Kuna wins team title at Tri-State

Seven area athletes checked off one of their big goals for the season Saturday in the 42nd Tri-State wrestling tournament.

Colton Orrino of Central Valley, Tate Orndorff of University, Izaec Quintanilla of North Central, Bryce Parson and Ryan Klemp of Lewiston, TJ Baun of Colville and Dalton Young of Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) each captured individual championships in action at North Idaho College’s Rolly Williams Court.

Kuna, a school located 15 miles west of Boise, broke through for a team championship – something it had been chasing since traveling to Coeur d’Alene starting seven years ago. The Kavemen had the title wrapped up going into the finals, finishing with 193 points after placing runner-up last year. Lewiston, behind Parson and Klemp, took second with 143 and Washington 4A power Lake Stevens was two back for third.

U-Hi was the highest-placing Greater Spokane League team as the Titans took sixth (120.5). Post Falls was seventh (117.5), Central Valley eighth (114) and Mead ninth (110).

Orrino made it clear before the season started that he wanted a Tri-State title in his senior year. He defeated Cody Lemons of Frenchtown, Mont., 10-5 at 145 pounds.

Lemons gave the match a jump-start as he broke from the circle and took Orrino down seconds after the referee blew his whistle to start the final.

Orrino used a takedown to secure the lead for good at 3-2. He followed with three more takedowns in the second period, and Lemons didn’t have an answer.

“That was definitely surprising. I wasn’t expecting that,” Orrino said of Lemons’ fast start. “It kind of settled me in to the match a little bit. I realized it was time to get after it.”

Orrino, who improved to 10-0 and is four victories away from 100, put on a clinic thereafter.

“I knew he couldn’t wrestle that way for 6 minutes,” Orrino said.

CV coach John Owen, the former NIC coach who was honored with the practice room being named in his honor on Saturday, was impressed with Orrino.

“The guy kind of woke him up early,” Owen said. “I thought he handled adversity real well. He looked explosive. He made good adjustments.”

Quintanilla had no difficulty, winning at 160 with an 8-2 decision over Mason McDaniel of Juanita.

“I just tried to push the pace and make him wrestle me,” Quintanilla said.

Orndorff looked like he had been in a street fight after his 2-1 decision over Hunter Mullins of Orting.

Mullins twice head-butted Orndorff (12-0), drawing blood and causing a delay in the match. But Orndorff never showed any irritation.

“When people do stuff like that I don’t get mad,” Orndorff said. “I mean I get mad, but I’m not going to do anything stupid.”

Baun pinned Trevor Rigney (Lewiston) in 24 seconds at 98; Young won 3-2 over Fernando Leyva (Moses Lake) at 113; Parson defended his title at 138 with an 11-9 win over Kurtis Loftus (Kuna); and Klemp topped defending champ Joe Grable (Deer Park) 5-2 at 152.

In other finals with area wrestlers, Fred Green (Orting) downed Drake Foster (Post Falls) 13-5 at 126; Jacen Petersen (Mission, Mont.) pinned Seth McLeod (Post Falls) at 170; and Jaydn Wilson (Sentinel) topped Tom Harvey (Mt. Spokane) 15-9 at 220.