Winter Jamboree in Review

Posted: March 10, 2013

On Tuesday March 5, from inside the Vista Middle School Gymnasium, a boisterous applause breaks out as two young female wrestlers from Porter Middle School complete their fourth wrestling match of the evening. Parents, coaches, members of the community and fellow middle school wrestlers are circled around the mat voicing their support with cheers. This was the last match of the day in what marked the third Jamboree for our organization Beat the Streets – Los Angeles. And what fitting way to cap the competition, two youth wrestlers commemorating sport with camraderie… and a hug.
The Winter Jamboree presented the opportunity for seven middle school programs to gather and compete amongst one another. Up twenty participants from last November’s Jamboree, Tuesday evening saw sixty five total competitiors represent seven neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Student athletes and their supporters turned out from as far north as Granada Hills and Sunland to as far south as Florence – Firestone and neighborhoods inbetween like Van Nuys, West Adams, Lake Balboa and Lincoln Heights. Our partnering organization After-School All-Stars’s Associate Director Carlos Santini and Operations Director Eddie Medel attended the meet along with several of their staff who volunteered throughout the event start to finish. Our other current partner organization, Bright Star Schools, was also well represented by Principal Teacher in Residence, Claudio Estrada; Teacher Assistant, Isidro Roman; and Bright Star Director of Strategy & New School Development, Tyler Baier. Adding to the invaluable pool of volunteers were student athletes and coaches from San Fernando, Panorama, and Baldwin Park High Schools as well as refereeing officials from the South Bay Officials Association.
In what could be considered the highlight of the evening off-the-mat, were special guests 2013 California High School State Champion Johnny Parada and Placewinner Sergio Mendez from San Fernando High. The pair having just returned from a historic weekend in Bakersfield where the State Championships were held, were at the Jamboree to personally present the awards to each of our young medalists. Just this past Saturday, Johnny Parada became the Los Angeles City Section’s first ever State Champ in the tournmanent’s 41 year history. Years from now, might we look back and realize that one State Champ had awarded a medal to a future State Champ?
Complete Results:
Girls 75  |  1st Mercedes Rodriguez (Mt. Gleason),  2nd Aileen Medina (Porter)
Girls 120  |  1st Alva Ramirez (Porter),  2nd Salma Morales (Porter),  3rd Haydee Jauregui (Vista)
Girls 125  |  1st Valeria Calderon (Stella),  2nd Esparanza Martinez-Gonzalez (Stella)
Girls 142  |  1st Aalyssa David (Porter),  2nd Anjali Khashaki (Mt. Gleason),  3rd Lupita Luna (Vista)
Boys 67  |  1st Orion Estrada (Porter),  2nd Kennedy Lamm (Mt. Gleason)
Boys 78  |  1st Daniel Tang (Porter),  2nd Terry Burton (Stella),  3rd Geovanni Perdomo-Alaniz (Stella)
Boys 90 |  1st Fernando Molina (Mulholland),  2nd Derek Arias (Porter),  3rd Miguel Arizaga (Porter)
Boys 96  |  1st Christopher Woods (Stella), 2nd Andres Balbino (Stella), 3rd Lanz Domalson (Porter)
Boys 107  |  1st V’Ante Moore (Stella), 2nd Timothy Gurndy (Edison), 3rd Ricardo Jimenez (Mt. Gleason)
Boys 121  |  1st Anthony Buiza (Vista),  2nd Nathaniel Botella (Stella),  3rd Diego Nava (Mulholland)
Boys 136  |  1st Christopher Bedfor (Stella), 2nd Chandler Powell (Mt. Gleason), 3rd Raul Enciso (Stella)
Boys 163  |  1st Angel Ruiz (Edison), 2nd Anderson Campos (Vista), 3rd Ray Navasartian (Mt. Gleason)
Boys 185  |  1st Christopher Castro (Vista),  2nd Roberto Mulato (Mulholland), 3rd Isaias Gramajo – Vista