Wrestling

Courtesy of Francisco Hernandez
Mountain View High wrestling coach Francisco Hernandez, shown coaching football for the Spartans last fall, suggested wrestlers join a club this summer.

As the summer months roll in, local wrestling coaches at the junior high and high school levels have given their athletes options to roll around on the mats while school is out.

“I think it’s the time to get stronger,” said Todd Meulman, head coach of the St. Francis wrestling team. “The more we lift, the less we have to rely on (cutting weight) as our main way of staying competitive at a weight class so lifting is most important.”

Mountain View High heavyweight Teva Freitas made it to the second day of the Central Coast Section wrestling championships, finishing the tournament with a 2-2 record.

The junior lost to eventual champ Nick Villarreal of Gilroy in Friday’s first round but bounced back later in the day with a win over St. Francis’ Isaac Davila.

Courtesy of Francisco Hernandez
Francisco Hernandez, shown coaching football at Mountain View High, is taking over the school’s wrestling program this year.

Francisco Hernandez, hired to revive the wrestling program at Mountain View High, has a connection to the team’s past incarnation. He has family members who wrestled for the Spartans before the program dissolved 30 years ago.

“I am so excited to be the coach, because my son’s grandfather and uncle went to (state championships) with the original team,” Hernandez said, “and I hope to continue the legacy with my son.”

Mountain View High athletic director Shelley Smith confirmed last week that the school plans to add wrestling next season, in part due to “interest from incoming freshmen families,” he said.

The team will train at Los Altos High, but meets will be held at Mountain View, according to Smith.