J.J. Gracio’s name will forever remain enshrined as Marian High School’s first San Diego Section individual wrestling champion. Gracio accomplished the feat in 1977 by capturing the 178-pound championship at a time when there was one single division for post-season competition.
Only the absolute best made it beyond that point.
It’s clearly a new era for high school wrestling —both in how state qualifiers are determined at the section level and the new standard for excellence established in the wrestling program at Mater Dei Catholic High School, Marian’s successor school.
Gracio, it seems, now has some worthy company on the mat.
Brett Sanchez has been coaching at Mater Dei Catholic since August 2013 when he came on board as an assistant coach. He’s seen the school’s “new era” develop right before his eyes.
In 2014 senior Sean O’Rourke became the first wrestler from Mater Dei Catholic to qualify for the state tournament. The 138-pounder earned all-league and second team All-CIF during his career as well as earning recognition as a member of the National Honor Society.
O’Rourke, who is now competing at the Division I collegiate level at Cal State Bakersfield, finished 2-2 at the state meet to set the standard at Mater Dei Catholic.
The spotlight is now on two more Crusader grapplers who qualified to compete at this year’s state championship tournament.
Senior Mateo Olmos (53-5) became the first wrestler from Mater Dei Catholic to earn a state medal when he placed third in his 160-pound weight class. In doing so, he became the first mat man from the Metro Conference to earn a state medal since Otay Ranch’s Tommy Espinoza finished fourth in his 106-pound weight class in 2012.
Espinoza finished as a two-time state medalist after placing seventh at 103 pounds the previous year. Otay Ranch teammate Eddie Estevez (third place, 112 pounds) joined Espinoza on the award stand in 2011 to make it a double-dip for east side Chula Vista school as well as the conference.
“This season we had a great year with two state qualifiers from Mater Dei Catholic,” Sanchez explained. “Mateo had a good line of competition. Uriel had a tough draw and ended up getting put out of the tournament on the first day.”
Olmos, this year’s San Diego Masters champion, finished 5-1 at the state meet. He won all his matches by decision, including three by two points or less.
Seeded fourth, the Crusader mat man defeated Madera senior Jorge Gonzalez, the ninth-place finisher from the Central Section, by a score of 12-5 in his opening match. Olmos then out-pointed Nipomo senior Anthony Lugo, the third-place finisher from the Southern Section, 10-6, to advance to the quarterfinals.
Olmos then recorded a tight 3-2 decision over Oakdale’s Bronson Harmon to advance to the semifinals.
“If you win in the quarterfinals, you’re guaranteed a top eight finish and advance to the semifinals,” Sanchez said. “This is where Mateo punched his ticket by defeating Harmon to become Mater Dei Catholic’s first state placer.”
Olmos advanced to the semifinals on the second day of the tournament to face No. 1-ranked Joel Romero from Buchanan High School.
Sanchez said this was a match-up that Olmos and he were expecting. “We were prepared,” Sanchez explained. “The winner of the semifinals match advanced to the finals to wrestle on the platform stage in the spotlight which is every high School wrestler’s dream and Mateo had the opportunity to get there.”
Olmos recorded the first takedown in the match to go up 2-0. But, with seconds left in the opening period, Romero scored a reversal on Olmos to tie the match 2-2 heading into the second period.
Romero chose bottom to start the second period and recorded an escape point to lead 3-2.
Olmos, two minutes away from punching his ticket to the state finals, chose neutral to start the third period.
“Mateo worked and moved to create angle opportunities to get a takedown to beat Romero,” Sanchez explained. “Romero’s defense was on point and didn’t allow Mateo to get a takedown.
“Mateo got real close by getting in deep on Romero’s leg with short time left in the third period, which made for a exciting scramble but, unfortunately, Romero came out on top in the scramble and defeated Mateo.”
The 7-2 setback to Romero advanced the Buchanan wrestler to the finals while Olmos dropped to the consolation semifinals.
The Crusader mat man defeated Bakersfield senior Ricky Gonzalez by a 5-3 decision to advance to the third place match; a loss to Gonzalez would have relegated Olmos to the fifth-place match.
“After losing in the semifinals, when you’re so close to making the finals, it’s very hard for an athlete to bounce back mentally and want to wrestle again throughout the day,” Sanchez explained.
“I told Mateo before he wrestled Gonzalez that, by judging from his body language, he was still hurt about losing to Romero. I told him ‘Hey, man, I know you hate yourself right now and don’t want to wrestle, but if you don’t win these two matches ahead of you today you’re going to hate yourself tomorrow and for the rest of your life for allowing your defeat get the best of you … so win out and take third, baby, for God, yourself and our school.
“Sure enough, Mateo the assassin, battled back by defeating Gonzalez and advanced to the third place match against Harmon, whom he defeated in the quarterfinals.”
Sanchez said he didn’t coach Olmos in the third-place match.
“I sat in his corner, of course, but wanted him to do it on his own,” Sanchez recounted. “I wanted to enjoy seeing him in his Mater Dei singlet one last time and enjoy the show like I did all year.
“It was emotional seeing how this young man developed under my belt the last three years and watch him grow. He is my first state placer and Mater Dei Catholic’s first state placer for the new era for our wrestling program.”
Olmos, of course, felt he could have done better. He had his eye set on winning the state title.
“I tore my meniscus when I was at Masters, so I went into the state meet injured and sick, too,” the Crusader wrestler said. “I took third but I wanted to win it.
“Everybody goes in with the goal to win the state title. I didn’t make it that far but I’m proud of what I did.”
Metro Conference
All-League Wrestling Teams
Mesa League
First Team
108: Marc Nunez (Hilltop)
115: Jordan Bendorf (Bonita Vista)
122: Benjamin Martinez (Eastlake)
128: Ethan Ramos (Olympian)
134: Jonas Ullsperger (Mater Dei)
140: Michael (Eastlake)
147: Michael Johnson (Eastlake)
154: Cade Congden (Mater Dei)
162: Aaron Olmos (Mater Dei)
172: Uriel Beristain (Mater Dei)
184: Thomas Schmitt (Mater Dei)
197: Chris Gomez-Dominguez (Hilltop)
222: Luis Castro (Olympian)
287: Jason Miller Jr. (Olympian)
Second Team
108: Zachary Ramos (Olympian)
115: Antonio Collazo (Eastlake)
122: Santiago Cortes (Olympian)
128: Joshua Auditor (Eastlake)
134: Jedric Farin (Olympian)
140: Andres Espinoza (Olympian)
147: Brendan Gregorio (Hilltop)
154: Sithara Diunugala (Otay Ranch)
162: Abraham Perez (Olympian)
172: Michael Morgan (Eastlake)
184: Joshua Juarez (Olympian)
197: Camryn Griffin (Olympian)
222: David Monjaraz (Mater Dei)
287: Alex Alcala (Bonita Vista)
Athlete of the Year
Aaron Olmos (Mater Dei Catholic)
Team Champion
Olympian High School
South Bay League
First Team
108: Julian Williams (Mar Vista)
115: Israel Ramirez (San Ysidro)
122: Ethan Diaz (Mar Vista)
128: Joseph Fonseca (Sweetwater)
134: Fransisco Herrera (Sweetwater)
140: Jakob Balderas (San Ysidro)
147: Sebastian Botello (San Ysidro)
154: Joshua Eikamp (San Ysidro)
162: Matthew Frith (Mar Vista)
172: Pablo Perez (San Ysidro)
184: Javier Puga (San Ysidro)
197: Aldo Rosales (San Ysidro)
222: Andrew Villagomez (Montgomery)
287: Chase Riegg (Montgomery)
Second Team
108: Joseph Lopez (San Ysidro)
115: Mario Lopez (Montgomery)
122: Anthony Ortiz (Chula Vista)
128: Roy Figueroa (Mar Vista)
134: Brandon Delgadillo (San Ysidro)
140: Ricardo (Mar Vista)
147: John Telmo (Sweetwater)
154: Victor Alvarez (Mar Vista)
162: Camilo Mariscal (San Ysidro)
172: Guillermo Gonzalez (Sweetwater)
197: Uziel Roldan (Sweetwater)
222: Hassan Montiel (Castle Park)
287: German Contreras (Chula Vista)
Athlete of the Year
Pablo Perez (San Ysidro)
Team Champion
Mar Vista High School
2017 California State Boys
Wrestling Championship Tournament Log
(Metro Conference qualifiers)
120 Pounds
Outbracket: Benjamin Martinez (Eastlake) lost to Alex Nunez (Alta Loma) by 3:41 pin.
Consolation round 1: Martinez lost to Roland Dominquez (Norwalk) by 5-3 decision (Martinez eliminated from tournament).
126 Pounds
First round: Ethan Ramos (Olympian) lost to Jeremy Trinh (Oxnard) by :46 pin.
Second round: Ramos lost to Michael Mello (El Dorado) by 7-6 decision (Ramos eliminated from tournament).
160 Pounds
First round: Mateo Olmos (Mater Dei Catholic) defeated Jorge Gonzalez (Madera) by 12-5 decision.
Second round: Olmos defeated Anthony Lugo (Nipomo) by 10-6 decision.
Quarterfinals: Olmos defeated Bronson Harmon (Oakdale) by 3-2 decision.
Semifinals: Olmos lost by 7-2 decision to Joel Romero (Buchanan).
Consolation semifinals: Olmos defeated Ricky Gonzalez (Bakersfield) by 5-3 decision.
Third place: Olmos defeated Harmon by 3-2 decision.
170 Pounds
Outbracket: Pablo Perez (San Ysidro) defeated Chris Cantoriano (Clovis West) by 6-0 decision.
First round: Perez pinned Adam Mena (Christopher) by 3:15 pin; (6) Jean Lebosnoyani (Mira Costa) defeated Uriel Beristain (Mater Dei Catholic) by 17-0 technical fall.
Second round: (1) Anthony Mantanona (Palm Desert) pinned Perez in 41 seconds.
Consolation round 2: (11) Jake Levatino (Buchanan) defeated Beristain by 5-1 decision (Beristain eliminated from tournament).
Consolation round 3: Perez defeated Joey Sandoval (Porterville) by 3:13 pin.
Consolation 4: Perez defeated Nicholas Villarreal (Gilroy) by 3:54 pin.
Consolation quarterfinals: Perez lost to (6) Lebosnoyani by 2:50 pin (Perez eliminated from tournament).
Heavyweight
First round: Chase Riegg (Montgomery) defeated Gabe Herrera (Palm Desert) by 3-2 decision.
Second round: Riegg lost to (1) Seth Nevills (Clovis) by :37 pin.
Consolation round 3: Riegg lost to Matthew Johnston (Chowchilla) by 4:37 pin (Riegg eliminated from tournament).
