The Gilroy Hawks flew high above the competition at the
California Freestyle State Championships, ending their season with
an unmatched 19 medals. Thirty-one Hawks traveled to Fresno’s
Selland Arena to wrestle the best in the state over a two-day
period, resulting in the most medals by any club that participated
during the event held June 5-7.
FRESNO – The Gilroy Hawks flew high above the competition at the California Freestyle State Championships, ending their season with an unmatched 19 medals. Thirty-one Hawks traveled to Fresno’s Selland Arena to wrestle the best in the state over a two-day period, resulting in the most medals by any club that participated during the event held June 5-7.
“I love this tournament. It is so competitive,” Hawks coach Greg Varela said. “In two days you can get nine matches and each one is an absolute dog fight. These kids learn so much about themselves in these tough matches. Win or lose, they show themselves how tough they really are.”
A week earlier, the Hawks crowned a total of ten Santa Clara Valley Wrestling Grand Championships with most beating out their teammates. Varela said the title is equivalent to a high school Central Coast Section championship.
“There is no secret to our success. It takes the entire Hawks family for this to work,” Varela said. “Number one, Coach Armando Gonzalez, winner of the California Coach of the year in 2008 and seven-time CCS champion coach, helps out with positioning for the kids, as well as passes on 40 years of experience to help parents with their children. Second, we have Coach Mike Koester, Armando’s long-time assistant, to schedule tournaments and file paperwork to make sure all of our kids are on pace to graduate with college credits. Third, we have Armando Garcia and Jason Villarreal, who are the South Valley Junior High’s Wrestling Coaches, who open their room, pool, and condition our boys. Fourth, we have Danny Locsin, owner of Train For Life Gym in Morgan Hill, where the boys get a mix of Judo, Kids Combat Fitness Class, Cross Fit, and Yoke Bar training to keep them fresh everyday.
“The fifth and final element, that is most important, is the parents’ involvement. Mats were rolled out, drinks were provided, uniforms were ordered, and all I had to do was coach.
“It takes a village to raise a child and I’m glad that the Gilroy Hawks will help raise mine.”
Below are full results:
Name – Division – Weight
First Place
Austin “Icky Sticky” Gutierrez – Bantam – 40 pounds
Isaiah “Ice” Locsin – Schoolboy – 84
Nicholas “My Pineapple Princess” Villarreal – Schoolboy – 120
Lief Eric-sin “Mighty Mouse” Dominguez – Cadet – 91
Jesse “Little Man” Delgado – Jr. Fila -132
Second Place
Joe “The Rock” Barnes – Intermediate – 87
Will “The Thrill” Fox – Cadet – 125
Third Place
Jesse “All-Business” Vasquez – Novice – 75
Javin “Dr. Howser” Aragon – Novice – 120
Nick “The Slick” Villarreal – Bantam – 65
4th Place
Noe “Bam Bam” Garcia – Novice – 130l
Victor “Victorious” Ramirez – Intermediate – 80
5th Place
Paul “Sly” Fox – Schoolboy – 98
Victor ” The Body” Olmos – Schoolboy – 105
Vince “Vinchenzo” Aboytes – JR. Fila – 165
6th Place
Dallas “Pig Pen” Gutierrez – Intermediate – 65
Nathan “Nasty Nate” Villarreal – Intermediate – 70
7th Place
Jonathan “The Tornado” Troncoso – Bantam – 65
Juan “Rocky” Villarreal – Novice – 80
Five Hawks need help in chase of national titles
The Gilroy Hawks need the community’s help to send the highest number of wrestlers in club history to the Olympic Style Nationals. Two was the previous high, but this year Gilroy has qualified a total of five. Each wrestler qualified to represent California at the prestigious tournament being held in Fargo, North Dakota. To be a California team member, the expense is $1,200 per wrestler. The team needs to raise all money by July 6. For any information on donations, e-mail Greg Varela at gv****@*****ro.net. Below are short bios about each wrestler.
– Lief Dominguez is an incoming Gilroy High freshmen, a Freestyle State champion and a Gilroy Hawks volunteer coach.
– Vince Aboytes is a senior at GHS. He finished as the runner-up at last year’s CCS championships. He placed third in the state for freestyle. He maintains a 3.0 GPA and is currently considering attending Cal State Fullerton, San Francisco State or Menlo College.
– Luis Barragan is a senior at GHS. He won CCS as a sophomore and took second last season. He placed third in the state for freestyle. His GPA is a 3.3 and colleges he is considering for next year include: Cal State Fullerton, Old Dominion and San Francisco State.
– Willie Fox is a sophomore at GHS. He finished as a runner-up at CCS in his first high school season. In addition to taking second in the state for freestyle runner up, Fox boasts a 4.0 GPA and intends to attend the U. S. Naval Academy.
– Jesse Delgado is a senior at GHS. He is a three-time CCS champ, a high school state champion, and a two-time third-place finisher at state on top of being a state freestyle champion. He has a 3.6 GPA and is considering attending Stanford, Maryland or Michigan.
