Santa Ana College’s championship wrestlers Alireza Kaveh and Jade Morales have a lot in common: Both come from a long line of wrestlers, and both overcame challenges as they battled their way into the record books in 2024 – Kaveh as the 30th state champion in Santa Ana College history and Morales as SAC’s first women’s state champion.
Kaveh and Morales are both winners in every sense of the word.
They are also products of an athletic program that prides itself on taking local kids with a variety of academic and life experiences and turning them into leaders and role models.
Granted, SAC may not be counted among the more prestigious collegiate wrestling programs, Kaveh said. “But it has the tools, the environment, and, especially, the coaches to help make you into a state champ, which is pretty cool.”
A tale of two programs
During its storied history, the SAC men’s wrestling team has earned six national championships, 25 state championships and 135 conference championships.
The team is helmed by Vince Silva, who became head coach in 2000. During his tenure, the SAC Dons claimed the 2005 and 2009 California Community College Athletic Association 3C2A Wrestling State Championships. The Dons also won the 2009 State Duals Championship, winning every event they competed in.
What’s Silva’s secret to success? Caring about his athletes, he said.
2024 CCCAA State Wrestling Tournament - Finals
2024 CCCAA State Wrestling Tournament - Finals
Show Caption1 of 22024 CCCAA State Wrestling Tournament - Finals
Expand“That’s number one. The kids sense that the coaches care about them as people,” Silva said. “And we’re hard on them, but we’re always encouraging, always pointing out the good as well as the bad. We share stories about people just like them who have done (amazing things). And I share stories about my journey when I started wrestling, and that’s something that the kids gravitate to.”
Whereas the men’s program dates back to the early 1960s, women’s wrestling didn’t become a sanctioned sport until 2024. Before that, it was considered an emerging sport – or a club – which meant Las Doñas had to pay admission fees to participate in tournaments – often out of head coach Donald Apodaca’s pocket. The women had to carpool to meets because the club was not allowed access to the school’s van for transportation.
Today, women’s wrestling has the same privileges SAC’s other sanctioned sports enjoy.
“It’s wonderful because it provides more opportunities for our young women to participate in intercollegiate athletics,” said Mary Hegarty, Santa Ana College athletic director. “And women’s wrestling in particular really meets the demographics of our community. It is extremely popular in the local high schools and throughout the state. And the enthusiasm and the passion these young women have for wrestling is pretty awesome.”
Opening doors
One of the brightest stars to emerge from the newly sanctioned women’s team is Morales, SAC’s first women’s wrestling state champion. As a sophomore, Morales became the first 3C2A state champion after dominating the 123 pound bracket at the state tournament on April 20.
She also was voted the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler.
“Having an accolade like that means a lot because it means opening doors for other girls that want to wrestle,” Morales said. “I have a lot of other teammates who placed and are bringing in accolades and trophies. It entices girls to come in and wrestle, and it makes me happy because it’s just grown the sport here at the school.”
Morales’ achievements earned her recognition from the city of Santa Ana.
“I grew up in Santa Ana, so it made me feel like what I was giving back to my city was coming back to me,” she said. Morales comes from a family of wrestlers – both her uncle and her dad wrestled, and her dad helped coach Las Doñas when it was a club.
2024 3C2A Women’s Wrestling State Championships-Finals
2024 3C2A Women’s Wrestling State Championships-Finals
Show Caption1 of 32024 3C2A Women’s Wrestling State Championships-Finals
ExpandDuring her freshman year, she was one of just three wrestlers on the team. Today, the roster numbers 20.
“Anybody who meets Jade can feel her passion and her excitement about wrestling,” Hegarty said. “And it was great to have her in our first year as an official sport. It really set the tone for the kind of young women and competitors we want to have in our program.”
Morales said the mental aspect is the most challenging part of wrestling, but her drive to be the best keeps her motivated.
“It’s always me or my competition,” she explained. “I’m always trying to beat everybody in the room, and if I beat everybody in the room, then I wanna beat myself from yesterday.”
Show Caption1 of 2ExpandWrestling in his blood
Kaveh also grew up around wrestling – his father was a decorated wrestler on the Iranian National Team and his uncles also wrestled. Kaveh wrestled at Aliso Viejo High, but after his freshman year at SAC, he said he lost his motivation.
Kaveh took a four-year hiatus from wrestling, during which coach Silva texted him almost daily.
“Coach told me I had a great opportunity to be a state champion and not to give up on my dream,” Kaveh recalled.
In 2024, he returned to wrestling, quitting his job and enrolling at Santa Ana College just days before the season began.
From there, it was an up-and-down journey.
It was very, very tough,” he said. “I didn’t think I was going to be able to do it. You know, mentally just not thinking that I’m ready yet because of all the time that I was off and basically giving myself doubt.”
But Silva continued to encourage him, telling him what he had to do to become a champion.
Kaveh started to listen, and his confidence grew.
On Dec. 14, Kaveh secured his place in Santa Ana College’s record books in the 149 pound bracket to become the 30th state champion in program history at the 2024 3C2A Men’s Wrestling State Championship.
He was also voted Most Outstanding Wrestler – not only because he won a state championship, but because of his good character, his kindness, his humbleness and his demeanor on the mat, Silva noted.
“To this day, he continues to give back,” Silva said.
Kaveh said the credit goes to his coach.
“I thought I lost that spark. But Coach Silva lit a fire inside me.”
After producing two state champions, SAC athletics continues to grow by actively investing in its athletes and its programs.
For more information on wrestling programs at Santa Ana College click here. To learn more about Santa Ana College, please visit www.sac.edu.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( SAC’s championship wrestlers open doors and inspire the next generation of athletes )
Also on site :