Herd Wrestlers Dominate Delta League Championships

Not only did the Sac-Joaquin Section's dual champion Elk Grove squad win the Delta League championships today at Elk Grove High School - they dominated the event. Thirteen of the 14 Herd wrestlers won their weight class, seven by pinfall.

Austin Nguyen of Monterey Trail decisioned Stone Airoso of Elk Grove, 13-4, to prevent the Herd from a complete sweep. The last time Elk Grove did that at a conference championship match was in 2009.

There were two other matches where Elk Grove wrestlers just escaped with wins. At 126 pounds, Lokahi Tonge actually was inches away from being pinned by Sheldon's Ethan Brewer, but the horn sounded to end the first period. In the high scoring match, tied 8-8 going into the third period, Tonge earned an escape followed by a takedown to take a 11-8 lead with 1:15 left in the match.

Brewer scored a takedown 15 seconds later, but Tonge reversed on him followed by a reversal by Brewer and just :28 left. Tonge then escaped to register a 14-12 decision.

Monterey Trail wrestler Austin Nguyen grabs the leg of Elk Grove's Stone Airoso

At 190 pounds Jake Bellecci had Franklin's Tylar Flaherty in a near-pin position only to have Flaherty roll him over and place him in the same predicament. Bellecci held his position to the end of the first period. In the second period, Bellecci took Flaherty down quickly and finished him off with a fall in 2:32.

The top four wrestlers at each weight will now advance to this Friday's Section Division I-A championship which will also be held at Elk Grove High School. In that group will be five wrestlers from Sheldon, ten from Franklin, six from Pleasant Grove, five from Davis, four from Monterey Trail, eight from Jesuit and two from Grant.

Delta League Wrestling Championships

Championship Round

106 Ryan Elgarico, EG, pinned Sue Feng Xiong, SH, 2:55

112 Jacob Seto, EG, pinned Edison Alanis, FR, 1:37

120 Erik Spence, EG, dec. Thyson Xiong, SH, 5-0

126 Lokahi Tonge, EG, dec. Ethan Brewer, SH, 14-12

132 Kalani Tonge, EG, pinned Jesse Soza, SH, 1:21

138 Roger Monroe, EG, pinned Greg Valencia, PG, 2:49

145 Terrell Turner, EG, pinned Quinn Davies, Dav., 2:25

152 Todd Alexander, EG, dec. Kyle Hagy, Jesuit, 6-4

160 Tyler Gore, EG., dec. Lian Grandbois-Smith, PG, 7-4

170 Arsenio Ayala, EG., dec. Mitchell King, FR, 2-1

182 Zack Krock, EG, pinned Christian Flores, Jesuit, 1:30

195 Jake Bellecci, EG, pinned Tylar Flaherty, FR, 2:32

220 Austin Nguyen, MT, maj.dec. Stone Airoso, EG, 13-4

285 Lau Ta'amu, EG, dec. Beau Medicine Crow, Grant, 8-1