Gilroy
– With a senior-laden team, the Gilroy High wrestling squad sent
11 competitors and finished 38th at last year’s prestigious Reno
Tournament of Champions.
Gilroy – With a senior-laden team, the Gilroy High wrestling squad sent 11 competitors and finished 38th at last year’s prestigious Reno Tournament of Champions.
With a much younger squad this season, the Mustangs sent eight and finished 32nd at what bills itself as the “toughest tournament in America.”
“It’s funny because this is such a tough tournament and we’re such a young team,” GHS head coach Armando Gonzalez said. “Our kids did really well.”
None better than the coach’s namesake. The younger Armando Gonzalez finished third in the 135-pound weight class, earning him automatic All-American honors.
How did his teammates fare? Here’s a weight-by-weight breakdown (with comments from coach Gonzalez):
103: Nicolo Naranjo, the division’s No. 2 seed, didn’t feel well on Monday and it showed in a rather surprising first-round loss. The sophomore bounced back and won the next two matches, including a win over the fourth seed, before falling to the eventual eight-place finisher on a somewhat fluky head knock.
Coach’s comment: “It was a bit of a disappointment for him, but he’ll be back.”
119: Rudy Maldonado dropped his first match as well, but then strung together three straight wins. Making his first appearance in Reno, the sophomore’s losses came to the No. 5 and No. 7 seeds.
Coach’s comment: “He was very impressive. It was a very big tournament for him and I know he was really happy with his performance. We, the coaches, couldn’t be happier with him.”
125: Joseph Serrano fell just short of placing after winning four of his six matches, including wins over wrestlers from traditionally strong states like Nevada and Oklahoma.
Coach’s comment: “He just wrestled so well. He’s been such a nice surprise. I think he turned a lot of heads this week.”
130: Adin Dueñas won his first three competitions before suffering a one-point loss in the quarterfinals to a standout from Alaska. Then, after winning two in the consolation round, the junior lost a controversial 9-8 match to an opponent who ended up finishing third. Dueñas notched a takedown with four seconds left that would’ve given him the victory, but it was overturned after the officials decided there had been a brief delay in the clock about a dozen seconds earlier. “He got screwed big-time,” assistant coach Mike Koester said.
Coach’s comment: “Adin wrestled his heart out. He competed in every one of the matches. To place in that bracket is a great accomplishment.”
135: Quite simply, it was an All-American performance turned in by the coach’s son, Armando Gonzalez. The junior went 3-0 on the first day, won in the quarterfinals and then lost a heartbreaking 1-0 match in the semis to eastern Pennsylvania’s Alex Kron, a three-time All-American and the eventual tournament champion. In the third-place match, Gonzalez won 2-1 against Bakersfield’s Troy Weber, who came to Nevada undefeated at 10-0.
Coach’s comment: “It was probably the best tournament of his life – definitely the toughest competition he’s ever had. I’m just so proud. Being an All-American now … it’s an awesome, awesome thing. That’s what it’s all about. It’s really big from a recruiting and notoriety standpoint, too. All the work he’s put in – not just this year, but his whole life – was for that type of performance. Just unbelievable.”
140: Austin Gubrud was eliminated after going 0-2. The sophomore lost his first match with five seconds left.
Coach’s comment: “In that first one, he made a rookie mistake. He’s a young pup, though. He’ll be back.”
160: Speaking of young pups, all freshman Hunter Collins did was come out and win three of his four matches on Day One. The 14-year-old lost his fifth, but it was to the tournament’s No. 1 seed.
Coach’s comment: “Just amazing. Very impressive performance.”
189: In his first-ever varsity tourney, sophomore Andres Barragan pulled off a 2-2 record.
Coach’s comment: “It’s tough for anyone to go into a national tournament with it being your first. But he actually led in both the matches he ended up losing. He showed us some things.”
