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Mid-Valley Takes Control

The Mid-Valley League took charge of the 20-team Region IV-AA Tournament at Riverside, but after Friday’s results, eight teams are within 11 points of first place.

Sunnyside (30 points), Eastmont (26) and Prosser (23.5) led the team race, but West Valley of Spokane (22), district champion East Valley of Spokane (21), Clarkston (19) and Colville (19) all had their successes.

Sunnyside and Eastmont pushed five wrestlers apiece into today’s semifinals. WV and EV qualified four apiece, Clarkston and Colville three each.

Every Mid-Valley district champion advanced except Ellensburg’s Todd Widman at 190 pounds, who lost to Ryan Lamb of Eastmont 3-2. District 7 champs who fell were Gary Adamson (108) of EV, 5-3 to Ellensburg’s Bryan Ovenell; Justin Divis (141) of Colville, 6-3 to Selah’s Dennis Espinoza; and Clarkston’s Scott Mountjoy (275), 7-3 to Grandview’s Ramon Frias.

The tourney concludes today, with the top four in each weight class advancing to next weekend’s Mat Classic VIII in the Tacoma Dome.

Class A/B

Top-ranked Cashmere and third-ranked Lakeside are embroiled in a torrid team race after the opening round of the regional at Mead High.

Cashmere scored 57.5 points and Lakeside 54 to distance themselves from the 29-team field. Third-place Tonasket scored 32.5.

Cashmere and Lakeside advanced nine apiece into today’s semifinals. Lakeside was strongest at 115, as district champion Chris Padayao and teammate Tim Weisser won and will meet in today’s semis.

District 7 champions who lost were Ritzville’s Kyle Bauer (129), by injury default to Rohan Theobald of Okanogan, and Liberty’s Al Widman (168), 3-2 to Lake Roosevelt’s Jason Depew.

Deer Park (28 points) is in fourth place, with five wrestlers in the semis.

The tourney concludes today, with the top four in each weight division advancing to Mat Classic VIII.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: AAA RAINED OUT Floods in Walla Walla forced postponement of the Region IV AAA high school wrestling tournament Friday. Scheduled for Friday and today, the state-qualifying tournament will be held Tuesday at Walla Walla High School or Pasco High School, said Central Valley athletic director Jay Rydell. All the Spokane teams were on the road near Pasco when Walla Walla officials called off the meet. The last remaining road into Walla Walla flooded when a dike broke, Rydell said. According to a representative of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, weigh-ins Tuesday are scheduled at 7 a.m. with wrestling starting at 10 a.m. At stake are four berths in each weight class to the State AAA Tournament at the Tacoma Dome. State begins Friday morning. The postponement creates an added hardship for out-of-area wrestlers earning state berths. They’ll miss classes at least four of the next six days. “We offered to have it at Central Valley Sunday or Monday, but they didn’t want to give it up,” Rydell said. Three other wrestling tournaments across the state were postponed until Monday.

This sidebar appeared with the story: AAA RAINED OUT Floods in Walla Walla forced postponement of the Region IV AAA high school wrestling tournament Friday. Scheduled for Friday and today, the state-qualifying tournament will be held Tuesday at Walla Walla High School or Pasco High School, said Central Valley athletic director Jay Rydell. All the Spokane teams were on the road near Pasco when Walla Walla officials called off the meet. The last remaining road into Walla Walla flooded when a dike broke, Rydell said. According to a representative of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, weigh-ins Tuesday are scheduled at 7 a.m. with wrestling starting at 10 a.m. At stake are four berths in each weight class to the State AAA Tournament at the Tacoma Dome. State begins Friday morning. The postponement creates an added hardship for out-of-area wrestlers earning state berths. They’ll miss classes at least four of the next six days. “We offered to have it at Central Valley Sunday or Monday, but they didn’t want to give it up,” Rydell said. Three other wrestling tournaments across the state were postponed until Monday.