WINTER AWARDS: Wildcat pins down honor

Greg Gifford was a standout wrestler at Las Vegas High when he first noticed Napoleon Aniciete’s potential.

Little did Gifford know, he one day would coach Aniciete, who went on to author one of the most successful careers in state history while at Las Vegas.

“I’ve known him since he was about 5 years old, when I was wrestling in high school,” Gifford said. “When he was wrestling in youth programs, you just knew he would be good. It seemed like it came natural to him.”

Gifford, now in his second year as the Wildcats’ coach, must have known something.

Aniciete, a senior 152-pounder, went 53-1 — the loss was by injury default — this season on his way to the Class 4A state title. He won his third state championship overall to lead Las Vegas to its second straight team title.

For his efforts, Aniciete has been named the Review-Journal’s 4A Wrestler of the Year.

Las Vegas won repeat state titles for the first time since 2002, when Gifford was a senior.

“It hadn’t been done since my coach was in high school,” Aniciete said. “The whole season we were pushing hard and knowing we had a shot at it.”

Aniciete might have had a chance to become the ninth wrestler in Nevada history to win four state titles, but he was forced to sit out his sophomore year after transferring from Bishop Gorman.

Aniciete won state at 103 pounds as a Gorman freshman before he transferred to East Career and Technical Academy, which has no wrestling program. Competing for Las Vegas, he won the 140-pound state title as a junior.

“It’s been a long, fun journey,” Aniciete said. “My whole youth career, (winning state) was my dream. Being able to be a three-timer is awfully fulfilling.”

His time at Las Vegas was made even more fulfilling with the chance to wrestle with his brother Alex.

Alex Aniciete, a sophomore, won the 135-pound state championship this season after taking the title at 130 as a freshman.

Napoleon Aniciete wrestled the final month of his senior season with a dislocated left shoulder. Instead of using the injury as an excuse, he heightened his intelligence on the mat.

“When I dislocated my shoulder, I had to be more of a wrestler who would pick my spots,” he said. “I had to be aware of where I was at. My junior year, I just wasn’t as smart as I am now in knowing where to position myself.”

Napoleon Aniciete’s list of accomplishments this season includes titles at the Las Vegas Holiday Classic and the Don Buchanan Invitational in Clovis, Calif.

But Gifford said Napoleon Aniciete wasn’t a leader just by piling up wins.

“If I was running late to practice, he would start running practice,” Gifford said. “They all looked up to him. It was like having another coach.”

Napoleon Aniciete plans to continue his career in college. He recently accepted a scholarship offer from Utah Valley and plans to sign with the Wolverines in April.

The Review-Journal’s other Winter Athletes of the Year:

BOYS BASKETBALL
4A: Shabazz Muhammad, Bishop Gorman. A junior swingman, Muhammad averaged 25.1 points and 7.7 rebounds to lead the Gaels (25-6) to the Sunset Region title.
3A/2A/1A: Dantley Walker, Lincoln County. A senior point guard, Walker averaged 36.2 points and 10.3 assists to carry the Lynx (24-7) to the 2A Southern League semifinals. Became the state’s all-time leader in points (3,304) and assists (887). Committed to UNLV.

GIRLS BASKETBALL
4A: Courtney Hayes, Centennial. A senior guard, Hayes averaged 10.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists to help the Bulldogs (32-1) win their sixth state title in the past 10 years. Signed with Louisiana Tech.
3A/2A/1A: Rachel Morris, Virgin Valley. A senior center, Morris averaged 14.4 points, 12.2 rebounds and 4.7 blocks to lead the Bulldogs (20-6) to the 3A state final. State’s all-time leader in blocks (597). Signed with Utah.

GIRLS SOCCER
4A: Kayla Varner, Green Valley. A senior striker, Varner had 22 goals and 17 assists to lead the Gators (17-6-1) to the Southern Nevada title. Signed with Brigham Young.

WRESTLING
3A/2A: Shae Bryant, Moapa Valley. A senior 135-pounder, Bryant repeated as a 3A state champion.

BOYS BOWLING
Dallas Leong, Tech. A sophomore, Leong had a 300 game in the postseason to help the Roadrunners win the Sunrise Region title.

GIRLS BOWLING
Amanda Hix, Basic. A senior, Hix had a 596 series to lead the Wolves to a 5-4 victory over Cimarron-Memorial in the state final.