Andrew Keligian

Patrick Laverty

As a freshman football player at Corona del Mar High, Andrew Keligian

often told Coach Gary Almquist, also the Sea Kings’ wrestling coach,

that he was going to pin him.

It was enough for Almquist to pull Keligian onto the mat so he

could show him what wrestling is all about.

Three years later, Keligian still hasn’t pinned Almquist.

“I’ve gotten pretty close,” Keligian said with a smile. “I’m

almost there.”

Almquist can only chuckle. “He’s getting harder to take down,” he

said. “But I’m getting older.”

While he still may have trouble against his coach, Keligian has

proven to be the class of the Pacific Coast League, winning the

215-pound weight class at the league championships last weekend.

The victory returns Keligian to the CIF Southern Section

championships, where he went 2-2 last season, also at 215 pounds. His

expectations are higher this year, with the hope of finishing in the

top five and qualifying for the Masters tournament.

“Last year, I wasn’t expecting to do anything,” Keligian said. “I

think I got a feel for what CIF is all about. This year I want to win

more matches, get further in the tournament and try to qualify for

Master’s.”

Almquist said those goals are realistic.

“He has a legitimate shot at placing in the top five at CIF,”

Almquist said. “What we need to do is to get him in that fifth-sixth

place match or close to it. From there, anything can happen.”

The key, according to both Almquist and Keligian, might just be

how well some of the other Sea Kings do. Corona del Mar has eight

juniors and one senior in the CIF competition and they all have been

known to push each other.

“All of us have a very friendly competition,” Keligian said. “We

want to see who goes the farther and wins the most matches. It drives

everybody up to the next level. We all want to be the best.”

Keligian attended to wrestling camp of Cael Sanderson, one of the

best wrestlers in NCAA history finishing his career undefeated, and

Almquist credits the camp with convincing Keligian how good he can

be.

“He discovered that nobody can hold him down,” Almquist said.

“When you realize that, it takes away the fear of falling. If you

make a mistake and get taken down, you know you’re going to be able

to get back up.”

An offensive and defensive lineman for the Corona del Mar football

team, Keligian maintains his strength by lifting weights three times

a week. After weighing 230 pounds during the football season,

Keligian lost 10 pounds at the start of the wrestling season and

loses five to six pounds before weigh-ins.

“I just do lots of running with no liquids,” Keligian said. “For

about two days before, there’s no eating or drinking. That’s probably

the hardest part.”

After making weight, it’s exactly the opposite though.

“I just drink as much water as I can,” Keligian said. “If there’s

any room left, I’ll get something to eat.”

Despite the need to make weight in wrestling, Keligian has found a

balance between maintaining the size needed for a football lineman

and being a 215-pound wrestler.

“My coaches are always telling me, ‘Eat, eat, eat,” Keligian said.

“All I’ve done to lose weight is eat healthier. My strength is still

there. I’ve just lost the fat.”

Keligian expects to return to 230 or 235 pounds for his senior

football season. But before he starts putting on more weight, there

are still goals to be met on the wrestling mat.

“I was talking to a lot of coaches and players [at CIF last

year],” Keligian said. “I found out how hard you have to work to win

matches in CIF, Masters and State, how much dedication it takes.”

Keligian has shown a similar type of dedication. Now he gets

another chance to win those matches.