By DICK SPARRER
Vi Hang got Fremont off to a good start, and Geoff Beckstrom gave the Indians a strong finish.
But in between it was all Cupertino when the two squads collided last week in wrestling action in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.
Hang and Beckstrom were two of just four Fremont winners in the 52-22 loss to Cupertino.
The Pioneers dominated the match from 112 to 189 pounds, winning 10 matches in an 11-bout stretch.
Alex Ding got Cupertino started with a pin 21 seconds into the third round at 112 pounds.
Talented junior Lewis Mendez pinned after just a minute at 125 pounds.
Three straight forfeit wins for Steve Bennett at 135, Chris Friend at 140 and David Steinwedel at 145 helped the Pioneers open up a commanding lead in the team score.
Young Park pinned at 1:48 of the first round at 152 pounds and Nate Barczi won 11-7 at 160 pounds to keep the pressure on for Cupertino.
Alex Zeballos pinned with just a second left on the clock in the first round at 171 pounds and Rafi Simon nailed a 14-8 win at 189 pounds to help finish off the Indians.
Hang and Beckstrom were joined by Jeremy Piamonte and Andy Deguara in the winner's circle for Fremont in the match.
Hang started the Indians off right with a 17-6 win at 103 pounds, and Beckstrom finished things off with a pin with 45 seconds left to wrestle at 275 pounds.
But in between Fremont could manage only two wins on pins by Piamonte and Deguara. Piamonte won by fall at 3:12 of the second round at 130 pounds and Deguara pinned 1:17 into the first round at 215 pounds.
Cupertino improved to 2-3 in the division with the victory and Fremont slipped to 1-5.
The Indians were coming off of a solid showing at the Overfelt Tournament where Beckstrom topped a list of four Fremont placers.
Beckstrom ended up fourth at 275 pounds for the Indians with Piamonte fifth at 130 pounds, Hang sixth at 103 and Jerrick Powell eighth at 160 pounds.
Homestead's Matt Unyi came through with a third at 171 pounds at Overfelt and Isaac Wilson was fifth at 112 pounds.
Fremont ended up 14th in the team standings with 47.5 points and Homestead was 17th with 26 points.
Fremont fell 44-21 to Los Altos and 52-21 to Wilcox in dual match action earlier in the year.
Jamie Kashitani came through with a quick 46-second pin at 125 pounds and Piamonte and Beckstrom each won by fall, but the Indians lost to unbeaten Wilcox.
Piamonte pinned 39 seconds into the second round at 135 pounds and Beckstrom won by fall at 275 pounds. Andrew Monarch chipped in with an 8-5 victory at 152 pounds for the Indians.
Fremont ran into another unbeaten squad at Los Altos and lost again.
Hang started the Indians off with a 10-4 win at 103 pounds and Piamonte won 8-4 at 130 pounds. Monarch won a tight 8-6 decision at 152, Powell was a 10-6 winner at 160 and Joseph Ramirez won a squeaker 3-2 at 189 pounds. Beckstrom won by forfeit.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, January 31, 1996
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.