By Ed Piper
Junior Matisse Pickett was named girls MVP, while All-Western Leaguers Gustav Rinaldi, at 175 pounds, and Noah Pace, 113 pounds, shared the MVP award on the boys' side, at the Vikings' annual wrestling awards gathering.
When a reporter remarked to Pickett during the 2023-2024, "You really take this seriously, don't you?", her answer was an unequivocal "yes".
She has labored diligently for three seasons, one of only four active girls this season after the peak of six or more girls active a year ago. Her honors during the season included third place at the Queen of the Beach competition, fourth at the Clairemont Girls Varsity tournament, and finally third place in the prestigious City Conference Championships.
Meanwhile, Rinaldi has earned his stripes. A team leader by example, the senior took sixth at the Mira Mesa Tournament, fourth in the City Conference Championships, and lastly sixth place in the CIF Sectionals.
Pace, a sophomore, took this corner of the wrestling world by storm a year ago as a freshman, earning all-league honors. Then, this year, facing an injury during a tournament at Granite Hills earlier in the season, he recovered and place sixth there. Then, he finished third at Monte Vista, second in City Conference, and finally sixth in CIF. There is more to come from him.
Head coach Kellen Delaney and his staff of paid and volunteer coaches recognized 12 letter winners, in addition to the all-leaguers and MVP's.
Other top finishers in CIF included Nerva Mugisha (120 pounds), fifth place; Elias Basilio (138), fifth; Anthony Volkov (157), sixth; Jayden Williams (165), sixth; and Jack Long (190), sixth.
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