REDDING, Calif. – Vanguard Wrestling went on the road for the second straight weekend and put in two dominant performances as they beat Corban University 48-6 and knocked off Simpson 33-14. This time they had to battle some weather and the 589-mile bus ride to Northern California.
What Happened? In the first dual against the host school, Vanguard won the first three weight classes by forfeit. Adam Valdez (SR/Barstow, CA) won by Fall 3:28 before Corban scored their only points of the match in the 157-pound weight class. Ricky Padilla and Armon Fayyazi (SR/Irvine, CA) continue their unbeaten starts to the season. The trio of Baron Gaunt (FR/Torrance, CA), Ryan Ortiz (FR/Orange, CA), and Mike Ruiz won by major decision, forfeit, and Fall 5:50 respectively.
Moving into the second outing of the day, the theme continued with the Lions taking care of business in the first four weight classes before being defeated in 157. Another run of consecutive victories was halted with the 197 and 285 classes being defeated by the Red Hawks.
This year, exhibition bouts after the conclusion of duals count towards each wrestlers' official records. Gabriel Cortez (SO/Covina, CA), Isaiah Hernandez (FR/Selma, CA), and Steven Kroesen (SO/Laguna Hills, CA) all won their individual matchups.
Why It's Important? The Blue and Gold is on an impressive run. They have won six consecutive duals stretching back to last season, defeating their opponents by a staggering 207-74. They are also 3-0 all-time against Simpson University. On the season, Barrios and Fayyazi are both 5-0 while Padilla and Gaunt are 6-0. In total, eight members of the Pride have not lost this season.
Notable Performances: Barrios made noise in his 133-pound matchup with #18 ranked Elian Murrillo of Simpson, winning by a 6-2 decision. Cortez, Gaunt, and Adam Valdez went 2-0 on the day; Fayyazzi won both of his bouts with tech-fall decisions of 17-2 and 18-2.
What They Said: Head coach Caleb Flores, "I am extremely pleased with our guy's effort today and their ability to focus things they can control. We had some of our guys beat nationally ranked wrestlers, and these are signs that we are doing the right things and going in the right direction."
Next Up: Saturday, February 6th at California Baptist University
#ClawsUp
