The Winnemucca Junior High School wrestling team opened its season last weekend in Lovelock and took home the team title with 498 points. Silverland Middle School was second at 377.50.
In the seventh grade division, Pete Bengochea won at 70 pounds, as did Erick Valencia (95), Gage Kinder (100), Jhett Harber (135), Elianna Bankes (165) and David Walker (heavyweight).
Bengochea went 3-0 on the day, defeating Silver Stage’s John Childers by pin in the first period in the championship bout. Valencia won all three his matches by pin, knocking off Silverland’s Travis Stinson in 92 seconds in the championship.
Kinder had to battle his way to the title, winning 9-7 in overtime over White Pine’s Tucker Maestas in the opening round.
After that, Kinder won the last two matches by pin, including the finale against Fernley’s Riley McCullar.
Harber pin all three of his opponents on the day, including two Fernley wrestlers in the first two rounds. Harber beat Holdin Windous of White Pine in the final.
Bankes had to beat two teammates to win the title at 165 pounds. Bankes knocked off teammate Logan Jones in the final by a 7-4 decision.
Walker did not have a match go past 54 seconds in winning all three bouts by pin. He beat White Pine’s Wesley Weatherperson in the championship.
Kruz Gomez (80), Maddox Hislop (90), Logan Ricci (95B), Teegan Ward (110), Javier Arredondo (120) and Jones (165) were second for the Warriors.
Alesssandro Huerta (90), Amador Guzman (145) and Gabe Lange (heavyweight) was third) and Michael Braun (95B), Joseph Esquibel (105), Shane Gilliland (125), Ben Merki (165) and Isaac Dini (heavyweight) were fourth.
In the eighth-grade division, Landon Esquivel (95), Brayden Casalez (115), Damien Barajas (140) and Roan Hornbarger (heavyweight) won individual titles.
Esquivel knocked off teammates in the first rounds to get to the final, where he pinned Silverland’s Wyatt Green in 57 seconds in the championship.
Casalez had little trouble in his three bouts, beating two teammates and Battle Mountain’s Andy Wall. In the championship match, Casalez beat teammate Chris Gildone 15-0.
Barajas won all three of his matches by pin, knocking off Silverland’s Spencer Blackorby in 68 seconds. Hornbager had two get through two decisions, including a 2-0 win over Silverland’s Daniel Bezinque in the opening round. Hornbager won the championship by pin in 54 seconds over Shahid Aleem of Coral Academy.
Diego Contreras (95) and Chris Gildone (115) earned runner-up finishes and Easton Ham (120), Anthony Guzman (130), Anthony Gonzalez (135), Luke Fentress (150) and Clinton McNair (160) were third. Jack Olson (95) placed fourth.
Winnemucca is in Fernley on Saturday.
“We have a pretty big group of ids and they wrestled well for the first time out there,” said WJHS coach John Brooks.
