CdM’s Busch not shy

If Daniel Colon is reading this, he should know that Danny Busch wants him to remember his name.

Busch, a Corona del Mar High senior 152-pounder, is taking an aggressive attitude to the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet, the two-day event that begins today at Temecula Valley High.

Colon of Norwalk High is Busch’s first-round opponent. He placed third in the Southern Division tournament last week. Busch, who is 39-5, placed second in the Coastal Division tournament. He has words for Colon and the rest of the competition in the Masters.

“I like to crush people and break people so people know my name and won’t ever want to wrestle me again,” Busch said during a phone interview as he was en route to Temecula Thursday. “It always brings a smile to my face any time I get a takedown.”

Takedowns have been definitely coming for Busch, a Pacific Coast League champion. He has recorded 232 takedowns this season, which is a school record, according to CdM Coach Gary Almquist.

Busch also produced the highest finish for a CdM wrestler since 2002, when Steven Russell was a champion, Almquist said. Busch is the lone wrestler from the Newport-Mesa area competing in the Masters.

He said he was able to advance because of the help from his coaches. He has also said his off-season preparation has paid off this year.

“They all believed in me and made me stronger,” he said of his coaches. “They put the time and energy in for me and really sacrificed for me.”

Last week, Busch recorded three wins after a bye to move in to the division final. But he was pinned by Harvard-Westlake’s Nick Treuer.

Finishing second was quite a feat for Busch. Still, he believes there is unfinished business.

“I feel pretty good about finishing second, but there’s a bigger picture,” he said. “I’m happy, but state is the main goal.”

Busch will try to place in the top nine to advance to the state tournament in Bakersfield.

Results, as well as brackets, can be found at www.tmi.150m.com.

“I looked at the brackets, but I’m not going to get nervous,” Busch said. “Wrestling is always tough. If wrestling was easy any one could do it.”