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Tag: Chance Phillips

  • San Juan wrestling team wins League Championships; preps for Sections, Regionals

    San Juan wrestling huddling on Friday, before their next match. // Marcus D. Smith

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    By Marcus D. Smith–
    They came. They saw. They conquered. The San Juan High School varsity wrestling team went into league championships last week hungry as ever for a win and a chance to advance to Sections for the boys and Regionals for the girls.

    “We are exactly where we are supposed to be mentally and physically,” said wrestling assistant head coach, Cory Bonincontri. “As long as we wrestle our match, we will be very competitive.”

    San Juan would set out to accomplish the goal that they had their eyes set on at the beginning of the season, making Sections and Regionals.

    The Spartans had their wrestlers win first place in girls competition and place third for boys’ competition.

    There were five total first place winners for the Spartans and two MVPs overall. The MVPs consisted of juniors: Yana Linko, who wrestles in the 143-class, and Myliah Sauceda Hills, who wrestles at the 189-class. Both Hills and Linko were also crowned league champions.

    “After league championships, I’m feeling a bit surprised. Wrestling isn’t my main sport and I do it to condition before the football season,” said Linko. “I’m surprised I’d gotten this far. I’ve grown to like it more throughout this season and I’ve gotten a feel at how competitive it is.”

    Joining Hills and Linko as league champions were juniors Carmen Sagulian, of the 160-class, and David Sferdian, of the 182-class, along with senior Mirwais Akrami, of the 138-class, and freshman Chance Phillips, of the 145-class.

    “I am very excited going to sections, it has been tough but I feel like I will make it far, and my mindset going in is ‘win, win, win,’” said Phillips. “I know there’s gonna be tough competition but everyone’s beatable.”

    The Spartans will begin wrestling activities during Sections and Regionals on Friday, Feb. 14, as the kids will put on and represent for San Juan High School.

    “I’m feeling ready for Friday. I’m ready to put in more work and advance on by giving it my best,” said Sagulian. “I’m really looking forward to Regionals, in my mind I’m just trying to think about winning and advancing to masters. I feel this is the best way to prepare so I can speak it into existence and take home the win.”

    The type of confidence is spreading among the entire wrestling team as they prepare for their next battle.

    “My mindset going in is going to be focusing on what I need to do to have fun and get the win,” said Sferdian.

    No matter what the outcome will be come Friday, Head Coach Andy Villegas couldn’t be more proud of his team assembled together.

    “A lot of the girls put it a lot of work in this, all winter…All of my boys made sections,” said Villegas. “I’m just really proud of them.”

    Marcus D. Smith
    Marcus D. Smith

    Local sports coverage is included each week in The Sentinel’s Thursday and Sunday e-Editions. To sign up free, click here.

    Sports Reporter Marcus D. Smith covers high school sports in Citrus Heights. Smith is a Sacramento-area native and earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2017.

  • San Juan High School wrestling team making strides in competition

    San Juan High School wrestling team, wearing new gear. From top, left to right, David Sferdian, Tyler Ciccone, Head Coach Andy Villegas, Jayden Duncan, Chance Phillips, Valentin Juarez, Assistant Coach Cory Bonincontri. Bottom row: Drew Hansen, Yana Linko, Carmen Saguilan, Nicolas Ciccone, Myliah Sauceda, Aubrey Edwards. Not pictured, Chris Carroll. // Image courtesy, Cory Bonincontri

    By Marcus D. Smith–
    San Juan Spartan wrestling is officially back competing around the Northern California region consistently for the first time in over a decade. And for the first time since 2001, they have an opportunity to have a wrestler compete in state.

    Last year, the team just competed in one tournament, whereas this season they will appear in five, a 500% increase.

    Motivated by competitive students who want to develop their skills and gain an experience on life, San Juan High School wrestling coaches Andy Villegas and Cory Bonincontri were able to help rally the community and support the Spartan wrestling team.

    For years though, the Spartans have struggled to get into tournaments and provide competition outside of exhibition matches.

    “We don’t get any money for wrestling,” said Bonincontri. “We reached out in the community [and] really came together and we raised right under $4,000 in like eight days.”

    Bonincontri is an alumni of San Juan High School, who has been coaching wrestling for seven years around the northern region, at both the high school and junior collegiate level. He was a former wrestler at San Juan High School from 1998-2001 and went on to compete at Sierra College where he was selected to first-team all conference in 2002 and 2003.

    He was the last Spartan to represent San Juan High School in the state tournament in 2001. Now, with his expertise and giving back to his alma mater, San Juan High School not only has a competing team again, but also a chance to put some kids in the state tournament.

    Villegas is also an alumni and former wrestler for San Juan High School. He also coaches the varsity football program.

    Through fundraisers within the community within Citrus Heights area and on social media, San Juan will be able to afford to send their kids to tournaments to compete in. What’s even more exciting for the Spartans is the new team gear and apparel that was able to be purchased for the tournaments the athletes will compete in.

    “Last time San Juan has had new gear was ’99 when I was a sophomore,” said Bonincontri. “We have a bag of miscellaneous seam-lets from mid-90s to early 2000s that we put together.”

    Wrestlers wearing medals earned at a Jan. 4 tournament. // Courtesy, Cory Bonincontri

    The Spartans were able to compete over the weekend in the Vista Eagle Invitational, a tournament hosted by Vista Del Lago High School.  San Juan traveled with three wrestlers to compete for the day, and all three would medal by placing top eight by the end of the day.

    Freshman Drew Hansen finished in eighth place, cracking the top eight milestone. Fellow junior, Nicolas Ciccone, finished at sixth place overall. For Hansen and Ciccone, this is their first year as wrestlers competing on the team.

    Another junior, Yana Linko, who is a second-year wrestler, would end up placing fifth overall.

    The Spartans look to continue their magical season and hopefully spark a change that will create a buzz that will attract more students to come out and become a participant of the wrestling team at San Juan High School.

    For the school, this is just the start of something special. For now they want to focus on the moment they have in front of them and work their way toward something promising.

    “I keep telling the kids, we live in the now. It’s not future trip. We have the state title, or the state tournament… if we’re not in the now we won’t get there,” said Bonincontri.

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    Marcus D. Smith
    Marcus D. Smith

    Sports Reporter Marcus D. Smith covers high school sports in Citrus Heights. Smith is a Sacramento-area native and earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2017.