Team So. Cal Wrestlers from Menifee - Luke and Gracie Sevilla - Finish 2nd, 3rd, 4th at California State Championships

Apr 1, 2022

The Team So. Cal Wrestlers had to qualify for the SCWAY Kids State Championships in Clovis, California and Type 1 Diabetic Wrestler - Gracie Sevilla - Placed 3rd at the Cal USAW tournament at Fresno's Selland Arena.

Fresno, California Mar 31, 2022 (Issuewire.com) - It was the first time in 2 years that California youth wrestlers had the opportunity to compete for a State Title in Folkstyle (collegiate and high school style) Wrestling, due to liberal Democrat politics related to the COVID-19 Pandemic, that forced California wrestlers to compete out of state, as both Luke and Gracie did (Missouri, Iowa, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona).

California USA Wrestling, which supports Olympic athletes and Southern California Wrestling Association for the Youth (SCWAY), held their respective California State Wrestling Championships on consecutive weekends in the heart of California - CUSAW in Fresno at Selland Arena and SCWAY at Clovis East High School and both Luke and Gracie Sevilla, older brother and younger sister duo from Menifee, California who wrestle for legendary Coach, Steve Glassey's Team So. Cal - both excelled as Rookie (Gracie) and 2nd-year wrestlers (Luke).

Gracie Sevilla, 8 years old and barely completing her first year in the sport, is coached on the mat in tournaments by her father, Tommy Sevilla, but who trains under Coach Steve Glassey and Juan Lopez at Team So. Cal at the Lake Elsinore Outlets, is a Type 1 Diabetic Wrestler who relies on a T-Slim Insulin Pump and who disconnects the pump to wrestle (mostly boys). Gracie qualified 3rd at the SCWAY State Qualifiers in San Clemente in February to earn the right to compete for a State Title, recording 3 wins and 1 loss for a 3rd Place finish there. Gracie would follow up at the Cal USAW State Championships with 3rd Place and 4th at the SCWAY State Championships in a controversial match that sparked an uproar at the Clovis East Gymnasium and on the Internet whereby Gracie's opponent, a Shafter Youth Wrestling Team Member, who scratched, pulled her hair and punched her, all at the encouragement of her relatives in the stand who yelled raucously for her to do so, should've been promptly disqualified, but was not. An official appeal to Head Referee Rick Mc Kinney by Coach Sevilla, was met with a disgraceful response of aggression and politics from Mc Kinney, who would only praise the inactions and incompetence of his match referee. Subsequently, the video (which can be seen here) would create a firestorm of support for Gracie and a great disdain and criticism for Mc Kinney and receive a few thousand views within a day.

Numerous spectators would demand action for Gracie at the event and would approach the Tournament Director with their concerns, but to no avail.

The disgraceful actions and inactions of Mc Kinney and SCWAY - who did not perform skin checks or fingernail checks in accordance with policies - would not end there as when Gracie would go to receive her 4th place award, SCWAY officials would present her with an award that had an 8th place designation on it, claiming that they would mail her the 4th place award, but never did.

Gracie has a website in development: www.GraceSevilla.com

Luke Sevilla, who barely had his foot cast removed in time for February's SCWAY State Qualifiers, would beat all of his opponents there but one and qualify as the 2nd seed from Southern California for the Clovis State Tournament. Fracturing his pinkie finger weeks later and/or bruising its artery, Luke would finish 8th at the Cal USAW Tournament at Fresno's Selland Arena and perform much better the following weekend in Clovis, beating all of his preliminary competition as the Tournament's 3rd Seed and making it to the Championship Match against his respected rival from Fresno's Dethrone Wrestling Club, Benjamin "The Bear" Marquez, who would ultimately beat Sevilla on points in an exciting match for the California State Championship.

Luke is a member of USA Boxing who trains at Temecula Boxing Club under the guidance of Felix Nance and Jesse Moreno. This is the home gym of undefeated Middleweight Contender, Raul Lizarraga. Luke is also a Murrieta Junior All American Bronco Linebacker and Quarterback, a member of the Murrieta 7 on 7 Elite Passing League Frat Boyz Squad, and a Menifee Valley Little League All-Star.

Luke has a website in development: www.LukeSevilla.com