'My brothers are always there too': University's Czar Quintanilla looks to add to family legacy with fourth Mat Classic title

Czar Quintanilla has been waiting his whole life for this moment.

From the time he was born, all Quintanilla has known is wrestling. Now the University senior has a chance to add his name to the history books as a four-time Mat Classic champion.

And maybe more importantly to him, add to his family’s legacy.

The 126-pounder will look to cap an incredible high school career Friday night at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma and become just the third Greater Spokane League wrestler to win four titles.

He would join former teammate Libby Roberts – who won her fourth last year to become the GSL’s first girls four-time champion.

But it’s the other name on the list that has a deeper meaning for Quintanilla – his older brother Clai Quintanilla.

“I remember going into Mat Classic last year and just being a little nervous still, because it is such a massive environment,” Czar said. “But that’s when Clai told me to just crack a smile. So I did and I wrestled an incredible finals.”

But Clai and Czar are only half of the ingredients in the recipe that has made the Quintanilla story so special.

‘So many holes in the walls’

Unlike many wrestling families in Spokane where a legacy of success goes back several generations and spreads between branches of uncles and cousins, the Quintanilla family’s path to wrestling began with a rambunctious 5-year-old and an advertisement.

“It all started with my older brother Izaec. He was about 5 years old and I was 3 or so from what I was told,” Clai said. “He was a wild child and had this hammer he would run around with, so my parents were like this kid is really active, we need to get him into something.

“So they saw a flyer for youth wrestling and the rest is history.”

That history has been a successful one for the four Quintanilla brothers – Izaec, Clai, Q’veli and Czar. Between them, the brothers currently have 13 Mat Classic titles – the most for a group of brothers in state tournament history.

Izaec won three titles at North Central from 2013-15, followed by Clai’s four titles at NC from 2014-17. Q’veli claimed his first title as a freshman at Gonzaga Prep, before his sophomore season was wiped out due to the pandemic. But he returned to championship form in his junior and seniors seasons at University to claim three titles. That leaves Czar and his three wins – so far.

All four brothers have a laundry list of coaches they attribute their individual successes to, but there is a common theme when it comes to who impacted them the most.

“Our mom and dad sacrificed so much for us to be successful in this sport,” Izaec said. “Looking back now, I realize the hours of sleep they gave up, the weekends for tournaments, the time in the car to and from practices. They may not come from this background of technical wrestling knowledge, but they love the sport.”

Not that Charlene and Dwayne have much of a choice but to love wrestling. The four boys were all immediately hooked, leading to some intense brotherly battles.

“There were scraps everywhere in our house,” Clai said. “There were so many holes in the walls in the basement. There was broken furniture and broken trophies. We used to even put our trophies on the line against each other and wrestle tournaments in the living room.

“It was such a competitive atmosphere, but it was just because we all wanted everyone to be better.”

Being the youngest and smallest of the group, it wasn’t always smooth sailing in the house for Czar, but he believes having his three brothers to look up to and learn from has made him into the wrestler he is today.

“I would be up by like 14 points in the basement against Q’veli, and then in the last minute he would just decide to turn it on and beat me,” Czar said. “But that’s what taught me to compete. It taught me to finish. You don’t just get handed the things you want, you have to keep working hard and then you earn them.”

As the Quintanilla brothers graduated from the basement to the high school and club mats, their success and intensity only grew. That led to Izaec’s first trip to the Tacoma Dome as a freshman where he finished fifth.

And even though a podium finish is something most freshmen would dream of, Izaec said that placed lit a fire under him and his brothers.

“That changed everything for me, because I didn’t want my brothers to ever feel that feeling,” Izaec said. “It’s really heartbreaking when you have a goal in mind and come up short. So from then on, I was on top of them at practices and I would show them what it took to get to that next level.”

‘The best listener’

With the brothers all having different high school experiences at different weights, it is natural that they have different wrestling styles.

But what sets Czar apart from the rest, according to Izaec, is his ability to listen.

“Some of us were pretty hard-nosed and didn’t always listen to the right people at the right times,” Izaec said. “That’s what really sets Czar apart is he’s an incredible listener to those around him and he’s able to adapt in a sport that rewards those who can be fluid.”

Q’veli added that his ability to see a skill and put it into his arsenal is also rare to see at this level.

“He picks up things faster than anyone I’ve seen, along with being naturally gifted,” Q’veli said. “On top of that, he’s very athletic and I think a lot stronger than people might assume when they see him.”

Czar has also been surrounded by plenty of good teachers at University and club training.

“I’m so fortunate to have the people I do in my life that have taught me this sport,” Czar said. “Everyone from coach (Ryan) Montang and the rest of my coaches here at U-Hi, to guys like Brian Owen – who is my godfather – to the Roberts family.

“And then my brothers are always there too.”

And although Czar is the only Quintanilla in the University wrestling room this year, he’s excited to be reunited with one of his siblings next season at the collegiate level. Czar has signed to wrestle at Utah Valley University after graduation, where he will once again be on the same mats as Q’veli, who is a redshirt sophomore for the Wolverines.

“I had Q my first year and then Clai coached us for a bit, so I got so used to having one of them in there,” Czar said. “And they’re such a strong support system, so when I chose UVU and to be back with Q’veli I just thought that if I wanted to be an All-American and a national champion, I need to stick with my family because they push me the most.”

Q’veli said he is just as excited to be back in the room with his younger brother. In fact, getting to wrestle at the 2023 state tournament with Czar was a driving force in Q’veli claiming his third title.

“I had torn my ACL right before districts, so I wrestled that tournament injured,” Q’veli said. “But knowing I was there with my brother and could possibly share a state title with him pushed me through the injury.”

‘A mix of us all’

Going into Mat Classic 37 this weekend, Czar is ranked as the No. 1 126-pounder in 3A and the No. 3 pound-for-pound wrestler in the state according to Washington Wrestling Network. He was dominant through his two-day run at the District 6 tournament and also added his third Tri-State Tournament crown in December.

But it was an experience out of a Titans singlet this year that he believes got his mind in the right place entering this final stretch.

Czar spent most of January at the Olympic Training Center, before competing for Team USA in men’s freestyle at Henri Deglane Grand Prix in Nice, France. Although he went 0-2 at the event, Czar said he gained so much from the experience that he can take into the Tacoma Dome.

“It was an experience that showed me how high of a level I want to be wrestling at and really has motivated me since I returned,” Czar said. “Sometimes a loss or two at the right time can be a good thing. Because now I am willing to throw everything in the fire, be on the attack instead of waiting for something to happen.”

That competitive mindset, mixed with his high-level technical talent on his feet and on the ground, have been passed down from brother to brother. And as the older siblings went on to wrestle collegiately – Izaec at Wisconsin, Clai at Fresno State and Q’veli at Utah Valley – they have continued to share their wealth of knowledge with their younger brother.

“Everything gets passed down. We have no reason to hold back anything we learn, so each skill or piece of knowledge gets to the next brother earlier than we learned it and they apply it earlier than we did,” Clai said.

Which is why in a hypothetical showdown of each brother at their peak, Czar seems to be the favorite to come out on top.

“Czar would win,” Izaec said with no hesitation.

“I’d like to think myself and the other guys would likely say themselves, but if I’m being realistic, it’s Czar. He’s just a mix of us all,” Clai said.

But it wasn’t a unanimous decision.

“I would no doubt choose myself,” Q’veli said. “My older brothers are not really in the sport anymore and I’m still competing, but I can see why they’d say him.”

But for Czar, he’s just happy to be in this position and will always look back at the road his older brothers paved for him.

“I’m just glad Izaec went crazy with that toy hammer. Otherwise, who knows where I would be right now,” Czar said.