Wrestling continues to improve each match
SAN MARCOS, CA (10/19/2021) -- This past week was full of much-needed competition for our young team. While we struggled to get into the win column in duals, we've continued to develop our skills and gain invaluable competition experience.
Wednesday, October 13 – Dual Against Mt. San Antonio
We started the week with a home dual against Mt. San Antonio College, the number one ranked team in the state. We brought the energy and attitude, getting two pins early on and making every match a dogfight. While we didn't get the dual victory, I loved the heart and teamwork that I saw. One team left our gym feeling like they lost a fight—and it wasn't us. But, as I told the guys, we cannot be content with a loss—we want to work until we send every team that enters our gym home with their tails tucked between their legs, both in spirit and on the scoreboard.
Final Score:
Mt. San Antonio College 38 Palomar College 15
Saturday, October 16 – Southern California Dual Meet Championships
In our opening dual against Bakersfield, we had a real shot at upsetting the third-seeded team and reaching the tournament semifinals. Unfortunately, we lost a few close matches and gave up some bonus point wins that lost it for us. We then lost our next match to Santa Ana and finished with a win against the All-Star team, eventually taking seventh place as a team. We'll get another shot at some of these teams soon, and I know the guys are eager to show what they're capable of.
Final Scores:
Bakersfield College 27 Palomar College 21
Santa Ana College 29 Palomar College 22
Palomar College 19 All-Star Team 12
General notes on our starters from this week:
125- Juan Diaz
When Juan stays engaged in a wrestling match he is a phenomenal wrestler. He has struggled to put a full match together this season, but I'm happy with the progress he made this weekend. He lost an overtime heartbreaker against the #4 ranked wrestler in the state against Bakersfield but was able to get a revenge win against his Santa Ana opponent in overtime. I'm confident that we'll see the best and most dangerous version of Juan at the end of the season. We need Juan to step up as a team leader if we want to get some team wins.
133- Owen Wilson
While Owen still needs some work on his technique, his fight is there in every match. Owen is one of our hardest workers, and once he can harmonize his technique and match IQ with his exceptional gas tank, he will be dangerous. I'm excited to see Owen turn a corner and get better as the year goes on.
141- Randy Lockwood
Randy has been one of our most consistent wrestlers this season, both in the room and in competition. Randy is beginning to understand what works for his wrestling style and what doesn't, and his improving offense will only make him even better.
157- Gavin Kaminski
While he was not with the team this weekend, Gavin showed that he is a force to contend with against his state-ranked Mt. SAC opponent. Gavin pushed through some adversity to shut down his opponent and win convincingly. I'm eager to see Gavin get some more matches under his belt this year and make a push for the end of the season. I expect a total commitment from Gavin from now until the end of the season to reach his goals.
165- Daniel "Chino" Hernandez
Like his brother, Juan, Daniel has had a slow start this season despite the skill and work ethic he shows in the practice room. However, he took a major step forward this weekend, dominating two of his opponents with perfectly-time blast-doubles and a punishing top game. This guy is loaded with talent and drive, and I'm very excited to see him continue to close the gap on his opponents as he gains more experience and toughness.
174- Brayan Macias-Morales
One of our toughest guys, Brayan continues to learn rapidly and put forth a total effort in every match. I was amazed to learn that Brayan had only wrestled several matches before college because he already looks like he could hang with anyone in the state. With a few more technical adjustments and some more real-match experience, Brayan will be a force to contend with in December.
184- Armando Rodriguez
Armando's toughness and determination allow him to make every match winnable for him. His effort on the bottom is fantastic, and almost no one has been able to hold him down except for the state champion. However, he will need to work on his offense if he wants to close the gap on his opponents.
197- Oscar de la Cruz
Oscar showed what he's capable of in the dual against Mt. SAC, taking one of the top-ranked guys in the state into deep water. Like all of our guys, Oscar needs to believe in his technique and not hesitate on the bottom. I believe that getting more match experience is going to get Oscar where he needs to be.
285- Allen Salgado
I'm proud of Allen for going out and battling with the big guys. He has a great attitude and works hard in the room. I'm confident that he will figure out how to hang with these guys with more match experience.
What's Next
Next, we'll have an away dual against Santa Ana this Wednesday, October 20. This is a good chance for us to get revenge against a team we just faced. I'm eager to see how the guys approach this next challenge.
Thanks for your continued support!
Written by head coach Tim Box