Estrada and Gutierrez defend titles at Sammy V Invitational

PHOTO GALLERY: The 4th annual Sammy V Invitational

Jan 17, 2025

With seven mats and hundreds of matches, the 4th annual Sammy V Invitation wrestling tournament went off without a hitch on Saturday. Socorro had five wrestlers place, including two championships by David Gutierrez Jr. and Isiah Estrada.

It was a full weekend of wrestling with the Lady Warriors Invite, a dual match for the Warriors against Aztec on Friday, the Sammy V Invitational on Saturday, and a youth tournament on Sunday.

The Sammy V Invite

This year's tournament featured some very unique wrestling hardware, featuring Socorro's legendary wrestling coach looking tough and buff. This is much like the tournament's namesake coach, Sammy Vivian, who got Socorro wrestling started years ago and helped take some ruffians off the streets.

Current Warriors head coach Joel Partridge was one of those self-described ruffians. He and his coaching staff reestablished wrestling in Socorro with youth athletes 15 years ago.

Eight years ago, Socorro began the venture into high school wrestling and has returned home with 12 individual state titles. Tournaments like the Sammy V Invitational and the Conflict in Cleveland are a great setup for the Warrior wrestlers.

"I thought our 215-pounder Julian Aldrich getting a medal was a big deal, and Maurice Lucero did really well. Kadeyn McNeil, Isaiah Estrada, and Junior (David Gutierrez), all typically wrestle well all the time. I saw a lot of good things out of my heavyweight Jeremiah Contreras, who's behind Junior, and he wrestled really well," Warriors coach Joel Partridge said.

Socorro's wrestlers are especially motivated to wrestle in their home event because the Warriors, who are homegrown, all know coach Vivian.

Ruben Gonzales' first-ever varsity wrestling win couldn't come at a better time for the first-year wrestler.

"I really wanted to win this week because it's my grandpa's tournament," Gonzales said. "It felt amazing, honestly; now I just kept working at it. I didn't expect it at all. I was really working at it, trying to get my stamina up, get the moves down, and try to get fluids in. It paid off. I got my first win during my grandpa's tournament. I'm pretty happy with the way I did. I feel like I could have done better, but at the end of the day, I still tried."

It's become a tradition for Socorro wrestlers to honor Vivian by giving him their medal if they place in the tournament.

It's a custom started by current sophomore and current defending state champion Isiah Estrada, who promised himself he would give his medal to Vivian if he placed in the tournament. Estrada lived up to his ambitions, and he had no idea he was going to start a tradition followed by his fellow wrestlers.

"My eighth-grade year, I said if I win, it's coach Sammy's turn for me to honor him. I'm going to give him my medal. Ever since my eighth-grade year, I have given my medal to him, and after I did it, some of my other teammates started giving their medals to him, too."

Estrada has never known life without coach Vivian because Estrada's father, Jonathan, like other Socorro coaches, has wrestled under his guidance. This year's wrestlers personalized their medals with Sharpie marker autographs.

Senior and two-time defending heavyweight state champion David Gutierrez Jr. also handed over his first-place medal to coach Vivian and reflected on how it would be his last Sammy V Invitational as a high school wrestler.

"It was pretty important for me to win today because I was here for the first invitational, and now it is my last one, and I wanted to win today for coach Sammy," Gutierrez said.107 - Champ. Round 1 - Jorgen Booth (Valencia) over Johnaven Robles (Socorro) (Fall 1:32); Cons. Round 1 - Johnaven Robles (Socorro) over Caleb Corral (Miyamura) (Fall 4:19); Cons. Round 2 - Julian Brown (Tucumcari) over Johnaven Robles (Socorro) (Fall 1:35).

114 - Champ. Round 1 - Elijah Montoya-Mora (Cleveland) over Marius Lucero (Socorro) (Dec 9-6); Cons. Round 1 - Marius Lucero (Socorro) over Isaiah Larson (Robertson) (Fall 2:27); Cons. Round 2 - Marius Lucero (Socorro) over Christopher Korody (Las Cruces) (Fall 2:48); Cons. Round 3 - Marius Lucero (Socorro) over Luis Alvarado (Silver) (Dec 11-7); Cons. Semis - Marius Lucero (Socorro) over Nava Gurule (Los Lunas) (Fall 4:19); 3rd Place Match - Isaiah Ruiz (Bernalillo) over Marius Lucero (Socorro) (TF 16-1 4:29).

121 - Champ. Round 1 - Isiah Estrada (Socorro) received a bye; Quarterfinals - Isiah Estrada (Socorro) over Isreal Martinez (Bernalillo) (Fall 1:57); Semifinals - Isiah Estrada (Socorro) over Paul Duran (Robertson) (Fall 0:47); 1st Place Match - Isiah Estrada (Socorro) over Chase Jimenez (Silver) (TF 15-0 0:41).

133 - Champ. Round 1 - Jimmy Lopez (Rio Grande) over Ruben Gonzales (Socorro) (Fall 3:29); Cons. Round 1 - Ruben Gonzales (Socorro) over Etienne Vaillancourt (Las Cruces) (Fall 1:53); Cons. Round 2 - Jassiah Padilla (Belen) over Ruben Gonzales (Socorro) (Fall 3:20).

139 - Champ. Round 1 - Patrick Ware Moya (Socorro) over Xavier Vallejos (West Las Vegas) (Fall 1:32); Quarterfinals - Shane Saucedo (Miyamura) over Patrick Ware Moya (Socorro) (Fall 1:06); Cons. Round 2 - Patrick Ware Moya (Socorro) over Diego Pestana (Highland) (Fall 0:23); Cons. Round 3 - Patrick Ware Moya (Socorro) over James Rowan Langell (Las Cruces) (Dec 13-7); Cons. Semis - Ayden Cordova (Los Lunas) over Patrick Ware Moya (Socorro) (Fall 0:55).

152 - Champ. Round 1 - Cristian Montoya (Los Lunas) over Kason Vanlandingham (Socorro) (Fall 1:09); Cons. Round 1 - Kason Vanlandingham (Socorro) over Diego Tenorio (Robertson) (Fall 2:02); Cons. Round 2 - Benjamin Vidales (Miyamura) over Kason Vanlandingham (Socorro) (Fall 0:53).

160 - Champ. Round 1 - Kadeyn McNeil (Socorro) over Jonathan Apodaca (West Las Vegas) (Fall 0:42); Quarterfinals - Kadeyn McNeil (Socorro) over Sumo Peralta (Rio Grande) (Fall 1:57); Semifinals - Carlos Gamboa (Las Cruces) over Kadeyn McNeil (Socorro) (UTB 2-2); Cons. Semis - Kadeyn McNeil (Socorro) over Adrian Benavidez (Cobre) (Fall 0:48); 3rd Place Match - Kadeyn McNeil (Socorro) over Cayden Nevarez (Aztec) (Fall 2:49).

189 - Champ. Round 1 - Riley Mendez (Las Cruces) over Jeremiyah Moya (Socorro) (Fall 0:52); Cons. Round 1 - Evenardo Chavira (Valencia) over Jeremiyah Moya (Socorro) (Fall 0:52); Champ. Round 1 - Julian Aldrich (Socorro) over Darren Garley (Belen) (Fall 0:48).

215 - Quarterfinals - Alessio Cisneros (Las Cruces) over Julian Aldrich (Socorro) (Fall 3:47); Cons. Round 2 - Julian Aldrich (Socorro) over William Cooper (Bernalillo) (Fall 1:33); Cons. Round 3 - Julian Aldrich (Socorro) over Isaiah Ureste (Tucumcari) (Fall 0:38); Cons. Semis - Julian Aldrich (Socorro) over Angelo Hoskin (Highland) (Fall 2:26). 3rd Place Match - Treg Sanchez (Los Lunas) over Julian Aldrich (Socorro) (Fall 2:50).

285 - Champ. Round 1 - Urbina Sebastian (Las Cruces) over Jeremiah Contreras (Socorro) (Fall 3:20); Cons. Round 1 - Jeremiah Contreras (Socorro) over Carlos Chavez (Bernalillo) (Fall 1:10); Cons. Round 2 - Eric Gregor (Belen) over Jeremiah Contreras (Socorro) (Dec 13-6).

285 - Champ. Round 1 - David Gutierrez (Socorro) received a bye; Quarterfinals - David Gutierrez (Socorro) over Roberto Mendez (Highland) (Fall 1:03); Semifinals - David Gutierrez (Socorro) over Clarence Keenom (Aztec) (Fall 1:46); 1st Place Match - David Gutierrez (Socorro) over Xavier Martinez (West Las Vegas) (Fall 1:05).

Team Results

1. Aztec, 181.0; 2. Los Lunas, 167.0; 3. Las Cruces, 158.0; 4. West Las Vegas, 138.0; 5. Cleveland, 130.0; 6. Miyamura, 121.5; 7. Socorro, 119.5; 8. Highland, 74.5; 9. Tucumcari 73.5; 10. Belen, 57.5; 11. Organ Mountain, 52.0; 12. Bernalillo, 30.5; 13. Cobre, 30.0;14. Silver, 27.0; 14. Valencia, 27.0; 16. Robertson, 26.0; 17. Rio Grande, 22.0; 18. Tierra Encantada, 6.0; 19. Los Alamos, 1.0; 20. Hozho Academy, 0.0.

Lady Warriors Invite

107- Champ. Round 1 - Aliyah Trujillo (Belen) over Kiara Martinez (Socorro) (Fall 3:24); Cons. Round 1 - Kiara Martinez (Socorro) over Celestina Cervantes (Cleveland) (MD 9-0); Cons. Round 2 - Kiara Martinez (Socorro) over Hailey Olguin (Belen) (Dec 4-0); Cons. Round 3 - Livy Chavez (St. Pius X) over Kiara Martinez (Socorro) (TF 17-1 4:30).

100 - Champ. Round 1 - Arasely Moreno (Socorro) received a bye; Quarterfinals - Arasely Moreno (Socorro) over Audrey Layman (Cleveland) (Fall 4:46); Semifinals - Arasely Moreno (Socorro) over Jaycee Douglas (Aztec) (Fall 0:38); 1st Place Match - Arasely Moreno (Socorro) over Julie Thurgood (Cleveland) (Fall 1:55).

120 -Champ. Round 1 - Jaylynn Zmuda (Organ Mountain) over Sasha Gonzalez (Socorro) (Fall 3:10); Cons. Round 1 - Sasha Gonzalez (Socorro) over Adysen Martinez (Aztec) (Fall 2:55); Cons. Round 2 - Sasha Gonzalez (Socorro) over Madelyn Tellez (Cobre) (Fall 2:44); Cons. Round 3 - Sasha Gonzalez (Socorro) over Amethyst Gaytan (Las Cruces) (Fall 1:38); Cons. Semis - Sasha Gonzalez (Socorro) over Avi Philegar (St. Pius X) (TF 19-0 3:33); 3rd Place Match - Olyvia Sanchez (Belen) over Sasha Gonzalez (Socorro) (Dec 11-4).

120 -Champ. Round 1 - Iliana Perez (Socorro) over Roselyn Mendez (Highland) (Fall 2:45); Quarterfinals - Mireya Batres (Cleveland) over Iliana Perez (Socorro) (Fall 1:09); Cons. Round 2 - Amethyst Gaytan (Las Cruces) over Iliana Perez (Socorro) (Fall 1:00).

126 -Champ Round 1 - Lainee Bradley (Ignacio) over Mariana Perez (Socorro) (Fall 3:53); Cons. Round 1 - Alicia Garcia (Highland) over Mariana Perez (Socorro) (Fall 3:18).

132 -Quarterfinals - Kalena Vanlandingham (Socorro) over Quincy Ellis (Durango) (Fall 1:06); Semifinals - Marisa Cervantes (Las Cruces) over Kalena Vanlandingham (Socorro) (Fall 2:56); Cons. Semis - Keelyn Reynolds (Durango) over Kalena Vanlandingham (Socorro) (Fall 2:15).

138 Champ. Round 1 - Chloe Etsitty (Socorro) received a bye; Quarterfinals - Chloe Etsitty (Socorro) over Stephanie Romero (Highland) (Fall 2:20); Semifinals - Chloe Etsitty (Socorro) over Paige Atma (Las Cruces) (Dec 12-8); 1st Place Match - Claudia Aragon (St. Pius X) over Chloe Etsitty (Socorro) (TF 17-0 3:38).

145 Round 1 - Maria Ruiz Jaquez (Socorro) over Esmiah Roybal (Cobre) (Fall 0:57); Round 2 - Maria Ruiz Jaquez (Socorro) over Teyona Trancosa (Bernalillo) (Fall 0:40); Round 3 - Kayci Phillips (Aztec) over Maria Ruiz Jaquez (Socorro) (Fall 1:54); Round 4 - Jacky Castille (Las Cruces) over Maria Ruiz Jaquez (Socorro) (Fall 1:08).

Warriors Dual against Aztec

107 - CJ Saiz (Aztec) over Johnaven Robles (Socorro) (TF 17-0 2:00).

114 - James Moore (Aztec) over Marius Lucero (Socorro) (Dec 10-6).

121 - Isiah Estrada (Socorro) over Ethan Vigil (Aztec) (MD 14-0).

127 - Ian Vigil (Aztec) over Unknown (For.)

133 - Juaquin Duran (Aztec) over Ruben Gonzales (Socorro) (Fall 3:30).

139 - Cory Douglas (Aztec) over Patrick Ware Moya (Socorro) (Fall 1:03).

145 - Delano Black (Aztec) over Unknown (For.).

152 - Brody Segotta (Aztec) over Kason Vanlandingham (Socorro) (Fall 1:56).

160 - Kadeyn McNeil (Socorro) over Zach Sanders (Aztec) (Fall 3:00).

172 - Cayden Nevarez (Aztec) over Unknown (For.).

189 - Aiden Trujillo (Aztec) over Jeremiyah Moya (Socorro) (Fall 0:40).

215 -Julian Aldrich (Socorro) over Unknown (For.).

285 -David Gutierrez (Socorro) over Clarence Keenom (Aztec) (Fall 1:27).