The goal for every high school wrestler in the San Diego Section is to make the San Diego Masters state qualifying tournament and let the chips fall where they may.
Hopefuls from Mar Vista and Chula Vista high schools were in action at last Saturday’s 23-team Monte Vista Invitational tournament.
Mar Vista sophomore Julian Winnie captured the 106-pound weight class championship while Chula Vista junior Guy Almeraz placed runner-up in his 120-pound weight division.
Top-seeded Winnie (12-4) won all three of his matches by third-period pins. He pinned Mission Hills’ Alfonso Cruz in 5:02 in the championship match.
“I’m excited — I got to work my moves and take shots,” the Mariner mat man gushed after the finals.
Winnie, the younger brother of MVHS veteran Christian Winnie, faced off the season by recording a second-place finish at the Mar Vista Battle by the Beach tournament in early December (Christian captured first place in his weight class).
At the Monte Vista tournament, Christian Winnie, seeded second, advanced to the semifinals with a third period pin but, in turn, was pinned by Almeraz, seeded third, in 3:39 to drop to the consolation round. Christian Winnie finished third following a 9-5 decision over Mira Mesa’s Andy Doan.
Almeraz, one of six Spartan place-finishers in the tournament field, scored back-to-back pins before coming up on the short end of an 8-6 decision to Grossmont’s Gilbert Dominquez in the championship match.
“I felt pretty proud to make the finals,” Almeraz offered with a smile. “I want to get to state.”
The Mariners, who entered the week 3-0 in South Bay League dual meets, qualified four wrestlers for the semifinals at the Monte Vista tourney. Besides the two Winnie brothers, also making it to the semis were teammates Mathew Frith (160 pounds) and Sean Jones (170 pounds).
Both Frith and Jones went on to record third-place finishes.
Mar Vista recorded a sixth-place finish in the team standings with 106 points — 25 points ahead of 11th place Chula Vista.
Senior Tony Ortiz was among two Spartan grapplers to reach the semifinals. Seeded fourth in his 126-pound weight division, he won his opening two matches before dropping an 6-3 decision to La Jolla’s Elliot Austin in the semifinals.
Ortiz won two matches in the consolation round to place third.
“I was in the hunt for first today but didn’t make it — I lost by three points in the semis,” explained Ortiz, who finished fourth at last year’s Division I CIF tournament. “I feel I’m ready for Masters (this year.)
Top-seeded Austin went on to claim the weight class championship with a 6-4 decision over Steele Canyon’s Darian Murphy, seeded second.
Chula Vista also netted two fourth-place finishers (Ezekiel Rocha at 113 pounds and heavyweight German Contreras) and two sixth-place finishers (Justin Cantwell at 195 pounds and Joshua Rodriguez at 220 pounds).
The Spartans entered the week 2-1 in South Bay League dual meets
Mat attack
Mira Mesa, with eight place-winners and four weight class champions, captured the team title with 191 points. Steele Canyon, braced by four finalists (one champion) and seven place-winners, finished second in the team standings with 149.5 points.
Four Metro Conference teams are currently showcased in the CIF dual meet rankings: Olympian (seventh) and Eastlake (eighth) in Division I, Hilltop (eighth) in Division II and Mater Dei Catholic (third) in Division IV.
Mira Mesa High School will host the Division I and Division III tournaments while Rancho Bernardo High School will host the Division II and Division IV tournaments. Competition dates are to be announced shortly.
Monte Vista Invitational
Jan. 14, 2017 at Monte Vista High School
Team Standings
1. Mira Mesa 191 points
2. Steele Canyon 149.5 points
3. (tie) Grossmont 124 points
3. (tie) Central Union 124 points
5. West Hills 116 points
6. Mar Vista 106 points
7. Mt. Miguel 102.5 points
8. Mpnte Vista 90 points
9. University City 87 points
10. Helix 83 points
11. Chula Vista 81 points
12. Canyon Crest Academy 76.5 points
13. Guajome Park Academy 67.5 points
14. St. Augustine 51 points
15. Mission Hills 49 points
16. Morse 35 points
17. La Jolla 31 points
18. Sage Creek 27 points
19. Lincoln 24 points
20. Mpuntain Empire 20 points
21. El Cajon Valley 18 points
22. Santana 17 ppints
23. Julian 13 points
Top Individuals
106 Pounds
1. Julian Winnie (Mar Vista)
2. Alfonso Cruz (Mission Hills)
3. Justin Gabriel (Mira Mesa)
4. Anthony Yako (Steele Canyon)
5.Kain Smith (Monte Vista)
Championship: Winnie pinned Cruz, 5:02
Third place: Gabriel pinned Yako,:58
Fifth place: Kain won uncontested
113 Pounds
1. Jasvinder Singh (Mira Mesa)
2. Anthony Lopez (Steele Canyon)
3. Danny Dominguez (Grossmont)
4. Ezekiel Rocha (Chula Vista)
5. Ethan Yeager (West Hills)
6. Simeon Boykins (El Cajon Valley)
Championship: Singh major decisioned Lopez, 16-3
Third place: Dominguez decisioned Rocha, 4-2
Fifth place: Yeager decisioned Boykins, 15-10
120 Pounds
1. Gilbert Dominguez (Grossmont)
2. Guy Almeraz (Chula Vista)
3. Christian Winnie (Mar Vista)
4. Andy Doan (Mira Mesa)
5. Donovan Franco (St. Augustine)
6. Dominic Lobaugh (West Hills)
Championship: Dominguez decisioned Almeraz, 8-6
Third place: Winnie decisioned Doan, 9-5
Fifth place: Franco major decisioned Lobaugh, 12-4
126 Pounds
1. Elliot Austin (La Jolla)
2. Darian Murphy (Steele Canyon)
3. Anthony Ortiz (Chula Vista)
4. Phil Moran (Central Union)
5. Ernesto Moncixais (Mt. Miguel)
6. Christian Quinto (St. Augustine)
Championship: Austin decisioned Murphy, 6-4
Third place: Ortiz decisioned Moran, 6-2
Fifth place: Moncixais pinned Quinto, 1:44
132 Pounds
1. Devin Hayes (Mira Mesa)
2. Ivan Miramontes (Steele Canyon)
3. Alex Fernandez (Grossmont)
4. Sean Gonzalez (University City)
5. Norman Stone (West Hills)
6. Hector Gonzalez (Central Union)
Championship: Hayes pinned Miramontes, :54
Third place: Fernandez pinned Gonzalez, 1:18
Fifth place: Stone pinned Gonzalez, 2:45
138 Pounds
1. Colin Baldwin (Mira Mesa)
2. Matt Gilchrist (Canyon Crest Academy)
3. Ezra Cardenas (Steele Canyon)
4. Adam Wojciechowski (University City)
5. Adrian Verduga (Central Union)
6. Sebastian Garcia (Monte Vista)
Championship: Baldwin major decisioned Gilchrist, 14-1
Third place: Cardenas major decisioned Wojciechowski, 10-2
Fifth place: Verduga decisioned Garcia, 10-8
145 Pounds
1. Jay Magdaraog (Mira Mesa)
2. Joseph Castillo (Central Union)
3. Gabe Schaurers (Grossmont)
4. Anthony Gonzalez (Morse)
5. Tim McHone (West Hills)
6. Ethan Hyatt (Sage Creek)
Championship: Magdaraog decisioned Castillo, 7-4
Third place: Schaurers decisioned Gonzalez, 5-0
Fifth place: McHone decisioned Hyatt, 8-3
152 Pounds
1. Juan Ruiz (Mt. Miguel)
2. Greyson Olep (Canyon Crest Academy)
3. A.J. Francisco (Mira Mesa)
4. Thadeo Campbell (Central Union)
5. Eddie Roa (University City)
6. Jaylen Veasey (Morse)
Championship: Ruiz punned Olep, 1:02
Third place: Francisco pinned Campbell, 1:33
Fifth place: Roa decisioned Veasey, score unavailable
160 Pounds
1. Xavier Silva (Steele Canyon)
2. Luis Medina (Helix)
3. Mathrew Frith (Mar Vista)
4. John Flaherety (Grossmont)
5. Ed Marquis (West Hills)
6. Jon Molina (Central Union)
Championship: Silva tech fall over Medina, score unavailable
Third place: Frith pinned Flaherety, 2:02
Fifth place: Marquis pinned Molina, 1:26
170 Pounds
1. Nick Rivinius (West Hills)
2. Daniel Foncello (Guajome Park Academy)
3. Sean Jones (Mar Vista)
4. Luis Juarez (Mira Mesa)
5. Edward Jones (Mt. Miguel)
6. Fadi Milisha (El Cajon Valley)
Championship: Rivinius decisioned Foncello, 18-9
Third place: Jones pinned Juarez, 1:54
Fifth place: Jones pinned Milisha, 1:45
182 Pounds
1. Hunter Phillips (University City)
2. Richard San Nicolas (Monte Vista)
3. Drake Taylor (Canyon Crest Academy)
4. Tremaine Sorge (Steele Canyon)
5. Greg Roberts (West Hills)
6. Chris Gonzalez (Central Union)
Championship: Hunter pinned San Nicolas, :09
Third place: Taylor pinned Sorge, 2:37
Fifth place: Roberts pinned Gonzalez, 2:10
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195 Pounds
1. Nick Ghosn (Grossmont)
2. Jose Gonzalez (Monte Vista)
3. Jaycee Jovero (Mission Hills)
4. Blake Jarrekk (Mountain Empire)
5. Nick Ritchie (Julian)
6. Justin Cantwell (Chula Vista)
Championship: Ghosn decisioned Gonzalez, 7-5
Third place: Jovero pinned Jarrekk, 2:05
Fifth place: Ritchie pinned Cantwell, :58
220 Pounds
1. Evan Sharpe (Central Union)
2. Blake Schmidt (Monte Vista)
3. Tyler Williams (Mt. Miguel)
4. T’Roy Kirkland (Lincoln)
5. Alex Romo (Helix)
6. Joshua Rodriguez (Chula Vista)
Championship: Sharpe pinned Schmidt, time unavailable
Third place: Williams pinned Kirkland, 2:47
Fifth place: Romo pinned Rodriguez, 2:19
285 Pounds
1. Jon Lewis (St. Augustine)
2. Andrew Poumele (Helix)
3. Alex Lemon (Mt. Miguel)
4. German Contreras (Chula Vista)
5. Lucas Ah Key (West Hills)
6. James Rogers (Grossmont)
Championship: Lewis pinned Poumele, time unavailable
Third place: Lemon defeated Contreras by forfeit
Fifth place: Ah Key pinned Rogers, 1:41
Metro Conference Dual Meets
Mesa League
Thursday, Jan. 19
Mater Dei Catholic 42, Otay Ranch 30
