They win six first-place medals at Santa Smackdown in Orangevale
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WILLITS >> CORE Wrestling Club members took to the mats in two locations Sunday, with beginning wrestlers competing in the second annual Tom Tilton Novice Tournament in Willits while more experienced wrestlers ventured to the Santa Smackdown Tournament in Orangevale.
In Willits, brothers Skyler Ramirez (6-under, 43-45 pounds) and Ryan Ramirez (10-under, 71 pounds) both went 2-0 with two pins apiece. Bring home a second-place medal was Timothy Williams (under-12, 74 pounds), who went 1-1.
“Some of the kids we took were having their first tournament ever and boy, did we get to have fun becoming wrestlers,” CORE coach Danny Cuellar said. “Lessons are a good thing, especially at this age. It was the little things that made my day, from one wrestler finishing a match to another wrestler just getting to the legs in their match. That is what makes a coach happy. Growth is happening.”
The eight wrestlers CORE took to the Santa Smackdown came away with 11 medals, including six firsts.
“It was a great day of wrestling for the kids,” CORE coach Daniel Hooten said. “They are wrestling very well. Eric Holley had the third-fastest pin at 11 seconds.”
First-place medals and Santa hats went to Colin Crow (intermediate, born 2016-17, 48.3-54 pounds), who went 4-0 with two technical falls; Holley (bantam, born 2016-17, 48.8-54 pounds), who went 3-0 with two pins and one technical fall; Will Villa (intermediate, born in 2016-17, 67-67.5 pounds), who went 4-0 with one pin in two technical falls; Kaitlyn Crow (novice girls, born 2014-15, 68-75.6 pounds), who went 4-0 with three pins and one technical fall; Wyatt Hooten (novice, born 2014-15, 67-75 pounds), who went 4-0 with two pins; and Tucker Heywood (novice, born 2014-15, 94-98.6 pounds), who went 3-0 with two pins.
Second-place medals went to Villa in the intermediate division for 65-67 pounds, Hooten in the novice division for 67.4-75.4 pounds, and Ryder White Eagle in the middle school boys division for 120-124 pounds.
Bringing home third-place medals were Colin Crow in the intermediate division for 55-56 pounds, and Kaitlyn Crow in the novice division for 67.4-75.4 pounds.
CORE also came in first with the most team techs/pins.
