By ALBERT VILLEGAS
Special to the NEWS
Last Thursday, San Benito High School senior Brandon Salinas signed a letter of intent to attend Upper Iowa University and suit up for its longtime men’s wrestling program.
The occasion was held inside the SBHS gymnasium before family, friends, school, SBCISD administrators, and news media.
In four years of wrestling, Salinas earned just over 100 SBHS victories on the mat. In December, he cracked the 100-win mark in the same gym where he inked his named on the letter of intent.
Salinas is suiting up for an Upper Iowa University Peacocks program that competes at the NCAA Division II level. The program has churned out national champions since the late 1960s, the most recent one three years ago.
“I chose Upper Iowa because I liked the culture and how the team works; the guys are close and push each other every day, which is big in wrestling,” Salinas said. “That competitive environment stood out to me. The coaches also stayed in touch and showed they were invested in my development. It felt like a good fit for me.”
Back home, Salinas was a UIL Class 6A State Tournament qualifier after finishing third at the Region 4, 6A Meet. He was this year’s District 16-6A champion under first-year SBHS Head Coach Juan Caballero.
Salinas admits he participated in sports at an early age to be around friends, but as the years went on, he excelled at wrestling and continued to hone in his skills.
The friends and teammates noticed he would win multiple times at meets. Those medals were showcased on the table for onlookers to view upon his collegiate signing.
In fact, a four-tier hanger completely filled with medals and ribbons he also earned the past few years with Deadshot and Lightning wrestling clubs sat on that table.
“In sixth grade, I didn’t think much of it; I played sports to have fun and be with my friends,” Salinas said to the news media. “You dream of (competing) at the next level but you really never know if it’s going to come true or not, but it did come true.”
Salinas played for the Greyhounds football program until his junior year.
He will be the lone Texas signee, according to the university, located in Fayette, Iowa. Half of the team hails from within the state.
Unlike those wrestlers, Salinas will be hundreds of miles from his family, particularly his parents, Jerry and Melanie Sifuentes, who he said played a big role in his development on and off the mat.
“It’s something I always dreamed of,” Salinas said. “Waking up early, staying up late studying with my mom and dad pushing me, sometimes they would wake up at the same time as me, early in the mornings. They would tell me one day it’s going to be all worth it. This is what it takes to make it. I worked really hard for this.”
Salinas competed both as a Greyhound in purple and gold and in the high school offseason.
One thing is certain, SBHS Head Coach Caballero is going to miss the talented athlete. It’s his approach and production here that he thinks prepared Salinas for the major leap to college competition.
“We’re proud that he’s taking the next step into a well-established college program with a strong history of success and national champions. At San Benito High School, our goal has always been to prepare our student athletes not just for competition, but for the demands and expectations at the next level,” said Coach Caballero, who this month was named Coach of the Year by the Texas High School Texas Association.
“Through consistent training, discipline, and a commitment to growth, we believe he’s built a strong foundation to embrace this opportunity and continue developing both on and off the mat. We’re excited to see him represent our program and take on this new challenge,” Caballero remarked.
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