Tyler Winslow injured as Sonoma Valley’s wrestlers fail to medal at NCS tourney

Sonoma Valley's favored son Tyler Winslow out of competition following injury in quarterfinals at NCS tournament.|

The promising high school wrestling career of Tyler Winslow came to an abrupt end on Saturday, Feb. 16, when an elbow dislocation during a quarterfinals match at the North Coast Section championship rounds in Union City sent him to the hospital.

“His tournament and season were over,” said wrestling coach Nico Saldana. “It’s an awful way for any athlete to end their season, much less a senior with an excellent chance at placing in the state tournament.”

Winslow’s NCS tournament started out well with two quick pins on Friday, the first day of the NCS NorCal meet in Union City. But the injury default against a Foothill High wrestler put a big dent in Sonoma Valley’s plans for sending any athletes to the state finals this year.

“The injury put a damper on a good weekend for Sonoma Valley High wrestling,” said Saldana. “It had been at least six years since Sonoma had advanced more than two athletes to the second day of competition.”

Saldana, who described the tournament as “an emotional rollercoaster,” emphasized the positive results from the weekend match that saw no Dragons take the podium despite strong effort and near-misses.

Junior Hank Schoeningh, who along with Winslow had won a first at last week’s Vine Valley Athletic League tournament, missed qualifying for a medal by one match, losing to the 2nd and 7th place winners.

Lawson Lee, a sophomore, gave the tournament its first upset when he pinned the 4th seeded wrestler from San Ramon. He won his next two, before falling to the 5th seed in the quarter-finals

Other Dragons in competition included sophomore Zander Casillas and seniors Macklyn Liss, Sam Weisiger and Ryan Sherwood. Sherwood has been plagued with injuries this year, which continued to trouble him at NCS.

Winslow has also struggled with injuries, including a groin pull during football season that pretty much took him off the offensive lineup, where he was a running back. Even so, he made all-league on defense.

Earlier this month he broke his nose in practice but rallied to win his weight class, 222 pounds, at the VVAL championship final on Feb. 9.

Winslow’s injury came on the same day that his late father, Deets Winslow, was honored posthumously as an NCS Honor coach.

“Although nobody medaled, Hank and Lawson return next year with the knowledge of what it takes to stand on the podium,” said Saldana.

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