Sandpoint Takes Lead Into Tri-State Wrap-Up

Blame it on the weather, perhaps.

The prestigious Tri-State wrestling tournament has had better starts in its 29-year history. The finish should be entertaining, though.

Sandpoint advanced six into the semifinals while two-time defending champion Lake Stevens, Wash., had four quarterfinal winners during opening-day action at North Idaho College’s Christianson Gym.

No official points were available, but unofficially Sandpoint has a nine-point lead over Lake Stevens. And both teams have a number of athletes still alive in the consolation bracket.

“We came hoping to place seven and we’re already guaranteed six,” Sandpoint coach Mike Randles said. “We’re pleasantly surprised. They’ve wrestled pretty aggressively and we’ve put up some good wins.”

Lake Stevens coach Brent Barnes warned that the tourney is far from over. His team went into the second day trailing Moses Lake by 20-1/2 points before winning by 1-1/2 last year.

“There are still a lot of points to be scored in the back door,” Barnes said.

Two other teams in the hunt are from Oregon - Oregon City and Hermiston. Each pushed five into the semifinals.

Action resumes this morning at 9 with consolations. The championship semifinals begin at 12:15 p.m., followed by the consolation semifinals at 3. Finals are at 6.

The main reason team points couldn’t be tallied was tourney officials were bogged down frequently dealing with match conflicts.

Christmas early

Sandpoint coach Mike Randles found a 215-pound present under his Christmas tree Thursday.

Joe Forsman, a state runner-up at Lewiston last year, won a seasonopening match in a Bengals uniform Wednesday. The next morning, he withdrew from Lewiston and drove to Sandpoint, where he enrolled. Friday, he was wearing a Bulldogs singlet at Tri-State.

Forsman finished 27-7 last year at 171 pounds, six of his losses coming to Jake Rosholt of Sandpoint. Two of the defeats came in the finals at Tri-State and state.

Forsman, favored to capture a state title this year, said he transferred to Sandpoint because his father took a job there. Forsman, whose parents are divorced, said his dad has custody.

Lewiston coach Jeff Karlin was bewildered by the transfer of his top wrestler.

“(Joe) betrayed a trust,” Karlin said. “I in no way want to keep Joe Forsman from wrestling. But I put a lot of time in him. I feel betrayed. I wish him all the best; I like Joe and want to see him succeed. Unfortunately, I think part of success lies in building loyalties. He doesn’t have that yet.”

Karlin said Forsman had been talking about transferring to another school since returning early this month from a foreign exchange trip to Costa Rica.

Forsman said he had no choice and had to move with his dad. His brother, Ben, a sophomore on Lewiston’s team, lives with his mother in Lewiston.

“They’re probably right to feel betrayed, but it’s not my fault,” Forsman said. “Things happen in life that you just have to adjust to. It was tough leaving a lot of friends and the coaches who I’m close with.”

Forsman joins a talent-rich Sandpoint team that’s expected to capture the State A-1 Division II championship. He’ll match up in the practice room against Rosholt, a two-time state champ, who signed a letter of intent with Oklahoma State last month.

“I’d probably rather stay in Lewiston with my family, but I’m with my dad because he’s got custody of me,” Forsman said. “But I’m more than willing to wrestle for Sandpoint. They’ve got a great program and they’ve accepted me.”

Forsman had a first-round bye Friday before scoring a pair of pins to move into the semifinals.

Sandpoint coach Randles said he made sure the transfer was legal before allowing Forsman to wrestle Friday.

“It’s a real pleasant surprise, but I’m still a little bit shocked by it,” Randles said. “Seeing him at practice (Thursday) was shocking. From 103 to 215 we’re about as solid as any team.

“From what I heard (Forsman), is looking for a college situation and he felt like he needed to put himself in a practice room where he has a partner that’s going to push him. Jake Rosholt provides that.”

Randles believes much is being made out of nothing.

“If he had a .500 (record) and was a JV (junior varsity) kid, nobody in the world would question it,” Randles said. “But because he is who he is, we really pushed to make sure this is on the up and up.”

Tough sleddin’

Three full teams - Bonners Ferry, Moscow and Sentinel of Missoula - and a partial team or two were pinned by the regionwide snow storm that hit Thursday evening.

Most of the 40-plus teams arrived safely. As it turned out, the tournament began 30 minutes late, but tourney director Bill Pecha figured daylong action would get back on schedule since several pigtail matches were eliminated when the teams withdrew.

Former North Idaho College coach John Owen, who assists Pecha with the tourney, overbooked the event, Pecha said, tongue firmly planted in cheek.

“Losing those teams really saved us,” Owen said.