Gilroy
– It’s not every day that a wrestler gets to make history. It’s
definitely not every day that a wrestler pins her opponent while
making history.
Gilroy – It’s not every day that a wrestler gets to make history. It’s definitely not every day that a wrestler pins her opponent while making history.
Vanessa Gutierrez got to do both when she took part in the first-ever Cliff Keen Dream Team Classic Dual Meet featuring a girls’ wrestling bracket. The Gilroy High senior, ranked No. 6 nationally at 165+ pounds, pinned Katy Klammer of Lake Highlands High at the 2:18-minute mark to score six points for Team U.S.A. at its April 9 meet with the Texas All-Stars in South Grand Prairie, Texas.
Gutierrez, wrestling at 185 pounds, was one of three California wrestlers on the 10-girl Team U.S.A. roster, which included Lily Eagle Dorman Colby of Berkeley High and Shelby Brown of Seaside High of Monterey. Colby also pinned her Texas opponent, while Brown lost on points to hers.
The team was coached by Kent Bailo, a Michigan-based coach and referee, who started the United States Girls Wrestling Association (USGWA) in 1998.
“It was awesome,” said Gutierrez, who went 21-0 in state competition against girls her senior season, 5-1 at the junior varsity level against boys and finished third at the TCAL JV championships in the 191-pound class. “It was a great experience. I got to meet three Olympic gold medalists.”
Attending the meet were U.S. wrestling gold medalists Cael Sanderson (Athens), Brandon Slay (Sydney) and Kendall Cross (Atlanta).
Gutierrez also made her second trip in as many years to the USGWA Girls’ National Tournament in Michigan on March 19. She placed 5th, competing against much heavier girls – the USGWA format places all wrestlers above 165 pounds in a heavyweight division.
“She wrestled a 237-pound girl who was like a giant,” said her father, Gabriel Gutierrez, who attended the Nationals. “My daughter ended up pinning her.”
Fresh off the trip to Texas, Gutierrez is back with her club team, the Gilroy Hawks, guided by Gilroy High head wrestling coach Armando Gonzalez. The Hawks travel to Lemoore for an open tournament this weekend.
College also looms for Gutierrez. She is currently entertaining scholarship offers from Menlo College in Atherton and Lassen Community College in Susanville. Gutierrez plans to study criminal justice and would like to work for the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.
How would she feel taking down a suspect, given her obvious skills?
“No problem,” said the wrestler.
