Grand Canyon University Athletics
Lopes head to Utah, where 1st champ was born
1/7/2009 10:32:19 AM | Wrestling
Wrestlers like to liken each time on the mat as another time to roll.
Next up, Orem, Utah. Let the wheels roll north.
Grand Canyon will take 14 wrestlers to the Utah Valley Open Saturday. Alex Contreras and Richard Hernandez will not make the trip to heal from minor injuries. Ryan Becerra (pictured) cleared eligibility, and will wrestle for his first official competition in a Purple and Black singlet.
"We're excited to see what he can do," Antelopes coach R.C. LaHaye said. "We have a lot of guys that can compete at this level. We just need a little more consistency, guys like (Bryan) Scambler, (Jack) Porter and (Daniel) Garay. They can all wrestle, but they just need to be a little more consistent."
Garay (pictured) has six wins against 10 defeats. Porter is 9-8. At 7-10, Scambler has a team-best four pins. Victor Carazo also has four pins, but is wrestling unattached this year. Saturday presents a chance for more wins and pins.
"I think a lot of them are excited," LaHaye said. "This is where we had our first ever champion at this tournament last year. I think a lot of these guys think they can do the same thing. Once the guys see that happen, they start to believe they can do the same thing."
Efrain Escudero, now a Mixed Martial Arts fighter, won the 157-pound championship last year. He beat two NCAA Division I wrestlers in doing so. A lot has changed within the Grand Canyon wrestling culture since then.
"The guys definitely, not only individually, but as a team, have progressed," LaHaye said. "It's good to see that we have a team where guys are excited to get going after the Christmas break."
With a more pronounced step in their shoes and readjusting to the swing of things from an academic standpoint is starting to have its settling effects on this squad as it heads to Orem.
"The main thing is it's another opportunity to wrestle," LaHaye said. "It takes a lot of these matches to get ready for these regional and national tournaments, and that's our long-term goal."
