Heritage sends 13 wrestlers to individual championships

All 13 Heritage High School wrestlers who competed at the Sunbelt League finals Friday qualified for the CIF individual tournament, scheduled for next Friday and Saturday (boys at Temecula Valley, girls at Paloma Valley).

Girls league champions were seniors Cerridwyn Womack at 131, Jazmine Harton at 137, and Julianna Hifo at 150. Freshman Alina Lopez placed third. Boys league champions were sophomores Andy Sanchez at 138 and Raymond Martinez at 170, and seniors Aiden Smiley at 145, Adrian Sanchez at 152, and Luis Nunez at 160.

The remaining squad placed second: Sophomore David De La Torre at 132, senior Daniel Aguilar at 182, junior Roman Deatherage at 195, and freshman Charles Smith at 220.

Missing from our lineup due to injuries were freshman Roman Ochoa; sophomore Dylan Backer, who finished an impressive record of 25-5; and seniors Elijah Navarrete and Anthony Molina.

The team has improved dramatically since their first practice in October, coach Oscar Nunez said.

“The team faced well-established teams early in the season but it only inspired the team to work hard day in day out, and improve match by match,” he said. “I am very proud of these student-athletes, not only for their work ethic, but for their kindness and respect toward others. Our program philosophy is simple: building Champions of Character through wrestling. We want our legacy to be more than a score or wins and losses.”