Classic Display By East Roberts Wins Third Title

The beasts of the East cashed in.

Andy Roberts became the first Greater Spokane League wrestler to win three state titles, East Valley and Lakeside of Nine Mile Falls won team titles for the first time and the career of legendary Mead coach Cash Stone came to an end with a state finalist.

Stone went out in style, with his last wrestler wrestling in the last match as Joe Collier reached for the 275-pound championship.

“It’s great,” the always affable Stone said. “Joe and I got to roll up the mat together. It couldn’t be better.”

Well, it could have been. Collier was pinned in the final, but that didn’t erase Stone’s grin and the accomplishments of Eastern Washington wrestlers.

When Mat Classic IX came to an end in the Tacoma Dome Saturday night, East Valley had 97 points, six ahead of Eastmont in the AA tournament, to capture only the third boys team championship in school history.

In the A race, Lakeside won the first team title in school history, edging Connell 96-91.5.

Roberts headlined the Greater Spokane League contingent by defending his state title at 129 pounds. He won the 108 title as a freshman in 1994. The other GSL finalists lost.

There was no team title for the GSL because the teams beat themselves up on the road to state, but six teams from the East Side finished in the top 10. Moses Lake placed second, 8.5 points behind the 95.5 points champion Evergreen of Vancouver. Wenatchee was third and U-Hi fourth (63) with five wrestlers.

The only other area state champion was Chewelah 215-pounder Ben Eggleston, who pinned his opponent in 57 seconds. , DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo