COSTA MESA -- The only home duals on the schedule for Vanguard men's wrestling took place Saturday in a unique venue, as the Seymour Sanctuary hosted the Lions, the Arizona Christian Firestorm, and the Menlo College Oaks. Menlo proved to be too much for the Lions, who lost 26-12. Despite the opening letdown, VU bounced back to beat the Firestorm in grand fashion, winning 42-4. VU will leave the day with a 3-2 dual record.
What Happened? Dominic De'Altonaga (SO/Poway, CA) took on Cristian Vasquez at 125-pounds but could not earn any points, as he was shutout 5-0. Julian Leon (FR/Fontana, CA) was next at 133-pounds and he squared off against Michael Torres. Leon made two big takedowns in the second period to snag a 4-2 decision victory to put VU on the board. Steven Kroesen (JR/Laguna Hills, CA) also gave the Blue and Gold some points, as he beat Nick Camacho 8-4 in the 141-pound battle. Vanguard was up 6-3 in the team score but that lead soon evaporated, as Ricardo Valdez (FR/Barstow, CA) was pinned by Kasius Graham at 149-pounds. Joey Navarro (FR/Holtsville, CA) then lost 14-1 against Abraham Del Toro in the 157-pound matchup and Omar Rosas (SO/El Centro, CA) was beaten by Rysan Leong 14-5 in the 165-pound meeting. With Menlo now up 17-6, the Blue and Gold got two back-to-back wins. Gerardo Hernandez (SR/Mission Viejo, CA) did not allow a takedown and beat Maximus Zamora in the 174-pound bout 7-4. Isaiah Hernandez (SO/Selma, CA) then edged out Hunter James 5-2 without getting brought to the mat in the 197-pound feature. But that would be it for the point scoring, as the Vanguard team would lose the final two bouts. Mike Ruiz (SO/Orange, CA) would lose a narrow struggle to Antonio Dacosta 3-1 in the heavyweight fight, with Baron Gaunt (SO/Torrance, CA) falling to Isaiah Morales in the 197-pound matchup. Menlo won the dual 26-12.
Despite the bust against the in-state wrestling rival, the Lions regrouped and put up plenty of points against ACU. Matthew Terrence (FR/Fresno, CA) would pin Hayden Hurd in the first period to put the home side up 6-0 after the 125-pound meeting. Terrell Kinlicheenie put the Firestorm on the board, as he continued to show dominance by putting Sunny Luna (JR/Victorville, CA) away 15-7 in the 133-pound bout. But those would be the only points of the dual for Arizona Christian. Kroesen again showed his quality by defeating Rico Robles 9-4 to increase the Vanguard lead to 9-4. After the 141-pound matchup, Bryant Avila (FR/Rialto, CA) dropped Cole Hickey with a pin in the second period in the 149-pound fight. Navarro also earned some redemption by completing a pin on Hunter Richardson in the 157-pound matchup, with Rosas following suit in the 165-pound dual against Anthony Aguilera. Luke Lussier (JR/Victorville, CA) made it four pins in a row by sticking Davion Barnes to the mat in the first period. With VU up 33-4, Gaunt got back to his winning ways in the 184-pound showdown, as he defeated Kaden Martin 6-2. Isaiah Hernandez also defeated Michael Moreno 8-4 in the 197-pound event, with Ruiz needing overtime to make the final takedown of Zion Longsine to earn a 4-2 victory. Vanguard won all but one dual to help collect the 42-4 final score.
Why is it Important? The Lions go to 1-3 all-time against the Oaks and 3-1 against the Firestorm.
What was Said? "We walked away splitting today's event," said Head Coach Caleb Flores. "You always want to win both matches, but our guys competed hard and represented ourselves very well. We just need to fix minor details that will pay dividends late."
What's Next? The Lions will face plenty of strong competition at the Reno Tournament of Champions on Sunday, December 18.
