Calvary Chapel Still a Force in Wrestling

Santa Ana Calvary Chapel was the team of the 1990s in California high school wrestling. And after their performance at the prestigious Five Counties tournament at Fountain Valley High last weekend, the Eagles look ready to put their stamp on 2000.

Calvary Chapel won with 211 points and had already locked up the title of the 55-team tournament after the semifinals. Clovis finished second with 156.5 points and Vista Rancho Buena Vista was third with 132.

Calvary Chapel, ranked first in the state and sixth in the nation, had four finalists.

Junior Steve Esparza lost to defending state champion Michael Simpson of Huntington Beach Brethren Christian in the 125-pound division.

Tony Aparicio defeated Santa Ana’s Juan Serna at 140 pounds, Adam Bones lost to Lemoore’s Chris Pendleton at 145 pounds and Conan Williams lost to Ryan Halsey of Rancho Buena Vista at 171 pounds.

Competing in their third big tournament in four weeks, the Eagles have one more tournament this month at Moreno Valley Canyon Springs. After that, Coach John Azevedo said the focus will be on the Southern Section finals.

“We’re exactly where we want to be,” Azevedo said. “If we can stay healthy and focused, we should be all right.”

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The Palos Verdes Peninsula girls’ tennis team, winner of the Southern Section Division I title, was named 1999 national champion by the National High School Tennis Coaches Assn.

Newport Harbor, which lost to Peninsula in the Division I final, was ranked fourth. Irvine Woodbridge was 12th.

The Corona del Mar boys’ team, the defending Division I champion, was ranked second behind Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons (Fla.). Peninsula was fifth, San Marino 14th, North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake 16th and Woodbridge 17th.