06 Feb GuamWrestling:BestInTheWest
More than 50 competitors participated in the 2011 Best In The West Wrestling Tournament yesterday at the St. John’s School gym.
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The event was held by the Guam Amateur Wrestling Federation and included about 30 wrestlers from Japan’s Nittai and Kokushikan universities as well the Aoyama Junior and Taku Shijyuki wrestling clubs, who competed against some of the island’s best grapplers.
Father Duenas Friars wrestler Chris Aguon faced off against Nittai University’s Akaoka Shinnji in an exhibition match. Despite losing the match, Aguon was glad to test himself against an elite collegiate wrestler.
“That was a good experience for me, that’s what I came here for,” Aguon said. “(It’s) an opportunity to wrestle someone really above your level.”
In another exhibition match, Japan’s Okuda Kenichiro was victorious against Bruce Julian, who wrestles for the Friars. Julian said the tournament was a good tune-up for next month’s Far East Wrestling Tournament in U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys, South Korea.
“It was good just to feel like how they move, get a feel for their style,” Julian said.
Also making the trip with the Japanese wrestlers was 2008 Beijing Olympics Greco-Roman wrestler Matsumoto Shingo. Shingo placed seventh in his division at the Olympics and now coaches at the Nippon Sports Science University.
“It’s really fun,” Matsumoto said about the tournament as St. John’s School Japanese Club member Gabby Hizon translated.
Fejerang pleased
GAWF board member Jerome Fejerang was pleased with the turnout and was happy to host the Japanese wrestlers again.
The tournament was divided into a senior and a junior division. The first-place winners in the senior division by weight class with affiliation (if any) are: Orita Eiji, 55 kilograms, Kokushikan; Ishii Yuki, 60 kilograms, Nittai; Inada Yasuo, 66 kilograms, Nittai; Akaoka Shinnji, 74 kilograms, Nittai; Aguon, 84 kilograms; Nishio Nakai, 90 kilograms; and Patrick Camacho, 120 kilograms.
The first-place winners in the junior division by weight class are: Jose Bendana, 50 kilograms; Jarred Pastones, 60 kilograms; Bruce Julian, 66 kilograms; Gerald Quinata, 74 kilograms; Ryan Paulino, 84 kilograms; and Wayne Davis, 120 kilograms.