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Good start for Los Lunas Tigers, Belen Eagle wrestlers
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LOS LUNAS — The high school wrestling season is underway, with the Los Lunas and Belen boys each finishing second Saturday in their respective competitions.
LLHS hosted the Tom Torres Duals, falling 60-12 to 2024 5A runner-up Cleveland in the championship match of the top ranked pool. Also in the Los Lunas pool, the Tigers defeated Las Cruces 54-24 and edged Atrisco Heritage 37-30.
Ayden Cordova, LLHS senior, is optimistic about the season.
“We’re in a really good spot right now as a team,” Cordova said. “I feel like our head is in a good spot.”
Cordova and Anthony Scott were among several Tigers who stood out at the LLHS gym.
Preliminary dual matches determined which pool each school would compete in. Valencia took ninth place by sweeping Bernalillo, 48-30, Tucumcari, 48-30, and Sandia 41-24 in pool play. Overall, the Jaguars had a 4-2 dual record.
VHS will be counting on several new faces, including freshman Cole Houck, who scored a quick pin against his Piedra Vista opponent in an early match.
“If I got the shot, I was going to finish it,” Houck said. “He made a mistake, so I capitalized on it.”
Emanual Aragon, VHS coach, said, "We had several wrestlers that did fantastic," pointing to Dalton Muzzy who went 6-0 at 189 pounds.
In the match for 13th place, the LLHS junior varsity defeated Mayfield’s varsity 47-12.
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Jaguar Invitational
At the Jaguar Invitational in Santa Fe, BHS was runner-up to West Las Vegas 247 to 216.
The Eagles had two individual champions — Manny Valdez at 127 pounds and Damian Gomez at 172 pounds. Each registered all of their victories by pin. Nine other BHS wrestlers scored points.
The Belen girls were also in Santa Fe at the Lady Jaguar Open, taking fourth place with 81.5 points. Grants was the champion with 135 points.
Lisette Sanchez, of BHS, registered four falls on her way to the 114-pound title. The Eagles’ Olivia Ortiz was second at 185 pounds.
Nick Sanchez, BHS coach, said he was pleased with how his wrestlers performed, boys and girls, although he said there is work to be done. The Eagles were champions of the boys’ JV tournament.
Highland Girls Invitational
Los Lunas was fifth, 75.5 points, Valencia was 10th with 44 points in the 17-team Highland Girls Invitational field. Atrisco Heritage Academy was the champion with 216.5 points.
Individually, Janie Wheeler was second at 235 pounds to lead LLHS. For VHS, Alexis Avis-Labus was runner-up at 107 pounds.
