"It was good to get experience that young," he said. Then came Saturday night when he had a breakthrough moment, winning the state 165-pound championship as a 17-year-old senior for Birmingham High. "It means everything to me," he said. "It took four years.""
"Shahbazyan, who transferred from Chaminade after his sophomore year, is set to attend Stanford and still in the hunt to be valedictorian at Birmingham. Coach Jimmy Medeiros said he was close to winning last season before finishing fourth. "He got a lot better," Medeiros said."
"Shahbazyan has been wrestling since he was 8. "My father loves wrestling," he said. Two St. John Bosco wrestlers, Jesse Grajeda at 144 pounds and Michael Romero at 150 pounds, also won state titles."
Slava Shahbazyan achieved a breakthrough victory by winning the state 165-pound wrestling championship as a 17-year-old senior for Birmingham High. His journey began three years earlier as a 14-year-old freshman competing at the state championships. After transferring from Chaminade following his sophomore year, Shahbazyan improved significantly under Coach Jimmy Medeiros, who noted he came close to winning the previous season before finishing fourth. Shahbazyan has wrestled since age 8, inspired by his father's love of the sport. He is set to attend Stanford and remains in contention for valedictorian at Birmingham. Additionally, two St. John Bosco wrestlers, Jesse Grajeda and Michael Romero, won state titles at 144 and 150 pounds respectively.
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