South's history-maker Garriott eyes Masters
Caden Garriott tried other sports growing up, but there wasn't anything like wrestling.
“I played baseball and basketball,” he said. “I wasn't a fan of baseball. I like basketball, but I've been around wrestling since I was born.
“Wrestling is constant movement, I'm not standing still. I'm moving and I love that.”
Garriott, a freshman at South Torrance, came through with a historic performance last week at the CIF-Southern Section Northern Division Individual Championships.
Garriott won the 115-pound weight class, becoming the first freshman from a South Bay school to win an individual CIF-SS championship.
“It felt good,” he said. “It's been a goal and it felt good to get it done and get it done in a dominant performance.”
After a first-round bye, Garriott won one match by fall, two by technical fall (16-1 and 16-0) and in the finals he won 8-3.
The next challenge for him is this week in the CIF-SS Masters Meet at Palm Springs High. The two-day event begins today. Garriott hopes to finish among the top 10 wrestlers in his weight to qualify for the CIF State tournament.
Garriott spent the early portion of the season at 120 pounds, but made the cut to 113 for the postseason run. He won the Joe Rios Memorial at Santa Ynez and finished first in the Pioneer League Finals. He's 24th in this week's state individual rankings.
“I didn't wrestle many tournaments at 115 (pounds) and I think that's a good thing,” he said. “Not everybody knows how to wrestle me yet and I think I have a good shot to finish in the top 10 (at Masters) and get to state.”
Garriott credits his success to his older brother Cael, who is now at Cerritos College.
“He's the biggest reason why I'm having success,” Caden said. “He's a big role model in my life. A lot of my wrestling is a clone off of what he did.”
The younger Garriott also takes a simple approach to competition.
“I'm just going out there to have fun,” he said. “You're only an athlete for so long, can't be too serious. I'm thankful for everything and I'm enjoying every second of it.”
South Torrance's Caden Garriott is the first South Bay freshman to win a CIF-SS individual wrestling championship.
GIRLS
Garriott is in the Gold Division at the Masters Meet. The top five in the Blue and Gold divisions in each weight category will qualify for the state meet. Garriott will open the tournament against Diamond Bar's David Kiley.
South Bay wrestlers competing at the CIF-SS Masters Meet BOYS
106— Kelly Brown, West Torrance, Jr. 113— Tate Lowry, Redondo, Sr.
Caden Garriott, South Torrance, Fr. 126— Brandon Walter-Strauss, West Torrance, Jr.
157— Alastar McRae, Mira Costa, Sr. 190 — Ezekiel Ormsby, South Torrance, Sr. 105 — Oceanna Yeung, South Torrance, Sr. 110 — Eva Jimenez, Lawndale, Jr.
Leila Witzerman, Peninsula, So. 125 — Lena Trunong, Lawndale, Jr.
Faith Bree, Redondo, So. 130— Ruby Dominguez, Mira Costa, So. 135 — Olivia Schafer, Torrance, Sr. 140— Tora Altersten, Torrance, Sr.
Gianna Lopez, Peninsula, Fr.
170 — Kinsey Konrad, Redondo, Sr.
190 — Ria Chougule, Redondo, Jr.
235 — Myjenniea Baptist, Lawndale, Jr.