Pomona’s Gutierrez shines at wrestling’s Top of the Rockies tourney
LAFAYETTE — Performing under pressure is nothing new for Pomona wrestler Tomas Gutierrez.
The junior was in the spotlight again Saturday night at the prestigious Top of the Rockies tournament — and he thrived.
Gutierrez muscled past Pueblo County’s Grant Willits 6-4 in overtime of the 113-pound championship match before a capacity crowd at Tom Sutak Gymnasium.
“I was just trying to shoot to score,” said Gutierrez about his strategy in the 1-minute overtime. “I stayed positive and I’m pretty confident on my feet and I knew that’s where I could beat him.”
Gutierrez captured the victory with a takedown with 12 seconds remaining in the sudden-death session. This was Gutierrez’s second consecutive championship at the Top of the Rockies as he won the 106-pound class a year ago.
“It feels pretty good to win a great tournament like this again,” Gutierrez said. “This is good preparation for me for the upcoming state tournament.”
Gutierrez also is the reigning 106-pound Class 5A state champ and is No. 1 in 5A in the latest On the Mat rankings. The Class 2A-5A state wrestling tournament is Feb. 19-21 at the Pepsi Center in Denver.
“After state last year there has been a lot of pressure, but with that title you have to learn to deal with the pressure and all that comes with it,” the 5-foot-3 Gutierrez said. “That’s when you have to push yourself and do everything as good as you did last year or better.”
Against Willits, Gutierrez took a quick 2-0 lead with a takedown 59 seconds into the match. With time winding down in the first period, Gutierrez stretched his lead to 4-1 with a reversal.
The sophomore Willits, who won the Class 4A title last season at 106 pounds, didn’t surrender. Instead, he battled back and cut the deficit to 4-3 with a takedown with 44 ticks left in the second period. Late in the third, Willits’ escape tied the match setting the stage for overtime.
“Going into the match, I knew how he stayed low and I had to keep good position and protect my legs and not let him get shots,” said Willits, who is ranked No. 1 in 4A at 113 pounds by On the Mat. “I thought I could win it in overtime, but he caught me flat footed. I tried to roll him, but he had me locked up pretty good and I didn’t expect his shot.”
Hunter Willits, Grant’s fraternal twin who was the 132-pound 4A state winner in 2014, is ranked No. 1 at 138 pounds by On the Mat. Grant, however, missed the Top of the Rockies tournament because of an illness.
Pomona coach Sam Federico praised Gutierrez’s effort.
“That weight bracket (113 pounds) at this tournament was nasty, it was probably the toughest weight bracket here,” Federico said. “He beat some really good kids to make it to the finals and then he beat a state champ in the finals, so it was a job well done. I knew if he (Tomas) continued wrestling in overtime and stayed after it, he would score. That’s how he scored early on in the match and then we kind of hit the brakes a little bit and you can’t do that, you have to wrestle for six minutes straight.”
Gutierrez acknowledged winning another state crown is square on his radar.
“Wrestling is a great sport and I’m going to keep working hard so I can be a state champion again,” said Gutierrez, who was fourth at state his freshman season at 106s. “I also definitely don’t want my wrestling career to stop in high school. I want wrestle in college one day.”
Federico also believes Gutierrez will be wearing another state gold medal on Feb. 21
“I expect him to be a state champion again,” Federico said. “He’s that kind of kid, he a hard worker and he’s a leader on this team.”
