Woo! Las Vegas puts fitting capper on title

A chorus of "Woooo!" filled the Las Vegas High gym Saturday during the final bout of the Sunrise Region wrestling tournament.

The cheers were for Austin Woo of Las Vegas, who won the bout at 285 pounds 3-2 to become the sixth Wildcats wrestler to capture an individual title on the day.

"I guess it's just because I have a cool name," Woo said of the cheer that sounds like booing that preceded each of his bouts at the tournament. "It hypes me up."

But Woo's team needed little hyping up, as long before the fans' serenade of Woo in his title bout, the Wildcats had clinched their 11th straight Sunrise Regional team title.

Las Vegas finished with 2221/2 points to outdistance Green Valley (1771/2 points), Basic (1471/2) and Liberty (141) behind 10 wrestlers who finished in the top three and qualified for the Class 4A state tournament, which begins at 9 a.m. Friday at Cox Pavilion.

"My coaches really helped push me this year, unlike I never was pushed before," Woo said. "And we just have really good kids. If we keep going the way we are, I don't see anyone that can stop us."

With Green Valley still an outside threat to steal the top spot in the team standings, the Wildcats beat the Gators in two of three head-to-head championship bouts, as De'Armon Hall (112 pounds) and Alex Anciete (130) beat their Gators opponents in the finals.

"I just wanted to come out and set the tone early," Hall said of his 10-3 win over Green Valley's Zach Perry in the finals. "I was kind of nervous at first, but after I scored a couple of points, the adrenaline started, and I was just excited."

Also winning for Las Vegas was Napolean Anciete, who won all four of his tournament matches by pin at 140 pounds.

Las Vegas' Trey McElhaney also won by pin the finals at 215. Jonathan Hales took first at 189, as he beat teammate David Prieto by forfeit. Prieto was competing as an independent wrestler who didn't count toward the team score.

Green Valley had six wrestlers qualify for state, led by regional champions Mason Saldana (125) and Daniel Allen (152).

Saldana was one of the most dominant wrestlers of the weekend, winning all three of his bouts by pin.

"I just had a plan from the very beginning to take first at this tournament and pin my way through. It went perfect," Saldana said. "I'm very confident that at state, I'm going to take first (too)."

Liberty also had six wrestlers advance to state, behind regional champion Nolan Vicuna at 145. "I've never even sniffed a regional before, so I'm happy," Vicuna said. "I'm happy with our team."