SANTA ANA - The Dons closed out Southwest Conference competition with a 22-12 victory over visiting Rio Hondo College. The win moves the Dons to 7-9 on the season and 1-3 in conference while Rio Hondo falls to 7-6 overall and 1-3 in conference.
125 Pounds – Luis Perez (RIO) def. Jose Chona (SAC) 7-5
Rio Hondo's Luis Perez scored the first points of the match with a takedown less than 30 seconds in before Jose Chona escaped with two minutes left in the first period. In the final seconds of the first period, Perez scored another takedown but Chona was able to escape to make the score 4-2 after one.
With Chona down to start the second period, he pulled within one point 40 seconds in with an escape, which stood as the only points of the period. Perez extended his lead with a reversal early in the third before Chona quickly returned with a reverse of his own to cut the score to 6-5.
Perez escaped seconds later to go back up by two points at 7-5 with one minute left in the match. Perez would, however, hold off late attempts by Chona to hold on for the 7-5 win.
133 Pounds – Ronald Collister (SAC) def. Michael Robles (RIO) 10-0
Ronald Collister opened his match with a takedown 30 seconds in before riding Rio Hondo's Michael Robles for the remainder of the period. The second period opened the same as the first, with Collister scoring a takedown in the first 30 seconds. Collister would add four points with a near fall to take an 8-0 lead into the third period. The only points of the third period came on a Collister escape as he went on to win, with the added point for riding time, 10-0.
141 Pounds – Daniel Romero (RIO) def. Andrew Gomez (SAC) 8-4
The third match of the night opened with an early takedown by Rio Hondo's Daniel Romero before SAC's Andrew Gomez escaped with two minutes remaining in the first. With one minute remaining, Romero scored another takedown with Gomez escaping just seconds later.
After Romero took a 4-2 lead into the second, Gomez quickly escaped to cut the score to just one at 4-3. The score remained 4-3 going into the third before Romero scored a quick escape and a takedown to extend his lead to 7-3 before Gomez escaped to get one point back at 7-4, but that would cap the scoring as Romero won the match.
149 Pounds – Elias Mercado (RIO) def. Tristan Steinman (SAC) 10-4
Elias Mercado (RIO) opened the next match with a takedown of Tristan Steinman just 10 seconds in before adding a near fall one minute later to take a 6-0 lead. Steinman would score on an escape one minute into the second but Mercado answered with a takedown in the final minute to extend his lead to 8-1 going into the third period.
Steinman conceded an escape late in the third period before scoring a takedown with 20 seconds remaining. Steinman was awarded a fourth point before riding Mercado for the remainder of the match. Mercado would go on to win the match 10-4 with riding time, but Steinman's late takedown kept the score under 10, allowing Mercado to score just three team points.
157 Pounds – Landon Myers (SAC) def. James Schmidt (RIO) 14-8
Landon Myers scored a quick takedown for the Dons before James Schmidt escaped with two minutes remaining. Schmidt would take his first lead at 3-2 with a takedown 30 seconds later before Myers reclaimed the lead with a reversal.
Schmidt evened the match with an escape before Myers claimed a 6-4 lead with 30 seconds remaining. Myers conceded an escape before scoring one more takedown to take an 8-5 lead into the second period.
Myers extended his lead with an escape 20 seconds into the second period before scoring a takedown with just over one minute remaining. Schmidt scored on an escape as the two wrestlers went into the third period with Myers up 11-6. Myers would go on to win 14-8 with a takedown and an added point for riding time in the third period.
165 Pounds – Eric Roberts (SAC) def. Roger Arce (RIO) 5-2
The 165-pound matchup between Roger Arce (RIO) and Eric Roberts started in a deadlock as neither wrestler scored a point in the first period. It was Roberts that broke the stalemate with a reversal in the first 30 seconds before Arce scored an escape with just over a minute remaining.
Roberts would add a takedown in the final seconds of the second period to take a 4-1 lead into the final period. A warning penalty on Roberts cut his lead in half with 1:07 remaining, but that would be the final score awarded with the exception of one point for riding time, as the Dons took their first team lead of the match at 10-9.
174 Pounds – Armon Fayyazi (SAC) def. Jonathan Virk (RIO) 6-2
It took over two minutes in before the first score, but that score belonged to SAC's Armon Fayyazi with a takedown as he rode a 2-0 lead into the second period. Fayyazi would extend his lead to 3-0 over Jonathan Virk with a quick escape to open the second period before adding two more points on a takedown in the final minute.
Virk would get his first point with a conceded takedown before Fayyazi conceded a second escape following an injury stoppage. Fayyazi would get one more point for riding time to win 6-2.
184 Pounds – Ty Freeman (SAC) def. Josh Escobedo 3-2
Ty Freeman (SAC) scored first with a takedown two minutes into his match with Josh Escobedo before a quick escape by Escobedo made the score 2-1 going into the second period. The lone point of the second period belonged to Escobedo on an escape.
Tied 2-2 going into the third period, Freeman scored an escape just 15 seconds in to reclaim the lead. Freeman held off a late attempt by Escobedo to get the 3-2 victory.
197 Pounds – Leonel Perez (SAC) wins by forfeit
HWT – Brandon Ramos (RIO) def. Abraham Aguilar (SAC) 3-1
With the match wrapped up in the favor of the Dons, there was little action to start the final match of the night. After a scoreless first period, it was SAC's Abraham Aguilar who scored first with an escape to open the second period.
Brandon Ramos evened the match with an early escape in the third period, which held through the end as the two wrestlers were forced into an extra period. With just 17 seconds remaining in the bonus period, Ramos scored a takedown to win 3-1.
