12 Santa Ana Wrestlers Qualify for Masters

Santa Ana qualified 12 wrestlers to the Masters meet when the Saints dominated the Southern Division tournament Saturday at Westminster High.

Ray Mueller, who had three pins and a technical fall in five bouts, won the 160-pound class and was selected the division’s outstanding wrestler in the upper weights.

Ernie Aguilar (135 pounds) and Scott Becerra (145) of Santa Ana won their weight classes, and six Saints were runners-up and two more finished third to help give the team 300 points. Second place went to Laguna Hills, which had 176.5 points and champions Steve Jarmie (112) and A.J. Hagen (152).

Gary Moore of Granite Hills won at 125 pounds and was chosen the Southern Division’s outstanding lower-weight wrestler. The top five placers in each weight qualified for the Masters meet Friday and Saturday at Fountain Valley High.

Other division champions were Atascadero (Northern), North Torrance (Central), Temecula Valley (Coastal), Santa Ana Calvary Chapel (Inland) and Orange El Modena (Eastern).

Temecula Valley and Calvary Chapel each qualified 10 wrestlers to Masters. El Modena was next with nine, followed by North Torrance (eight), Southern runner-up Laguna Hills (seven), Southern third-placer Covina Northview (seven) and Eastern runner-up Chino Hills Ayala (seven).

-- Dan Loumena

Jim Nielsen has resigned after one season as boys’ golf coach at Santa Margarita. He led the Eagles to fifth place in the Southern Section team finals last year. Nielsen will be replaced by girls’ soccer Coach Chuck Morales, who is the fourth boys’ golf coach in the last four years at Santa Margarita.

James Anderson, coach of the Harbor City Narbonne girls’ basketball team, has been selected to coach the West squad in the second McDonald’s All-American girls’ game March 26 at Cleveland’s Gund Arena. In 11 years at Narbonne, Anderson has posted a 210-48 record, including an 89-7 record in the last three seasons.

The game is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. PST and will be broadcast on ESPN on April 1 at 6 p.m. PST.

-- Bob Rohwer