Van Wagenen Wins City Wrestling Title

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Shortly after watching his friend Adrian Escobar become the first Canoga Park wrestler to win three straight City titles, Palisades Charter High School senior James Van Wagenen made history of his own Saturday evening, February 10, at Roybal Learning Center.

Van Wagenen, who dealt Escobar the only defeat of his high school career to a City opponent last year at regionals only to lose a 6-4 decision to Escobar in the City 113-pound final one week later, completed his own redemptive quest by winning the City 126-pound title in dramatic fashion.

Van Wagenen won the 106-pound division as a sophomore, and after coming up short at 113 a year ago, he moved up two weight classes and has found it much to his liking. He pinned all three of his opponents in the first period at regionals and won his first three matches Saturday in like fashion.

In the finals against Birmingham’s Roman Arakelyan he took an early lead, fell behind, then took the lead back. Trailing 7-6 as the final seconds ticked off the clock in the third period, Arakelyan lunged at his adversary in a desperate attempt to score. Van Wagenen sidestepped the move, grabbed the Patriots grappler and the two fell to the mat together as time expired.

At first, neither wrestler knew how to react as the referee explained his call to the scorer’s table. Arakelyan thought he had been awarded a reversal, which would have given him a one-point win. Instead, Van Wagenen was credited with two points for a near fall that gave him a 9-6 decision, promoting him to flex his muscles and waving to the crowd in jubilation.

In capturing the City crown, he reached the 100-win plateau for his career and earned a trip to the CIF state meet next weekend in Bakersfield.

Parker Field took third at 132, pinning Manuel Miranda of Banning in 2:22 in the third-place match. Soushyant Saberi was fourth at 138, Derek Anwar was fifth at 150 and Matthew Hsu was fourth at 165.

Birmingham captured its sixth boys team title in a row with 279.5 points. Palisades took fourth with 110 points.

Three Dolphins ninth-graders also placed in their respective weight classes for the girls: Alicia Chow was fifth at 105 (pinning Amara Castaneda of El Camino Real in the fifth-place match); Emma Bolch was fifth at 140; and Sophia Townsley took fourth at 170.