SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Vanguard women's wrestling fought at the Sacramento City College Open yesterday and the 131-pound wrestlers for the Blue and Gold secured both silver and bronze in the tournament, with the rest of the team showing well in a field loaded with top local and junior college talent.
 
What Happened?  Mya Crespo was entered in the 124-pound bracket and faced Haely Lemus of East LA College in her first bout.  Crespo was on fire to start, rolling Lemus around for seven unanswered points, but then Lemus found an answer, as she put up the next seven points.  That unfortunately led Lemus into a pin of Crespo, who moved to the consolation bracket.  She got a win in her next contest against Andrea Gonzalez of the hosting Sacramento City, but it was a dicey first period.  The two wrestlers exchanged takedowns, alternating until Crespo got an extra two near the end of the frame to lead 12-10.  Yet Crespo took her knowledge from the first period to make a rapid pin of Gonzalez in the second half to advance.  She then faced Joy Jeremiah of Simpson and though Crespo got a takedown to lead 2-1, Jeremiah made one of her own and converted that into a pin to advance
 
Elena Ramirez, Mikayla Marquez, Devyn McCormick, and Lily Avalos (though wrestling unattached) made VU heavily invested in the 131-pound tournament.   Ramirez faced Ashlee Gutierrez of SCC and though she got a takedown in each period, Gutierrez made a pin in the second to win.  Marquez faced Rontausia Payne of Cerritos College in her inital matchup and though Marquez had one takedown, Payne advanced on a pin in the first period.  McCormick faced Sage Otoole in her first meeting of the day and after going down 6-1, McCormick got a four-point move to cut the gap to 6-5.  However, Otoole got another takedown and then turned that into a pin to take the bout. 
 
Avalos was up against Kendall Chapman of Mt. San Antonio College and she breezed through the match, winning 10-0.  She then easily handled Otoole by the same score and made a pin of Herminia Estrada just over a minute into the first period to reach the bracket finale.  There she faced Janida Garcia and Avalos did well to match Garcia point-for-point.  Garcia got a takedown and Avalos responded with one herslef.  Garcia rcorded a four-point move and another takedown but Avalos countered that to knot things at 8-8 in a dizzying first two minutes.  But as the first period came to a close, Garcia made one last takedown that she rolled into a pin of Avalos.
 
Marquez had a strong showing in the consolation bracket, as she faced Kaylyn Williams of SCC, and the Lion registered six points before making a first-period pin to advance.  She knocked Otoole out of the competition with a 10-0 victory and then squared off against Kendall Chapman of Mt. SAC.  Though Marquez got five points, Chapman was able to control the bout and win 16-5.
 
Ramirez hit her stride in the consolation bracket, as she owned the rest of the competition.  She made short work of Alexandrea Gallardo of Cerritos, winning 12-2.  After that, it was unfortunately friendly fire, as she had to face McCormick, and Ramirez would make a pin 21 seconds in to remain in the hunt.  Ramirez dominated Payne 12-0 in the opening half, recorded a 10-0 technical fall victory over Alondra Feliciano of ELAC, and made a pin of Estrada to reach the battle for bronze.  Facing Carmella Foley of Menlo, Ramirez trailed 6-4 in the first period, but she lunged in and made a pin in the opening part of the second half to win the contest for third.
 
Ireri Mares was in the 145-pound bracket and though she fought hard against Desiree Jones, Jones would take the first 10 points in the opening frame to win. Mares bounced back with a pin over Vicky Ancheta of Palomar in the first period and then stuck Jasmine Vo of Santa Rosa College to the mat to reach the next round.   But there, she could not get past Audrey Estrada, who made a pin in the first period to take the victory.
 
Kylee Wohlwend faced Mikayla Lancaster of MC in her first contest of the 160-pound bracket and though Wohlwend fiercely held her ground, Lancaster would take a 10-0 technical fall victory in the second period.  Wohlwend regrouped and launched ahead of Jessica Mendieta, another Oak, 7-2 in her first consolation tussle.  But Medieta stayed alive into the second period and found an opening to, unfortunately, deny Wohlwend, as the Oak made a pin to advance.
 
What's Next?  The Lions added another home dual, as the team will welcome Cerritos College on Wednesday night, February 19, at 7:00 p.m.