Oklahoma State’s Sergio Vega, FSU’s Isa Torres make history

Soon after becoming the first true freshman wrestler to win an NCAA title while going undefeated since 1947, Sergio Vega thought of his father Danny. The Oklahoma State freshman from Tucson thought of the unconditional love and support that propelled him.

Vega won the NCAA national championship in the 141-pound division while handing Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez his first loss of the season. He highlighted a historic weekend for Latino college athletes. Florida State junior shortstop Isa Torres set a new NCAA record by going 16-for-16.

“My dad never gave up on me,” Sergio Vega said during his press conference at Cleveland’s Rocket Arena. “So many tournaments when I was younger, wouldn’t score a point and I was just some fat little chubby kid. I don’t know how he did it. He’s so awesome. Because he never gave up on me.

“And in those moments I’m tired and I can’t feel my arms, I can’t feel my legs, it’s just, remembering all the things he did for me and my brother. They just never gave up on me.”

Isa Torres Sweet 16

Torres, who is on an 11-game hitting streak, showed the skills that garnered her multiple Preseason All-American accolades. The 5-foot-6 junior from Georgetown, Texas, broke the record Friday night against Cal by going 3-for-3 to collect 14 hits in 14 consecutive at-bats.

She added two more hits in as many at-bats on Saturday against Cal to extend her record to 16 for 16. The two-time All-American is hitting .642 (52-for-81) this season. She has 12 doubles, three triples and four home runs so far this year.

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Torres established herself as one of the best players in college softball as a freshman two years ago. Vega also had a freshman season to remember. Stanford’s Aden Valencia, a redshirt freshman, also earned an NCAA title in the 149-pound division on Saturday.

Aden Valencia pulls upset

Valencia was the No. 10 seed heading into the NCAA Championships. He pulled off a major upset over Penn State’s undefeated Shayne Van Ness, the No. 1 seed.

“Just to be able to put it all together and do the right things and go through the process and find my way here through, obviously, myself and the people around me, my coaches, my partners, my sister, my best friend back home, my parents — to be able to figure it out and do what I know I’m born to do and capable of doing, it’s just a relief,” he said.

Valencia and Vega were the only two Latinos to earn national wrestling national titles this year. Vega’s season will go down in NCAA history. As if going undefeated as a true freshman weren’t impressive enough, Vega went through the entire season without suffering a single takedown.

“I’m so grateful for them because there was a time where it probably would have been time for me to just quit and maybe it’s not for me but they never gave up on me,” Vega said of his parents. “I can never pay them back for what they’ve done for me.”