MV wrestling team loaded with experience

JOSEPH CITY, Ariz.

New Monument Valley coach Chee BiNali inherited a stable herd of strong wrestlers.

As one of the top reservation teams, the Mustangs earned a top finish during the 24-team Joseph City Invitational on Saturday. MV took fourth in the team standings with 126 points.

The Mustangs had seven wrestlers medal, headed by the first-place finish from Joseph Rodriquez at 126 and Davin Salt at 157.

“A lot of them grew up wrestling,” BiNali said of his squad of 38 wrestlers. “They came from excellent programs growing up and they brought themselves to this stage right now.”

Other placers for the Mustang squad include Jaron Anagal (third) at 132; Jaden Franco (fifth) at 120; Trey Pete (sixth) at 190; Shaun Tuni (seventh) at 150 and Tristan Laughter (eighth) at 144.

BiNali said they were missing Justin Yazzie at 120 for the Joseph City meet, but he was thrilled with what the rest of the team did.

“There’s 24 teams here and we took fourth,” BiNali said. “We’re doing very well for the small program that we have.

“We’re looking to build on that,” he added.

Rodriquez is the only Mustang that placed at state last year as he took third overall at 126. At state, he lost his semifinal match to Morenci’s Noah Torres, the eventual state champ, by a 10-5 decision in the semifinals.

“After that match I kind of cried, and it hunts me to this day because I wasn’t expecting to lose that match,” Rodriquez said. “I had high hopes for it. I just did a stupid move and it got me in trouble.”

With his top finish last season, Rodriquez has some lofty goals to fulfill.

“”I definitely want to take state,” he said.

At the Joseph City meet, he upped his record to 13-1 overall after defeating Arizona Lutheran wrestler Zach Wene with a 9-3 win.

Rodriquez lost his only match this season to Holbrook’s Jason Ramirez when he was accidentally bumped up a weight class.

“I wasn’t supposed to wrestle at that weight class, but I did,” he said. “My coach put me in that weight class by accident.

“I think I did good because I was six pounds underweight,” he added. “That guy gave me a match and he pinned me almost at the end of the second period.”

So far this season, he’s won most of his matches by pins and he credits his teammates for helping improve on his agility, strength, mobility and technique.

“I wrestle with my heavier teammates at practice, and they help me work more,” he said.

Like most squads, MV is headed to the Doc Wright Invitational this weekend. The big Winslow meet will have some of the state’s top wrestlers in every division as well as some out-of-state teams.

“It’s gonna be a good experience for me,” Rodriquez said. “I think I’m gonna learn a lot from the other wrestlers, especially the ones that I’ll wrestle.

“I just have to keep wrestling smart, and I need to work hard,” he continued. “I hope to do well at Doc Wright.”

In the 157-pound weight class, Salt improved his record to 14-0 by winning his weight class. He scored an 11-1 major decision over Holbrook’s Isaac Martinez in the finals.

BiNali said Rodriquez and Salt are his leading workhorses, but he’s also impressed with the progress of Anagal, Franco, Pete, Tuni and Laughter.

“We want all our kids to make state and medal,” the MV coach said. “They’re all veteran wrestlers, and they grew up wrestling as younger kids. They’re continuing to wrestle and with them working together it’s improving their skill sets.”

On the girls team, Melanie Kescoli and her younger sister, Cheyenne, are currently leading team.

“Melanie is a great wrestler,” BiNali said. “She has a great personality off the mat. She’s does very well academically in her classes. She very approachable and you can have a conversation with her. She knows when she steps onto the mat and put her toes on the line she’s all about business.

“She’s able to transition from being a civil servant off the mat to being that aggressive, tenacious person on the mat,” he said.

Melanie, who did not wrestle at Joseph City, is undefeated competing at 185. Cheyenne, meanwhile, ran her record to 17-2 overall after winning the 165-pound weight class on Saturday after defeating Jozie Shepard of San Pasqual Valley with a fall.

As an MV alumni, BiNali assisted last year’s head coach Clyde McBride before they switched roles this season.

“It’s been great and when you have coaches and athletes that share the same passion for a sport that you love, you can achieve a lot,” he said. “As coaches, we want all of our wrestlers to be successful, not only on the mat but we want them to be successful in life.

“We’re preparing them for what’s off the reservation when they go off to college and their job fields,” he said. “We incorporate time management and one of the things that I’ve talked about is being at the right place, at the right time with the right attitude.”

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