Applegate, Kitner Put CV In Charge

Central Valley pulled the two biggest upsets Friday and took early charge in the team race during the District 8-AAA wrestling tournament at Mead High School.

Matt Applegate (101 pounds) beat second-seeded Gordon Bash of University and Loren Kitner (148) beat another second seed, Gonzaga Prep’s Eric Hundahl, to vitalize CV’s charge.

CV, which finished tied for third in the Greater Spokane League standings, scored 128.5 points for a 15-1/2-point bulge over the host Panthers. The GSL’s co-champions came next, with G-Prep scoring 101.5 and U-Hi 97.5.

CV advanced a meet-best 11 wrestlers to today’s semifinals. The Bears entered district with four No. 1 seeds, one more than U-Hi.

Mead sent 10 wrestlers into the semifinals; Prep and U-Hi nine apiece.

The tourney ends today, with the top four in each weight division qualifying for next weekend’s Region IV Tournament at Walla Walla.

Colville took a narrow lead over Clarkston in the team standings, but the District 7-AA Tournament at Pullman is far from decided.

Colville scored 92, Clarkston 91, East Valley 78.5 and West Valley 75.5 after the first day of the tourney, which ends today. Colville and EV advanced 10 wrestlers apiece to the semis; Clarkston and WV nine each.

The three No. 1 seeds from Clarkston and Riverside moved on, as did the two top seeds from Colville, EV, WV and Cheney.

The biggest upsets were at 108, as EV’s Kevin Woolf beat No. 2-seeded Jason Divis of Colville, and 190, as Clarkston’s Eric Hollenbeck beat No. 2-seed Jacob Powers of Cheney.

The top three finishers advance to next week’s regional tournament at Riverside.

, DataTimes