Nathan Pascoe Lakeland Year: Senior Sport: Wrestling Weight: 171

Last weekend, Lakeland’s Nathan Pascoe defeated some of the best wrestlers Spokane has to offer in the Inland Empire Classic.

Friday and Saturday he takes on the rest of the Inland Northwest and regions beyond in the Tri-State Tournament, and the defending State A-2 champion is one of the favorites.

“I’ve been practicing really hard for Tri-State because winning it is my main goal early in the season,” Pascoe said.

Tri-State is about the only title that has eluded Pascoe. Although wrestling at 171 pounds now, he is the defending state champion at 158.the time the year is over, he will hold the record for most career victories at Lakeland.

Lakeland coach Mark Johnson points to Pascoe’s experience as one of the keys to the success of the team. Pascoe has gone to camps throughout the region and is able to pass on advice to his teammates.

“He’s our leader,” Johnson said. “If I wasn’t here for a day he could coach because the rest of the kids look up to him.”

Pascoe feels that this is one of the best teams he’s wrestled on in his four years at Lakeland, and he expects the Hawks to compete at the end of the year.

“Our whole team is solid this year and we have a goal to bring back a team trophy from state,” Pascoe said.

Pascoe feels the key to a match is to break down an opponent mentally by getting out to an early lead with takedowns. That leads to frustrated opponents. Then he has the upper hand.

Discussing strategy doesn’t take place only in the wrestling room for Pascoe. It also comes at home.

Pascoe’s brother, Travis, a freshman, is also considered one of the best wrestlers in A-2. Both are thought to have good shots of winning state titles this year.

“He has a lot of experience through the camps we’ve gone to and he already is teaching me a lot,” Nathan said.

Nathan may be impressed by his younger sibling, but this weekend he might rather be compared to his older brother, Jeremy, who wrestled at Lakeland and won a Tri-State title in 1988-89 at 160.

“There is so much overall quality at this tournament that it would be a huge win for him to start the year,” Johnson said.

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