10 local wrestlers advance to finals in Mann Classic
A young wrestling season already has intrigue, as two Sunset Conference programs made statements and appeared among the leaderboard on Saturday in the Mann Classic at Marina High.
Fountain Valley finished second overall at the tournament to Central, 258.5-233. That was expected.
The Barons, though, have a new challenger. Corona del Mar, promoted to the upper-tier Surf League of the eight-team conference, finished third in a field of 39 teams at the event.
On the whole, the conference produced five champions and 10 finalists, showing a considerable amount of promise for area individuals.
Fountain Valley accounted for four of the weight class titles, courtesy of freshman Hunter Jauregui (106 pounds), junior Hercules Windrath (152), senior TJ McDonnell (182) and junior Ryland Whitworth (195).
McDonnell, an Oregon State commit who brought home a 182-pound third-place medal from the state meet last season, iterated that the success of one local team pushes others to raise their level.
“I have a work ethic that everyone else on the team can watch and see that its working with my accomplishments, so it gives them an idea of exactly what they need to do,” McDonnell said. “The better we get as a team, the better everyone around us is going to get, and we’ll just keep building each other up, hopefully.”
Whitworth, another upper-weight standout for the Barons, could not be brought to the ground in a 3-2 decision over Sea Kings junior Eugenio Franco. The counterparts came in third and sixth in the state, respectively, as ranked by The California Wrestler.
Windrath, ranked ninth in the state at 152 pounds, had battle scars for his efforts this weekend, but he topped his weight class for the second week in a row.
Fountain Valley saw three of its six state qualifiers from a year ago graduate, but those who remain — Windrath, McDonnell and Whitworth — have started this season with titles in the Cossarek Classic and Mann Classic.
Corona del Mar also had seniors Angelo Gonzalez (120) and JJ Strapp (132), as well as junior Antonio Aramburu (160) reach the finals.
“A lot of hard work over the last few years, and we keep getting better,” CdM coach Mark Alex said of his team’s rise. “The kids are proving it by the results, and with each positive result, they keep working harder and harder. They love winning and competing.”
The Sea Kings have gone 10-0 in dual meets this season, and they will face their stiffest test to date when they host the Barons in a Surf League opener on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. Alex anticipates that the winner will have the inside track to the league title.
“This will be a good battle,” Alex said. “There’s some good matchups. Both schools have numerous state-ranked guys. We have four state-ranked guys. I think they have four state-ranked guys. It will be fun. It’s at our place, so that’ll [make it] a little easier then to deal with.”
Marina senior Haden Hernandez delivered a win for the host Vikings, defeating Strapp by an 8-3 decision in the 132-pound final.
Hernandez said Strapp is a good friend from club, which he admitted presents a challenge to stay locked in. Nevertheless, the No. 11-ranked wrestler at 132 pounds in the state kept his undefeated record intact at 14-0 this season. He also has won titles at the Costa Mesa Classic and the Cossarek Classic.
Senior Adrian Jimenez was the runner-up at 113 pounds for the Vikings.
WRESTLING
Mann Classic
At Marina High
Team Results
1. Central 258.5; 2. Fountain Valley 233; 3. Corona del Mar 198.5; 4. Calvary Chapel 154.5; 5T. Paloma Valley 153.5; 5T. 153.5; 7. Trabuco Hills 153; 8. Royal 145.5; 9. Servite 138.5; 10. Yucaipa 138; 12. Marina 102.5; 19. Newport Harbor 73; 33. Costa Mesa 31; 34. Huntington Beach 16; 39. Ocean View 0
Championship Matches
106 — Hunter Jauregui (Fountain Valley) pins Pedro Quezada (Centennial), 3:29.
113 — Anthony Castillo (Central) pins Adrian Jimenez (Marina), 3:22.
120 — Mason Carrillo (Royal) dec. Angelo Gonzalez (Corona del Mar), 4-2/OT.
126 — Craig Phoenix (Capistrano Valley) maj. Cristian Morales (Tesoro), 11-0.
132 — Haden Hernandez (Marina) dec. JJ Strapp (Corona del Mar), 8-3.
138 — Anthony Vargas (Central) maj. Kieran Daugherty (Yucaipa), 13-1.
145 — Ryder Yoshitake (San Marino) dec. Matthew Ruacho (Central), 3-0.
152 — Hercules Windrath (Fountain Valley) dec. Elijah Benavidez (Paloma Valley), 6-3.
160 — Tobe Huynh (Westminster) dec. Antonio Aramburu (Corona del Mar), 9-5.
170 — Max McWilliams (Calvary Chapel) maj. Benedek Magyar (Irvine), 9-1.
182 — TJ McDonnell (Fountain Valley) maj. Diego Costa (Yucaipa), 12-3.
195 — Ryland Whitworth (Fountain Valley) dec. Eugenio Franco (Corona del Mar), 3-2.
220 — Henry Sturn (Trabuco Hills) pins Jackson Ramos (Vista Del Lago), 1:46.
285 — Oskar Madrigal (Servite) inj. def. Peter Fulgentes (Royal).
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