Selma wrestler readies for Iowa collegiate career

By Will Goldbeck – Selma Enterprise – Original here

In less than a month, Selma’s Angelo Quintana will be heading to the Midwest to begin his collegiate wrestling career. Quintana is headed to Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. He plans to leave Selma around Aug. 15 with classes beginning Aug. 24 It is the so-called “Quintana Rec Center” in the garage of the Quintanas’ north Selma home where he has an elaborate weights setup and even a wrestling mat that is rolled up on the other side of the garage. The summer workouts usually begin around 7 a.m. During the wrestling season, the weight lifting usually begins about 5:45 a.m. Quintana’s girlfriend, Rosie Pena, a Fresno Pacific University student, joined his sister and two other Selma High School wrestlers in the morning workouts.

After competing at 112 pounds at Selma High, Quintana is trying to get ready for the 125-pound class at Northwestern. He is gaining weight and appears to be stronger than last season.

“It is going to be a lot different,” said Quintana. “I’m not sure what to expect.”

In California, he usually knew a lot about his competition but the college competition is going to be a change. “I am working really hard because I want to start.”

He has been working on everything. “I have been lifting weights really hard. We’ve been wrestling twice a week.”
After his junior season at Selma High, Quintana had surgery to repair a torn labrum and bicep tendon. He wrestled much of that season with the injuries.

“It was tough to come back at first,” Quintana said. “I was really weak and had to start almost from scratch. But once I got up there, I passed where I was at and got my weight down to where I was before.”

Pena said that she was still preparing for the transition when Quintana is in Iowa. “It is going to be hard. It is going to be a commitment.”

She plans to spend a lot of time near a Webcam, hoping to watch his matches.

The two met when she was a junior at Selma High School, a little over two years ago.

During last week’s workout, Quintana would spot for Pena while she was lifting weights.

His current weight is about 123 pounds.

“We want him to put on about another 5 pounds,” said his father, Diego Quintana.

“He has been wrestling guys quicker than him and even against coach Sam Lopez.”

Is the father ready for his son to be halfway across the nation?

“We have cell phones and a lap top with a camera to keep in touch,” said his father.

“I have a granddaughter who is really attached to him so we are going to have to get him on the webcam. He is her favorite uncle.”

The Quintana family plans to make at least two trips to the Midwest to watch a match.

The school has not released the 2009-2010 schedule, which should begin in November. Along with Iowa, the school has meets in Minnesota, North Dakota and Nebraska along with several open tournaments.

Quintana wrestled four years for Selma High School. He recorded a 151-34 career record and qualified for state all four years.

He finished sixth with a 46-9 record his senior year, leading his team to a second-place finish at the state meet. He finished the year rated ninth in the national rankings.

Quintana was also a four-time league champion and three-time winner of the CIF Division II Valley Finalist.

A four-year member of the honor roll, Quintana plans to major in kinesiology at Northwestern.

“We are ecstatic to have Angelo join our team,” said Rik Dahl, Northwestern coach.

“He brings a successful prep career, capped with a sixth-place finish in the very competitive California state tournament, to Northwestern.

“We look for Angelo to make an immediate impact on our team, in the conference and at the national level.”