Cv, U-Hi Send Strong Field To Regionals
Central Valley and University, as is anually the case, are well-represented at this weekend’s Region IV wrestling tournament at Eisenhower High School in Yakima.
Between them, the two schools account for 19 of the Greater Spokane League’s 56 qualifiers and had 11 of 28 finalists and five champions.
The Bears sent a meet-high eight wrestlers into the finals of last weekend’s district tournament and advance 11 to this weekend’s regional.
“Hey, we had a great tournament and a phenomenal second day,” said coach Dale Ethridge.
University advances eight wrestlers to Yakima, although there were some setbacks.
“I always get my heart broken at this time of year,” said coach Don Owen. “I’m not displeased, but there were two or three more I hoped would make it.”
The biggest heartache, he said, was Gorden Bash’s loss at 115 pounds. A former state qualifier, he was ahead at one point 13-4 in a consolation match, but ended up getting pinned.
Bear top seeds include three-time state placer Shane Cunanan, 129, Brandon Brown, 148, and Brandon Bouge, 215.
Brown has quietly emerged as one of the Bears’ better wrestlers. He won a strong weight class that included two state qualifiers. He beat one, Josh Vande Vanter of U-Hi, in the semifinals and beat last year’s seventh-place state finisher Zack Moffat of Ferris in the finals.
“I wanted to get to state, since last year I didn’t wrestle to my potential,” said Brown. “Last year I was seeded third and this year was first, but didn’t know (about the outcome).”
The difference, he said, was his pursuit of perfection on a move called the head lever.
“I’ve practiced it ever since I learned it in eighth grade,” said Brown.
It enabled him to defeat Moffat for the third time this season.
Five Bears, three of them seeded second, had the misfortune of being in the same weight class with veteran opposition and finished second.
They were John Reese, 122, Blair Alderman, 168, and Tyree Clowe, 190.
Two others, 158-pound Mike Easton and 108 pound Kyle Bush, were surprising finalists.
Easton, a 4.0 student who wrestled mainly junior varsity, lost to two-time Valley state placer Nick Bliss of Gonzaga Prep.
Bush upset Prep Valleyite Louis Peyron in the semifinals.
Joining them in regionals are third-placers Shawn Conlon, 115, Brandon Bishop, 135 and Courtney Brown, 168.
Brown lost 2-1 to Alderman in an all-CV semifinal, time running out on his move for points.
Freshman Tim Owen and junior Conor Jordan won U-Hi’s titles and Ben Osborn finished second.
Owen, a Cadet National champion, improved to 29-3 at 101 pounds. Jordan, dominated at 135.
Jordan beat Valleyite Sean Malone of Prep.
Titans Vande Vanter and T.J. Dowling, 275, finished third. Magellan Laurich, 108, Curtis Bash, 122, and Reggie Lee, 178, were fourth.
Gonzaga Prep dominated the meet, scoring 304 points and qualifying a dozen to regionals, the most in school history.
Included were Valleyite Chris Montgomery, dominant at 115 pounds.
Others were champions Travis Pascoe, 168, and, Kyle Gleason, 178.
Third were Paul Koehler, who lost to Bliss in the 158-pound semifinals, Tim Ulmen, 135, Chris Healy and Rudy Cavasier, third and fourth respectively at 129, Wyatt Treat, 190, and Doug O’Coyne, 215, who also took fourth.
Bear-Titan gymnastics heats up
There is no more heated rivalry than the one between University and Central Valley gymnastics teams and coaches.
It was hot enough during three regular season meets. Last Friday it went up a few degrees when the Bears ended a five-year string of district championships.
This weekend, in Kennewick at the new Southridge High, it will be positively scorching. Only one team, two additional all-around performers and five extra per event will qualify for state.
Between them, the Bears and Titans had six of the top 10 all-around performers. They won all four events while earning 25 of 40 top 10 places.
Titan Tara Hulbert and Bear Emily Roberts shared first all-around. CV’s Lindsay Linerud tied for fourth followed by Titans Alisa Brandle, Coleen Pierce and Vanessa Cordova.
Roberts won vault and was third, fourth and seventh in other events.
Hulbert won uneven bars, tied for fourth, was fifth and tied for fifth on the others.
Linerud won beam, finished third, shared fifth and was eighth in the others.
Brandle won floor exercise and placed on beam. Cordova placed in three events and Pierce in two.
Other top 10 finishers were CV’s Lindsay Zacher and Lacey Varney twice each, Shannon Irving and U-Hi’s Mary Pierce once each.
Freeman wrestlers advance
Freeman wrestler Jeff Wigen won the 158 pound championship to lead the Scotties parade to this weekend’s Region IV A-B tournament in Chelan.
Wigen was one of four Freeman finalists in the District 7 A-B tournament.
Finishing second were Chris Fulkerson, 129, Eric Fulkerson, 135 and Bill Morphy, 141.
Gabe Martinez, 122, and Brandon Marchand, 190, were third. Also advancing to regionals among the district’s top six were Scotties Marc Hildescheim, 101, Buddy Robinson, 108, Tyrell Schlecht, 115 and Chris Hodl, 168.
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo