30-0: Delta wrestler earns college's first perfect season
December 12, 2018
STOCKTON -- Greg Viloria didn’t just win a state championship. He made history.
Viloria became the first Delta College wrestler to go undefeated, finishing his 30-0 season with a championship victory on Saturday night at the California Community College Athletic Association’s state tournament at Cerritos College.
Not only that, but in the course of the entire season, Viloria was never taken down during a match, said wrestling coach Michael Sandler.
“I’ve been doing this 33 years,” Sandler said. “I’ve coached guys that made the Olympic ladder. I’ve coached Division I All-Americans. They never went through a season without giving up a takedown.”
Just three Delta wrestlers have won a state championship. Viloria is the first to do so with a perfect record. For good measure, he was also named the most outstanding wrestler of the tournament.
Even before winning the title in the 125-pound weight class, Viloria had been named the California Community College Sports Information Association athlete of the month for October.
He credits his coaches, his teammates and the Delta community as a whole for everything that has happened.
"It’s still pretty surreal," Viloria said. "You never really know what’s going to happen at the state tournament. I’m really grateful for having the opportunity to do this."
A West High School graduate, Viloria has been wrestling since he was 4 years old and is known for working hard in the weight room and for his ability to make smart adjustments during a match.
He finished third in the state as a freshman at Delta. After taking last summer off to coach young wrestlers, Viloria seemed even more determined his second year, his coach said.
“He had renewed love for the sport and it never died,” Sandler said. “He was a man on a mission.
“I was really proud of him,” Sandler added. “We had a conversation last year about what he was capable of doing. I don’t know if he even believed it. But watching it come to fruition was special.”