2006 Grossmont Conference Championships:
Norsemen flex muscles at conference finals
Valhalla wrestlers prepare to defend CIF team title

By Phillip Brents
Posted Feb. 14, 2006

The Valhalla High School wrestling team appears more than ready to do battle at this year’s San Diego Section Division III championship tournament if the results of this year’s Grossmont Conference finals are any indicator. The defending Division III champion Norsemen clearly dominated this year’s conference tournament with five individual champions and a 72.5-point margin of victory against runner-up Monte Vista.

In a display of grit and talent, Valhalla took home all three Outstanding Wrestler awards.

Despite all that success, the 2006 Grossmont South League champion Norsemen enter the Division III tournament, scheduled Feb. 18 at University City High School, not necessarily as the favorite to repeat. Valhalla will also duel against two other divisional champions from last year in the realigned division. Mt. Carmel, which captured last year’s Division II title, drops down to the Division III level this season while Brawley, last year’s Division IV champion, moves up to the Division III enrollment level.

Monte Vista, which finished second to Valhalla at last year’s Division III tournament, also returns to the division to make things even more exciting in the race to win this year’s championship banner.

Brawley edged Valhalla by 41 points to win the team title at this year’s Holtville Invitational at the end of January. Still, Norsemen coach Mark Gerardi remains optimistic about his team’s chances.

“It’s going to be tough. We matched up against Brawley at Holtville. We were missing a couple guys and they were missing a couple guys but they beat us there. Mt. Carmel is there as well. It should be exciting,” said Gerardi, who was named the Grossmont South League Coach of the Year.

Both Valhalla and Monte Vista finished the conference finals tournament with six finalists. However, Norsemen grapplers emerged victorious in five of their six finals matches while the Monarchs came out of the 11-team fray with two champions.

Valhalla champions included Landon Holmes (112 pounds), Adrian Canizalez (135 pounds), Keith Juengst (140 pounds), Mark Kielbasa (152 pounds) and Bruno Salazar (171 pounds). Jarrod Maguire took a runner-up finish in his 119-pound division.

Holmes (Light Weight), Juengst (Middle Weight) and Salazar (Heavy Weight) were named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestlers.

Holmes and Salazar each recorded three pins, including three first-period falls by Salazar and two under one minute in duration.

The Norsemen finished with 13 medalists overall, with Tony Espinoza (103), Josue Martinez (125), Renzo Salazar (130), Chris Thomas (189) and Chris Thomas (215) each taking third-place finishes and Matt Kielbasa (145) and Eric Kincaid-Sharp (160) both placing fourth.

Valhalla finished with 221.5 points to out-distance second place Monte Vista (149 points), third place Steele Canyon (112.5 points), fourth place Granite Hills (111 points), fifth place El Capitan (96 points), sixth place Grossmont (87 points), seventh place Mt. Miguel (71 points), eighth place Helix (64 point), ninth place Santana (48 points), 10th place West Hills (33 points) and 11th place El Cajon Valley (eight points).

Monte Vista’s conference champions included Hunter Beamon (103) and Tim Pugsley (215). Four Monarchs turned in second-place finishes: Rudy Simmons (125), Aaron Eberhart (135), Eric Winchell (152) and Chris Eade (160). Robert Grey (third, 112) and Lonnie Alexander (fourth, 140) rounded out Monte Vista’s eight medal-winners.

Steele Canyon finished with three finalists and seven medalists: Caleb Cardenas (second, 112), Bryce Bidegain (second, 140), Ryan Pearl (second, 189), Garret Estevane (third, 160), Ryan Esquibel (third, 171), Tyler Ramer (fourth, 130) and Matt Norton (third, 275).

Granite Hills finished with one champion, two finalists and seven medalists: Ross Logan (first, 130), Jesse Alexander (second, 215), David Graciano (third, 140), Josh Simmons (third, 145), Ryan Garat (fourth, 112), Patrick Madigan (fourth, 171), Justin Phillips (fourth, 189).

El Capitan finished with two champions and four finalists: Nathan Neuhardt (first, 119), Josh Garcia (first, 275), Cody James (second, 130) and T.J. Herrera (second, 171). The Vaqueros’ Frank Ludwig was named Grossmont North League Coach of the Year.

Grossmont had one champion (Kazim Wahid at 145) and one finalist (Gianni Battaglia, second at 103). The Foothillers’ other medal-winners included Valentin Cuevas (third, 119), Yosuf Wahid (third, 152) and Adam Ferrarelli (fourth, 125).

Mt. Miguel had two champions and four medalists: Ivan Herrera (first, 160), Greg Villalobos (first, 189), Elijah Foster (fourth, 215) and Juan Bolanos (fourth, 275).

Helix had one champion and four medalists: Stephen Alvarez (first, 125), Keith Myers (second, 275), Robert Burton (fourth, 119) and Victor Richmond (fourth, 135).

Santana had one finalist — Jeff Benz (second, 145) — while West Hills had two medalists: Sangar Hamad (third, 135) and John Degurski (fourth, 152). El Cajon Valley’s lone place-winner was Cory Jackson (fourth, 103).

In one of the most exciting matches at this year’s conference finals, El Capitan’s Neuhardt edged Valhalla’s Maguire by a 4-2 score in overtime in a battle of state meet hopefuls.