Brian Harward staff writer
Wrestling’s historic season came to an end at the 2018 Masters tournament held on Feb. 23 to 24. Junior Daniel Heller went 1-2 in matches, senior Sebastian Fanucci went 0-2 and senior Mateo de Camargo Hanley never placed into the tournament, as he was an alternate.
“I’m not totally pleased with how Masters went. I wanted more and I plan to take more next year,” Heller said. “However, I think we got a lot done that we wanted to this year.”
Fanucci agreed that the wrestling team found success this season. As an outgoing senior, he is hopeful that the success he brought to the program will continue into next year.
“The senior class left a bigger mark than I could have ever imagined,” Fanucci said. “It isn’t only about that, though. As a team, we bonded and we became a family. The senior class helped build leaders for the future and, in general, strong willed wrestlers.”
Heller, the only returning captain of wrestling, is confident that the remaining wrestlers will stay committed to the program.
“I think most of our team is very committed to wrestling, and I think a lot of people are gonna be more committed because of the success we had at the end of the season,” Heller said.
Sophomore Chris Drake, who was the youngest CIF placer in Beverly Hills wrestling history, thinks that his team will put in work over the offseason so that they can succeed next season.
“I’m gonna be running a lot, lifting weights, going to camps and tournaments,” Drake said. “I expect our team to have more than three guys make it to Masters and to have a state qualifier.”
Although he will not be able to take the mat with his team next year, Fanucci believes that the younger wrestlers on the team will be able to push wrestling to new heights.
“Next year, I see the team going farther than ever,” Fanucci said. “Our guys hold so much potential, and it is easy to see that they are taking advantage of it. Only good can come from these younger guys.”