Kenny Cress / Sports Writer | Posted: Friday, March 5, 2004 12:00 am
All those tough workouts. All those tough tournaments.
All that hard work in general.
It has all paid off for five local wrestlers. They are in the State Wrestling Meet.
Righetti/s trio of Jaime Rocha (119 pounds), Adam Wilson (140) and Dustin Monte (145), along with heavyweight Jason Quintero of Santa Maria and 132-pound sophomore Tyler Scheidt of Nipomo, qualified for the state meet last weekend.
They qualified for the meet by finishing in the top eight in their divisions at the Masters Meet at Fountain Valley High last weekend.
The state competition takes place at Centennial Gardens in Bakersfield today and Saturday. Nipomo coach Greg Manosar said the competition begins at 9 a.m. today. He said the semifinals begin Saturday.
Scheidt will wrestle in that 9 a.m. match today.
"There are 33 kids in his weight class, so he has to wrestle a lead-in match," before first round of the tourney, Manosar said.
Rocha finished eighth at 112 pounds at the state tournament last year. Monte went to the state tourney then also. The other locals are first-timers there.
Scheidt has made some history at second-year Nipomo. "He/s the first wrestler we/ve had who/s qualified for the state meet," said Manosar.
Rocha, a senior, made some history of his own earlier at Righetti. He is the school/s first four-time league champion. He and Andrew Domingues are the school/s only three-time CIF winners.
Rocha also won at the Masters Meet. Monte, a senior, finished fifth at 145 pounds, and Wilson finished sixth. Wilson is a freshman.
Righetti coach Dutch Van Patten has said Rocha is "one of the best kids I/ve ever had." Van Patten coached at Yuma High for a time and then went to Righetti, where he is in his eighth season as head coach.
Wilson has had quite a freshman season for the Warriors. He and Monte have been consistent winners all year for Van Patten.
Quintero is a junior. Ilac said one of Quintero/s advantages is that he is a heavyweight who does not wrestle like one.
"He/s quicker than a lot of heavyweights," Ilac said. "He wrestles more like a 189, 215-pounder."
Quintero was a successful lineman for Santa Maria/s football team last fall.
At the state tourney, "He/s going to have to continue to try (for takedowns)," to be successful, Ilac said.
"I don/t think he/ll be overwhelmed by the experience at all. I think he/s going to come through it and do very well."
Scheidt is one wrestler who likely won/t have to sweat about cutting weight.
"His natural weight is 131 pounds," Manosar said with a chuckle. "He can eat what he wants.
"At tournaments, a lot of other kids have to cut weight. By the third round, they/re tired. Tyler is still strong."
Sports writer Kenny Cress can be reached at 739-2237 or by e-mail at kcress@pulitzer.net
March 05, 2004