Gilroy
– The Gilroy wrestling team has hit the road for some of the top
tournaments in the nation.
Gilroy – The Gilroy wrestling team has hit the road for some of the top tournaments in the nation.
Now, one of those top tournaments is at Bob Hagen Memorial Gym today and Saturday when the Mustangs host the Mid-Cals.
Fifty-three schools have signed up to compete in the tournament that has been going strong for 26 years. Gilroy is the defending team champion, having compiled 307 points last year.
The Mustangs, however, will be hard-pressed to duplicate last year’s success when five wrestlers won and 11 placed. Only one winner returns – 171-pound junior Hunter Collins. But 103-pound freshman Jesse Delgado will be favored to make the Mid-Cals his fifth tournament title.
Martin Gonzalez and Andres Barragan, who placed second last year, are back although Gonzalez is up two weight classes at 119. Another returnee is 130-third place finisher Chris Krough, who is just now rounding into shape after missing more than a month with a knee injury. Also, 125-pound fourth-place finisher Rudy Madonado returns.
Several of the weight classes are loaded. Not only are the top five wrestlers from the Central Coast Section are expected at 103, but No. 2-ranked Cody Pack of Quincy is scheduled to wrestle as well.
“Pack and (Mark) Collier (of East Bakersfield) are the final two state-ranked wrestlers he hasn’t faced,” GHS coach Armando Gonzalez said of Delgado. Collier won’t be at Gilroy, though.
Gonzalez pointed out that the 125- and 160-pound weight classes also have most of the top wrestlers in the state. At 125, Caleb Valloton of Foothill, ranked No. 3 in the state, is schedule to compete.
Among those who placed last year from schools other than Gilroy and expect to wrestle are Ryan Block of Salinas, fourth at 103 now at 112; Peter Hoang of Silver Creek, fourth at 130 now at 135; Joey Wilson of Half Moon Bay, third at 140 now at 152; Fernando Lucatero of San Benito, fourth at 140 now at 160; Marco Orozco of Salinas, third at 152; and John Hall of Palo Alto, third at 189.
Also, Alex Rodriguez of Clovis East is No. 1 in the state at 135, Mike Vasser of Foothill is No. 2 at 140, Max Baker of Elk Grove is No. 2 at 145 and Brandon Hamilton of Elk Grove is No. 5 at heavyweight.
“This is one of the best tournaments around,” Gonzalez said. “It’s probably the fourth or fifth best in the state. There are a lot of good teams here and we’ve been getting calls from others that we had to turn away.”
The first session begins at 10am today. The second session is at 9:30am Saturday with the third session to follow at 3pm and the championship finals at 5pm.
