ELAC takes 8th in Wrestling Tournament

SANTA ANA, CA — The East Los Angeles College wrestling team took eighth place in the 24-team Santa Ana College Wrestling Tournament, one of the largest in the state. The ELAC “B” team placed 19th.

Freshman ranked Brandon Sotomayor placed third place in the heavyweight division to highlight ELAC’s individual results.

Yesterday he became No. 4-ranked in the state in the heavyweight division with a 6-0 record. Although he wrestled to his first loss of the season, Sotomayor lived up to his billing against top statewide competition. He now stands 10-1 for the season.

Sotomayor opened with a 20-5 technical fall in the Round 1 vs. Cerritos College freshman Alexander Damschen and followed with a pin vs. Cerritos College freshman Kenneth Kirk in Round 2. He lost a 4-3 overtime decision in overtime to No. 3 Palomar sophomore Chance Eskam (a transfer from Arizona State University) in the championship quarterfinal round.

Sotomayor followed with a 7-4 decision vs. a Fresno City College wrestler and won the third place match with a 6-3 decision vs. No. 7 Sacramento freshman Isaac Mendoza.

Other ELAC “A” Team highlights (includes statewide rankings):

 125 pounds – Top 10 finisher sophomore Joshua Garcia (San Fernando HS) won two matches by pins vs. Cerritos College freshman Nadia Escamilla and a West Hills College wrestler, sandwiched with an 8-5 decision loss to eventual 125-pound winner No. 2 Bakersfield sophomore Pedro Sarabia. Garcia has wrestled to a 5-4 record in the last two tournaments.

133 pounds – No. 6-ranked sophomore Alex Contreras (Montclair HS), finished in the top six after a tough 10-7 decision loss to No. 3 Cerritos sophomore Anthony Vargas in the third place semifinals. Vargas won the third place match. Contreras won an 8-7 decision vs. Sacramento City freshman Ryun Ortiz in Round 1. Contreras lost an 8-2 decision to No. 2 Palomar sophomore Jacob Schaefer. Contreras won 13-6 vs. Rio Hondo freshman Daniel Martinez and won a 12-1 major decision vs. Bakersfield freshman Pedro Corona.

149 pounds – Freshman Marcus Phillips (Crater HS, WA) replaced sophomore Jonathan Mandujano (Monrovia HS), who is Top 10-ranked/Honorable Mention and is out injured. Phillips won two of three matches. He won a 5-2 decision vs. Bakersfield’s Tamayo. Phillips reversed a 13-3 loss from last night’s loss to Tamayo in the Bakersfield dual meet loss at ELAC.

149 pounds – Sophomore Marco Ramirez (Norwalk HS) opened with a 6-3 decision loss vs. Mt. SAC freshman Angel Teitlebaum. Ramirez followed with a consolation second round major decision loss to a Rio Hondo sophomore wrestler.

157 pounds – Top 10 finisher freshman Michael Estrada (John Glenn HS) wrestled 2-2 overall today, his best showing of the season. He finished the day with a third place quarterfinal loss to third place winner Mo. 7 Mt. SAC freshman Vincent Herrera. Estrada won a first round match pinning Santa Ana freshman Emmanuel Hernandez. He won a 12-5 decision vs. Fresno City’s Garcia after a championship second round loss.

157 pounds – Freshman Doroteo Lopez (CC Valencia HS) moved to this weight class division after going 2-3 in previous dual meet competitions in the 165-pound weight class. Today, he drew a tough draw and won his second of three bouts, by fall vs. Rio Hondo freshman Chris Martin.

157 pounds – Freshman Christopher Sandoval (Bell Gardens HS) returned to action from an injury. He lost in the first and second rounds, the former by an 8-5 decision loss to Santa Ana freshman Luis-Eduardo Cervantes.

174 pounds – No. 9/Honorable Mention ELAC sophomore Max Velez (Schurr HS) finished in the Top 6. After an opening round loss to No. 7 Fresno City’s Jerrin Dean. Velez won three straight matches. He won a 15-2 major decision vs. Rio Hondo freshman Dylan Martinez; he won by fall vs. Cerritos College freshman Alexander Michel (Lakewood HS) and won a 3-2 decision vs. a West Hills wrestler. Velez and Jerrin met again in the third place semifinals. Jerrin, the eventual third place winner won by fall. Velez stands 7-6 for the season.

184 pounds – No. 10/Honorable Mention freshman Gabriel Rodriguez (Warren HS) finished in the Top 6. He opened with a 1-0 decision loss to No. 5 Bakersfield freshman Julio Fuentes, the eventual 184-pound, followed with a pin vs. Fresno City’s Franco and a 7-4 decision win vs. Husky teammate sophomore Brandon Aviles (Downey HS). Rodriguez was eliminated in the third place semifinals by 184-pound 4th place winner No. 9/Honorable Mention Cerritos College freshman Bryant Vasquez. Rodriguez stands 8-7 for the year.

184 pounds –Aviles won his second match in his second straight tournament. He opened with a 5-2 decision win against Bakersfield freshman Jr. Trevino. Aviles was eliminated in the third place quarterfinals by teammate Rodriguez.

197 pounds – Efren Velez, No. 6-statewide ranked, went 1-1 in the first two rounds, No other stats were reported. He won by fall against Rio Hondo freshman Richard Orozco (La Puente HS) and lost a 5-2 decision to Mt. SAC sophomore Angel Alcantar.

story submitted by Tadzio Garcia