La Grande Favorite For Tri-State Tourney

Tri-State wrestling tournament director Bill Pecha initially thought as many as six teams would tangle for the team championship when the annual tourney is held this weekend.

Until Wednesday. That’s when Pecha took a closer look at the La Grande (Ore.) lineup.

“That’s my pick,” Pecha said as he shuffled through the 32-man brackets for each weight. “They’re not going to put any weak people out there. They’ll get the advancement points. And they’ve got three or four potential champs.”

And if La Grande doesn’t win, it may be a lock next year. Nine of La Grande’s 13 wrestlers are underclassmen.

La Grande will be seeking its third title in five years. Sandpoint dethroned La Grande last year, winning by six points.

The tournament continues to back its hard-earned reputation as an event more difficult than most state tourneys.

If La Grande doesn’t win in a runaway, at least five other teams, one or more from each of four states, could challenge when the tournament takes over North Idaho College’s Christianson Gym Friday for a 26th year for a two-day run. The tourney concludes Saturday evening.

A handful of teams hope to prove Pecha wrong. Sandpoint, Central Valley, Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls, Wash.), Moses Lake and Polson (Mont.) figure to push wrestlers into the championship finals.

Lakeside, which won the Washington A/B state title last year, opened the season with team victories at the Deer Park and Inland Empire Classic meets.

“We’re going to make a run at it,” said Lakeside coach Scott Jones, whose team topped Moses Lake and host CV last weekend in the Inland Empire Classic. “I think we’re going to be in the running. It’s such a quality tournament. If things go right we could do well.”

Central Valley is still short-handed thanks to its extended football season, but the Bears should be among the top finishers nonetheless.

Sandpoint may not have the proven depth of recent years, but the Bulldogs enter the best wrestler in the tournament, Jared Lawrence.

Lawrence, a three-time state champion and undefeated in his career (94-0), will be seeking a record fourth Tri-State title. He was named the tournament’s outstanding wrestler last year at 119 pounds, but growth and a muscle-building program has pushed him up two classes to 130.

Lawrence will compete at the same weight two weeks later at the Reno Tournament of Champions before moving up to 135 for the rest of the season.

“He’s so tough, he could win a state title all the way up to 152,” Sandpoint coach Eric Langley said.

Returning champs

In addition to Lawrence, four other champions return.

Pat Owen of Polson, a winner as a sophomore at 125, moves up to 140; Ryan Malone of La Grande moves from 140 to 145, Mike Bundy of Lake Stevens (Wash.) is back at 160; and Josh Dorfler of Oregon City (Ore.) returns at 189.

Returning runners-up are Casey Kotter of La Grande at 103, Chris Montgomery of Gonzaga Prep at 112 (he won as a sophomore), Gabe Hoyt of La Grande (who moves from 119 to 135), Luke Dunning of Big Sky (Missoula) at 140, and David Sandberg of North Central, who returns at 189.

Title contenders

This isn’t encyclopedic, but here are a few area wrestlers who could challenge for championships (not including names previously listed):

At 103, freshman Tommy Owen at University and son of former NIC coach John Owen; Jack Claros of Ferris; and Jake Macdonald of Sandpoint.

At 112, Mark Denholm of Mead.

At 119, John Reese of CV and Jason Belyea of Lakeside.

At 125, Shane Cunanan of CV and Cody Crawford of Sandpoint.

At 145, Aaron Laughery of Lakeside.

At 152, Nick Bliss of G-Prep.

At 160, Travis Pascoe of G-Prep, a transfer from Lakeland and Matt Westenfelder of Lakeside.

At 171, Ryan Anstrom of Rogers.

The toughest weights appear to be 103, 112, 135 (featuring three state champs) and 140.

, DataTimes MEMO: Cut in the Spokane edition.

This sidebar appeared with the story: TRI-STATE WRESTLING Where: North Idaho College When: Friday and Saturday First round: 10:30 a.m. Quarterfinals: 7:30 p.m. Semifinals: Saturday, 12:15 p.m. Championships: Saturday, 6 Admission: All-sessions passes $15, senior citizens (60 and older) and students $10. Single-session pass $5, $4 senior citizens and students. There are four sessions, two each day.