Chandler's Diego Alvarado in his finals match at Tri State Tournament

Watch more videos on Flowrestling

Chandler's Tristan Moran in his Championship match at Tri State Tournament.

Watch more video of Tri State Tournament (FloNationals Major) on flowrestling.org

Wrestling Season 2011 - 2012

The Wolves are off to a great start to their season. They just took 8th at the Tri-State tournament out of 60 teams. The Tri-State is a Flo-National Qualifier because it is one of the better tournaments in the country. They had 4 placers at the tournament: Tristan Moran took 1st, Diego Alvarado took 2nd, Brian Devine took 7th, and Curtis Buelna took 8th. They are currently 10-3 in dual meets and also finished 2nd at the GCU Southwest Showdown on December 3rd with 2 outstanding wrestlers: Tristan Moran and Dalton Brady.

VX Wrestling Preview 2011-2012

By Jason P. Skoda, Ahwatukee Foothills News | Posted: Thursday, December 1, 2011 4:34 pm
The 2011-12 wrestling season has a few months to define itself, but the offseason was all about the comings and goings, with three in particular affecting the Southeast Valley.
The first one shook the entire state as Tucson Sunnyside coach Bobby DeBerry stepped down after winning after one of the most dominating runs in Arizona high school sports history.
The Blue Devils have won 14 straight titles with DeBerry and 15 under his watch since 1996.
He and his two sons, who combined to win eight individual titles, might be gone, but the standard and the work done in the room is the same.
It is not like Sunnyside reached its dominating level behind DeBerry. The Blue Devils won 14 other state titles (29 total since 1977) and have never finished below third place since the state started keeping tabs.
DeBerry's departure might crack the door for programs like Corona del Sol, Mountain View and Desert Vista just enough to end the Sunnyside's current streak.
At the same time, the Blue Devils will be just as tough with new coach Anthony Leon, who wrestled at Catalina High in Tucson and Pima Community College.
"It still runs through Sunnyside," said Desert Vista coach David Gonzalez, who is a former assistant coach at Sunnyside. "They have just as much returning as we do. With the returning lineup we have we should be one of the top teams.
"I am not conceding anything to Sunnyside, but they have won so many (14) state titles in a row for a reason. Coach DeBerry might be gone but the program still has its roots."
The other two major moves hit more of the epicenter of the Southeast Valley.
Highly-successful coach Tom Wokasch takes over at Queen Creek, which has a reputation for turning out tough and disciplined wrestlers.
Wokasch won five state titles at Cottonwood Mingus before resigning after the 2009-10 season when he became under investigation for the whereabouts of the some booster club money. Nothing came of the investigation to date.
After spending some time as Hamilton's assistant coach, Wokasch takes over the Bulldogs, who finished second in the state in 2010 and third in 2008 in Class 4A Division I and Division II, respectively, under Tod Workman.
The third move involves Chandler junior Dalton Brady, who left the program for five months to train at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs only to return just before the season started.
The decision to come back was made easier when the high school he planned on attending in Colorado didn't handle the paperwork correctly so instead of taking a chance of being ineligible, he returned to Arizona, where his mother stayed while his father followed him to Colorado.
"Obviously, we are very pleased to have him back, more importantly, he is very happy to be back," Chandler coach Vidal Mejia said. "It's about kids and not coaches and programs. We have a great group of lightweights and Dalton just raises the bar for them in practice, drilling, intensity and leadership."
There was some other movement by individuals as Desert Vista's lineup has been bolstered by Derek Allen and Robert Sobarzo, state placers who came over from Mountain Ridge and Westview, and Horizon will be stronger with the addition of state-placer Samson Imonode from Phoenix Central.

Returning wrestling champions
Division I: Rafael Jaimes, Sr., Yuma Cibola, 103 pounds; Dalton Brady, Jr., Chandler, 112; Robbie Mathers, Sr., Desert Vista, 125; Curt Done, Jr., Highland, 130; Kendall Love, Sr., Desert Vista, 135; Seth Monty, Jr., Mountain View, 140; Dorian Coleman, Sr., Mesa, 160; Cedric Gonzalez, Sr., Sunnyside, 171; ; Alex Bambic, Jr., Desert Vista, 215.
Division II: Connor Buette, Sr., Tucson Ironwood Ridge, 119 pounds; Tate Sandifer, Jr., Ironwood Ridge, 125; Jesus Morales, Jr., Marcos de Niza, 130; Kevin Jumbeck, Sr., Yuma Gila Ridge, 160; Michael Holwell, Sr., Glendale, 189.
Division III: Gabe Galaviz, So., Flagstaff Coconino, 103 pounds; Trey Andrews, Sr., Safford, 112; Mark Lopez, Jr., Rio Rico, 135; Justin Zaske, Sr., Mingus, 152; Kevin Henderson, Sr., Lakeside Blue Ridge, 160; Terrence Cook, Sr., Bullhead City Mohave, heavyweight.
Division IV: Ryder Nielson, Sr., St. Johns, 112 pounds; Dallyn Despain, So., Heber Mogollon, 119; Smiley Beecroft, So., Mogollon, 125; RJ Alverado, Sr., Holbrook, 130; Remington Baldwin, Sr., Joseph City, 145; Ryan Gill, Sr., Yuma Catholic, 160; Boone Baker, Sr., Mogollon, 171; Lloyd Lewis, Jr., Salt River, 215.
Key Dates
Dec. 17-18: McClintock Invitational; Moon Valley Invitational
Jan. 4: Corona del Sol at Desert Vista
Jan. 6-7: Peoria Invitational
Jan. 13-14: Flowing Wells Invite
Jan. 18: Mountain View at Corona
Feb. 3-4: Sectional tournaments
Feb. 9-11: State tournament at Tim's Toyota Center. (Division I and II are Friday and Saturday; Division III and IV are Thursday and Friday)
Did you know?
•Dalton Brady's lone loss in Arizona came at the hands of Safford's three-time state champion Trey Andrews, who beat Brady 3-2 at Flowing Wells two years ago. Brady avenged that loss with a 6-5 win over Andrew last year at the same tournament. Here is hoping round three comes this year.
•Desert Vista's Alex Bambic won the gold medal at the Pam-Am Games in Mexico over the summer. Bambic competed at 100kg (220 pounds) for the U.S. team in the Greco competition. Bambic won the gold medal and sealed the win for the U.S. in the Greco team competition, beating Mexico based on the number of gold medals.
•Who were the last teams to beat Sunnyside at a state tournament? Marcos de Niza edged the Blue Devils in 1997 by the score of 191-187.5. The last team to beat the Blue Devils in a dual meet? Dobson in 1998 at a Deer Valley dual meet tournament.

Help support Chandler Wrestling with your tax credit donation

Arizona allows its residents to donate money to schools and receive a dollar for dollar tax credit. This means that if you donate $100 you will receive exactly $100 back on your tax return. This program greatly benefits the Chandler Wrestling program and its participants. The new donation limits are: $400 for married couples filing jointly, $200 for individuals filing as single or head of household, and $200 per person for married couples filing separately. Click on the link below if you would like to make a donation. Then all you have to do is select Chandler High School and select Wrestling and all of your donation will go directly to our program. Thank you for your support!

https://chandler.mytechsupport.com/donations/make_donation.html

Seven Freshmen Join Crimson Wrestling Squad for 2011-12 Season: Harvard Athletics - GoCrimson.com

Seven Freshmen Join Crimson Wrestling Squad for 2011-12 Season: Harvard Athletics - GoCrimson.com

VX Male Athlete of the Year:Chandler's High - Dalton Brady

June 24, 2011 - 4:49PM

By Kyle Odegard, Tribune

Dalton Brady so thoroughly dominated the Arizona high school wrestling scene in the winter that there’s really nothing left for him to accomplish here.
Fittingly, he’s moving on to bigger and better things.
The Chandler sophomore went 41-0 on the season, beating a pair of eventual state champions on his way to a second straight title, this one in the 112-pound weight division.
Brady only had two close matches all season as he regularly dispatched wrestlers one or two years older than him.
His dominance on the mat earned him the Tribune’s Male Athlete of the Year award, and it’s also made him a wanted commodity.
Last Tuesday, the Olympic Training Committee in Colorado Springs extended Brady an invitation to join its residence developmental team, an honor reserved for a dozen of the best wrestlers in the country.
Just three days later, Brady packed his bags and made the move.
He plans to get home-schooled and train with the country’s elite wrestlers, with an eye toward competing in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
“I love Chandler, but no matter what high school you are at, you just can’t give up this opportunity,” Brady said. “Not a lot of kids get this privilege.”
Dalton’s mom, Laurie, said the family first planned to discuss the option when the committee began making its overture.
Once the official invitation came, though, there was no second-guessing.
“We decided to go for it,” Laurie Brady said. “Everyone dreams of getting an Olympic medal. It’s an awesome opportunity.”
Dalton’s father, Brian, has moved with him to Colorado and will stay there for a year. Next season, Dalton plans to move into the dorms at the training center and his dad will return to Arizona.
Brady has finished up a week of sessions with his new training partners, and he seems in awe.
“In high school, I was kind of the team captain,” Brady said. “When you look around here, everyone is drilling harder and better. It’s a lot different. If you don’t know how to do a move that well, you just look to your left and see how (2009 NCAA champion) Troy Nickerson does it.”
Brady’s success didn’t stop after winning the state title.
In late April, he defeated Phillip Lax of Iowa to win the 110-pound division at the ASICS/FILA Cadet & University National Championships in Akron, Ohio. He will wrestle at that weight class at the 2011 FILA Cadet World Championships from Aug. 23-28 in Budapest, Hungary.
Normally, that would be right around the time his junior year would be starting at Chandler. Instead, he will return to Colorado Springs afterward and continue his training.
Brady said making the move was tough, but something he couldn’t turn down.
“It was hard leaving my team, my mom, my family,” Brady said. “All of a sudden you pack your bags. But there’s this whole atmosphere about being around national champions. I’ve always wanted to do this.”

Dalton Brady wins national wrestling title

Dalton Brady wins national wrestling title

25 April 2011 One Comment Steve Burks

Chandler High’s Dalton Brady added a national championship to his list of accomplishments this year, winning the 50 KG (110-pound) division at the ASICS/FILA Cadet & University National Championships on Saturday at Akron, Ohio.
Brady, a sophomore who already has two state titles under his belt, beat Phillip Lax of Iowa by a fall at 1:34 in the championship match.
With the title, Brady earns the chance to represent the United States at the 2011 FILA Cadet World Championships, August 23-28 in Hungary.
For video of Brady’s championship match, see below.

All-Tribune Wrestling | VarsityXtra - Arizona High School Sports

All-Tribune Wrestling

By Steve Burks, Tribune

There are 33 high school wrestlers who may not believe it, but Dalton Brady can be beaten.
He just had to go halfway around the world to find out.
After wrapping up a 41-0 sophomore season at Chandler High, Brady earned a spot on the USA Junior World team. The team travelled to Bulgaria to take part in the 14th International Wrestling Tournament hosted by the Bulgarian Wrestling Federation from March 3-14.
“It was the first U.S. team to go to that tournament and the camp that they had,” said Brady. “I didn’t know how it was going to go or what was going to happen.”
What happened is Brady got nine days of international coaching, but he also lost, twice, to two older, bigger wrestlers from Bulgaria and Iran.
“They were between 17 and 19 (years old), if they were truthful about their age,” Brady said. “And they were about 5 kilograms bigger than me.
“But the experience was priceless. Right now, I feel great and if I went back, I think I would win those matches. I’m wrestling 10 times better now than before I went over there.”
That’s hard to imagine if you are one of the 33 wrestlers to face Brady this past season. He had just two matches that would be classified as close calls and cruised to his second state championship. For his efforts, Brady is the East Valley Tribune’s Wrestler of the Year.
“You have to be willing to learn,” said Brady of his experience with the U.S. Junior team. “Even if you feel like you are on the top, you’re not. I try to be the one that’s working harder.
“Someone has your picture on the wall and they are looking for you, hunting you. You always need to be humble, and be ready.”
During the high school wrestling season, Brady did not come across his equal in the 112-pound weight class. Along the way, he beat two wrestlers who went on to win state championships, one from Arizona (Safford’s Trey Andrews) and one from Washington.
The win over Andrews came in the finals of the Flowing Wells Invitational. As a freshman, Brady lost the only match of his high school career to Andrews in the same tournament and had been focused on reversing the result this year.
“Going into the match I was really confident because I worked really hard for the entire year,” Brady said. “I knew I was going to have him again. I wanted redemption.”
Brady got redemption in the form of a 6-5 decision over Andrews, a junior who went 50-1 on the year and has won state titles all three years he’s been at Safford.
“That was probably one of the biggest wins I’ve had,” Brady said.
After beating Andrews, Brady cruised through the majority of his matches, with one exception, his Division I, Section III finals match against Desert Ridge’s Nate Covarrubias.
“He was really prepared, and I wasn’t,” said Brady. “We went out with a good game plan to slow me down, stop my movement, hold my wrists.”
The result was a hard-fought 3-2 win for Brady that opened his eyes a bit for the state tournament.
“That sectionals match scared me and I had to touch up on some basics before state,” Brady said.
In the state championship match, Brady met Covarrubias for the second straight year and pulled out a 9-3 victory.
For Brady, the focus now turns to the national stage. He plans on going to the Fila Junior Nationals April 7-11 in Cleveland and, later, the ASICS/Vaughan Junior National Championships, July 15-23 in Fargo, N.D.
Strong showings in those tournaments will give Brady another chance at going overseas and getting some redemption on an international level.
All-Tribune wrestling first team
Wt.      Name                    School             Yr.     Record    Comment
103     Alex Herrera         Dobson           Sr.      40-5         Was steady all season, earned 4th at Division I meet
112     Dalton Brady       Chandler          So.     41-0         Dominated all season long, is nationally-ranked
119     Vidal Mejia           Chandler          Sr.     32-9        Is Harvard-bound after being back-to-back runner-up at state
125     Robbie Mathers   Desert Vista   Jr.      39-3        Bumped up from 112, but still won 2nd straight state title
130     Curt Done          Highland           So.     34-2        Followed brother Chad’s lead by winning title as sophomore
135    Kendall Love    Desert Vista       Jr.       27-6        Transfer from Indiana adjusted well, winning state title
140     Seth Monty     Mountain View    So.      42-3        After finishing fourth as a freshman, broke through for title
145     Kolton Lock    Queen Creek     Sr.       46-3       Capped career with back-to-back state championships
152    Edgar Verdi            Mesa           Sr.       40-4      Followed up state title as Jr. with runner-up finish as Sr.
160    Dorian Coleman    Mesa           Jr.        39-3      Won epic battle in title match to claim gold
171   Tyler Cattey            Gilbert           Sr.       24-6     Peaked at right time to reach state-title match
189   Colten Oliver       Highland         Sr.       40-5     Lost in title match for second-straight year
215    Alex Bambic     Desert Vista     So.      37-3     Beat undefeated, returning champ in title match
Hwt. Corbin Cooke     Mesquite         Sr.       43-3     Bounced back from disappointing Jr. season to win title
Wrestler of the Year:  Dalton Brady, Chandler.
Coach of the Year: Steve Tannenbaum, Dobson.  Senior-ladened Mustangs handed Tucson Sunnyside a rare defeat in the sectionals and were a factor in every meet they were in during the regular season.
All-Tribune wrestling second team
Wt.           Name                           School        Yr.    Record   Comment
103    Nathan Bosley                  Perry         Jr.      32-9       Came on strong late in season, was third in Div. II
112    Nathan Covarrubias   Desert Ridge   Sr.  43-3      Lost to Brady in state finals for second-straight year
119    Dawayne Robertson   Westwood    Jr.     48-4      Tied for second-most wins in Div. I
125    Brigg Solomon          Queen Creek   Sr.   37-5      Placed 2nd, 3rd and 3rd at state in last three seasons
130    Jesus Morales        Marcos de Niza   So.  37-3    Was lone state champion in Div. II for Padres
135    Juan Munoz                    Skyline          Sr.    43-7    Closed out prep career with a win in 3rd-place match
140    Bryce Dillard                   Perry             Sr.    32-4     Was fourth as a Jr.; moved up to 3rd in final year
145    Marshall Varner           Brophy           So.    21-3     15th seed at state meet, rolled all the way to runner-up finish
152    Airam Moreno          Queen Creek    Sr.     45-6    Third-place in Div. II after runner-up finish as a Jr.
160    Bobby Davis          Red Mountain      Sr.    39-6     Made state title match, falling to Mesa’s Coleman
171    Christian Allen         Highland            Jr.     42-4     Beat eventual state champ at sectionals; was 3rd at state
189    Jacob Vega              Chandler            Sr.    34-12   Up and down season ended on a high note with 3rd-place finish
215    Simon Allen      Corona del Sol         Sr.   45-1     Lone loss came in Div. I state title match
Hwt.    Kyle Alexander   Mountain View       Sr.    36-8    Fourth in Div. I; 26 of 36 wins were by fall
Memorable moments from the 2010-2011 season
• The Warrior Classic at Westwood was one of the more exciting early-season meets, with outstanding teams like Mesa, Red Mountain, Corona del Sol, Skyline, Ironwood Ridge and Safford competing. Skyline knocked off Safford in the first round of the tournament, Mesa won a controversial one-point match against Corona del Sol for third and Red Mountain gave Division II champion Ironwood Ridge all it could handle before falling in the championship match 35-31.
• Desert Vista and Dobson both ventured out of the state for big tournaments and came home big winners. The Thunder went to the 63-team North Torrance Meet and came away champions, with three individual titles in tow: Ace Martinez (160), Sam Schoepf (171) and Alex Bambic (215). Martinez was named the upper weight outstanding wrestler after registering five pins. Dobson went to the 21-team Bonanza High Duals in Las Vegas and came away with the team title.
• The East Valley was well represented atop the medal stand at the Flowing Wells Invitational again this year. Chandler’s Dalton Brady won at 112 pounds, Desert Vista’s Robbie Mathers at 125, Marcos de Niza’s Jesse Morales at 130, Mountain View’s Seth Monty at 140 and Corona del Sol’s Simon Allen at 215. Of the 14 champions from the Flowing Wells Invite, 11 went on to win their respective state championships.
• The state went with a new sectional format this season and it produced a strange result. In the Division I, Section 3 meet at Mesquite High School, Dobson did something very few Arizona teams have been able to do in the last 14 years: It beat Tucson Sunnyside. The Mustangs were the sectional champion, but one week later Sunnyside won its 14th straight state title and Dobson finished far behind in 13th place. Highland was the Division I runner-up and Desert Vista was third. In Division II, Marcos de Niza finished second behind Ironwood Ridge.

Spring Update:

On May 7th eight of Chandler Wrestling Club athletes competed at the Junior Western Regional Tournament in Tucson. Chandler had 3 placers at the tournament. Tristan Moran placed 2nd in Freestyle and Greco and Dalton Moran and Daniel Savage took 4th in Freestyle.

Dalton Brady just became a National Champion! Dalton defeated 2 of the top-ranked wrestlers in the country to win the 112 pound FILA Cadet Nationals held April 10th-12th. This just adds one more accolade to a stellar spring, as he recently returned from Bulgaria competing for the FILA Junior World Team in March. Dalton is Chandler High School's 1st National Champion.

On April 10th-12th three other Chandler wrestlers competed at the Mexican Games in Freestyle and Greco. Curtis Buelna and Joseph Vega both took 2nd in both styles and Alexander Buelna took 4th in Freestyle. All three qualified for the Mexican National Tournament this summer.

2010-11 Season Overview

The Wolves had a solid 2010-11 wrestling season. They finished 5th at the State Tournament with 5 individual placers: Dalton Brady (1st), Max Mejia (2nd), Jacob Vega (3rd), Dalton Moran (5th), and JoJo Vega (6th). They finished 3rd in their Sectional Tournament, 1st at the Payson Tournament, 7th at Flowing Wells, 17th at Tri-State in Idaho, and 4th at the GCU Southwest Showdown. 

       

All American Camp

All American Camp

For more information:  http://allamericanteamcamp.weebly.com/

Chandler Wrestling Club - All American Summer Camp 2011

June 6-10, 2011
The All-American Wrestling Camp provides technical training from National
Champion and All-American wrestling clinicians as well as the opportunity for young wrestlers to put their newly acquired skills to the test in a competition
format. This camp has the highest quality instruction at an unbelievable  value.

Team Camp Format
Grades 8th-12th
The format of the camp was one of the most valuable aspects of the camp for many coaches and athletes that have attended in the previous years. In this format athletes and coaches will be instructed by a featured clinician in a large group for 1 hour and then they will be able to choose 2 additional 45  minute breakout sessions that they would like to see. This allows athletes and coaches to choose the technique sessions that best fits their wrestling style. In the afternoon session the athletes will be given the opportunity to try out their newly acquired skills in a dual meet competition format. Each team will wrestle a minimum of 7 duals over the course of the week.

Youth Camp Format
(Ages 4-13)
The youth camp starts with a 3 hour morning clinic. This is geared for wrestlers at a beginning or intermediate experience level. Wrestlers will be given technical instruction by our great clinicians and will also be given opportunities to compete and practice their skills in the afternoon session.

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Brady, Monty lead E.V. grapplers with state championships

February 12, 2011 - 1:41AM

Brady, Monty lead E.V. grapplers with state championships

By Jason P. Skoda, Ahwatukee Foothills News

PRESCOTT VALLEY – Dalton Brady and Seth Monty are both sophomores.
That’s about where the similarities on the wrestling mat end.
Brady, a Chandler 112-pounder, is a naturally gifted wrestler that will end his career as one of the best the state has ever seen.
He is slick, has good hips, quickness that should be illegal and is so confident he’d probably eat a Sloppy Joe without a napkin.
Monty, a Mesa Mountain View 140-pounder, made state as a freshman with a record just above .500, but found his way on to the podium for a fourth-place finish that led to a newfound confidence. With that said, he isn’t the most technically sound wrestler and had to overcome some mental blocks.
Yet both left Tim’s Toyota Center as equals – Division I state champions.
“That’s what makes wrestling great – there are some many different and good stories about these kids,” Chandler coach Vidal Mejia said.
Brady finished the year 41-0 and is 80-1 in his high school career. For the second year in the row he met Desert Ridge’s Nate Covarrubias in the finals. It was a 3-2 OT win for Brady last season, but this time he took control from the start and the outcome was never in doubt.
“I wanted to get the first takedown and set the tone and the pace of the match,” Brady said. “I’ve wrestled him a lot and we have practiced together. Nate is really strong and it’s hard to score against someone that you know so well.”
Monty's (42-3) rise to state champ was a bit more unexpected, but it started about a year ago when he finished fourth.
“He caught fire last year,” Toros coach Bob Callison said of his first state champion since 2007. “After that he went to national tournaments, did well, got experience and came back a different wrestler and it really paid off.”
One that was still holding Monty back was his finals opponent – Mark Bayer from Phoenix North Canyon. Bayer beat Monty 5-1 in the placement round at state last year and then again this year at sectionals.
He trailed 3-0 again Friday night before he got a headlock on Bayer and pinned him in the second period for the win.
“I knew he beat me and it was starting to get to be a mental thing, but I just had to wrestle my match,” Monty said. “I’m not the most technical wrestlers, but I want to win like no one else.”
Another sophomore – Desert Vista’s Alex Bambic – came away with the 215-pound title when he beat Corona del Sol’s Simon Allen, 9-4.
Allen (45-1) had his knee come out of socket and come back into place early in the first period to hinder his quickness and strength, but Bambic (37-3) set the pace from the start.
“I wanted to beat him and have a chance to be a three-time state champ,” said Bambic, who is now 2-1 against Allen in two state meets. “I had to finish my shots and I did that.”
Other Division I champs from the area were Desert Vista’s Robbie Mathers (125) and Kendall Love (135), Highland’s Curt Done (130), Mesa’s Dorian Coleman (160) and Mesquite’s Corbin Cooke (HVY).
In the team race, Tucson Sunnyside won its 14th straight title with 124 ½ points, while Highland (114, 6 placers), Desert Vista (102, 5 placers), Yuma Cibola (96) and Chandler (93, 5 placers) finished in the top five.
Corona (72) was seventh, Red Mountain (71) was eighth, Mesa (69.5) was ninth and Mountain View (62) tied Anthem Boulder Creek for 10th.
In Division II, Marcos de Niza’s Jesus Morales beat Chaparral’s Gino Stoppa, who was trying to become the school’s first title winner since 1988, for the 130-pound title. Queen Creek’s Kolton Lock won the 145-pound title with a win over Barry Goldwater’s Austin Crawford.
Lock became the school’s second two-time state champion, joining David Hollis.
“It puts him in an elite class at our school,” Queen Creek coach Tod Workman said. “He is an example for everyone in our room what hard work and dedication can do.”
In the team race, Tucson Ironwood Ridge ran away with it and finished with 141.5 points while Marcos was second with 116 behind six overall placers, including state runner-up Adam Pavlenko at 215.

2011 AIA D-I & D-II Wrestling State Finals

Division I and II State Finals Friday, Feb. 11, 2011 at 7:00 p.m.

Watch this event LIVE!! Broadcast starts on February 11, 2011, at 7:00 pm

The 2011 AIA D-I & D-II Wrestling State Finals from Tim's Toyota Center in Prescott Valley, Arizona on Friday, Feb. 11, 2011 at 7 p.m.

 

2011 AIA D-I & D-II Wrestling State Finals Division I and II State Finals Friday, Feb. 11, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. Watch this event LIVE!! Broadcast starts on February 11, 2011, at 7:00 pm 2 days 20:40:32 The 2011 AIA D-I & D-II Wrestling State Finals from Tim's Toyota Center in Prescott Valley, Arizona on Friday, Feb. 11, 2011 at 7 p.m. 

Chandler wrestler Max Mejia wants to make Harvard next stop

Chandler High School wrestler Max Mejia (right) plans to enroll at Harvard next fall for its academics and wrestling program. He was sold when he visited the campus.

Academics, athletics factored into choice

5 comments by Sarah McLellan - Jan. 13, 2011 10:46 AM
The Arizona Republic

Chandler High senior wrestler Max Mejia had a stringent checklist he adhered to while deciding which college to attend.
His criteria were two-fold - academics and athletics.
He examined the tuition and the opportunity for graduate school. With an interest in dentistry, Mejia is committed to studying past an undergraduate degree.
He also wanted to continue to pursue wrestling and felt his best opportunity for success was with a program where he could compete as a freshman and alongside teammates and coaches that were a natural fit.
"I tried to give myself the best of every single thing," he said.
Mejia found the answer to those requirements in Harvard.
"The atmosphere and the people - they were amazing," Mejia said.
Mejia decided on Harvard the day before Thanksgiving, settling his future at the beginning of the high school season. Other schools he was considering included the U.S. Naval Academy, University of Pennsylvania and Stanford. He took trips to all three schools.
"The trips are important because I'm going to spend the next four, five, maybe nine years there wrestling, going to school," Mejia said. "So if I didn't like the atmosphere, the town, the people, the classrooms, just everything had to be right."
Mejia's goal is simple - to become a national champion.
"I expect to start at 125 (pounds), and I expect to make a big impact," he said. "I'm going to give it my all, and hopefully I can make some noise and qualify for the NCAA tournament."
Vidal Mejia believes competing in college will be a change of culture for his son. Right now, most of Max Mejia's time is dedicated to school. He maintains a 4.6 GPA, and his nights are consumed by homework.
"I think he'll really blossom at college because he'll actually get to spend more time training," Vidal Mejia said.
So with Max Mejia's four-year future planned, it would be easy to assume this wrestling season is an afterthought. But Mejia still has something to prove.
Yes, he's a state champion, winning the 103-pound weight class as a sophomore and taking second place at 112 as a junior. But Mejia's fire to compete and win is still ignited as long as there are meets on the schedule.
Entering this week's action, Mejia is 10-3. The feature event of the season outside of the state tournament is the Flowing Wells Invitational in Tucson today and tomorrow.
"I want to get first place; I want to win," said Mejia, who is competing at 121 this season. "That's like a preview of the state tournament, so you're going to see everyone there."

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/2011/01/13/20110113chandler-wrestler-max-mejia0114.html#ixzz1Bnj3rsyD

 Brady arousing attention in and beyond Chandler

By Steve Burks, Tribune

“Hey, you gotta watch this guy,” one Mesa High student said, nudging his friend away from another conversation. “He’s a beast.”
The whole group perked up as Dalton Brady jogged to the middle of the wrestling circle during a Jan. 12 duel at Mesa.
“Watch this.”
A sophomore at Chandler, Brady has developed a well-earned reputation in Arizona wrestling circles. When he’s on the mat, people pay attention. They have to, because many of his matches are over before you know it, like his 39-second pin of Mesa’s Kevin Hale that had the group of Mesa students nodding their heads.
Brady has already reached the highest level for a high school wrestler, going 39-1 and winning the 103-pound state championship in 5A Division I last season as a freshman — the only freshman in all of 5A to win a state title. This season, Brady is at 112 pounds and has yet to lose a match heading into this weekend’s Payson Invitational (28-0).
“I just go out there and wrestle my match, I don’t worry about the crowd, but I’m excited that they will come to watch me,” Brady said. “That makes me want to work harder toward my goals of showing people that I can perform under pressure and at a high level.”
On Jan. 15, Brady avenged the only loss of his high school career, winning the championship of the Flowing Wells Invitational (arguably the best regular season tournament in Arizona) with a 6-5 win over Safford’s two-time state champ, Trey Andrews. It was in the 2010 finals at Flowing Wells that Andrews handed Brady a controversial 3-2 loss. The final point came on a stalling penalty on Brady that had the crowd howling.
“I hate losing with all my heart,” Brady said. “I will do anything not to lose. I can’t stand it. It pushes me a lot.”
While Brady draws a lot of enjoyment from the team aspect of high school wrestling, his personal focus is on the spring and summer, when he can see where he stands on a national level. This past spring, Brady stood tall at the Fila Cadet Nationals in Akron, Ohio, placing third in the 101.25-pound (46 kilograms) division. His two losses came to the eventual national champion.
“His focus is on the national level,” Chandler coach Vidal Mejia said. “If that’s your focus, everything else will take care of itself.”
Mejia calls Brady “one of the quickest kids I’ve ever seen wrestle. He’s so lightning quick, he has that first step and he’s there before they can react.”
In typical wrestling fashion, Brady started wrestling at age 8 and really took a shining to it around age 11. The quickness is natural, but his biggest area of improvement is his strength, which he’s working on this season.
“Wrestling my bigger teammates like (140-pounder) Alex (Buelna) or (119-pounder) Max Mejia, wrestling guys like that make you improve your strength,” Brady said. “I have to get the feel for the bigger, stronger people.”
In the wrestling room, Brady may get worked over by bigger, stronger teammates, but all of that is reversed come match time. In most matches, Brady’s speed surprises and his strength overwhelms the opponents. Couple all of that with a confidence that has been honed by a lot of wins and a lot of hard work and you can understand why people sitting in the opposing bleachers take notice when he’s on the mat.
“Last year, I think I was a little more nervous and wanted to prove something and I think I proved it,” Brady said. “This year, I’m going to go in and throw caution to the wind.”

Flowing Wells Tournament 2011

Alex Buelna

Jacob Vega

Mex Mejia

Dalton Brady

The Wolves took 7th at the prestigious Flowing Wells Tournament on January 15th. Dalton Brady won the tournament,Alexander Buelna took 2nd, Max Mejia took 4th, and Jacob Vega took 6th. The Wolves are currently 11-3 on the season after beating Mesa High School 40-32 on Wednesday, January 12th. This is their first win over Mesa High in 20 years! On December 17th and 18th the Wolves headed to Idaho to wrestle in the toughest tournament in the Northwest, the Tri-State Tournament. The Tri-State Tournament was attended by many of the toughest teams in Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. The Wolves finished 17th out of 56 teams and had 4 individual placers: Dalton Brady took 1st, Max Mejia took 6th, Dalton Moran took 8th, and Jose Venegas took 8th.