Fiercely Competitive Nuesse Wins Championship
Riverside High wrestler Joben Nuesse looks like he could be in a Nike commercial.
You know, one of those grainy black and white ads with the voice of some young, undersized, athlete who’s excoriating all of Western civilization because everybody thinks he’s too small to make an impact on anything.
On the surface, Nuesse (pronounced Nes-see) doesn’t look like someone who was qualified to beat Toppenish High’s Rigo Castaneda, 10-0, for the state championship at the 122-pound classification.
But he did it.
“He is just a fierce competitor,” Riverside coach Scott Friedman said after Nuesse cleaned Castaneda’s clock.
“He’s blessed with a great mat sense and awareness that allows him to be successful. You can see it in his eyes when he turns it on,” Friedman said. “I’ve never been associated with someone in my short career that goes from start-to-finish for six minutes as hard as he does.”
For the last two summers, Nuesse has attended the Jay Robinson Intensive Wrestling camp at the University of Minnesota.
Friedman thinks the stiff competition at the camp improved Nuesse’s skills and intensified his performance. Nuesse is also a rock climber.
“He’s got deceptive strength,” Friedman said of the junior. “He took me to Wild Walls a couple of times - the kid just scales.”
And, he wins state championships.
Other 2A Medalists were:
John Slater, Colville, 115, fourth.
Tu Le, Riverside, 129, sixth.
Tom Cahill, Colville, 129, seventh.
Josh Hafer, Colville, 148, sixth.
Justin Divis, Colville, 158, sixth.
He keeps his word
North Central 190-pound wrestler David Sandberg was true to his word.
After rallying from a 9-2 deficit to win the district championship for his weight, Sandberg said, “I don’t know how I’m going to win (state), but I know I’m not going to lose.”
This is how Sandberg became NC’s fifth state champion: He did not allow a point in four matches during Mat Classic X last weekend in Tacoma.
Twice Sandberg won by pins, and then he shut out a pair of Region IV contemporaries - fourth place Scott Smiley of Pasco and second place Eric Heinlein of Kennewick.
The fact that Kamiakin’s Al Genatone finished third following an all-Region IV semifinal, left no doubt that Sandberg, who finished with a 32-2 record, successfully negotiated the toughest two weeks of any state 4A 190-pounder.
Sandberg was not the only North Side GSL placer. Sophomore teammate Tony Beggs placed fourth at 129 pounds, winning four straight matches following an opening loss.
Mead junior Jesse McCarty placed seventh at 122 pounds.
In all, 19 of 31 GSL state competitors medaled. Central Valley won the team title and seven Region IV schools finished among the top 13.
Included was fourth place Gonzaga Prep. Bullpup sophomore Travis Pascoe finished first at 168 pounds. Three-time placers Chris Montgomery, 115, and Nick Bliss, 158, placed second and third respectively. Juniors Sean Malone, 135, was sixth and Kyle Gleason, 178, was seventh.
Beginning the state quest
Lakeside and Riverside’s girls basketball teams, one-two in the Great Northern League, can qualify for state Saturday night with victories in the District 7 2A tournament.
The top three teams qualify for state in Tacoma for both boys and girls teams.
The tourney is being played at Mt. Spokane High School and begins Friday night with loser-out games.
Sixth-place Riverside’s boys, 6-14, play third-place Chewelah at 4:30 p.m. for the right to continue.
The Eagle and Ram girls teams are seeded in the double elimination portion of the tourney by virtue of their 19-1 and 16-3 overall records.
In Greater Spokane League playoff games, the Mead girls were the only North Side team to advance to regionals with its 61-32 victory over University. The Panthers play Central Valley in a regional seeding game tonight at 3:45 p.m. in the Arena.
The season ended for Mead’s boys, who were upset 45-44 by Gonzaga Prep, Rogers’ boys, who lost 56-44 to Lewis and Clark, and Shadle Park’s girls, who lost 42-37, also to LC.
Rogers’ girls, 13-8 overall, had compiled its first winning GSL record since 1978. Shadle girls, 11-10, played their last game for coaching legend Linda Sheridan, who earlier announced her resignation.
Gymnasts place at state
North Central freshman Amber Baines made her first varsity gymnastics season a spectacular one.
She finished fifth during individual finals on the balance beam during the 4A state meet in Tacoma.
Baines was seventh entering the individual competition.
Teammate Heidi McCullough finished 13th on bars during the first day of the competition.
, DataTimes