Moriarty Wrestlers Shine at APS Metro Tournament: Caleb Gustafson Takes Gold

February 1, 2026

ALBUQUERQUE – The Moriarty wrestling program made its presence felt at La Cueva High School this weekend, putting up a fierce fight in the APS Metro Championships. Highlighting a weekend of high-intensity grappling, the Pintos saw multiple podium finishes, anchored by a dominant championship run from Caleb Gustafson.

Caleb Gustafson Dominates the 150-Pound Division

The story of the tournament for Moriarty was undoubtedly Caleb Gustafson (23-1). Competing in the 150-pound varsity division, Gustafson was a force of nature, racking up 26 team points. He opened his campaign with back-to-back pins against Sandia’s Nathan Phillips and La Cueva’s Trenton Pauly.

After a gritty 5-2 sudden-victory win in the semifinals against St. Pius X’s Zachary Katz, Gustafson left no doubt in the finals. He pinned Lorenzo Gallegos of Volcano Vista at the 5:42 mark to secure the 1st Place title.

Varsity Boys: Gabriel Gustafson Battles to 4th

In the 113-pound bracket, Gabriel Gustafson (14-3) delivered a strong 4th-place performance. Gustafson showcased his technical prowess early with an 18-2 tech fall over La Cueva’s Andrew Lin. After a setback in the semifinals, he bounced back with a clutch pin of Cleveland’s Pablo Philipbar to reach the bronze-medal match. Despite a razor-thin 2-1 loss to Volcano Vista’s Santino Martinez, Gustafson’s 12.5 team points were vital for the Pintos.

Other notable varsity boys’ performances included:

Lance Volk (285): Scored 6 team points with two lightning-fast pins in the consolation rounds, including a 12-second victory over Bernalillo’s Gavin Gallegos.
Angelo Montoya (175): Contributed 4 points with a first-round pin.
Domicio Brito (113) & Mishen Jaramillo (215): Both added 3 points to the team total with key victories in their respective brackets.

Varsity Girls: Shoemate-Means Earns Silver

On the girls’ side, Lilly Shoemate-Means (17-2) continued her impressive season in the 135-pound division. Shoemate-Means stormed through the quarterfinals and semifinals with consecutive pins, both occurring in under 90 seconds. While she ultimately fell in the championship match to Albuquerque’s Jessia Armendariz, her 2nd Place finish and 20 team points underscored her status as a top contender in the state.

McKayla Miller (125) also had a standout tournament, contributing 10 team points. Miller showed incredible resilience in the consolation bracket, recording three straight pins before narrowly missing out on the medal rounds. Kristina Means (120) looked poised for a deep run after an opening-round pin and a quarterfinal win, but was unfortunately forced to withdraw via medical forfeit in the semifinals.

Tournament Summary

Wrestler	Division	Place	Key Highlight
Caleb Gustafson	150 lbs (V)	1st	4-0 record with 3 pins
Lilly Shoemate-Means	135 lbs (G)	2nd	Reached finals with two sub-2-minute pins
Gabriel Gustafson	113 lbs (V)	4th	Scored 12.5 team points
Sydney Kelley	155 lbs (G)	6th	Earned a podium spot for the Pinto girls

Despite a grueling schedule and stiff competition from across the metro area, the Moriarty wrestlers proved they could compete with the best. The team will look to carry this momentum into the final stretch of the season as they eye the state championships.

In the JV Boys Division, the Moriarty wrestlers faced a tough field at the APS Metro Tournament. While many of the younger athletes are still gaining varsity-level experience, several showed flashes of the “Pinto Pride” with aggressive matches.

Here is the breakdown of the JV results:

Top Performers

Ace Skinner (165 lbs): Skinner had the deepest run of the JV squad, reaching the Semifinals. After receiving a bye through the first two rounds, he battled hard but eventually fell to Arturo Ortiz of La Cueva. He finished his tournament in the consolation semifinals.
Dominic Lopez (106 lbs): Lopez competed in one of the more crowded brackets. Though he didn’t secure a win this weekend, he remains a key part of the JV rotation with a solid 12-10 season record.

JV Results at a Glance

Wrestler	Weight Class	Record at Tourney	Team Points
Ace Skinner	165 lbs	0-2 (2 Byes)	0.0
Dominic Lopez	106 lbs	0-2	0.0
Almeron Saxton	113 lbs	0-2	0.0
Fabian Silva	157 lbs	0-2	0.0
Joaquin Morales	132 lbs	0-2	0.0
Matthew Serrano	126 lbs	0-2	0.0

The Road Ahead

While the JV team didn’t land on the scoreboard this weekend, the Metro tournament is widely considered one of the most difficult “open” tournaments in the state. For many of these wrestlers, like Matthew Serrano and Joaquin Morales, the focus remains on mat time and building the technical foundation needed to jump to the Varsity roster next season.