Regan’s the One : It’s the Little Things That Make Sunny Hills Wrestler Top-Ranked at 114 Pounds

Ed Regan of Sunny Hills High School has grown 4 inches and gained 15 pounds in the last 10 months, but he still has a hard time convincing most people he placed fifth in the state in his wrestling class last year.

That doesn’t bother Regan, though. “I enjoy surprising people,” he said. “I know I’m not exactly what most people expect.”

Indeed, at 5-feet 6-inches and 113 pounds, he doesn’t fit the wrestling mold.

He’s a spidery, flexible fellow, all arms and legs. When Regan pins an opponent, he wraps those elongated arms and legs around his opponent in an almost adhesive attachment and clings to him like Velcro.

His opponent tries to throw him off, but he can’t. He climbs to his knees, but Regan stays fastened.

“Ed clings to his opponents very tightly,” Sunny Hills Coach Rick Zabala said. “Guys don’t get away and score on him. . . . A lot of opponents take one look at him and don’t expect him to be as strong as he is. He’s thin, but very strong and he surprises and overpowers a lot of people.”

Regan looks more like the mild-mannered guy in the before picture of a Charles Atlas ad than the No. 1-ranked wrestler in the 114-pound class in Orange County.

But, as Regan and Zabala know, looks can be deceiving.

As a 5-2, 92-pound freshman, Regan wandered into room 180 at Sunny Hills looking for a chance to join the varsity wrestling team.

Regan was placed in the 98-pound wrestle-offs against taller and heavier opponents. He won a spot on the varsity team.

“In my freshman year, I would go into matches and win and surprise a lot of people,” Regan said. “I think it was bad for their egos to be beaten by someone who didn’t look like he could do it.”

But Regan’s been doing it since third grade when his father took him to the local YMCA to watch wrestling matches. Before long he was enrolled in a YMCA program and stayed with it until he began wrestling at Sunny Hills in 1982.

“You don’t have to be big,” Regan said, explaining his initial reaction to wrestling. “It’s very competitive, one-on-one competition and if you’re small like I am, it gives you a sport to play besides badminton and golf.”

At 5-6, Regan is one of the taller wrestlers in his weight class. He’s not as stocky or muscular as most of his teammates or opponents, but his height gives him an edge.

“His height is really an advantage,” Zabala said. “It’s tough wrestling really tall, lanky kids. With those long legs, Ed can use a lot of leverage. He actually has trouble wrestling kids who are tall and thin like him.”

Regan was first in league and fifth in the Southern Section in the 98-pound class his freshman year. Last year, as a sophomore, his record was 45-6. He was first in league again and moved up two notches to place third in the Southern Section. He was also first in the Masters Tournament and fifth in the state CIF meet in the 98-pound class. He was named to the All-County team and was honored as the Freeway League’s top wrestler.

In 22 matches this season, Regan has 14 pins. He has won six matches by superior decisions (12 or more points) and two by major decisions (8-11 points). He’s scored more than 250 points and has given up only 3, including a penalty point.

Regan spends two to three hours every day practicing with the Lancers, and on his own. Although he wrestles year-round in clubs and attends workshops during the summer, Regan says he hasn’t tired of wrestling. Zabala agrees.

“He’s great. Ed works harder than anyone,” Zabala said. “When we go out running, he’s got to be the first guy in. He’s got the will to win and a lot of drive and he pushes himself to the limit. Most kids don’t push as hard. Although he wrestles all summer, he’s not burned out. Ed’s not good because he’s wrestled so long. He’s good because he always tries to do his best.”

Regan also tries his best in the classroom. He has a 3.7 grade-point average with classes that include chemistry and calculus. He is expecting to get straight-A’s this semester.

Regan’s parents are very supportive and he relies on his father, especially, to help him with wrestling. An ex-wrestler, Don Regan attends most of his son’s practices and helps Ed refine his technique at local health clubs and at Cal State Fullerton’s wrestling room.

“It’s the little things,” Don Regan said. “It’s not how much you do, but how well you do them. I point out those little things to Ed, like if his knees aren’t bent enough or his elbows aren’t coming out enough. Those little things make most of the difference between winning and losing.”

And, as Ed Regan will tell you, you can’t underestimate the little things.