Mustang vs. Mustang highlights invitational

By Neil H. Devlin, Mullen Sports Information Director
Sumner meets Valdez-Lemos as Mullen grabs 6th at Denver South.

What are the odds?

Teammates wrestling for first place at an invitational?

It happened for Mullen on Saturday at the Rebel Wrestling Invite at Denver South, the Mustangs’ John Sumner against the Mustangs’ Kaleb Valdez-Lemos.

For the record, Sumner won by fall, the Mustangs fared well as a team in finishing in sixth place and Mullen competitors gained additional experience.

“We did OK,” head coach John Howes said.

As for the Mustang vs. Mustang match, Sumner against Valdez-Lemos, a senior and freshman, respectively, and daily wrestling partners, it was unexpected, but certainly worth watching. Sumner is dropping from the 160 class and Valdez-Lemos probably will go to 145.

Sumner, despite being taken down by Valdez-Lemos, won in 3 minutes, 59 seconds.
“It was fun,” said Sumner, now 22-2. “You go out there with the same mentality and you want to win the match, obviously, but it was a little more fun. You try some different stuff because you know each other.”

Said Valdez-Lemos, seeing his first action since recent concussion protocol: “We’re practice partners and it was really fun going against one of my brothers. The loss really doesn’t matter; Mullen’s on top either way.

“It was very helpful to wrestle a great wrestler like Johnny … it will make me a better wrestler overall.”

Sumner is 22-2 this season, Valdez-Lemos 12-3.

And will Sumner remind Valdez-Lemos about it?

“Oh, always,” he said.

Valdez-Lemos knows it’s coming: ” Probably … knowing John, he’s a senior, I’m a freshman, I’ll here it a little bit.”

Howes, whose team was coming off a dual-meet loss at home to Fort Lupton that included members being sick and not making weight among an assortment of problems, “said we had a lot of good matches.”

Other Mustangs placers: Noah Linares, second at 120; Mark Troni, second at 132; Max Gonzales, sixth at 113; and Cole Nading fourth at 170.

“We’re getting there,” Howes said.

The Mustangs will have a busy week, hosting Overland on Tuesday, Jan. 14, and Cherokee Trail on Wednesday, Jan. 15, both Centennial League duals at 7 p.m., and a two-day road trip for the always good Florence Invitational on Friday-Saturday, Jan. 17-18.
 
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