Vintage hosts wrestling action

Guera-Martinez to lead Crushers into prestigious ASICS Napa Valley Girls Classic event

By MARTY JAMES
Executive Sports Editor

Taide Guera-Martinez will only have to attend one class Friday at Vintage High School, but there’s nothing easy about the rest of the day for the junior.

After going to her first-period AP chemistry class, Guera-Martinez will head to the gymnasium to find out from her coach, Rob Lanterman, how the rest of the day looks.

Guera-Martinez and her teammates on the Vintage girls wrestling team will join over 200 wrestlers from around the state for the 11th annual ASICS Napa Valley Girls Classic, a two-day tournament that is hosted by VHS with a reputation for drawing one of the strongest fields each year. It’s also the oldest and largest high school girls-only event in the country.

“I have my mind set on medaling,” said Guera-Martinez, a three-sport athlete, who also runs cross country and track and is a member of the Napa Judo Club. Vintage’s team captain, she is entered at 108 pounds.

Friday’s weigh-ins from 10-11 a.m. are followed by first-day matches in each of the 14 weight classes (98 pounds, 103, 108, 114, 118, 122, 126, 132, 138, 146, 154, 165, 189, heavyweight), with action continuing until 6 p.m. on three mats the main gym. Wrestling resumes Saturday starting at 9:30 a.m., with the finals set to start about 4 p.m.

“All of the tournaments have their different characteristics that make them good tournaments,” said Lanterman. “Our tournament has a reputation that if you do well here, regardless of what you’ve done during the season at the other tournaments, that will help you out incredibly at the regionals in terms of seeding. That carries a lot of weight in getting you a higher seed at the regional tournament and later on at state.”

Medals will be awarded to the top seven placers in each class. In addition, ASICS backpacks will be awarded to the champion in each division and trophies will be presented to the most outstanding lightweight and upperweight wrestler. The CIF-sanctioned tournament also crowns a team champion.

“They leave knowing that they placed highly at one of the toughest tournaments in the country,” said Lanterman.

Over the years, the Napa tournament has included future Olympians, national champions, All-Americans and numerous state champions. The best wrestlers in Northern and Southern California as well as competitors from Oregon, Nevada and Arizona have made the trip each year, knowing this is a tournament with a top reputation for competition and overall organization.

The tournament was founded by Jim Lanterman, a former Vintage head coach and now a Crushers assistant, and former VHS coach Carl Murphree, now the head women’s wrestling coach at Missouri Valley College. Murphree is also a former Napa Valley Wrestling Club coach.

“We’re really looking forward to it,” said Bob Musante, the tournament director and the Vintage boys coach. “We’re supposed to have the most girls we’ve ever had. It’s a two-day tournament because there’s so many girls. If you place here, you get a good ranking for the state — just because we’re that popular.”

Vintage’s new auxiliary gym will be used on Saturday. Anyone that is eliminated from the main tournament Friday goes into a second day consolation bracket that will be conducted in a round-robin format. Organizers said this was a big success last year, as it ensures wrestlers significant mat time. Most girls received four or five matches last year.

“We have a reputation for drawing the best competition and for running a real smooth event — that’s why we had to expand it to two days because of the sheer number of people that were coming and the intensity of the competition,” said Rob Lanterman. “The little bits and pieces of the different tournaments that happen during the year, we kind of compile everything all together and run a pretty efficient operation.”

Besides Guera-Martinez, Vintage will be represented by Jonnarose Palma (114), Mia Folster (heavyweight), Tiffany Hui (118), Christina Laporte (132), Jennelyn Lazo (154), Mercedes Rivera (154), Liz Palencia (114) and Teresa Nieto (126).

“A lot of the girls have a lot of potential and they’re coming up fast,” Rob Lanterman said of his young team. “They’ve all really bonded and we’ve come together pretty well as a team. They’ve kept a good frame of mind this year — that’s the thing I’ve been most impressed with this team. They understand where they are in terms of wrestling skill.

“They’ve taken that as their attitude. It’s been a fun year. We’re improving every week and there are some girls that are starting to learn how to win and are doing it on a more consistent basis.”

From Napa High, Samantha Gardner and Rosa Mora are entered. Justin-Siena doesn’t have any girls out for wrestling this year.

“It’s a chance to show your hometown — all your friends and family — what you can do,” said Folster. “It’s a tough sport and you’ve got to work hard at it.

“I want to do well. Hopefully, I’ll get at least a couple of wins in.”

Guera-Martinez pulled a muscle in her low back near her hip and had to be assisted off the mat, but was still able to take third place, beating her opponent in the medal round, 12-2, at the Queen of the Mat Tournament last week at Pittsburg High.

“It was a really sharp pain, but I just put it aside in my mind and finished my match,” said Guera-Martinez, who was 4-1 with two pins.

“She could barely walk on and off the mat,” said Lanterman. “That tells you what kind of guts she’s got and the kind of heart she has. She comes in every year already in great condition because of cross country running. She’s in great shape and not afraid of anybody.”

Rob Lanterman has noticed an increase in the number of wrestlers who are at each of the tournaments; last week in Pittsburg, there were 200 entrants. The Crushers will go to 10 tournaments this year, including Northern California regionals and state championships. 

“The tournaments are growing and the competition’s getting better,” said Lanterman, adding that girls wrestling is a more skill- and technique-oriented sport, with athletes applying offensive and defensive tactics, moves and counter moves.”

Tournament organizers will spotlight Saturday’s championship matches, introducing the wrestlers and also announcing their background in the sport.

“We try to make that connection with the people that are there watching so that they have some kind of feel for what kind of character of people are out there on the floor wrestling in the finals and why they’re there,” said Rob Lanterman.

Top wrestlers include Courtney Madson (103, Novato), Christine Alcantara (103, Hogan-Vallejo), Angie Mayes (108, Arborview-Las Vegas, Nev.), Frankie Silva (122, Pittsburg), Ariel Green (114, Sutter Union), Hannah Collins (165, Argonaut-Jackson), and Monica Kirkpatrick (165, Terra Nova-Pacifica).

A two-day admission pass is $10 ($6 for seniors and students). A one-day ticket is $6 ($3 for seniors and students).

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