Isaiah Locsin and Niko Katsuyoshi highlighted a big showing for the Morgan Hill Rhinos in the CA USA Junior freestyle and Greco-Roman boys wrestling championships, held April 27 at Selland Arena in Fresno.
Locsin upset the consensus No. 1-ranked high school wrestler in the country for the cadet 120-pound freestyle title in the feature match of the night, while Katsuyoshi won the intermediate 75-pound Greco-Roman championship, completing the second part of the state triple crown.
Locsin and Katsuyoshi were among five Rhinos who placed in the two tournaments.
The freestyle triumph was one of the biggest accomplishments yet for Locsin. The heralded Live Oak sophomore faced St. John Bosco-Bellflower freshman Zahid Valencia in a feature match between the reigning CIF state champions at 113 pounds and 106, respectively. Locsin lost the first round on a tiebreaker but scored six takedowns in the second and third to win 2-2, 3-1, 3-2; a score that would be comparable to 16-4 in high school wrestling, with Valencia scoring all of his points off escapes.
Valencia had not lost in two years.
“We knew (Isaiah) had him after the first round even when the score was 2-2,” Rhinos coach Armando Gonzalez said. “He got in on a shot as the buzzer went off, so we knew the next two rounds would go our way. Isaiah dominated.”
Although the Rhinos focus more on high school wrestling, the freestyle title was another building block for Locsin, who will try for another CIF state championship next year. He will likely move up to 126 pounds, Gonzalez said.
Locsin is set to compete in the Walsh Ironman Tournament, the high school equivalent of the NCAA finals, in December.
“Nothing’s better than state except for a national title – and the Ironman’s bigger than state,” Gonzalez said.
Katsuyoshi remained on pace to win CA USA youth titles in all three disciplines. He was tops in the intermediate (ages 8-10) folkstyle and Greco-Roman tournaments and, this weekend, will go for gold again in the CA USA Junior Boys Freestyle event.
“If he does that, it’s a huge accomplishment,” Gonzalez said. “It makes him the best in the state and one of the best in the nation.”
The Rhinos’ Danny Chaid, son of wrestling legend Dan Chaid, whom he trains with, also took first at Fresno in the men’s (17-20) 96-kilogram Greco-Roman tournament.
Clayton Utter placed fifth in intermediate boys Greco-Roman at 80 pounds, and Alex Garcia was sixth in cadet (15-16) freestyle at 145 pounds.
