Socorro is sending eight wrestlers to state tournament

David Gutierrez Jr. got the kind of finals match he needed against Deming’s Isaac Ledezma as Socorro’s two-time defending heavyweight champion topped his opponent at the 5:20 mark to win first place at the Region 2-4A wrestling championships over the weekend.

Gutierrez (36-2) has been so dominating this season that his winning matches quickly can be seen as detrimental to his stamina late in the season. Coach James McNeil called it “the kind of match that Junior needed,”

Gutierrez leads seven other wrestlers into this weekend’s state championships at the Rio Rancho Events Center, and he’s not the only defending champion. Isiah Estrada (38-7) is also looking to repeat. Estrada, wrestling at 121 pounds, medically forfeited his first-place match against Belen’s Joshua Jaramillo (38-5) to finish second.

Freshman Kadeyn McNeil (36-9) will be looking to improve upon last year’s third-place finish at state. As a precaution, McNeil medically forfeited his first-place regional match.

Other Warriors punching their tickets to state include Estevan Robles (18-18); Marius Lucero (26-16); Patrick Ware Moya (18-13); Kason Vanlandingham (14-19) and Julian Aldrich (23-14). 107 - Johnaven Robles (18-18) placed 5th and scored 12.5 team points. Champ. Round 1 - Johnaven Robles received a bye; Quarterfinal - David Sedillo (Belen) 30-11 won by tech fall over Johnaven Robles 18-18 (TF-1.5 4:54) (20-2); Cons. Round 2 - Johnaven Robles won by tech fall over Tanner Meador (Grants) 15-16 (TF-1.5 3:00) (19-2); Cons. Round 3 - Johnaven Robles won by fall over Fabian Rincon (Deming) 15-14 (Fall 4:29); Cons. Semi - Brock Spear (Goddard) 24-16 won by decision over Johnaven Robles 18-18 (Dec 7-5); 5th Place Match - Johnaven Robles (18-18) won by fall over Eugenio Perez (Valley) 18-19 (Fall 2:32).

114 - Marius Lucero (26-16) placed 4th and scored 16.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - Marius Lucero received a bye; Quarterfinal - Luis Alvarado (Silver) 19-8 won by decision over Marius Lucero (Dec 6-1); Cons. Round 2 - Marius Lucero won by fall over Alvarao Perez (Valley) 11-14 (Fall 0:52); Cons. Round 3 - Marius Lucero won by fall over Mark Alarcon (Santa Teresa) 13-13 (Fall 3:00); Cons. Semi - Marius Lucero won by fall over Yovan Suarez (Valencia) 28-11 (Fall 3:34); 3rd Place Match - Luis Alvarado (Silver) 19-8 won by decision over Marius Lucero 26-16 (Dec 7-6).

121 - Isiah Estrada (38-7) placed 2nd and scored 23.5 team points. Champ. Round 1 - Isiah Estrada won by fall over Antonio Landeros (Chaparral) 3-5 (Fall 0:32); Quarterfinal - Isiah Estrada won by fall over Isreal Martinez (Bernalillo) 16-14 (Fall 2:28); Semifinal - Isiah Estrada won by tech fall over Braelyn Urban (Ruidoso) 29-12 (TF-1.5 2:00) (15-0); 1st Place Match - Joshua Jaramillo (Belen) 38-5 won by medical forfeit over Isiah Estrada 38-7 (M. For.).

139 - Ruben Gonzales (5-18) place is unknown and scored 3.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - Mycah Gachupin (St. Pius X) 16-0 won by fall over Ruben Gonzales 5-18 (Fall 3:05); Cons. Round 1 - Ruben Gonzales won by fall over Danny Cristan (Valencia) 18-21 (Fall 4:58); Cons. Round 2 - Aiden Perez (Deming) 18-14 won by major decision over Ruben Gonzales 5-18 (MD 14-6).

145 - Patrick Ware Moya (18-13) placed 4th and scored 19.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - Patrick Ware Moya received a bye. Champ. Round 2 - Patrick Ware Moya won by fall over Jose Tapia (Highland) 6-9 (Fall 1:25); Quarterfinal - Corey Reza (Valley) 29-20 won by fall over Patrick Ware Moya (Fall 5:22); Cons. Round 4 - Patrick Ware Moya won by major decision over Samuel Fodge (Artesia) 12-12 (MD 18-10); Cons. Round 5 - Patrick Ware Moya won by fall over Manuel Lerma (Deming) 20-16 (Fall 0:58); Cons. Semi - Patrick Ware Moya won by decision over Zachary Katz (St. Pius X) 35-8 (Dec 10-9) 3rd Place Match - Sammuel Archuleta (Goddard) 25-14 won by fall over Patrick Ware Moya 18-13 (Fall 4:22).

152 - Kason Vanlandingham (14-19) placed 6th and scored 13.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - Kason Vanlandingham won by fall over Mateo Manquero (Del Norte) 17-17 (Fall 3:41); Quarterfinal - Stephan Ulibarri (Belen) 29-11 won by fall over Kason Valandingham (Fall 1:27); Cons. Round 2 - Kason Vanlandingham won by fall over Cristian Almaraz (Deming) 6-12 (Fall 4:06); Cons. Round 3 - Kason Vanlandingham won by fall over Hector Rivera-Caro (Santa Teresa) 9-11 (Fall 2:50); Cons. Semi - Gabriel Gangwere (Highland) 16-12 won by fall over Kason Vanlandingham (Fall 2:15); 5th Place Match - Stephan Ulibarri (Belen) 29-11 won by fall over Kason Vanlandingham 14-19 (Fall 0:45).

160 - Kadeyn McNeil (36-9) placed 2nd and scored 24.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - Kadeyn McNeil won by fall over Vincent Kavanaugh (Tierra Encantada) 4-15 (Fall 0:31); Quarterfinal - Kadeyn McNeil won by fall over Nash Letard (Academy) 14-23 (Fall 0:42); Semifinal - Kadeyn McNeil won by fall over Eric Cohn (Silver) 14-7 (Fall 4:38); 1st Place Match - Edward Freeman (Belen) 39-5 won by medical forfeit over Kadeyn McNeil 36-9 (M. For.).

189 - Jeremiyah Moya (4-16) place is unknown and scored 0.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - Jacob Silva (St. Pius X) 26-8 won by fall over Jeremiyah Moya 4-16 (Fall 0:41); Cons. Round 1 - Jeremiyah Moya 4-16 received a bye; Cons. Round 2 - Jefferson Calvel (Tierra Encantada) 6-10 won by fall over Jeremiyah Moya 4-16 (Fall 1:21).

215 - Julian Aldrich (23-14) placed 4th and scored 18.0 team points.; Champ. Round 1 - Julian Aldrich won by fall over Dane Russell (St. Pius X) 11-19 (Fall 1:02); Quarterfinal - Tank (Isaiah) Rivera (Academy) 41-9 won by fall over Julian Aldrich (Fall 1:19); Cons. Round 2 - Julian Aldrich won by fall over Eamon Rumley (Valley) 24-18 (Fall 1:49); Cons. Round 3 - Julian Aldrich won by decision over Alejandro Ontiveros (Artesia) 21-12 (Dec 6-4); Cons. Semi - Julian Aldrich won by fall over Mario Archuleta Jr (Del Norte) 24-13 (Fall 3:58); 3rd Place Match - Jesus Olvera (Deming) 25-12 won by tech fall over Julian Aldrich 23-14 (TF-1.5) 4:04 (18-3).

285 - David Gutierrez (36-2) placed 1st and scored 28.0 team points. Champ. Round 1 - David Gutierrez received a bye; Quarterfinal - David Gutierrez won by fall over Robert Montoya (Silver) 6-11 (Fall 0:07); Semifinal - David Gutierrez won by fall over Jeremy Trujeque (Belen) 24-13 (Fall 0:48); 1st Place Match - David Gutierrez 36-2 won by fall over Isaac Ledezma (Deming) 31-9 (Fall 5:20).