The San Marcos wrestling team competed in the Russ Pederson Invitational this past weekend. As one of the largest tournaments in Texas this time of year, with many weight classes fielding 24 man brackets, the competition was fierce.
The boys team, led by Matt Banda and Christopher Soliz’s second-place finishes, placed fourth overall out of 32 teams.
Mason Moreno went 4-1 to place third with A.J. Gonzales (fourth place) rounding out the placers.
Korbin Pearson (two wins), Christian Garcia (three wins), Julian Moreno (four wins), Zach Tolley (two wins), Dane Calvino (two wins) and Alfredo Castro-Rojas (three wins) all contributed to the team point total.
The girls’ team placed sixth out of 31 teams despite having only five wrestlers participating. Leading the way was junior Gianna Moreno (4-0) with a championship performance, including a first-round win over a top-five opponent in the finals match. Gianna is currently ranked No. 1 in the 6A 128-pound weight class. Caitlin Hagerty, senior team captain, placed fourth with three wins. Jesyka Banda, a freshman, followed closely behind as she placed fourth. Esperanza Duran (three wins) and Kaylynn Martin (two wins) helped round out the team scoring.
