Cerritos College
Cerritos College • Norwalk, Calif.

Talon Marks

Cerritos College • Norwalk, Calif.

Talon Marks

Cerritos College • Norwalk, Calif.

Talon Marks

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Wrestler captures natitonal GRECO championship

A pair of former Cerritos College wrestlers faired very well last week at the University Greco National Championships, which were held in Akron, OH.

In the 145.5 pound weight division, Marco Lara, who is now a senior at Northern Michigan University, won the national championship, while Brandon Doran, who placed second in the California Community College State Championships last year, posted a third place finish in the 264.5 weight division.

As a result, the two will now advance and compete in the U.S. World Team Trials, which will be held in Las Vegas, NV on June 9-10. They will both be competing for a chance to make the U.S. World Team. Wrestling for the United States Olympic Education Center (USOEC), Lara, who recently came in sixth place at the Las Vegas/ASICS U.S. National Championships, defeated three opponents and only allowed one point in winning the national championship.

After receiving a first round bye, he posted a technical fall (7-0, 7-0) win over Chris Davis before a 5-0, 7-1 victory against Nick Blackshaw. In the finals, Lara defeated former collegiate teammate Ben Sanchez, 7-0. 4-0. In his career, Lara helped the Falcons win a team state championship as a sophomore in 2002 and won an individual state title at 149 pounds that same year.

He has since finished in fifth place at the 2006 Sunkist International Open (Tempe, AZ.), captured a bronze medal at the 2006 Greco-Roman University National Wrestling Championships (Evanston, IL.), placed fourth at the FILA-Junior Greco-Roman National Wrestling Championships (Las Vegas, NV), as well as finishing third at NYAC Championships (New York City), third at Sunkist International Tournament (Tempe, AZ.) and second at University National Championships (Colorado Springs, CO). As for Doran, who is undecided on which four-year university he will transfer to, he represented the Future Stars Wrestling Club in the tournament, After he dropped his first match, he fell into the consolation round.

Not discouraged, he went on to win four straight matches to take third place. He lost a 3-0, 6-2 decision to eventual champion Kenneth Lester, but after earning a bye, went on to pin Joseph Smith (28 seconds).

His next match resulted in a huge win, as he fought back against Kurt Klimek and pinned him in the second period.

After losing the first period, 7-0, Doran stunned Klimek by getting him on his back and pinned him in 43 seconds to advance to the semi-finals.

In that match he registered a 2-1, 5-0 win over Wade Sauer to advance to the third place match, where me handled Alonzo Henry, and pinned him in 29 seconds of the second period after winning the first period, 6-0. This past season with the Falcons, Doran posted a 32-7 record and earned All-American status after finishing in second place at the state championships.

Earlier in the month, Doran competed in his first national tournament and placed seventh in the Senior Greco division of the Las Vegas/ASICS U.S. National Championships.

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Wrestler captures natitonal GRECO championship