Champs under any place

TACOMA – Two East Valley wrestlers who reached the State 3A finals Saturday at Mat Classic XIX were denied championships.

Prior to his narrow 4-3 loss at 189 pounds, second-place finisher Dan Michalski said he felt like a champion already.

Michalski, despite a sterling three-year varsity career by the undersized wrestler, had never before qualified for state.

“I’d warmed up on the mats with the team a couple of years ago,” he confided.

He made the most of his final opportunity. He defeated Garrett Rutledge 5-2 in the morning semifinals to assure himself of at least second place.

Teammate Caleb Alvarado, another senior capitalizing during his final opportunity, outscored Cody Pohren of Sedro-Woolley 11-7 to also reach the finals, at 145 pounds.

They were the highest finishers among six Knights who brought home medals from state. Among them were third-place Clete Hanson (171) and fourth-place Jimmy Martin (215), who both lost semifinal matches.

Also suffering heartbreak in the semis was Mt. Spokane’s Noah Hatton, who was beaten by eventual champion Jake Swartz from Auburn, 3-2 and wound up fifth.

Michalski only weighs 182 pounds, which with the weight allowance as the season progresses puts him as much as 10 pounds lighter than his foes.

But he’d lock a leg in and stretch them out, using leverage for control. In the championship match he did so again against champion Josh Miller of Kelso through the second round after falling behind 2-1. Tied 2-2 in the third round he gave up a takedown that beat him.

“Coming in I wanted to be a state champion,” he said, hearkening back to his freshman arrival. “It was kind of a ridiculous goal, aiming for the sky. But believing, that’s the word for my career.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Michalski continued, following his semifinal win. “Win or lose I’m a champion.”

Alvarado ran afoul of once-beaten Eric Jones of Auburn-Riverside in his final. Jones pinned his way to the title, but Alvarado, who trailed 10-0 at the time, was the only one to take him into the third period.

Hanson was in a rugged weight class, and lost to second-place Andrew Buck of Kelso in the semifinals. He won his next two easily. Martin was edged 4-3 in his semifinal at 215.

Sedro Woolley won its sixth straight 3A state title 154.5 to 141 over Kelso. The Knights, with 91.5 points finished seventh.