Surprisingly, freshman Sebastian Rivera landed third at 108 pounds, winning one match--the key one for third place--and losing one in a meet one can only characterize as typical for this COVID-restricted season which has seen a limited number of participants due to the stop-again, start-again situation across the entire athletic schedule this Spring.
It's no fault of the young, earnest Rivera, who has worked hard and shown up for the "mat time" that Ryan Leonard, the strength and conditioning coach who also works with the wrestlers, preaches to develop and improve. That one weight class had a lesser number of entrants only worked to Sebastian's advantage, and he made the most of it.
Meanwhile, Ricardo Correa, the muscular 172-pounder, lost a match, won two by pin, then succumbed in the third place match in his weight division. Correa attended and wrestled at La Jolla High as a ninth-grader, moved to Mira Mesa High for two years, then came back to LJHS this year for his senior finale.
At heavyweight, 287 pounds, Danny Molestina won by decision in overtime, 3-2, then lost by a pin before going to the consolation bracket. Molestina, a lineman for the Vikings' Eastern League champion football team, won back-to-back bouts by pin before losing by a pin in his last match.
Another Viking competitor, Caden Kestler, won one match on the day as a 134-pound wrestler.
Finally, freshman Kieran Sternberg, at 115 pounds, entered the tournament but lost both his matches.
In all, the season was a challenge with the COVID limitations. These were the wrestlers who stuck it out through the spring. Chase Maisel, a senior along with Keegan Leonard, was unable to compete in the tournament at Mt. Miguel.
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