Wrestler Spotlight – Joey Cisneros
Joey Cisneros – Redwood HS
Joey Cisneros – Redwood High, Senior
Imagine being within a grasp of accomplishing your dreams in back-to-back seasons to be a California state medalist in wrestling, but yet, fail to do so?
Some individuals might feel the need to feel mad, upset and quit wrestling after experiencing such a devastating experience. But not Redwood high school’s wrestling star, Joey Cisneros.
Cisneros was back in training mode the day after he got home from the California state tournament.
“I began putting extra hours in the gym, running more and watching videos of NCAA wrestlers to start practicing new moves and trying them on my opponents,” Cisneros, said.
All that hard work paid off. A week after the CIF state tournament, he traveled to Selland Arena in Fresno, California and won the California Frosh/Soph state tournament with five pins. Not one of his opponents got past the second round.
“Being a Frosh/Soph state champion was an excellent feeling. But I needed to prove to myself that I was able to wrestle the best and win”
That mental attitude took him to wrestle in the USA Wrestling Junior Folkstyle National tournament in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He cruised through the competition beating a state medalist from Kansas and Iowa before falling in the finals to a Florida state champion, 13-3. It was the first time Cisneros wrestled in the Folkstyle National tournament.
“Coming here (Folkstyle Nationals) is teaching me that I can definitely compete with the best in the nation and all my training is paying off.”
A true testament to all the hours and sweat he has put in the gym and mat.
Cisneros started wrestling at a young age of eight years old for the Pioneer Wrestling Club. Wrestling success came fast for young Cisneros. He was medaling in every tournament he would enter in the Golden State. He was winning local, regional and state titles at ease. Many coaches in California from the top Freestyle and Greco Roman wrestling clubs began to take notice of this young man from Visalia, California. He was beating some of their best as well as future state medalists (K. Olivas, D. Lloren, P. Perez, A. Molina, T. Gilliland, J. Gaytan, N. Colunga and others).
“We all know each other since our youth days and have been beating each other so many times is not even funny.”
With the help of his coaches at his new wrestling club Ranger, Cisneros elevated his wrestling skills in both Greco Roman and Freestyle. He decided to attend USA Wrestling Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota. Fargo is considered the top notch tournament when it comes to Freestyle and Greco Roman.
“All the best kids from every state attend this tournament. The cream of the crop in wrestling rises to the top and become National Champions and All-Americans.”
Cisnero’s decision paid off as he became a double All-American for the first time in his career. He was a finalist at 106 pounds in both the Freestyle and Greco Roman styles of this tournament. He beat kids from Pennsylvania, Iowa, Florida, Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, Montana and New York to be in the finals of both tournaments. With his success at Fargo he should be ranked in the upcoming rankings of Amateur Wrestling News (One of the best High School rankings in the nation).
“My future goals are to wrestle in college and win a national title and go on to international wrestling. Someday in the near future, I hope to represent the United States and win the Olympics.”
