Bears declawed
TACOMA – On consecutive nights last month Central Valley’s wrestling team came up with clutch performances to knock off East Valley and University to capture the Greater Spokane League championship.
“I’m not saying we’re better than those teams,” veteran coach John Owen said of his 10-0 team. “We were better on those nights and we did it back-to-back.”
The Bears’ fortunes plummeted since then, culminating with just two medals at Mat Classic.
“We had a rough start, we only won two of the first seven matches,” Owen said. “Looking back on the draws we were capable of winning six of seven. (Jeremy) Savage had tough match against a defending champion.”
State didn’t go well from the start when 112-pounder Tanner Teeples lost a controversial 6-5 decision to a Bethel wrestler who dropped his next two. Josh Renfro (152), CV’s only regional champ, went 0-2.
“When you wrestle as poorly as we have, you always remember the officials’ decisions,” Owens said. “You don’t want to put yourself in position to let the official decide it.”
Teeples came back to finish third and 215-pound teammate Tyler Cochran was sixth.
“I felt all seven were capable,” Owen said. “Any time you come here, you’re capable of placing.”
Bullpups shine
Gonzaga Prep showed that you don’t necessarily have to win league dual matches to have a satisfying season.
The Bullpups tied for 10th in the Greater Spokane League with a mere 2-8 record. At Mat Classic they were among the top 11 teams in state.
They brought four wrestlers to state and all medaled to score more than 50 points during the weekend.
“We don’t have a full lineup for duals, but we had four wrestlers who placed high and three others who were tough,” said second-year coach Danny Pearson.
The 2000 Gonzaga graduate and his assistants, including his brother James, a 2002 Prep state titlist, and Pat Bradley, a state finalist, are scarcely older than their charges. Toward that end they have been excellent practice partners and brought a background of success.
“We knew we had a good tournament team and had goals,” said Danny Pearson, who assisted for two years before becoming interim coach. “We had goals, not necessarily to win, but to finish in the top 25 at Tri-State and bring more wrestlers to state.”
More experience meant that brothers Jon and Kevin Healy placed, David Hall placed fifth and Matt Lynch eighth.
“It takes success to be successful,” said Pearson who is finishing his Master of Education degree and will begin student teaching next week. “We’re going in the right direction.”
Brothers in arms
When Dan Michalski, East Valley’s 189-pound 3A state champion/runner-up graduates from high school, he said he’ll enlist in the Air Force.
His brother Tony, a 2002 State 4A third-place finisher, is currently in the Navy. The two had a reunion in Tacoma. Tony, who is stationed on Whidbey Island, was out of town, but got here for Dan’s championship match.
Mat Classic icon absent
Ed Aliverti, who is as much a fixture of Mat Classic as the competitors, was missing from this year’s 19th extravaganza.
The Hall of Fame announcer, a longtime advocate for the “World’s Oldest and Greatest Sport,” both nationally and internationally, is being treated for cancer of the pancreas.
Aliverti has never hidden his enthusiasm for the sport. His euphemistic banter during state is a long-standing topic.
Although he didn’t attend Mat Classic, he was still part of an annual tradition. A recording of his rendition of America The Beautiful was played prior to Saturday night’s finals.
Girls meet
Hoquim won the first girls’ championship, scoring 62 points to finish 16 points ahead of Kelso.
Chewelah was fifth with 37 points, paced by freshman Chelsea Bailey, who finished third at 119 pounds. Junior Rebecca Johnstone was fourth at 135. Destinie Worden, a junior from Kettle Falls, was third at 125.
Washington is just the third state, joining Texas and Hawaii, to have a sanctioned tournament.