what I was able to do in practices, I got more confident after every tournament and after every match, that I could do this.”

She wasn’t done yet.

Caballero went on to finish second at the NHSCA High School Nationals, the premier school wrestling tournament in the nation, March 27-29 in Virginia Beach, Va.

“At first, it was just fun,” Caballero said of the sport. “I never knew what I could do because I was new. But now, actually winning it — it feels right. My hard work has paid off.”

While the sport of wrestling demands more dedication than many other sports, the mat isn’t the only place where Caballero’s commitment and hard work have paid dividends.

Caballero carries a 4.4 GPA and is taking college classes while still in high school through the Santiago Canyon College Early College Academy.

Through a partnership between Orange High School and Santiago Canyon College, the four‑year program requires students to take multiple college courses each year in addition to their high school workload.

Students earn free transferable college credits and can also fulfill a high school graduation requirement.

Balancing elite athletics with college-level academics was not easy at first.

“At the beginning, it was hard to do both,” she said. “I would go home very tired.”

Over time, Caballero said, she found her rhythm, developing a strict routine and prioritizing her time between school, practice and homework.

The structure, she said, helped her adapt to the demanding schedule and eventually excel in it.

Tania Pelayo, Caballero’s Early College adviser at Orange and her AP precalculus teacher said Estefany is “one in a million.”

“She has brains, strength and the kindest heart,” Pelayo said. “Stef gets to school early every day; she comes into my class and works on homework or studies every morning before heading off to 0 period.”

The Early College Academy requires a four-year commitment.

Students must take two Early College courses in their freshman, sophomore and junior years and then four in their senior year.

Caballero is taking communications and geography courses this year and will take biology, biotechnology, English and statistics as a senior.

“She has a strong work ethic, turns in all of her work and takes her responsibilities seriously,” Pelayo said. “She has never been the kid to have excuses. She always shows up and gives it her all.”

Caballero is the youngest of four, with three older brothers, and credits her entire family for providing support and instilling in her the attributes she will need to succeed in school, sports and life.

“They taught me how to be physically and mentally strong, and I think that is what got me into (wrestling), based on what they taught me about life, and just in general,” Caballero said of her brothers. “They knew that one day I was going to be on my own, so they taught me a bunch of life lessons.”

Caballero, who was a young child when she emigrated to the U.S. with her family, will be the first person in her family to attend college and envisions running a business in the future.

Unfortunately, her parents work long hours and are unable to attend most of her matches.

Still, Caballero feels their love every time she steps onto the mat.

“I know they’re rooting for me wherever they are,” she said. “They sacrifice so much for me to be here. To take me to every practice, making sure I’m eating good. They show me a lot of love.”

Orange County Register

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How a high school junior earned college credit and became a champion wrestler

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