No one expected Los Gatos High senior Veloria Pannell to beat top seed Hailey Chapman—who entered their match ranked No. 8 in the nation—in the first round and opening day of the 131-pound division in the CIF State Wrestling Championships on Feb. 24.
No one, that is, except Pannell, the Los Gatos coaches and some of Pannell’s closest family members and friends. Pannell’s stunning 4-1 win over Chapman was the upset of the tournament, but just to prove it was no fluke, the Los Gatos High senior won her next three matches—all over top-notch competition—en route to the championship match against a familiar foe: Alexia Bensoussan.
The Menlo-Atherton High senior had already beaten Pannell in their two previous matchups this season, first at the Gilroy Mid-Cals and then in the semifinals of the Central Coast Section Championships. The CCS match went to triple overtime, and Bensoussan prevailed again in the state final, 5-2, at Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield on Feb. 26.
Despite the loss, Pannell had absolutely nothing to hang her head about because Bensoussan was ranked 21st in the nation in a higher weight class, 138 pounds, and will most assuredly move up several spots after the victory.
Pannell’s second-place finish highlighted a tremendous showing for the Los Gatos program, which also saw sophomore E.J. Parco take fifth place at 138 pounds. Parco went 5-2, with his only two losses coming to the state champion and third-place finisher.
“I was so proud of E.J.’s effort and how much he accomplished,” Wildcats coach Greg Varela said. “He avenged a bunch of losses he had to some of the top guys earlier in the year, and it was very impressive. I believe E.J. is right there with some of the best guys we’ve ever had in the history of the Los Gatos wrestling program.”
Several other athletes from the Los Gatos boys team earned wins as well. Pannell said it was inspiring to see someone like senior heavyweight Dylan Lucas take up wrestling for the first time and advance all the way to state.
“He’s a special individual and a good role model on the team,” Pannell said. “It was really inspiring to see how much effort he put in and then to get some reward out of it.”
Inspiring could be one way to describe Pannell’s state tournament performance, especially the win over Chapman. Even though on the surface a 4-1 decision denotes a close match, Chapman didn’t record her first and only point until there was 10 seconds remaining.
After a scoreless first period, Pannell chose bottom position for the start of the second and scored on an escape. Chapman chose bottom for the start of the third, but Pannell maintained control and ended up utilizing a leg ride, got Chapman on her back and was awarded a three-point near fall.
“I knew coming in (Chapman) was the No. 1 seed and had won the Southern Section, so naturally I was nervous,” Pannell said. “But the coaches reassured me that I would be prepared and would have a game plan of what I had to do strategically, but also putting in a good effort and never giving up. Ultimately, everyone is beatable.”
Varela was on pins and needles as he watched the match unfold.
“(Chapman) thought she was facing an unranked nobody and what she got was a street fight,” he said. “And by the time she realized she was in a street fight, Veloria had her beat and it shocked her. It was exciting and I felt like I was going to have a heart attack.”
After winning three more matches to reach the championship match, Pannell got to live every high school wrestler’s dream as she and her opponent shined under the spotlight —literally—with the rest of the arena dark as is the case of wrestling championship matches at big events.
“It was a unique experience with so many people there,” Pannell said. “You have a lot of time to think about what had happened and kind of absorb it, but ultimately when you get to the match, you’re wrestling as if it’s any other match. But afterward, as I looked up in the bleacher area and saw the whole team, it was just a great experience.”
Pannell’s stirring run through the state championships was a culmination of her indefatigable work ethic and the focus she had to improve herself since taking up wrestling in her freshman year. Varela said for the longest time he didn’t even know Pannell did other sports like cross country, swimming and track and field because she never missed any of the wrestling practices.
“Her work ethic and her family’s work ethic is the secret to their success,” he said. “Her attitude, her will to win, she looks like this little girl and she turns into a beast when she competes.”
Los Gatos established numerous program milestones this season, and Varela praised his coaching staff of Danny Chaid, Victor Daza and Brandon Dariano along with athletic director Ken Perrotti for their unwavering commitment and support to help the program thrive.
“It takes a village to make it run,” Varela said. “Without the coaching staff and the help of a lot of people like Ken Perrotti, this program doesn’t run. It truly takes a village because of the amount of work and time that goes into this. I demand a lot, I expect a lot and I’m not an easy guy to work with because I want your time. This area we work in Silicon Valley, jobs take a lot of time. And for everyone to sacrifice and put their time into this program takes a lot of dedication.”
Three years ago, when Varela did his usual preseason recruiting at the school by posting signs and flyers, he had an advertisement that the program was looking to grow the girls team and one day have a state finalist. Pannell showed up with her older sister, Viveca, and let’s just say Varela learned never to judge a book by its cover.
“They showed up and I thought they were not going to make it,” Varela said. “Two skinny girls, didn’t talk, super shy. I was like, ‘No, they’re not going to make it.’ And I couldn’t have been more wrong about her and her sister who is now wrestling club at MIT. Their hard work and attitude carried them where they wanted to go.”
Sports editor Emanuel Lee can be reached at el**@we*****.com
