ATHERTON, Calif. -- Vanguard men's wrestling squared off against #3 Menlo on Friday night in Cascade Collegiate Conference action. While the Lions threw their weight around and pushed some of the top wrestlers in the NAIA, the Oaks would end the night with a 41-3 victory.
Noah Elliott would be the lone scoring man for VU, as he won the 157-pound bout. The Lions go to 2-6 in duals and MC jumps to 7-2.
What Happened? Dominic De'Altonaga would square off against Nic Aguilar in the 125-pound tussle and while De'Altonaga would cash in a few points, Aguilar would end up with a 19-4 technical fall victory. #2 Jovan Garcia was the 133-pound opponent for
Julian Leon and the two fought hard, with few scoring opportunities between them. Leon and Garcia went the distance but as the third period came to a close, Garcia was able to do enough to pull out a decision victory.
Jack Harrison took on #18 Michael Torres at 149 pounds, and though Harrison put on a defensive stand early on, Torres would pin him at the end of the first period.
Bryant Avila and Ezekial Lara had one of the closest matchups of the evening at 149 pounds, as the two were even after regulation. While Avila worked his hardest to get the takedown, Lara would sneak in the final move to take win 3-1 in sudden victory. Elliott faced Mathias Collins after that and he jumped on the Oak throughout the match, making a couple of takedowns and holding Collins to two escapes. Elliott completed the 8-2 decision win to put VU on the board, though the lineup trailed 17-3.
At 165 pounds,
Ruben Rodriguez had to back out, so the two programs moved to the 174-pound bout.
Marquize Brown held his own against Connor Cormier, keeping the Oak to just one takedown in the match. Brown was able to make an escape but could not find a takedown himself, falling 4-1 at the end of three periods. At 184 pounds,
Juan Zapien scrapped with #11 Isaiah Morales and though Zapien could counter the MC wrestler for most of the first period, Morales would pin him towards the end of the opening frame.
Isaiah Hernandez faced Micael Rhea at 197 pounds and he was able to keep Rhea at bay through one period. However, Rhea started to take over in the second and would force a pin late in the middle period.
Roman Torres faced Joseph Rodondi to close out the night, as the two heavyweights slammed into each other. Torres was in it the whole way and, down 3-2, was fighting for a late point to steal the win. But time ran out on the Lion, as Rodondi won 3-2.
What's Next? The Lions travel to Prescott, Arizona, and the campus of Embry-Riddle for duals against #6 Providence (Mont.) and #20 Montana State-Northern on February 2-3.
