The Cupertino Courier Lorenz chases Bianchini legend Yoshikawa only four-time champion at rugged tournament By DICK SPARRER Kurt Lorenz will be trying to match a legend when he represents Oak Grove in the upcoming Gary Bianchini wrestling tournament at Cupertino this weekend. Lorenz hopes to become just the second wrestler ever to become a four-time champion at the rugged Bianchini event, a feat accomplished only by the legendary Aki Yoshikawa of host Cupertino. Yoshikawa was a state and national champion for the Pioneers back in 1991. But that came only after he won division championships at the Bianchini in each of his four seasons on the Cupertino varsity squad. Lorenz won Bianchini as a freshman, sophomore and junior, and now will try to add his fourth-straight title as a senior. "I didn't think anyone would ever match that record," said Cupertino coach Jay Lawson, tournament director for the 14th annual Bianchini and Danny Ruppel Memorial Wrestling Tournament. Lorenz is just one of the outstanding wrestlers slated to compete in the tournament this weekend. "Other great wrestlers to watch," said Lawson, are Jarrod Rothman, 119-pounder from Monta Vista (eighth in the state last season); Fernando Flanagan, 135-pounder from Lincoln (second in the Central Coast Section last year); Brian Cobb, 145-pounder from Bellarmine (first at CCS and third in the state); and Hollister's Eddie Lucaterio, 152 pounds, and Ben Flores, 275 pounds, both champions at the Coast Classic earlier this year. Tournament activity, co-hosted by the Cupertino Host Lions Club and the Cupertino Wrestling Boosters, begins Friday with the Ruppel Tournament, a second-man-junior varsity event. Wrestling runs from 3 to 9:45 p.m. The varsity tournament begins on Saturday at 9 a.m. with the finals set for 6 p.m. Lawson figures Vacaville to be the title favorite in the varsity division with competition coming from Oak Grove, Monta Vista, Del Oro, Turlock, Bellarmine, Dos Pueblos and Hollister. Cupertino, Del Mar, Fremont, Gonzales, Homestead, James Lick, Lincoln, Los Gatos, Lynbrook, Mills, Monterey, Palo Alto, Palma, Piedmont Hills, Prospect, St. Francis, San Lorenzo Valley, Santa Clara, Santa Teresa, Turock, Valley Christian and Westmont will also compete in the tourney. King's Academy will join the field for the Ruppel Tournament on Friday. Rothman leads Mats Rothman will lead a strong Monta Vista team into the tournament this weekend. The talented junior star led the Matadors to a team ninth at the rugged Coast Classic in Santa Cruz earlier this season. Rothman won the individual title at 119 pounds for the Mats. Monta Vista will open the league season in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League prior to the tourney. The Mats will host Los Altos on Jan. 7, 4 p.m. Rothman is one of seven upperclassmen leading the Monta Vista attack this year. Senior co-captains Ken Montanez (152), Steven Togami (140) and Jason Lin (135) are top prospects for the Mats this winter. Montanez finished sixth at CCS last season. Togami was second at the league finals and Lin was third. Junior Ryan Watkins (135) joined the varsity after winning the league title and posting a 26-4 season record on the junior varsity last season. Matt Krieger (160) and Dan Puder (215) are other talented juniors. "We have a lot of juniors and seniors to provide leadership," said Monta Vista coach Matt Erdmann, who added that his squad has the "ability to win the league title." "But all the teams in the De Anza Division are tough," he said. "Los Altos has 10 returning league placers, Fremont has a team with some tough weights, Cupertino will always field a well-coached team, Los Gatos will look to defend its league title, and Saratoga has moved up and will be competitive at a number of weights." The Monta Vista coach expects his Matadors to battle Los Altos and Cupertino for the league title. The Mats were second in the division last year with a 4-1 record and finished 15th at CCS. Pioneers strong Cupertino was hit hard by graduation last spring, but Lawson still expects his Pioneers to be among the title contenders in the De Anza Division this season. "We lost nine of our varsity wrestlers from last year's team to graduation," said Lawson; "however, we had a strong junior varsity team." "We also have 50 wrestlers on our roster," he added, "which will give us a lot of depth." Joey Conley is a top varsity returner for the Pioneers. The 145-pounder was first in the league and second in CCS last year. Steven Munor (140) and Daniel Barczi (171) each return after finishing fourth in the league a year ago, and Anthony Nguyen (112), Jay Scott (heavyweight) and Ray Shelley (215) each return after finishing sixth at the league finals. Matt Perry (160) and Rory Conley (98) are top prospects up from the junior varsity. Both won league titles at the JV finals last winter. Eric Otto (189) joins the varsity after finishing second in the JV finals last year. Patrick Cannon (103), second in the league for Monta Vista last year, and A.J. Martinez, who wrestled at Fremont, are top transfers battling for spots on the Cupertino varsity. Cupertino opens De Anza Division action at Fremont on Jan. 6, 6:30 p.m., before competing in the Bianchini this weekend. The Pioneers finished a solid third at the Lynn Dyche Classic at James Lick earlier this season. Palma (164) won the title with Los Altos (162) second, Cupertino (155) third and host Lick (143 1/2) fourth. Cannon (103), Munoz (135), Shelley (215) and Scott (heavyweight) each finished second for the Pioneers, and Dan Lebus (130) added a third. J. Conley (152) was fourth with Nguyen (112), Matt Perry (160) and Otto (189) fifth and Barczi (171) sixth. [ Back to Contents Page | Cupertino Courier Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Cupertino Courier, January 6, 1999. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.