Mehlbrech’s grown stronger
There’s growing, and then there’s growing.
Matt Mehlbrech has been a 119-pound wrestler for East Valley High School since his sophomore season, making the senior a three-year veteran in one of the sport’s lightest weight classes.
“I just haven’t grown that much since my freshman year,” he said. “I don’t have trouble making weight, either. After a workout I weigh in at 120, 121 pounds. Making weight is really easy – I don’t ever have to worry about it.”
It’s unusual to see a senior competing in the lighter weights – 103, 112 or 119 pounds. Those weights usually are manned by freshmen and sophomores who, by the time they’re seniors have grown to wrestle at 129 or 135 pounds or higher.
“Most of the guys I wrestled against when I was a freshman and a sophomore are wrestling at those bigger weights. I’m not sure why I’m still here.”
What Mehlbrech has that most of his opponents don’t is a wealth of experience in his weight. And, since his body has settled into a natural weight, he’s considerably stronger than the average 119-pounder.
“I feel I’m a lot stronger than the guys I wrestle,” he said. “That’s not always an advantage, though. It’s not all about who’s stronger at this weight. It’s about speed and technique. I need to use my strength to complement those other assets.”
In other words, Mehlbrech has grown in his own way – a way that gives him an advantage.
“I’ve thought about it this year,” he said. “If I went out there and wrestled myself from a year ago, I’d pin myself. I’m sure of it.”
That improvement makes Mehlbrech a formidable opponent at this weekend’s Class 3A Regional tournament at Eastmont High in East Wenatchee. The only senior in his weight class at last week’s sub-regional in Kennewick, Mehlbrech qualified for the regional as a No. 2 seed.
“I lost to Josh Romero from Sunnyside in the final,” Mehlbrech explained. “I gave up two points right at the end of the first period that I shouldn’t have, and I had a late takedown that I gave up. The final score was 10-3, but it was a closer match than that.
“I’m planning on wrestling him again in the finals this weekend. I think it’ll be a closer match.”
Though just a freshman, Romero is one of Class 3A’s top-ranked wrestlers at 119.
“He’s one of those guys who compete all summer long,” Mehlbrech said. “He goes to all the wrestling camps and he’s always competing at nationals in freestyle. I’d much rather take the summer off and relax.”
Still, he said, he’s learned a lot from East Valley’s rich tradition of producing top-notch lightweight wrestlers.
Mehlbrech practiced against Joey Plumb and Shelby Lawson during his freshman year – the former a state champion at 112 pounds, the latter a state placer at 103. His sophomore practice partner, Rivera, was a state runner-up at 112 before transferring to University for his junior year, and Kyle Hunter was a state placer at 112 a year ago.
But it’s been a while since the Knights have produced a state 119-pounder – in fact, the team has yet to send one to the state tournament since returning to Class 3A. The last Knight to wrestle at state at 119 was Josh Plumb, who placed sixth in the Class 4A tournament in 2003.
A year ago Mehlbrech came within a match of reaching the state tournament, settling instead for fifth-place as a state alternate.
“Last year I lost my first match to someone I should never have lost to,” he said. “I’ve always had trouble with that first in a tournament. I’ve been working hard this year to correct that, but it’s not easy. I have a hard time waking up in the morning.”
He’s placed at several tournaments already this season, including a fourth-place tournament at the prestigious Spud Walley tournament in Sedro Woolley against some of the top teams in Class 3A. He added a sixth-place finish at the Pacific Northwest Classic at University against some of the top Class 4A wrestlers in the Northwest.
The Knights, who easily out-distanced Sunnyside to win the sub-regional, have 10 wrestlers qualified for the regional tournament, making for spirited, hard-working practice sessions in preparation for the state-qualifying tourney.
East Valley had seven wrestlers reach the finals last weekend. Along with Mehlbrech, Keith Babington was a finalist at 103, Sean Biltoft at 125. Nic Price (145), Dakota Lawson (171), Clete Hanson (189) and Jordan Berezay (215) all won their respective division.
“We had a couple snow days last week and we lost a practice session because of it,” Mehlbrech said. “This week we have a good group of guys in the practice room. We come in, we go at it hard and are out by about 4:30. We’re ready for this weekend.”