For El Dorado Hills wrestling, the fifth time was the charm.

The program wrapped up its fifth annual technique camp last week and the organization felt it was their best ever.

“It was our best camp by far,” Camp Director Benjamin West said. “The quality of our clinicians was just awesome. We had so many different college coaches that brought different styles and the kids enjoyed it a lot.

“The clinicians have accomplished all you can accomplish in wrestling and know everything there is to know about the sport.

“A lot of the kids have a good base, but they learned a lot of nuances and the finer points about the sport at this camp and it gets them even more excited about it.”

John Azevedo, the head wrestling coach at Cal Poly, former NCAA and national freestyle champion and 1980 Olympic team member, headlined the clinic. Matt Sanchez, a two-time NCAA All-American at Cal State Bakersfield and Kevin Stanley, an assistant coach at UC Davis and former NCAA All-American, joined Azevedo, as did Filip Novachkov and Oak Ridge graduate Andy Wagner, current Cal Poly wrestlers, Barrett Abel, a UC Davis wrestler, Oak Ridge wrestler and two-time state medallist Kyle West, James Fanshier, Mitchell Middle School wrestling coach and mixed-martial arts fighter and Alex Grunder, an University of Iowa graduate and wrestling coach at El Dorado High School.

Thirty-six kids between 6 to 18 years old competed in the weeklong camp held at Mueller’s Elite Athletic Training in Cameron Park. The 6- to 9-year olds stayed for the morning session, while the older kids stayed until 3 p.m.

“We had a different clinician every day and they covered every possible thing you can think of,” Kyle West said. “They covered what to do, how to do it, how to get out of it and how to stop it from the top, bottom and neutral positions.”

West has received a lot of positive feedback from the camp, which naturally he’s pleased about. David Ridge, the wrestling coach at Golden Hills School, had five of his wrestlers attend the camp.

“We hold a summer program that my boys aren’t thrilled to attend, but every day they came back from this camp they couldn’t wait to go the next day,” Ridge said. “Their enjoyment exceeded my grandest expectations. The best thing about the camp was that they want to go back next year.”