Protecting wrestlers’ health
Making weight for a wrestling match used to come down to just a scale.
If you could make it read the right number, you wrestled. If you couldn’t, you didn’t.
The scales haven’t gone away, but now there’s a formula to take into consideration. Each wrestler is tested, weighed and certified with a minimum weight. They are prohibited from competing below that weight.
The 2007-08 wrestling season is the first to fall under the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association’s Wrestling Weight Management Program. Under this program, a hydrated wrestler is tested to determine his or her body fat, is weighed, and a minimum weight is determined.
With limitations now on how much weight a wrestler can lose, making out a line-up card can be tricky.
“The one thing I know after all the testing was done is that we won’t have a 112-pounder at all this season,” West Valley coach John Villaro said. “I don’t have anyone who can make that weight or who will be allowed to make that weight.”
Change is never accepted without a certain amount of grumbling, East Valley coach Craig Hanson said. But the intent of the rule change is to protect the health of young wrestlers.
“Any time you have a major change like this, you will have to go back and do some tweaking to make sure it works the way it was intended,” he said.
Aside from that, he said, dealing with the WWMP is just a matter of proper planning.
“You have to do some planning and really pay attention to what you’re doing,” Hanson said. “I have a JV kid who, right now, weighs in at 113 pounds and, because of his body composition, he can’t wrestle at 112. He has to wrestle at 119. He weighed in for his certification at 115 pounds and, according to the numbers, he can only lose down to 112.9 pounds. He hasn’t been trying to cut weight at all, and today after practice, he weighed in at 113.1 pounds. If he’d weighed that to start with, he’d be fine.
“I have to take responsibility for that. I should have made sure that he was at the right weight before we tested him. I still have a couple kids that I haven’t certified, who failed their hydration test or whatever. You have to understand the program and make sure the kids understand what it’s all about.”
Once all the testing and all the certifications are completed, the product on the mat should be first rate.
Getting to that point, however, is a challenge.
“It’s a nightmare,” University coach Don Owen said. “We have something like 84 kids out and getting them all tested and ready to go is tough. I need a full-time coach just to keep track of everyone’s weight and their testing. It’s taxing everyone.”
Central Valley is the defending Greater Spokane League champion with a strong contingent of returning veterans. University put together an outstanding post-season a year ago, capped by a fourth-place finish in the state tournament – the highest finish by a GSL school.
Meanwhile, East Valley was the Eastern Regional champion and scored 91 points at the state tournament, good for a seventh-place finish.
Greater Spokane League
Central Valley Bears
The defending GSL champions have a pair of state placers back in 112-pounder Tanner Teeples and 215-pounder Tyler Cochran, both seniors.
Teeples’ road to a state third-place finish was a long one. After losing his tournament-opener to Bethel’s Alex Acosta, Teeples won four straight matches to earn his medal.
Cochran was pinned by Mariner’s Zak Rydzak in the quarterfinals, but battled back for a rematch in the match for fifth and sixth place, falling 3-2 in overtime.
Also back are state veterans Josh Renfro and Jake Neumann, both seniors. Renfro was the regional champion at 152, and Neumann was second at 189. Renfro’s state tournament lasted two matches, however, and Neumann was out after three.
“I was disappointed by the way we wrestled at state,” Owen said. “That’s something we need to change.”
Neumann, along with juniors Tyler Simmet and Cody Stratton and Teeples capped the summer freestyle season by competing at the junior national championships in Fargo, N.D.
Jordan Choate also turned in a strong freestyle season and Owen looks for the senior to have a break-out season.
“I’ve had several coaches tell me that he’s our most improved wrestler over the summer,” Owen said.
Freshman Jarod Maynes, a state freestyle champion, should start at 103, but has to get past junior Colby Davis first.
Sophomore Sam Neumann placed fifth at last year’s Class 4A regional at 103 pounds, but moves up in weight this year and must battle Simmet for a starting spot at 130.
East Valley Knights
Clete Hanson and Dakota Lawson combined to give the Knights an impressive linebacker corps during the fall. This winter the pair will again combine to make an impressive block at 171 and 160 pounds, respectively.
Hanson, a state finalist as a sophomore, placed third last year, the only underclassman to place among the top seven, falling to second-place finisher Andrew Buck of Kelso in the semifinals before scoring a 14-6 victory over Robert Harvey of Capitol in the consolation final.
Lawson’s sophomore season saw him recover from a first-round loss to place seventh at state.
“Dakota was kind of all over the place with his weight last year,” Hanson said. “This year I think he’s more focused and has a better handle on what he needs to do to stay at that weight.”
Hanson comes off a strong freestyle season over the summer and begins the season healthy. Last year his season was hampered by a broken ankle suffered during football.
“I think he really hampered him in the big tournaments like Tri-State,” his father said. “By the end of that tournament he was out of gas.”
State veteran Jake Rodriguez returns, moving from 130 to 135 for his junior season. Rodriguez lost to eventual 130-pound champion Mason May of Yelm in the quarterfinals and was eliminated by state-placer Mick Polillo of Olympia.
Junior Nic Price returns after an unlucky state draw a year ago. Price drew eventual state 140-pound champion Michael Mangrum for his opening-round opponent and was eliminated in his second match by third-place medalist Addison Tracy of Bonny Lake.
Also back for the Knights is senior Matt Mehlbrech, who will again compete at 119 after placing fifth at last year’s Class 3A regional meet. Senior Alaric Parks, who placed sixth at 215 at regionals a year ago, returns to wrestle heavyweight.
The Knights will miss the Inland Northwest Classic tournament at Central Valley to scope out the top Class 3A competition at a tournament at Sedro Woolley.
“We have a chance to get a look at the five top teams in the state over there,” Hanson said. “That will come in handy down the road. Most of the competition at the Inland Northwest is Class 4A.”
University Titans
The Titans, coming off a second consecutive fourth-place state finish, have tested veterans in the middle weights, but young at the top and bottom of the lineup.
Senior Brian Owen is healthy. A national freestyle champion, an All-American, a state champion as a freshman and a three-time state finalist, Owen is pain-free for the first time in almost three years.
Owen broke a vertebra in his back before the start of his sophomore season and did not wrestle until the end of the year. Still, he reached the state finals. Last year, just months after the damaged vertebra was fused, he competed well and again reached the state championship match.
“His back has healed up and he’s looking very good,” Don Owen, Brian’s uncle, said. “You’ll see a much different kid this year.”
Owen will compete at 130 for now, but is certified and will again wrestle at 125 in the post-season.
Former Class 3A state finalist Anthony Rivera returns after an injury-shortened junior season and will wrestle at 125 during the dual-meet season, but will likely compete at 119 by the end of the year.
Senior Dan Jordan, who placed seventh at 160 at state returns and will compete at that same weight later in the year. For now, Owen said, he will compete at 171 in dual meets.
Ryan Zumwalt, sixth at state at 130 pounds a year ago, moves up to 140 for his sophomore season.
“I have a really good group of freshmen coming in and I can see us starting as many as three or four of them,” Owen said. “That will pay big dividends by the end of the year.”
A year ago the Titans qualified 16 wrestlers for the state tournament, their second highest total. University qualified 20 wrestlers for the 2005 state championship tournament and won the Class 4A championship.
Great Northern League
West Valley Eagles
The Eagles are making forward strides.
Starting his second season as head coach, Villaro has a study table for his wrestlers to help them with schoolwork and adopted a softer approach in the practice room.
“I’ve toned it down a bit,” he laughed. “I came out last year and was pretty tough on the guys. This year I’m dialing that back and trying to encourage these young kids.
“The thing is, the veteran kids back from last year miss that extra discipline and want to know when I’m going to start holding practice sessions before school.”
The Eagles have a state-placer to lead the charge in the practice room. Senior Justin Fiman brought back an eighth-place medal from last year’s Class 2A tournament.
Fiman lost his opening-round match to Colten Steagall of Mount Baker by a technical fall, but rallied to reach the seventh/eighth-place match, where he lost a 7-5 decision to Steagall.
“It’s great to have a state veteran in the room with these guys,” Villaro said. “He’s taken up the challenge and is a real leader this year.”
Back after a year off from wrestling is senior Tim Pring.
Pring’s senior football season was cut short by a broken wrist, and his return to the mats will be delayed for several weeks while the wrist heals. Eventually, Villaro said, he expects him to step in at 172 and challenge for a spot in the state tournament.