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Experience Reigns At Region Wrestling

By Mike Vlahovich mikev@spokesman.com(509) 927-2180

Moses Lake and its veteran team may be gone, but there is plenty of experience remaining at this weekend’s Region IV 4A wrestling tournament in Yakima.

Forty-five regional veterans remain, including eight state placers from the Greater Spokane League and seven from the Big Nine.

The Chiefs, second in the AAA tournament last year, take their eight subregional finalists and 13 regional qualifiers into the new 3A Region IV in Ellensburg.

Joining them is last year’s AA champion East Valley, with 14 regional qualifiers, four of them sub-regional champs.

Seventy wrestlers from the Frontier League-Mid Valley subregion join 56 from the Kingco League near Seattle in this year’s regional tournament.

“Looking at the brackets, (Moses Lake is) sitting quite a bit better than we are,” said Knights coach Craig Hanson, “because we don’t know what we’re getting from the Kingco League.”

But the Knights pulled out a narrow 299-297 win over Moses Lake last weekend in the first tournament round and are hoping for 11 state qualifiers.

“It was an extremely tough tournament and we were on a really rough side of the bracket,” said Hanson.

Despite having only four schools, Frontier wrestlers fared well, advancing 24 to region. Included were four each from Cheney and Clarkston and two from West Valley.

Clarkston had three finalists, including 178-pound champion Tyson Thivierge. Cheney’s Blake Falor won the 275-pound subregional title.

Lakeside High, last year’s A/B state champion, sends 24 wrestlers and Colville has 20 in this Saturday’s district meet at Medical Lake.

“I think our goal is to get 13 athletes out of there,” said coach Scott Jones. “I’d be disappointed if we don’t, actually.”

Three wrestlers per weight qualify for state and 13 Eagles are seeded in the top three. Additionally, a couple of the 10 who joined this weekend’s meet have chances to advance.

When the Northeast A/Bi-County qualifiers travel to Chelan for the A/B Region III tournament, they are invading a traditional wrestling hotbed. Last year, Liberty Bell and Tonasket both finished in the state’s top seven.

With six state berths, however, local teams have a better chance to succeed.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: REGIONAL WRESTLING GLANCE REGION IV 4A Date and site: Fri. 7 p.m.-Sat. 11 a.m. Eisenhower HS At stake: Top four finishers in each weight qualify for Mat Classic X in Tacoma. Last year’s finish: 1. Moses Lake, 2. Wenatchee, 3. Kennewick. Returning champions: Charlie Wright (Pasco), 101, 2nd in state 1997; Chris Montgomery (Gonzaga), 115, two-time state placer, second last year; Shane Cunanan (CV), 129, three-time state placer, second last year; Nick Bliss (Gonzaga), 158, two-time state placer. Others to watch: Travis Pascoe (Gonzaga), 2nd in Idaho state tournament, 1997; Mark Denholm (Mead), 3rd in state, 1997; David Sandberg, 3rd in state, 1997; Joe Claros (Ferris), 7th in state, 1997; Juan Villa (Kennewick), 6th in state, 1997; John Reese (CV), two-time state placer; Dustin Fisher (Wenatchee), 4th in state, 1997; Eric Heinlein, 4th in state, 1997; Tommy Owen (U-Hi), freshman was first in Cadet nationals last summer REGION IV 3A Date and site: Fri. 7 p.m.-Sat. 11 a.m. Eisenhower HS. At stake: Top four finishers in each weight qualify for Mat Classic X. Last year’s finish: New event. East Valley won State AA and Moses Lake was second in State AAA. Returning champions: Golden Baker (Moses Lake), 148 Region IV AAA, third in state; Jorge Ruiz (Sunnyside), 108, third in state; Raul Mendoza (Sunnyside) 122, third in state; Andy Soliman (Prosser) 129, state champion; Brad Crockett (EV), 141, second in state; Brent Burnett (WV-Yakima), 158; Tyson Thivierge (Clarkston), 178, Reg. IV AA. Others to watch: Peter Zamora (Moses Lake), 135, AAA state champion 1997; Marcus Mays (Ellensburg), 135, two-time AA top-three state placer; Justin Walker (EV), 129, second in state 1997; Brent Burnett, 158, second in state; Jason Fitterer (Ellensburg), 3rd in state; Kevin Woolf (EV), fourth in state; Jody Chlarson (Moses Lake), 158, fifth at state; Carlos Garcia (Sunnyside), 190, seventh in state; Travis Wiser (Moses Lake), 215, seventh in state. DISTRICT 2A Date and site: Sat. 11 a.m. Medical Lake HS. At stake: Top three finishers in each weight qualify for Mat Classic X. Last year’s finish: New event. Lakeside won former A/B format and was state champion. Returning champions: Ben Steele (Medical Lake), 135, 5th in state, 1997; Jason Christen (Lakeside), 141, 4th in state; Aaron Laughery (Lakeside), 148, 5th in state. Others to watch: Jesse Moroni (Medical Lake), 3rd in state 1997; Tim Weisser (Lakeside), 129, 4th in state; Anthony Layton (Lakeside), 129, two-time state placer; Matt Westenfelder (Lakeside), 168, 3rd in state; Jeff Racicot (Medical Lake), 158, 5th in state; Sean Wheeler (Lakeside), 7th in state; Kyle Aiken, 108; Justin Slater, 115; Justin Divis, 158 and Davey Naff, 275, from Colville, are former AA wrestlers who were unbeaten in Great Northern League. Jason Divis, 135, lost once. Region III A/B Date and site: Fri. 7 p.m.-Sat. 11 a.m. Chelan HS. At stake: Top six finishers in each weight qualify for Mat Classic X. Last year’s finish: Tonasket and Liberty Bell were top teams. Reardan, Freeman and Almira-Coulee/Hartline are top local teams. Returning champions: Marc Eyler (Okanogan), second in state 1997; Matt Tuller (Liberty Bell), state champ 1997. Others to watch: Luke Winona (ACH), 215, 3rd in state and Matt Newberry (Cashmere) 5th in state are among nine returning state qualifiers.

This sidebar appeared with the story: REGIONAL WRESTLING GLANCE REGION IV 4A Date and site: Fri. 7 p.m.-Sat. 11 a.m. Eisenhower HS At stake: Top four finishers in each weight qualify for Mat Classic X in Tacoma. Last year’s finish: 1. Moses Lake, 2. Wenatchee, 3. Kennewick. Returning champions: Charlie Wright (Pasco), 101, 2nd in state 1997; Chris Montgomery (Gonzaga), 115, two-time state placer, second last year; Shane Cunanan (CV), 129, three-time state placer, second last year; Nick Bliss (Gonzaga), 158, two-time state placer. Others to watch: Travis Pascoe (Gonzaga), 2nd in Idaho state tournament, 1997; Mark Denholm (Mead), 3rd in state, 1997; David Sandberg, 3rd in state, 1997; Joe Claros (Ferris), 7th in state, 1997; Juan Villa (Kennewick), 6th in state, 1997; John Reese (CV), two-time state placer; Dustin Fisher (Wenatchee), 4th in state, 1997; Eric Heinlein, 4th in state, 1997; Tommy Owen (U-Hi), freshman was first in Cadet nationals last summer REGION IV 3A Date and site: Fri. 7 p.m.-Sat. 11 a.m. Eisenhower HS. At stake: Top four finishers in each weight qualify for Mat Classic X. Last year’s finish: New event. East Valley won State AA and Moses Lake was second in State AAA. Returning champions: Golden Baker (Moses Lake), 148 Region IV AAA, third in state; Jorge Ruiz (Sunnyside), 108, third in state; Raul Mendoza (Sunnyside) 122, third in state; Andy Soliman (Prosser) 129, state champion; Brad Crockett (EV), 141, second in state; Brent Burnett (WV-Yakima), 158; Tyson Thivierge (Clarkston), 178, Reg. IV AA. Others to watch: Peter Zamora (Moses Lake), 135, AAA state champion 1997; Marcus Mays (Ellensburg), 135, two-time AA top-three state placer; Justin Walker (EV), 129, second in state 1997; Brent Burnett, 158, second in state; Jason Fitterer (Ellensburg), 3rd in state; Kevin Woolf (EV), fourth in state; Jody Chlarson (Moses Lake), 158, fifth at state; Carlos Garcia (Sunnyside), 190, seventh in state; Travis Wiser (Moses Lake), 215, seventh in state. DISTRICT 2A Date and site: Sat. 11 a.m. Medical Lake HS. At stake: Top three finishers in each weight qualify for Mat Classic X. Last year’s finish: New event. Lakeside won former A/B format and was state champion. Returning champions: Ben Steele (Medical Lake), 135, 5th in state, 1997; Jason Christen (Lakeside), 141, 4th in state; Aaron Laughery (Lakeside), 148, 5th in state. Others to watch: Jesse Moroni (Medical Lake), 3rd in state 1997; Tim Weisser (Lakeside), 129, 4th in state; Anthony Layton (Lakeside), 129, two-time state placer; Matt Westenfelder (Lakeside), 168, 3rd in state; Jeff Racicot (Medical Lake), 158, 5th in state; Sean Wheeler (Lakeside), 7th in state; Kyle Aiken, 108; Justin Slater, 115; Justin Divis, 158 and Davey Naff, 275, from Colville, are former AA wrestlers who were unbeaten in Great Northern League. Jason Divis, 135, lost once. Region III A/B Date and site: Fri. 7 p.m.-Sat. 11 a.m. Chelan HS. At stake: Top six finishers in each weight qualify for Mat Classic X. Last year’s finish: Tonasket and Liberty Bell were top teams. Reardan, Freeman and Almira-Coulee/Hartline are top local teams. Returning champions: Marc Eyler (Okanogan), second in state 1997; Matt Tuller (Liberty Bell), state champ 1997. Others to watch: Luke Winona (ACH), 215, 3rd in state and Matt Newberry (Cashmere) 5th in state are among nine returning state qualifiers.