MARIETTA, Ga. -- Vanguard men's wrestling was also on the road this weekend, as the team took part in the Business Network Life Open in Georgia. The Lions were well represented at the podium celebrations, with Gerardo Hernandez (SR/Mission Viejo, CA) taking the crown in the 174-pound bracket. VU had two other top-eight placers, with the squad earning 68 points to finish 15th in the field of 17 teams.
What Happened?
The 125-pound bracket had three Lions and each reached the quarterfinals. Zach Stone (FR/Yorba Linda, CA) beat Pacey Najdusak of Cumberland with a pin, Matthew Terrence (FR/Fresno, CA) beat Trevor Borom of Southeastern 5-4, and Dominic De'Altonaga (SO/Poway, CA) beat Thomas Barco. However, De'Altonaga would lose to Chandlar Akins of Cumberlands 8-0 and Stone would be pinned by Cole Hunt of UNC Pembroke. While those two moved to the consolation side of the bracket, Terrence beat Conner Diamond of Lindsey Wilson to reach the semifinals, with Terrence beating Hunt 5-4 to put him in the final against Akins. Terrence was sharp in the bout, as he and Akins exchanged points, but Akins had the final say, winning 6-5, with Terrence taking a well-earned second place. De'Altonaga picked up one more win but then fell 6-2, with Stone losing his first fight in the consolation bracket to end his tournament.
Julian Leon (FR/Fontana, CA) was the torch bearer for VU in the 133-pound bracket, as he reached the semifinals. Picking up two wins against Anthony Ku of Montreat and Tanner Kuketz of Southeastern, Leon faced Jaime Hernandez of UNC Pembroke with a shot at the title fight on the line. Leon managed only two points, however, and lost 5-2 to move to the consolation side of the bracket. There he was able to narrowly edge out Jace Palmer of UNC 9-8 in an exciting match, putting Leon in the third-place dual with Terrell Kinlicheenie of Arizona Christian. But Leon could not give it a go, leaving him fourth in the final standings.
Steven Kroesen (JR/Laguna Hills, CA) faced Gabriel McGlamery of Life in his first bout in the 141-pound challenge, with Kroesen winning 12-3. He then faced a setback, as Chris Kelly of Southeastern beat him 7-4. Kroesen was able to beat Ethan Gustilo of Southeastern 14-8 in his next matchup but did not fare so well against Victor Guzman of Cumberland, as he was pinned towards the conclusion of the match to end the event 2-2.
Ricardo Valdez (FR/Barstow, CA) was in the 149-pound bracket and he made an early pin of Case Baughman of Midway before taking his first loss in a 3-0 decision against Logan Johnson of Avila. He tried to avoid defeat against Maxwell Kauffman of Southeastern, but lost 12-3 to end his run. Joey Navarro (FR/Holtsville, CA) went 0-2 in the 157-pound bracket, as did Ruben Rodriguez (FR/Chula Vista, CA). Omar Rosas (SO/El Centro, CA) could not pick up a win in the 165-pound bracket, though he just barely lost his opening match 7-5.
Hernandez faced some tough competition and he never had a bout that finished with more than three points separating the two combatants. Despite always being near defeat, he stayed the course and played great defense while making some key takedowns all day. He first beat Ryan Long with a 7-4 decision before having a tough scrap with Douglas Peppers of Southeastern. Sneaking away with a 3-2 victory, Hernandez then faced Cade Tenold of UNC Pembroke and it would again be a one-point spread, with Hernandez doing just enough to claim the 5-4 win. That put him in the first-place bout with Tre Morrisette of Life and Hernandez snagged the extra point to claim the title with a 3-2 decision victory.
Baron Gaunt (SO/Torrance, CA) made two pins in a row to start his tournament in the 184-pound bracket but then lost to Coleman Bryant of Southeastern in a 5-3 decision. He then grabbed a 12-2 major victory decision over William Parker of Truett but could not advance further, as he lost to Austin Antcliffe of Cumberland 9-7.
Mike Ruiz (SO/Orange, CA) was the only Lion in the heavyweight class and he opened his story with a pin of Earnest Johnson of Keiser. He followed that up with a 7-0 rout of Wyatt Nelson of ACU but then lost in a tiebreaker to River Henry of Cumberland 3-2. Ruiz was able to collect one more victory, 5-3 over Calvin Hayford of Campbellsville, but then lost 6-2 to Bryon Pierce of Midway 6-2, falling just short of the top-eight.
What was Said? "Overall, our guys wrestled well, with the main highlight being Gerardo taking first," said Head Coach Caleb Flores. "There is still a lot of room for improvement but we are very happy with our placers today."
What's Next? The only home event for the Blue and Gold, as VU will host ACU and Menlo on Saturday, December 3.
