Six Wildcat pins pushed the Mount Si varsity wrestling team to its first win of the season last week, defeating Kennedy 56-22.
The meet started with the 152-pound weight class and senior, Tyler Austin. Austin set the tone early with a pin of his opponent with 10 seconds left in the first round. Austin looked strong after two initial takedowns, then wrapped up the match quickly.
Chris Ippolito won his match in the 160-pound class. He started strong, recording 11 points in the first round to his opponent’s 1. Finally, in the third round, the two wrestlers both recorded several reversals but it was Ippolito who had the most points on the board at the end of the match, winning 22-9.
The 171-pound class finished in the same fashion with the Wildcats’ Gary Connor defeating his opponent 13-3. But the next two Mount Si wrestlers faced tough opponents.
At the 189-pound class freshman D.J. Johnson was pinned by Kennedy’s Zach Filer. At 215 pounds, sophomore Chris Connor lost a 10-2 decision against the Lancers’ Alex West. Finally, in the 275-pound class, the Wildcats’ Cory Anderson was pinned by Kennedy’s veteran senior wrestler, Brian Clapp, late in the third round. The pin gave Kennedy a two-point lead, 16-14 going into the 103-pound class.
From that point on in the meet it was all Mount Si as the only Kennedy points were recorded due to one Mount Si forfeit at 112 pounds.
It started with sophomore Mike Montgomery who dominated his opponent in the 103-pound class. He started quickly, with a takedown and two-point nearfall. After another three-point nearfall midway through the first round, he notched the pin with 1:13 left in the round. Mount Si forfeited the 112-pound class, with Kennedy sending Kyle Kim to the mat and Kennedy forfeited 119 pounds as Mount Si sent Matt Haas to the mat. The two wrestlers then put on an exhibition match with Haas pinning Kim with 36 seconds left in the first round.
Andy Lund, showing his continuing improvement, made quick work of his Kennedy opponent in the 125-pound class. After a great sit-and-roll throw move, Lund pushed his opponent’s shoulders to the mat, recording a pin with 1:01 left in the first round.
For the complete story, pick up a copy of this week’s Valley record
