Student fight interrupts wrestling match

With 45 seconds left in the 3rd period, Roxana Valladares' and Diane Small's wrestling match in Blair's gym was interupted by a fight in the bleachers. The fight, between two Eastern Middle School 8th grade female fans, halted Eastern's annual "Main Event" for nearly a half hour. (for general Main Event coverage, see Blair hosts Eastern's annual "Main Event")

One of the girls received injuries in the scuffle. She was agitated and appeared to be in great pain. Paramedics were called and soon arrived on the scene. They administered oxygen to the student, to help her recover and calm her down.

As the altercation was developing, a mob of spectators rushed toward the two girls, to gain a better view. An asthmatic seventh grader was engulfed by the crowd, and suffered an attack. She also was assisted by the medics.

Eastern Middle School Principal Moreno (Moe) Carrasco was shocked by the incident. "In all sixteen years of the 'Main Event,' this is the first time that anything like this has ever happened," Carrasco told a crowded gym. "This is totally unacceptable."

According to a staff member for the "Main Event," no efforts had been made to prepare for this type of situation, since it was unprecedented. The fight has caused Carrasco and other "Main Event" organizers to reconsider the manner in which the tournament is conducted and whether adjustments should be made. "We don't want this to be the last Main Event," Carrasco said.

In the end, the two girls involved in the clash, and a seventh grade boy who helped to provoke the fight, were removed from the gym and escorted back to Eastern.

Once order had been restored, the wrestling matches resumed in Blair's gym, with a slightly smaller group of student spectators.