Bryan Wore Out His Competition

The wrestling coaches at Monroe High earned a well-deserved rest at the conclusion of the season.

Daily sparring sessions with 215-pound Arthur Bryan wore down Coach Tom Jones and staff.

“We’re still recovering,” Jones said.

Bryan, The Times’ regional wrestler of the year, was equally tough on opponents.

Most wrestlers failed to get past the first round against Bryan, a senior who compiled a 46-3 record with 37 pins.

He finished his career 117-21.

During one stretch of routine matches, Bryan’s only real competition came in the practice room, where four coaches would take turns going against him.

But Bryan, a two-time City Section champion, responded well to challenges.

Bryan’s toughest challenger during the regular season was Jon Cordero of Mira Costa. Cordero won the first meeting but Bryan took an overtime decision in the championship of the San Fernando tournament in January.

Cordero went on to finish second at the Southern Section Masters meet.

At the state championships, Bryan was the only wrestler from the region to finish with a winning record. He was 3-2, with his losses by a total of three points.

He was a victory shy of becoming the sixth wrestler from the City Section to ever place at the state tournament.

“He did a remarkable job,” Jones said. “He was a very competitive athlete. He went out there to win and he stuck many kids. He was a formidable opponent in every match he wrestled.”

One reason for Bryan’s dominance this season was his dedication to an offseason strength-training program. He put on nearly 20 pounds during the summer.

Bryan’s goal was to have better stamina in later rounds. As it turned out, he rarely had to go into the later rounds.