Mateo Olmos wins Wrestling National Championship

For some wrestlers the season ended in February, but not for Mar Vista’s sophomore phenom, Mateo Olmos. After winning the CIF Div III title in the 147 lb. weight class he went on and took 2nd in the San Diego Masters meet. In order to get to the finals of masters he had to beat a tough senior from La Costa Canyon, Troy Charles. By beating Charles Mateo punched his ticket to the state tournament. In the masters finals Mateo faced the eventual state champ, a senior from Poway, Ralphy Tovar. Mateo dropped that match 7-0 but moved on to the state meet at the Rabobank arena in Bakersfield. Going into Bakersfield Mateo was ranked 33rd in the state. At state Mateo went 3-1 and placed in the top 12, missing placing in the top eight by only one match.

After state, Mateo continued practicing and competing. In late March he traveled to Virginia Beach to the NHSCA Nationals where he went 2-2. Unsatisfied with that performance he decided to keep training and working. His goal was to enter one of the nations toughest wrestling tournaments, the Flo Reno Worlds National Championships held April 10-12th in Reno NV.

Last weekend, in Reno he achieved a goal many dream of but very few achieve. He won the national title at the 157lb. 15 and under category. In Reno he went 6-0 in a wt. class that had 78 wrestlers. That group included wrestlers from Oregon, Texas, Idaho, California and other states. There were national champions, state champions and high school All Americans in that wt. class. In the finals Mateo faced the California sophomore state champion from Poway, Hampton Boyd. Mateo wrestled smart and tough. In the end he came away with a 3-2 victory to become a Reno High School National champ and High school All American. Mateo got his start in the Imperial Beach Predators wrestling program where he wrestled for nine years before moving on to high school. Congratulations Mateo. We wish you much continued success.

Full brackets and results can be found on trackwrestling.com and on Flowrestling.com

Later this summer Mateo plans on going to the Cadet Freestyle Nationals in Fargo ND to continue competing with the best wrestlers in the country.