Southern Section Masters : Ige and Lawson Capture Their Weight Divisions

Wrestling has been less than a charming experience for Tim Ige of Capistrano Valley High School.

Injuries have plagued him throughout his career, and it looked like they would get the better of him again at Saturday’s Southern Section Masters Wrestling Championships at Westminster High School.

Ige busted open his lip in a Thursday practice session and had reopened the gash during his first-round match Saturday.

“I was swallowing so much blood I started to choke,” Ige said. “Then I got sick. I really didn’t think I’d be able to make it through the match.”

Ige not only made it through, but he won. Three matches later, he defeated John Tripp of Yucaipa for the 135-pound division title.

The title was especially sweet for Ige, who had much the same experience--injury-wise--in last year’s Masters.

“I felt really good last year and then I hyperextended my shoulder during a workout,” Ige said. “I still wrestled. I even won my first round match, wrestling with only one arm . . . It was really hard wrestling with this lip. It wasn’t so much the pain as it was just me thinking about it. Finally, I just decided to put it out of my mind and win.”

In direct contrast to Ige’s struggle to the top, El Dorado’s Steve Lawson easily outscored his opponents, 63-16, in three matches won by decisions, and he recorded a pin in his semifinal match. Lawson defeated Larry Montoya of Alhambra, 13-3, in the final of the 178-pound class.

“I’ve been wrestling since I was 6 years old, but this is the most serious I’ve been about the sport,” Lawson said. “I try for every advantage on the mat. I don’t let up a bit.”

Ross Boomhower of Newbury Park can vouch for that. He was defeated by Lawson in the second round, 33-6.

While Lawson’s performance was impressive it was not that surprising. The junior is 45-1 on the season, his only loss coming after he was disqualified for slapping a wrestler from Las Vegas during a match. Lawson was ahead on points at the time.

Lawson and Ige were the only wrestlers from Orange County to win weight divisions. But the Masters provides for the top five finishers in each weight class to go to the CIF state finals in Stockton.

Other area wrestlers who will be making that trip include:

--Jim Stanvich of Estancia, who placed second in the 108-pound class after he was forced to default due to injury;

--Savanna’s Joey Gillis, who also placed second but in the 157-pound class, losing to Sean Bentson of West Covina, 4-0, in the final;

--Ed Ruiz of Marina, who placed third in the 129-pound class;

--Loara’s Chris Wright, who placed third in the 157-pound class, defeating Tim Dry of Elsinore in the consolation final, 3-1, in overtime;

--Trent Kenney of Fountain Valley, who took fourth in the 141-pound class, losing in the consolation final, 5-2, to Ken Erwin of Westlake, and Jose Orosco of Garden Grove (168 pounds) and heavyweight Tom Berry of Cypress, who both placed fifth.