Imperial grad inducted into Menlo College Hall of Fame
ATHERON — The Imperial Valley has produced a number of top-notch wrestlers over the years, with programs in Imperial, Holtville, Calexico and especially Brawley each having their own rich traditions of success.
Last weekend one of those standouts, Imperial grad James Guizar, was honored for his excellence, being inducted into the Menlo College Hall of Fame.
Guizar, a member of the Imperial High School Class of 1998, was a champion among champions, scaling heights that few others do.
In his senior year at Imperial he was the individual CIF State champion at 119 pounds, making him one of just a handful of local grapplers to win out at that level. In CIF records dating back to 1973, only Calexico’s Robert Tabarez (in 1985 at 112 pounds) and Bryan Sanchez (in 1996 at 103 pounds) have matched his accomplishment.
After graduating from Imperial, Guizar enrolled at Palomar College in San Marcos. Naturally he joined the wrestling team there as well and continued his winning ways, grabbing two Junior College State titles as a Comet.
His prowess on the mat drew the eye of Keith Spataro, who was starting up a wrestling program at Menlo and on the lookout for hotshot talent.
Spataro first approached Guizar in the aftermath of his final JC state tournament with Palomar and was able to sell him on the idea of following him back to Atherton to get things going there.
“I found that from all the coaches that reached out to me Keith was very genuine,” said Guizar in an interview for Menlo’s Hall of Fame induction program. “He understood how crazy I was, and I felt I could be myself around him. To this day, I don’t think I could ever thank him enough for taking a chance on me.”
On hand for Menlo’s inaugural season in 2001-2002, Guizar helped usher in a culture of excellence, putting the program on the map with an NAIA national title at 141 pounds. And he wasn’t done there.
In 2004 Guizar was a national champ at 141 again, with his efforts helping the Oaks to an NAIA runner-up finish as a team.
Guizar’s name is still all over the Menlo College record books. At present he is tied for seventh in wins (at 50), is sixth in takedowns (186) and is tied for fifth in tournament wins (37). All in all, it’s a clear-cut HOF case.
Guizar credits his successes to a supportive, if at times combative, family environment, thanking “my father Joe for always pushing me in every sport,” and his brothers,
“David, Joe, John and Adam for being tough on me from a young age.”
Since leaving school Guizar has found his way into electrical work. He graduated from an apprenticeship with IBEW Local 47 in 2010 and has been a journeyman lineman for the past nine years.