Press "Enter" to skip to content

Wrestlers Brawl it out

Members of Palomar's wrestling team Chris Kimball, Alberto Garcia, Alex Gomez, Josh Lawson, Braulio Banuelos, and Seville Hayes posing in front of the Palomar College clock tower, on Nov. 18. Idmantzi Torres/ The Telescope.
Members of Palomar’s wrestling team Chris Kimball, Alberto Garcia, Alex Gomez, Josh Lawson, Braulio Banuelos, and Seville Hayes posing in front of the Palomar College clock tower, on Nov. 18. Idmantzi Torres/ The Telescope.

The Comets wrestling team had something to be thankful for just in time to eat Thanksgiving dinner, a win at The Brawl held in East Los Angeles.

This victory follows another no­table accomplishment in Whittier, Calif. on Nov. 9, where the team won at Rio Hondo College, ranking them No. 3 in the state. This ranking closely follows top-ranked Cerritos College.

Star athlete and heavyweight champion, Seville Hayes attributed to this win after returning from an infection; pinning his opponent in 20 seconds.

The triumph encouraged the sweep made by the Comets wres­tling team at The Brawl, taking home three weight-class titles. These titles were earned by Bruce Valdez at 184-pounds, Chris Kam­ball at 149-pounds, and Alberto Garcia at 133-pounds.

Second place finishes were tak­en by Alex Gomez at 197-pounds, Jesse Diaz at 149-pounds, and Jake Schaeffer at 133-pounds. Hayes, Sean McDannold and Miguel Flores placed third.

When it comes to first place titles, Valdez is no stranger to the tradition. This win follows a string of wins throughout the season, who received an on the mat win in Santa Ana on Nov. 2. Valdez’s season has even titled him with the No. 2 rank­ing in the state, following No. 1 ranked heavyweight, Hayes.

Valdez admitted to praying be­fore every match, a ritual he never misses for his title win. As for con­quering nervousness, Valdez said, “I think the more prepared you are, the less nervous you become.”

Valdez is not the only one with a set ritual in preparation for a match. Diaz dances to eighties rock music, Hayes wears the same socks every time he wrestles, and Gomez “pulls a Diaz” and tries to be positive.

Gomez is not the only team member who benefits from Diaz’s positivity, he is known for pumping everyone up before the game, telling them all to “just have fun!”

This encouragement is a ritual the entire team stands by. They live by the motto, “you have to wrestle for each other, not just for yourself.”

Members of Palomar's wrestling team, Alberto Garcia, Alex Gomez, Chris Kimball, Josh Lawson, Braulio Banuelos, and Seville Hayes pose in the wrestling practice room at Palomar College after a victorious 2016 fall season on Nov. 18. Idmantzi Torres/ The Telescope.
Members of Palomar’s wrestling team, Alberto Garcia, Alex Gomez, Chris Kimball, Josh Lawson, Braulio Banuelos, and Seville Hayes pose in the wrestling practice room at Palomar College after a victorious 2016 fall season on Nov. 18. Idmantzi Torres/ The Telescope.

To wrestle under these terms, the team maintains a close bond, friends on and off the mat, and even attend semi-regular two dollar Tuesdays at the San Marcos bowling alley.

“If one of us is doing something wrong, and we know they know how to do it right, we get on them,” Hayes said. “At this point, if their not doing it right, they’re being lazy.”

The Brawl has prepared the Comets for the upcoming Southern California Regionals, where, if the team places anywhere in the top six, will succeed to state finals.

Their season can be tracked through photos on the official team Instagram page, @palomarwres­tling.

Image Sources

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.