Last season, Pioneer Valley High School student Eric Vera took seventh in the California Interscholastic Federation State Wrestling Championship. This year, Vera’s coach said he has a good chance of fighting his way up to the very top.
Vera, now a junior at Pioneer Valley, is remarkably coachable, according to coach Kent Olson. The 160-pound wrestler always listens during practice, and easily absorbs helpful tips and strategies to use on the mat.
“I call him a sponge,” Olson said.
That and a nose-to-the-grindstone work ethic have led Vera to become both an outstanding student and wrestler. He practices hard throughout the on and off season, and Olson said his chances of placing at state this year seem to increase with each winning match.
This article appears in Jan 3-10, 2019.