Two of Gilroy High School’s best wrestlers added to their
already impressive resumes at the Freestyle Nationals held in
Fargo, North Dakota last month.
Two of Gilroy High School’s best wrestlers added to their already impressive resumes at the Freestyle Nationals held in Fargo, North Dakota last month.
GHS sophomore Jesse Delgado went 7-2 in the tournament to take 4th place in the nation for Cadets at 112 pounds, and GHS senior Hunter Collins went 8-2 to take 5th in the Junior 189-pound division. Cadets is limited to 15 and 16 year olds and Juniors is for 17 and 18 year olds. Both wrestlers earned All-American status for their efforts.
GHS wrestling coach Armando Gonzalez was quick to point out that each competitor is a class act on and off the mat.
“(Jesse) was born and raised to be a champion,” Gonzalez said. “He’s a 4.0 (GPA) student, he wants to go to the Ivy League. You’re looking at one of our future leaders in America.
“(Hunter) is one of the top recruits in the country,” Gonzalez continued. “He’s a great leader on the (wrestling) team. He’s always led by example, unassuming, a quiet young man that has a lot of respect for his elders and his peers.
“A lot of people say wrestlers are animals, but (Jesse and Hunter) are nothing like the people they are on the mat.”
Another Gilroy native to place at nationals was Drew Muleman, who competed in the 189-pound Cadet division. Muleman attends Saint Francis High School in Mountain View where his father, Todd, is the wrestling coach.
“The Mulemans are a big part of our (wrestling) family and we really care for them,” Gonzales said. “(Drew) is a fine young man. He does a great job and he’s got a great future ahead of him.”
The achievements should help carry through to the upcoming season, according to Gonzalez. Collins is attempting to be the first wrestler in Gilroy history to place in state all four years, and the second to win CCS all four years. (Armando Gonzalez Jr. is the only person who can currently make such a claim.) Collins has now been an All-American four times.
Delgado spent two weeks training in Virginia prior to Nationals in Fargo, and has earned the nickname “Little Man” for his ability to overcome obstacles. He lost his first match of the tournament but rebounded by winning seven straight.
“He’s the littlest guy on our team,” Gonzalez said, “but he’s a mental giant.”
