Hancock leads Republic to first state wrestling championship

TACOMA – Jordan Hancock knows all about sacrifice.

The Republic senior broke his femur during football in October of his junior year, only to turn around and win his second straight state wrestling title in mid-February of last year.

“It was a lot,” said Hancock. “Last year I thought about quitting because it hurt so bad, but then Coach (Jim Gubler) took me aside and said we really needed my points for state. I wasn’t looking to win last year … I was just looking to get team points. It was a bonus that I won.”

This year, Hancock was looking to win, and he did just that on Saturday to become the Tigers’ first three-time state champion with his 152-pound title victory in the Washington State Mat Classic XX B Wrestling Championships at the Tacoma Dome.

“It takes a lot to do this,” said Hancock, one of six Republic wrestlers to advance to a title match. “But I don’t want to look at myself like that because (there are guys at Republic) that will probably be four-time state champions.”

The team title meant the most to Hancock, not only because it was the first team wrestling title in school history, but because the Tigers watched the title slip away last year when Reardan’s Derek Toney got a pin in the final match of the night to give the Indians a half-point victory over Republic.

Gubler thought his Tigers had the team title wrapped up with their performance on Friday, but when the scores were reworked early Saturday he realized Kittitas and Reardan were within reach and four of his six wrestlers in the finals would have to win.

Fittingly, Hancock’s pin was the Tigers’ fourth individual championship and Republic went on to finish first with 141.5 team points. Kittitas was second with 125.5 followed by Reardan, which collected 108 points and three individual titles.

“Jordan, in my mind anyways, is kind of the foundation of what we built this program we have now on,” said Gubler.

Gubler’s son J.J. also successfully defended his state title at 135 when he pinned Ocosta’s John Kealoha in 5:06.

Other Republic champions included: sophomore Ryn Rollins, who won at 112 in 2007 and this year at 119, freshman Scotty Bacon (130) and senior Landis Mills, who was second last year at 160.

Jarred Palmier was fourth at 125 for the Tigers and Levi Larson second.

For the Indians, Toney defended his heavyweight title with a 7-0 win over Ocosta’s Kyle Strode.

Reardan’s Rory Beckstrom won the 215 championship and senior Josh Eldred won the 140 title.

Springdale freshman Conan Kalugin defeated Larson 12-6 for the 112 title.

Other local wrestlers to finish inside the top four included: Liberty’s Brian Mumby (second, 145) and Nick Stanifer (fourth, 112), Reardan’s Chris Goodson (second, 125) and Tim Eggleston (fourth, 135), Springdale’s CJ Kenney (fourth, 119) and Wilbur-Creston’s Jon Soulier (fourth, 171).