No stretch for him

Ferris wrestler Kyle Yonago is a man apart, the antithesis of the prevailing emphasis on single-minded devotion to a sport.

He has never devoted himself exclusively to wrestling, or any one athletic endeavor for that matter.

“I go from sport to sport all year long,” Yonago said.

That didn’t prevent the 140-pound athlete from last year becoming the third state wrestling champion in Saxons history.

Yonago is one of two defending Greater Spokane League state titlists who begin another season of wrestling tonight. University’s Cory Fish is the other.

The GSL in general, coaches said, will top-to-bottom be stronger than last year when 19 league wrestlers medaled at state.

Both U-Hi (10 returning regional wrestlers, six of them state qualifiers) and East Valley (five, three) are expected to compete for state team hardware in their respective 4A and 3A classifications

Most of these wrestlers spent the spring and summer participating in camps and freestyle competitions, preparing for the year. Yonago was not among them.

“He hasn’t been one who goes to camps or wrestle freestyle and still has the ability to win a state title,” marveled his coach Tim Owen. “I can’t think of too many that have done that. At the weight he’s at it’s even more uncommon.”

Last year Yonago compiled a 34-3 record, winning four straight matches at Mat Classic in Tacoma in one of the sport’s strongest weight classes. He was involved in three narrow victories, including 7-6 in the title match with an escape and throw as time ran out.

“It was kind of scary,” Yonago said. “When I went behind on points, I started to get flustered and thought I had to get going or this match is over.”

His conditioning, he said, carried him through and in the end he prevailed, but not without some controversy.

“They thought time was out, but I knew it wasn’t,” said Yonago. “I saw the kid (a mat assistant who taps a wrestler with a towel to signal match’s end) walking forward to tap (his opponent), and I tossed him. There was no way I didn’t get that. As soon as they awarded me the points, it was an adrenalin shot.”

This week he begins the task of repeating.

Playing a potpourri of sports while growing up was manifest of the family philosophy.

“We never wanted to ever be controlled by only one sport,” said Yonago’s dad, Ford. “My philosophy is, you don’t play for a college scholarship. A lot of times if you put your eggs in one basket it doesn’t work out.”

Keeping his children busy was one of the goals when Ford Yonago involved his three sons in youth sports. He coached them all, so he was able to manage their schedules.

Kyle developed footwork and balance from judo, speed and endurance from playing baseball, basketball and soccer (he was a second-team All-GSL selection last spring).

But once high school loomed on the horizon, Kyle had choices to make, and it made sense, given his size and with a little urging from dad, that he chose wrestling.

“Basically when my dad said I was going to wrestle, I stopped basketball right there,” said Kyle. “I kind of expected it because everyone in the family did it.”

All his uncles had wrestled. Lane Yonago, was the best, finishing second and third at state. Kyle’s older brother, Blake, was a three-time qualifier who placed at state in 2002. Younger brother Taylor, placed last year.

Although Kyle didn’t participate in junior wrestling or have time to compete in a freestyle tournament, everything about his upbringing had prepared him for a date with state wrestling title destiny.

This past fall, Yonago further showed how well-rounded an athlete he is by playing football for the first time. He started in the Saxons’ defensive secondary, intercepting five passes, and was the place-kicker.

To what does he attribute his versatility?

“I guess it’s probably work ethic during each season,” he said. “I work really hard at that sport to get as good as possible. Then, when it’s over, I switch to the next sport and work hard on that one.”

Owen isn’t dismissing the importance of summer camps and freestyle competition in the making of a state wrestling champion. But Kyle Yonago is proof that there are other ways to assure success.

“It’s something for coaches to take a good look at,” said Owen. “Maybe we overemphasize the importance of doing something year-round.”