Saratoga News
Sports
Macklin, Gold lead Saratoga wrestling team
By Dick Sparrer
There were only two senior returners on the mat when the wrestlers turned out for the 2006-07 season at Saratoga High School this winter.
But head coach Kirk Abe wasn't all that concerned about his team's lack of experience. Heck, he was a newcomer himself.
Abe and his staff of Peter Bordallo, Brian Gerhold, Yuichi Kurosawa and Bill Wymbs take over a young team that has already enjoyed a measure of success in the young season.
Senior co-captains Doug Macklin and Danny Gold lead a squad of mostly underclassmen, but the Falcons are already off to a 2-1 start in the dual match season in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.
The Falcons breezed to a 43-36 win over Lynbrook in league action last week, winning seven of the nine matches contested.
Macklin won by technical fall 17-2 at 135 pounds and Gold pinned at 3:06 of the second round at 160.
Sophomore Nathan Nguyen won by fall in just 1:26 of the first round at 103, and freshman Jian Lee pinned at 3:25 of the second at 130.
Junior Ryan Stoffers nailed a pin at 5:35 of the third at 140 pounds and soph Jasper Loren won 17-0 on a technical fall at 145. Sophomore Richard Macklin came through with a tight 2-0 win at 119.
Junior Samir Mathur was a forfeit winner at 152 for the Falcons.
The Saratoga win over Lynbrook followed a Jan. 11 victory over the Harker School 46-15.
R. Macklin (119), freshman Trevor Teerlink (125) and Mathur (152) each won by fall for the Falcons. Lee won a tight 7-6 nod at 135, junior Justin Seo won 15-1 at 130 and Loren won 13-6 at 140. Stoffers lost a 10-9 heartbreaker at 145.
Saratoga had lost its dual season opener 51-24 to Milpitas back on Dec. 14 before winter break.
Nguyen (103), D. Macklin (135) and Loren (145) each pinned for the Falcons. Stoffers won a 10-4 decision at 140 and Mathur won 7-3 at 152.
In tournament competition this season, Nguyen was an individual champion at 103 and R. Macklin finished seventh at 119 in the annual Jim Root Invitational on Jan. 13 at West Valley College.
Nguyen was undefeated as Saratoga won three of six team matches at the Silicon Valley Challenge Cup dual match tourney Jan. 5-6.
Nguyen was first at 103 with D. Macklin fifth at 135 and Lee sixth at 130 at the Lynn Dyche Invitational held Dec. 16 at James Lick High School in East San Jose.
Saratoga opened the season at the Newark IronMan Duals. Nguyen finished second at 103 pounds in the tourney
Nguyen came back to go undefeated for Saratoga at the CSC Duals at American High School on Dec. 9.
Senior Derrick Green, juniors Kevin Kingery and Stephen McInnis, sophomores Jeff Chu, Nikhil Balakrishaan, Holden Sparacino and freshmen Matt Marshall and Alan Yen are other top athletes on the mat at Saratoga this season.
The Falcons will try to continue their winning ways when they visit Los Altos for a dual match on Jan. 25, 6:30 p.m. Saratoga will take part in the MidCal Tournament in Gilroy on Jan. 26-27 before returning home on Feb. 1 to host Santa Clara in a dual.
