2006 San Diego Masters Report:
Five East County mat men qualify for state meet
By Phillip Brents
Posted Feb. 28, 2006

Five Grossmont Conference wrestlers, including three from Valhalla High School, qualified to compete in this year’s state championship tournament, March 3-4, in Bakersfield. Jarrod Maguire (119 pounds), Keith Juengst (140 pounds) and Bruno Salazar (171 pounds) will represent the defending Grossmont South League champion Norsemen. Monte Vista’s Hunter Beamon (105 pounds) and Mt. Miguel’s Greg Villalobos (189 pounds) also qualified.

Juengst and Maguire, both seniors, will be making repeat tripsto the competition at Rabobank Arena. Juengst finished sixth in the 103-pound division two years ago while Maguire qualified last year but did not place.

All five East County grapplers who qualified for the state tournament advanced to the semifinal round of the San Diego Section Masters championship tournament Feb. 24-25 at Otay Ranch High School. The top four place-finishers in each of 14 weight classes advanced to the state tournament, with fifth-place finishers in four selected weights also receiving qualifying berths.

Beamon, Salazar and Villalobos all finished third in their respective weight classes while Juengst was fourth and Maguire was fifth.

Maguire also earned a wild card berth last year.

Villalobos earned distinction as the sportsmanship award-winner at this year’s Masters finals. He also earned the same award at the preceding Division III championship tournament.

“This is what I have worked hard all year for — going to state,” said Villalobos, who defeated Torrey Pines’ John Lee by an 8-4 decision in the consolation semifinals to guarantee himself a spot in this year’s state tournament and then capped his section season with a default victory against Imperial’s Emiliano Valenzuela to finish third.

The Matador senior, who placed first at both the Grossmont Conference and Division III finals, carries a 38-5 record into the state tournament. He drew Diamond Bar junior Marcus Johnson, the sixth-place finisher from the Southern Section, in his first match on Friday, March 3.

Medal rounds commence Saturday, March 4. A total of 532 competitors qualified for this year’s state tournament, with 112 earning medals and only 14 earning the distinction as state champions.

Beamon, only a sophomore, continued his amazing season — as well as obtaining some revenge — by recording a 13-3 major decision against Ramona sophomore Chris Kirk in the third-place match at this year’s Masters tournament. Kirk, seeded third, had used a last-second reversal to best Beamon, seeded fifth, for the Division III championship title the preceding week. The Monte Vista wrestler owns a 37-7 record with 33 pins.

Beamon is the first Monarch sophomore to qualify for the state meet since Calvin Barrett in 1998.

Monte Vista coach Steve Bulette said Beamon has made significant improvement this season. “We hope that can continue through the offseason and with weight training that he can be just as successful at a higher weight (in upcoming seasons),” Bulette said. “I believe he has as good of a chance this weekend as
Anyone. The states meet is as much mental as it is physical.”

Juengst defeated reigning Division I champion Emerson Kanawi of Vista by an 8-5 decision to qualify for the state tournament after dropping a 6-3 decision to Poway sophomore Anthony Almanza in the semifinals. The Valhalla wrestler placed fourth after injury defaulting to Hilltop senior John Sardella, a two-time Division II champion, in the ensuing third-place match.

A reigning Grossmont Conference champion, Juengst placed runner-up to Mt. Carmel senior Todd McKay at this year’s Division III tournament. McKay defeated Almanza, 3-0, to win this year’s 24-man Masters field.

Salazar, the reigning Grossmont Conference and Division III champion, made amends for a 17-8 loss to Holtville senior Zach Taylor in the semifinals with a dominating performance in the wrestle-backs, first pinning San Pasqual’s Dominic Grippo in 1:46 in the consolation semifinals and then earning a 2:57 fall against Vista’s Seth Rehn to place third.

Maguire dropped a 5-1 decision to eventual champion Joe Boone of Poway (second at last year’s state finals) in the semifinals before losing a tight 6-5 decision against Brawley senior Corey Caffarella (Division III champion) in the ensuing consolation semifinals. Maguire took fifth place with a 12-5 victory against Escondido’s Matt Redden.

A total of 19 Grossmont Conference wrestlers qualified for the second day of competition at this year’s Masters championships, including 14 in the single-elimination wrestle-backs. Three additional East County mat men earned medals in the tournament but did not earn state qualifying berths. Granite Hills’ Ross Logan was fifth at 130 pounds while sixth-place finishes went to Helix’s Stephen Alvarez (125 pounds) and Granite Hills’ David Graciano (140 pounds).

Other second-day qualifiers included Valhalla’s Landon Holmes (112), Josue Martinez (125) and Renzo Salazar (130);
West Hills’ Jose Cervantes (103) and Sanger Hamad (135); Monte Vista’s Tim Day (145) and Chris Eade (154); Grossmont’s Gianni Battaglia (103); Steele Canyon’s Caleb Cardenas (112); El Capitan’s Nathan Neuhardt (119); and Granite Hills’ Jesse Alexander (215).

Defending state champion Poway qualified 13 wrestlers for this year’s state tournament, winning eight individual Masters titles in a power-packed showing. Other schools with Masters champions included Brawley, Crawford, Mt. Carmel, Rancho Bernardo and Vista.

Valhalla finished seventh in the team standings behind Poway (first), Vista (second), Brawley (third), Carlsbad (fourth), Mt. Carmel (fifth) and La Costa Canyon (sixth).

Valhalla coach Glen Takahashi received a special lifetime achievement award from the San Diego Wrestling Association. Takahashi, who is a member of the National High School Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame, owns a 234-52-2 coaching record in 33 years.