JAMES SCHMIDT
WRESTLING

State champion wrestler James Schmidt has been named the 2017-18 Rio Hondo College Male Athlete of the Year.

Schmidt capped an amazing sophomore season for Rio Hondo on the mat with a perfect 3-0 weekend at the CCCAA State Championships to capture a state title at the 157-pound division.

If there was a Fresno City College killer over the weekend, it was Schmidt. After he defeated Northern California champion Josh McMillon of Fresno in the semifinals, Schmidt capped off his season with a convincing 13-4 major decision victory over FCC’s Conrad Lopez, who defeated Southern California champion Wyatt Gerl (Cerritos) in the other semifinal.

In the final, it was a close 2-2 match in the second period, when Schmidt recorded a pair of takedowns to carry a 6-3 lead into the third period. After an escape point to start the third period, Schmidt also received a point when Lopez was penalized for stalling. Another takedown with 1:01 left sealed the win.