The Española Valley Sundevils won their home meet Nov. 22 in a competition missing some top wrestlers due to the football playoffs.
Rio Rancho took second and Pecos third at the Española Invitational wrestling tournament. Taos finished fourth in the team competition.
Los Alamos and Rio Rancho, the defending Class AAAAA state champion, were competing primarily with junior varsity participants since many of their varsity wrestlers are still playing for the football team that is competing in the Class AAAAA playoffs.
Española senior Lucas Montoya took first place in the 135-pound class. He has finished fourth at the Class AAAA state tournament the last two seasons and is shooting for a higher finish this year.
“It was a good way to get some mat time,” Montoya said. “I think Deming and Kirtland Central will be teams I need to worry about. They had some tough guys last year.”
Senior Dylan Dominguez, who transferred to Española from Peñasco, had an easy time winning the 112-pound weight class for Española, pinning most of his opponents in the first period. Dominguez, the 103-pound 2006 state champion in Class A-AAA, transferred to Española for the tougher competition both in practice and against Class AAAA opponents.
“It only gets me better,” Dominguez said. “I’ve wrestled a lot of (Class AAAA teams) and I’m hoping to do well.”
The following Española wrestlers took first place in their weight classes: junior Isaiah Martinez at 130 pounds, senior Angelo Medina at 140 pounds, junior Mariano Montoya at 145 pounds, junior Jacob Rivera at 160 pounds and junior Mike Vigil at 171 pounds.
Senior Chris Shamy, who played his last football game Nov. 7, was wrestling for his first time in competition in the 189-pound class and took third place. Despite his size and strength, Shamy said he still needs to learn more about technique after deciding to go out for wrestling for the first time.
“I have plenty of strength, but strength doesn’t get me nothing,” he tsaid. “I need to be in better shape and learn the technique.”
Española coach Henry MacErnie said Shamy should improve as the season progresses.
“He has a lot of courage and a lot of will,” MacErnie said. “He’s already a leader on the team.”
Española’s Dino Gipson and Adam Montoya did not compete in the tournament due to injuries. Gipson, a two-time defending District 2AAAA champion, has an injured knee and Montoya has a groin pull. Gipson should return, but Montoya may need surgery, according to assistant coach Aaron Salinas. If Montoya is unable to compete, sophomore Tamara Espinosa could move up from the junior varsity at 119 pounds.
“She’s pretty tough,” Salinas said. “She won the junior varsity meet and pinned two guys.”
The Sundevil Invitational had normally been held the weekend after Thanksgiving, but this year the coaches decided to take the holiday off. The Sundevils will return to competition Dec. 5 to 6 at Rio Rancho’s Southwest Shootout Tournament.
The competition at the Shootout promises to be intense with 28 teams from five states, including teams from across New Mexico.
“We should see much stronger competition and some tough teams,” Salinas said.