CITY SECTION WRESTLING : SAN FERNANDO'S AGUIRRE TAKES 103-POUND TITLE.Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Daily News Staff Writer When Ricky Aguirre reported to his first practice with the San Fernando High School San Fernando High School, located in San Fernando, California, is a secondary school that is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. The school colors are black and gold. All girl teams are referred to as Lady Tigers, all boy teams simply as Tigers. wrestling team last fall, he was simply trying to keep busy. He had just finished his sophomore year with the Tigers' football team. He needed something to do, so he decided to try wrestling. Three months later, Aguirre is the City Section 103-pound champion. ``I had never wrestled before, but I had to stay in shape for football, so I thought it would be good,'' Aguirre said after his 8-6 win over Monroe's Eric Mendez at the City finals Saturday at Bell High School. Champions from each weight division Saturday earned a spot at the state finals next week in Stockton. El Camino Real El Camino Real (Spanish for The Royal Road or The King's Highway) was the name of a series of pre-automobile highways linking the various New World colonies of Spain:
San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. was second at 203 and Chatsworth was third with 119 points. Other area wrestlers See
 s), city (1996 pop. 391,299), Rio de Janeiro state, SE Brazil, on the Paraíba River near its mouth. (125) and Franky Valdez (160) and Granada Hills' Aaron Roepke (171) and Melkon Melkonian (189). Melkonian won his third straight City title. El Camino Real was represented in the final round by eight wrestlers and San Fernando had six. In one of the more intriguing in·trigue n. 1. a. A secret or underhand scheme; a plot. b. The practice of or involvement in such schemes. 2. A clandestine love affair. v. matches of the finals, El Camino Real's Amaya defeated San Fernando's John Lee 10-1 for the 152-pound title. Amaya used his strength to overcome Lee's agility, quickness and technical ability. In the heavyweight final, San Fernando's Luna pinned Robert Alvarez of Granada Hills in the first period. Aguirre's wrestling goals started to change shortly into the season. He took fifth place at a tournament in Camarillo and then second three weeks ago at the San Fernando tournament. As a result, he was confident heading into the City finals. ``I wanted to win the championship,'' he said. Aguirre has always been a relentless trainer and in football he was one of the hardest hitters on the team despite being the smallest player on the roster. Those traits simply carried over to wrestling. ``He's just a hard worker,'' said San Fernando coach Mike Castillo. ``Because of that he got better and better as the season went on. When he first came out he was just another guy on the team. Now look what he' doing.'' That work ethic work ethic n. A set of values based on the moral virtues of hard work and diligence. work ethic Noun a belief in the moral value of work was evident in Aguirre's practices, which often covered two sessions a day and sometimes didn't end until late in the evening. And on Saturday's he'd get up to run so early in the morning that his family sometimes worried where he was. In terms of his toughness, Aguirre has impressed Castillo with his ability to stay in matches despite falling behind early. In some ways that's been his trait trait (trat) 1. any genetically determined characteristic; also, the condition prevailing in the heterozygous state of a recessive disorder, as the sickle cell trait. 2. a distinctive behavior pattern. all year. As a result, he wasn't worried Saturday when he fell behind 6-0 in the first period against Mendez. ``I've always been able to come back,'' Aguirre said. ``I knew if I kept working I'd be in good shape.'' Aguirre didn't overtake o·ver·take tr.v. o·ver·took , o·ver·tak·en , o·ver·tak·ing, o·ver·takes 1. a. To catch up with; draw even or level with. b. To pass after catching up with. 2. Mendez until late in the third period. But once he took an 8-6 lead, he held on for the victory. ``This feels great,'' Aguirre said. ``I can't even describe how I feel right now.'' CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Ricky Aguirre, top, of San Fernando High grapples with Eric Mendez of Monroe en route to an 8-6 victory in the 103-pound division of the City Section finals. Phil McCarten / Daily News |
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