On Dec. 10, the varsity wrestling team participated in the all-day Webber Lawson Memorial Tournament held at Fremont High School. Overall, the team placed third among twenty-three teams with wrestlers placing second, third and fourth in their divisions.
The tournament operated in a round robin style, with brackets for each weight class that ended with three different final rounds, one each determining first, third, and fifth places. The loser in each round would take either second, fourth, or sixth. Going into the finals, the team had six players competing for placement, each in different weight classes. Monta Vista had 123 points, hoping to place second, but ended up falling behind Palo Alto and Live Oak.
First up was senior Michael Whittaker, who wrestled for third place in the 195 weight class after losing his semifinal match. He pinned his opponent from Cupertino High School with ease, placing third.
The next wrestler from MVHS, junior Matt Merkhofer, was more evenly matched. Fighting for third place in the 182 weight division, he and his opponent often stalemated. In the end, he lost, taking fourth.
Sophomore and first-year wrestler Aaron Wu entered the finals with the hopes of placing first in the 152 weight class. Struggling in the beginning against a strong opponent, he managed to regroup towards the end. However, his opponent’s early lead was too much to overcome. Although Wu lost the match, he still finished second in his division.
Playing for third in the 113 weight class was freshman Max McCann. Throughout the match, he managed some stunning reversals, slipping out of his opponent’s hold at the last moment and prompting cries from his teammates of “We never even learned how to do that!” He won against his opponent, placing third in his division.
Last up was freshman Kishora Adinulam, wrestling for third in the 106 weight class. Beginning with a strong takedown, he and his opponent often grappled for control. He lost in a close match.
The tournament highlighted the team’s strong potential. The mixed levels of experience among the wrestlers this season do not seem to be hindering their competitive edge, with three new wrestlers on varsity making it to the finals.
“We’re really excited about being so competitive early in the season,” Coach Kevin Klemm said. “[It shows] that our system is working. We were expecting to win, but [you] win some, you lose some.”
