So far this month, we’ve had the opportunity to showcase the best wrestlers in the Central Section of the California Interscholastic Federation in a variety of events, and we’re now days away from finding out who will represent the Central Section at the upcoming state tournament.

The 2026 CIF Central Section Boys & Girls Masters Wrestling event will feature a limited field, the best of the best in the area, battling Feb. 20-21 for a handful of spots at the state event. 

The competition will take place at Selland Arena in Fresno, California, and all of the action will be broadcast live on FloWrestling and the FloSports app.

During the first week of February, wrestling fans were treated to the new CIF Central Section Team Duals Championships, followed by divisional competition over Valentine’s Day weekend.

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The CIF Central Section is one of the largest in the state and includes more than 100 schools for boys wrestling and nearly 80 for the girls.

That list is further divided into five boys divisions, with anywhere from 13 to 29 schools, while the girls divisions feature 34 and 44 schools, respectively.

Those numbers then dictated how many athletes advanced from the divisional competition to the Central Section Boys & Girls Masters.

Before we get too much deeper, here’s a look at that breakdown:

2026 CIF Central Section Boys & Girls Masters Participants By Division

Boys

• Division I – 10
• Division II – 8
• Division III – 7
• Division IV – 4
• Division V – 3

Girls 

• Division I – 8
• Division II – 8

Those numbers will be whittled down one more time ahead of the 2026 CIF State Wrestling Championships presented by the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, which will be held Feb. 26-28 at Dignity Health Arena in centrally located Bakersfield, California. 

In all, California includes 10 geographic sections that all will be enduring the same challenges in February on their way to Bakersfield. 

As you get settled in for the heart of championship season, here's everything you need to know about the 2026 CIF Central Section Boys & Girls Masters, including a link to the brackets:

2026 CIF Central Section Boys & Girls Masters Wrestling Brackets

Here’s where you’ll be able to find the brackets for the 2026 CIF Central Section Boys & Girls Masters Wrestling: 

2026 CIF Central Section Boys & Girls Masters Wrestling Brackets Can Be Found Here

How To Watch The 2026 CIF Central Section Boys & Girls Masters

Live coverage of the 2026 CIF Central Section Boys & Girls Masters on Feb. 20-21 will be broadcast on FloWrestling and the FloSports app, with news, notes, stats and more available on both platforms.

Archives will be available immediately following the conclusion of each match.

If you’re going to be in the area and want to catch the action in person, go to this page for spectator and ticket information. 

Here’s a look at what happened at the 2025 Boys & Girls Masters: Boys Team | Girls Team | Boys Brackets | Girls Brackets | All Past Results

What Are The Weight Classes In California High School Wrestling?

In Pounds

• Boys: 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 144, 150, 157, 165, 175, 190, 215, 285
• Girls: 100, 107, 114, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145, 152, 165, 185, 235

Here’s a look at how many athletes from each section, per weight class, will advance to the state event:

Boys

• Southern Section: 10
• Central Section: 10
• Sac-Joaquin Section: 5
• North Coast Section: 2
• Central Coast Section: 4
• San Diego Section: 4*
• Northern Section: 2
• Los Angeles Section: 1
• Oakland Section: 1
• San Francisco Section: 1

*San Diego Section will fill any voids left vacant by the Oakland Section.

Girls

• Southern Section: 8
• Central Section: 5
• Sac-Joaquin Section: 5
• Northern Section: 2
• North Coast Section: 3
• Central Coast Section: 4
• San Diego Section: 3
• Los Angeles Section: 2

Read more about the 2025 state meet: 2025 CIF California State Wrestling Championship Results And Brackets

2026 CIF Central Section Boys & Girls Masters Schedule

Here’s a look at when everything is going down in California:

All Times Pacific

Friday, Feb. 20, 2026

• 6-6:30 a.m. – Registration
• 7 a.m. – Groom check/weigh-ins (males & females)
• 8 a.m. – Doors open to the public
• 8:30 a.m. – Coaches’ meeting
• 9 a.m.-Noon – Championship Round 1 (males & females)
• Noon-1:30 p.m. – Championship Round 2 (males)
• 1:30-2 p.m. – Consolation Round 1 (males)
• 2-2:30 p.m. – Consolation Round 2 (males)
• 2:30-4:30 p.m. – Championship Round 2/Quarterfinals (females)
• 2:30-4:30 p.m. – Consolation Round 1 (females)
• 2:30-4:30 p.m. – Championship Round 3/Quarterfinals (males)
• 2:30-4:30 p.m. – Consolation Round 3 (males)
• 4:30-5:45 p.m. – Consolation Round 4 (males)
• 4:30-5:45 p.m. – Consolation Round 2 (females)

*Approximate times listed – Each succeeding round will begin at the conclusion of the previous round.

Saturday, Feb. 21

• 7 a.m. – Groom check/weigh-ins (males & females)
• 8 a.m. – Doors open to the public
• 8:30 a.m. – Coaches’ meeting
• 9 a.m.-11:15 a.m. – Championship Round 5 (males)
• 9 a.m.-11:15 a.m. – Consolation Round 5 (males)
• 9 a.m.-11:15 a.m. – Championship Round 3 Semifinals (females)
• 11:15 a.m.-Noon – Consolation Semifinals (males/females)
• Noon-1:30 p.m. – Medal Matches (Males: third, fifth, seventh, ninth; Females: third, fifth)
• 3 p.m. – Championship Finals 

*Each succeeding round will begin at the conclusion of the previous round.

The CIF Central Section also holds Team Duals Championships for boys and girls. The 2026 edition of those events happened Feb. 7 at Morro Bay High School.

Read more: 2026 CIF Central Section Duals Schedule & Brackets

When Is The 2026 CIF Wrestling Championships?

The 2026 CIF Wrestling Championships presented by the California Correctional Peace Officers Association will be held Feb. 26-28 at Dignity Health Arena in Bakersfield, California. 

Did You Know: High School Championship Wrestling In California Spans Five Decades

The first CIF state championship for boys was held in 1973. The first event for the girls took place in 2011. 

Amazingly, it took three decades for California to see its first four-time state champion. That honor went to Bakersfield’s Darrell Vasquez from 1999-2002 at 103, 112, 119 and 125 pounds. In the years since, three more athletes have added their names to the list.

There are 24 three-time champions and 83 wrestlers who have won twice. 

On the girls side, five wrestlers own three CIF state titles. 

Clovis tops the list of all-time team titles with 13, while the Selma girls lead the way with three.

The Central Section Division IV boys tournament first was held during the 2021-2022 season. 

2025-2026 FloWrestling High School Wrestling Rankings

Top 20 as of Jan. 12, 2026

Curious about how the top wrestlers from each state stack up against competitors from across the country?

Click here to see the latest high school rankings from FloWrestling.

Check Out This Highlight From The 2025 CIF Wrestling Championships

No. 1 Daniel Zepeda went BIG with a body lock to secure the tech on Day 1 of the 2025 CIF State Championship! 

Trackwrestling Has Joined The New FloWrestling

Trackwrestling officially has merged with FloWrestling, bringing its powerful tournament tracking tools and live data into a modern, all-in-one platform. 

Fans can follow every bout with pro-grade brackets, mat schedules, team rosters and detailed wrestler profiles—all seamlessly integrated within FloWrestling.

This move delivers a faster, smarter and more connected experience for the wrestling community. Through the updated FloSports app, users can track live results, explore brackets and even sign up for free alerts so they never miss a match.

FloWrestling Archived Footage

Video footage from all events on FloWrestling will be archived and stored in a video library for FloWrestling subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.

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