COSTA MESA -- The winter season is here and the Vanguard men's wrestling program is ready to jump back into competition this weekend. The Lions graduated a couple of highly impactful seniors over the summer, but the Blue and Gold have some quality talent returning and some newcomers pressing for attention. VU was picked to finish seventh in the Cascade Collegiate Conference preseason coaches' poll, received votes in the preseason NAIA poll (unofficially 24th in the land), and have three wrestlers ranked in the NAIA individual polls. Head Coach Caleb Flores will attempt to guide the Blue and Gold to another strong showing in the CCC and increase the number of VU wrestlers headed to the NAIA Championships at the end of the year.
Vanguard had some big moments last year, including a fifth-place finish at the CCC Championships and an 18th-place showing at the NAIA Tournament. Armon Fayyazi won the first-ever CCC individual title last year and the Blue and Gold came away with five NAIA qualifiers and two All-Americans in Fayyazi and Ricky Padilla. Even though Fayyazi and Padilla graduated, the two decided to return as volunteer coaches this year, giving the current team members a wealth of skill and experience to draw upon.
125-Pounds
Zach Stone (FR/Yorba Linda, CA) is back after not being fully healthy last year and he will be the only returner in the lightweight class. He will be joined by two newcomers in Matthew Terrence (FR/Fresno, CA) and Dominic De'Altonaga (SO/Poway, CA), as all three will battle for the dual spot at 125.
133-Pounds
Five Lions make up the 133-pound party. Aiden Brose (FR/Walnut Creek, CA) did not wrestle in any competitions last year but will be in the mix this year. It is the same story for Jakob Courtney (FR/Oak Hills, CA), who is looking for some appearances this season. Sunny Luna (JR/Victorville, CA) went 3-7 last year and is now 14-14 all-time as a Lion. As long as he is fully healthy, he is getting some hype from the coaching staff. Julian Leon (FR/Fontana, CA) and Jonathan Rodgers (FR/Phoenix, AZ) are the newest members of the 133 weight class and will try to challenge those three for time on the mat.
141-Pounds
Three wrestlers for VU fit this weight class and the headliner will be Steven Kroesen (JR/Laguna Hills, CA), who was 16-5 last year, pushing his all-time record as a Lion to 27-15. Kroesen enters the year as the #22 wrestler in the NAIA at 141-pounds and will look to place higher than fourth at the CCC Tournament, which is where he finished last year. Behind him comes Giovanni Sabatasso (FR/Newport Beach, CA), who is taking his first steps into the Vanguard program.
149-Pounds
One of the weights that the Lions have a plethora of talent at, the 149 division starts with returner Gabriel Cortez (JR/Covina, CA). He went 8-2 last season, improving his overall tally at Vanguard to 22-12. Another option will be Michael Leininger (JR/Rancho Bernardo, CA), who went 2-3 last year, moving him to 7-14 all-time. Wyland Nicholson (SR/La Habra, CA) will be another name with some experience, as the transfer from Cerritos College will also haggle for some time on the mat. Bryant Avila (FR/Rialto, CA), Joey Navarro (FR/Holtsville, CA), Ruben Rodriguez (FR/Chula Vista, CA), and Ricardo Valdez (FR/Barstow, CA) are the newcomers that will be pushing the returners this upcoming season.
157-Pounds
There will be three Lions vying for a spot at 157, with all of them experienced in some way. Joshua Whaley (FR/Upland, CA) went 2-1 two seasons ago, Philip Saucedo (FR/Riverside, CA) went 2-1 last year, and Jacob Byrd (SO/Poway, CA) went 1-3 in 2021-2022. With Adam Valdez gone from the program, one of these three will emerge as the go-to option in duals.
165-Pounds
With Padilla now on the side of the mat coaching, Luke Lussier (JR/Victorville, CA), Omar Rosas (SO/El Centro, CA), or Elijah Graves (FR/Tehachapi, CA) will take over for the decorated graduate. Lussier went 0-3 last year and Rosas went 2-1, with Graves looking to make his debut this year.
174-Pounds
Five Lions fill out the roster at 174-pounds with Gerardo Hernandez (SR/Mission Viejo, CA) the lead-back, as he enters the year #8 in the NAIA at that weight. Going 14-8 last year, he made the NAIA National Tournament, though he was bounced by Fayyazi in an unfortunate pairing. Now, Fayyazi can teach the senior his trade secrets, as Hernandez will be expected to be a hammer for the team all year. Behind him will come Juan Zapien (JR/Coachella Valley, CA), who went 1-3 last year. Jacob Potts (FR/Costa Mesa, CA), Rafael Marquez (FR/Anza, CA), and Jadon Cordova (FR/Tulare, CA) will fill out the rest of the lineup at 174.
184-Pounds
The other big preseason favorite for Vanguard is Baron Gaunt (SO/Torrance, CA), who went 14-8 last year en route to an NAIA Tournament berth. He will once again look to dominate the division and go deeper at both the CCC and NAIA Tournaments, as he enters the season ranked #9 at 184-pounds in the NAIA nation. Only one other wrestler checks in at 184, as Aaron Lima (FR/Lake Forest, CA) is looking to get his first taste of collegiate action.
197-Pounds
Steven Solis (FR/Heber, CA) and Isaiah Hernandez (SO/Selma, CA) are up for the Blue and Gold at 197, with Hernandez seeing some action last year, as he put up a 5-9 record. Both of them will battle it out for the main dual role, as VU looks for a solid foundation for the class.
285-Pounds
The heavyweights will center around Mike Ruiz (SO/Orange, CA), who went 9-9 last year and is slated to open the campaign as the starting option. Ryan Ortiz (SO/Orange, CA) went 3-2 last year and could emerge as a contender, with Roman Torres (FR/Selma, CA) looking to make an indent into the starting role as well.
CCC
Eastern Oregon was picked to top the CCC, with Menlo next and Montana State-Northern in third. EOU topped the conference in the NAIA poll, slotting in at #8. Grand View and Life remain one and two in the NAIA poll, with Grand View winning three of the past four titles and Life claiming the other. Montana State-Northern had the best team result last year at the NAIA Tournament for the CCC, finishing sixth.
Schedule
Vanguard will start the campaign on November 5th, with the dual lineup taking on Cal Baptist. The team will run through some CCC opponents at the Mile High Duals and Mile High Open, with a huge measuring stick event in Georgia after that. The Lions will take part in the Life Open, as some of the top NAIA and area programs will battle it out in what could be some National Tournament previews. The squad will then take part in the Reno Tournament of Champions, pitting Vanguard up against some NCAA DI competition. The Lions will have one home event on December 3, as Arizona Christian and Menlo will come down for a tri-way. The CCC Tournament will take place February 17-18 and the NAIA National Tournament will take place over March 3-4.
