They edge out Santa Rosa club to nail down championship
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LOWER LAKE >> The Gladiators hosted their very own tournament, the Gladiator Brawl, on Sunday at Lower Lake High School while another team member participated in the California USA Wrestling Juniors State Championships on Saturday in Fresno.
Gladiator Brawl
With 44 members taking part, the Gladiators captured The Shield at the Gladiator Brawl, topping the team standings with 309 points. Spring Hills Wrestling Club (Santa Rosa) came in second with 297 while Combat (Arcata) was third.
The Gladiator Brawl, which used eight mats at three different gyms, featured youth, middle school, high school and open divisions, the latter of which featured coaches wrestling.
“It was a great even for the community of Lake County,” Gladiators head coach Peter Stephan said. “To see over 100 wrestlers alone from Lake County being able to compete in the sport of wrestling shows the growth the sport is having at the youth level. The kids will remember these tournaments for the rest of their lives, and it’s nice to have these events close to home where the families and friends can come out and support them.”
The Gladiators piled up the first-place medals, which went to Gary Oakes, who went 2-0 with two pins in the 8-and-under 45-pound division, and to William Villa in the 8-and-under 77-pound division. He went 3-0 with one pin. Other firsts went to Alley Oakes with three pins in the 10-and-under 52-pound division, to Brodie McDaniel (2-0) in the middle school girls 82-pound division, and to Neveah Barocio, who went 2-0 in the middle school girls 90-pound division.
Adding to the first-place medal cache were Laylony Barocio, first in both the middle school and high school 100-pound divisions. She went 6-1 on the day with three pins and two technical falls. Kailaya Philpot came in first in the middle school girls 122-pound division, and Logun Whittle won the high school 108-pound division, going 3-0 with one pin.
Gladiators coach Hugo Salazar, wrestling for the first time this season, won the middleweight class in the open division, going 2-0 with one pin, and coach Jonathan Philpot went 3-0 with one pin to win the heavyweight open division.
Brantley Paminto won three second-place medals while teammate Elijah Tucker took home two. Single second-place medals went to Colin Crow, John Young, Thomas Philpot, Alyssa Hopkins, Brodie McDaniel, Kailaya Philpot and Mirabel Myer.
Maverick Paminto, William Villa and Anthony Myer each won two third-place medals. Other third-place medals went to Sebastian James, Brantley Paminto, Tyler Luciano, Fredrick Jeffries, Kameron Colston, Brayden Paminto and coach Raylon Ray.
Finishing fourth in their respective weight classes were Zamod Jackson (in two separate divisions), Maverick Paminto, Kaitlyn Crow, Thomas Philpot, Branson Whitte, Brayden Paminto, Logun Whittle, Kailaya Philpot, Fernando Calvillo, Cameryn Gamble-Ray, Aniya Myer, and Aden Griffen.
Fresno
Also competing over the weekend was Arturo Gudino, who took first at the Junior State Championships in Fresno. Gudino won by tech fall in his first two matches, 20-2 and 15-0, before pinning his last opponent in the finals.
