The wrestling team demolished the Capuchino Mustangs on the mats at senior night on Thursday evening, with four of the five members winning their match.
Prior to the dual, seniors were commemorated with balloons and speeches from coaches. After each speech, players took photos with their posters and families.
Freshman Anjali Sid kicked off the dual with an aggressive start. After a long build-up with Sid and her opponent circling one another, Sid managed to grab her opponent’s wrists, force her near the edge of the circle, and pin her down on the mat.
Next up was freshman Brianna Herrera. After putting up an intense fight and grappling with her opponent on the mat, Herrera was eventually pinned down. “I think I could have done better, but just the mindset of being here and being on the team is really motivating for me,” she said.
In the third match, Tide Academy sophomore Elijah Chiochan-Ballard claimed a swift victory against his opponent, slamming him down on the ground and maintaining his hold.
Continuing M-A’s winning streak into the fourth match, sophomore Colin Chung walked off the mat with satisfaction after winning his round. “I think the kids here, if they stick with it, are definitely going to turn into something great,” he said. “We’ve got such a great coaching staff, and a small team means you get more attention for you, which definitely makes you better.
Senior Eric Ruiz annihilated his opponent, using ankle picks and firemans to accomplish an effortless victory. “I feel like [the match] was easier than I thought it was gonna be,” Ruiz said. “[My opponent] was kind of big, but he didn’t really fight back, so I was able to work a lot of my moves and finish the match pretty fast.” Ruiz, one of the top-20-ranked high school wrestlers in the state, hopes to place on the podium in future tournaments and intends on wrestling in college next year.
The wrestling team will return to the mats at the PAL Championships this Saturday at Woodside High School.
