Saratoga News

Luong a Bianchini champion

Warriors, Falcons place high in mat tourneys

By Dick Sparrer

Jay Lawson expected the Central Coast Section's best to be challenged by many of the state's top wrestlers when the annual Gary Bianchini Memorial Wrestling Tournament returned to Cupertino High last weekend.

And the tournament certainly lived up to Lawson's expectations.

CCS wrestlers did well at the Saturday tourney at Cupertino, but it was four of the seven teams from out of the section who topped the field in the team standings.

Prior to the competition, Lawson had said, "This tournament will be tougher for guys to place in than CCS." And the veteran Cupertino coach sure knew what he was talking about. Seven of the 14 individual titles went to wrestlers from outside the section.

Still, it wasn't a bad day for the teams of the CCS. Fifteen of the 28 finalists hailed from the Central Coast Section, and seven of them claimed titles.

Westmont's Vuong Luong (103 pounds) and Monta Vista's Jarrod Rothman (112) were among the individual champs at the Bianchini, and Eric Hawkins (103) of Cupertino, Phat Dinh (119) of Westmont, and Rohner Segnitz (171) and Fred Luminoso (189) of Los Gatos were among those to reach the finals.

Lawson expected the toughest field ever for the powerful invitational that includes all of the top teams from the CCS and other state powers. And it most certainly was a tough field.

Vacaville ran up 204 points to win its fifth straight team championship. Del Oro (163) was second, with Turlock (141) third and Will C. Wood (127.5) fourth.

Bellarmine was the first CCS finisher. The Bells were a close fifth with 125 points.

Oak Grove (95.5) ended up sixth in the team standings, and Monta Vista (94.5) was a surprise seventh. Dos Pueblos (90) ended up eighth, with Los Gatos (88) ninth and Hollister (71) and Wilcox (71) sharing 10th. Westmont (68) ended up 12th overall.

Luong led the Westmont effort. The senior sensation won the individual title at 103 pounds, beating Hawkins of Cupertino in the finals.

Dinh made it to the finals at 119 pounds but lost to talented Oak Grove junior Kurt Lorenz, who claiming his third straight Bianchini crown. Dinh, also a junior, was fifth in the division a year ago.

Brodie Gorman joined the list of Westmont placers with a consolation B victory at 152 pounds.

Joe Mannina of Prospect was a consolation A winner at 140 pounds.

Westmont was coming off of a 43-22 win over Mt. Pleasant in the league dual match opener earlier in the week.

Pins by Dat Dinh, Luong and Greg Woodland sparked the Warriors to the win over the Cardinals in the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League.

D. Dinh pinned in the second round at 103 pounds to get the Warriors off to a solid start in the match. Luong pinned with 30 seconds remaining at 119 pounds, and Woodland won by fall with just 15 seconds left in the first round at heavyweight.

P. Dinh pulled out a 12-6 win at 130 to join the list of Westmont winners in the match, and Gorman nailed a tight 2-1 victory at 152.

Sophomore Tony Oka won an exciting 3-1 decision at 145 pounds for the Warriors, and Jeff Innamorato won 11-8 at 140. Aaron Garcia rolled to a 13-4 win at 125 pounds, Sean Brady won 7-2 at 171 and Steven Hoover posted a decision win at 112.

Prospect lost a tough 46-25 decision to Leigh the same day in the West Valley Division of the BVAL, despite dominating the action on the mat.

The Panthers won six of the eight matches wrestled, but Prospect had to forfeit in six of the 14 weight divisions.

Mannina posted a quick 29-second pin at 140 pounds to lead the Prospect effort in the dual match, and Joey Anderson pinned with 29 seconds left in the second round at 119 pounds for the Panthers.

Robert Long won 11-9 at 152, Hiphung Lam blanked his 103-pound foe 4-0, Josh Day won 5-3 at 112 and Steven Lucero won 12-4 at 130.

Over in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League, Saratoga lost a lopsided 62-3 dual match decision to Los Altos in the opener for each squad.

Mark Kawahara was the lone winner for the Falcons, pulling out an 8-6 victory at 103 pounds.

Saratoga just missed a place in the team top 10 poll at the Lone Star Tournament at Live Oak last Saturday. The Falcons finished 11th overall, placing four individuals in the field.

Doug Follmar topped the list of Falcon placers with a second at 152 pounds.

[ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ]