JT Connors’ individual win leads Mead wrestling to first state team title for veteran coach Phil McLean

In Phil McLean’s 22-year tenure with the Mead wrestling program, his team has come close to winning state several times – but never got over the hump.

“The last time I had five in the finals, we broke the scoring record but took second,” McLean said.

On Saturday in the Tacoma Dome at Mat Classic XXXIII, the Panthers finally pushed their way to the top of the podium.

JT Connors, the lone individual title winner, led six Mead wrestlers into the finals and 10 placers overall, and the Panthers outdistanced the field to capture their first team title under McLean – who previously won a state title with Gonzaga Prep in 1999.

“We’ve been runner-up, third, fourth,” McLean said. “We’ve placed a lot, but that was the first one we won. So, it was really cool.

“You never know what’s going to happen, but to have 10 placers and this senior group, it’s a really special group of kids. I’m really happy for them.”

“It was really great,” Connors said. “That’s what we’ve been planning for since Day One. We all knew we had a chance so we kind of just put everything in and went for it.”

Connors, who pinned Garfield’s Michael Montgomery in 61 seconds , was the last Mead wrestler to go on Saturday, so all his teammates were at his match for encouragement.

“It was cool to have everyone there, everyone that I love came to support me,” he said. “Even though we did have six in the finals and I was the only one that won, it was still really awesome having everyone there.”

There was no drama surrounding the team win as Mead had clinched much earlier in the day.

“It was pretty cool because we had such a good Saturday afternoon and had clinched the title,” McLean said. “I learned something about my kids – they care more about the team than they do about themselves, because their intensity in their matches (after clinching) really went downhill.

“So we had 10 medal matches and we lost nine in a row. And then JT was the last one and so he won, he won with style, had a nice throw. He ended the tournament for us not only with a state title but with some energy and some revival from the previous medal matches.”

Connors expressed satisfaction on a personal level for the individual title.

“It’s definitely something I’ve been looking forward to and working hard toward,” he said. “It was real nice to be able to complete that dream, especially after not being in the Dome for a year.”

He said it was a little strange being back in that atmosphere after losing a year to the pandemic.

“It was surreal, most definitely, after not being in there for a while,” Connors said.

“It took some getting used to, not knowing if we were going to have a full season or not. It was awesome finally being back there.”

Even though the state wrestling community can feel small at times, Connors had never wrestled against Montgomery before.

“It was definitely something new,” he said. “It was definitely not the person I expected to have in the finals. But it was good to have new competition. I didn’t know too much about him.”

Connors was honored to be part of the team to get McLean his first title with the program.

“It was pretty great,” he said. “This group of seniors we have, he’s been coaching literally since we were 7 or 8. It was awesome to get him that win.”

McLean was proud of his group.

“To have 10 placers and six in the finals, that’s what this team was. We didn’t have a whole bunch of superstars, but we had a whole lot of really good solid kids that wrestle hard. That was reflective of our team. You never get 10 placers, especially six in the finals. So, it was pretty cool.”

Mead placers: James Mason (second, 106), Cole Turner (second, 132), Jake Mark (fourth, 138), Brenden Wright (eighth, 138), Garrett Casey (sixth, 145), Jonathan Mason (second, 152), Austin Justice (second, 160), Mason Knigge (sixth, 170), Deklen Agloinga (second, 182), JT Connors (first, 220).