Two W.F. West wrestlers — as well as one from Centralia and another from Tumwater — came out on top of their weight classes at the 2A Region 3 tournament Saturday in Washougal.
The top four wrestlers from each bracket move on Mat Classic XXXV on Friday and Saturday in the Tacoma Dome.
W.F. West won the team championship, with 187 points to win by a comfortable margin over runner-up Washougal 143.5.
Nine Bearcats qualified for the state championships, led by two regional champions from the higher weight classes. Andrew Penland won the 215 bracket, notching a 3-0 win over Rochester’s Jack Dane in the finals. Talan Meredith was a champion at 285, picking up a forfeit win over Rochester’s Jaden Nichols in the finals.
Also for the Bearcats, Kyle Nowels was second at 190, losing a 3-1 decision to Hudson’s Bay’s Talan Guerrero in the finals. Race Scalici (132), Graysen Serl (144) and Tucker Land (175) were also runners-up. Angelo Peters was third at 215, and Adrian Jaimes Montenegro (126), Andrew Snyder (157), and Kallon Homan (165) were all fourth.
Centralia’s Jesus Campos won the 120 bracket, improving to 39-2 on the season and pinning Mark Morris’ Charlie Jones in 3:35 in the finals.
Tumwater’s Mekhi Richardson won the 150 bracket with a third-round pin of Shelton’s Phenix Oleachea in the finals. Also advancing for the T-Birds were Diego Concepcion (second at 106), Carlos Juarez-Estrada (third at 113), Andrew Yocum (fourth at 138) and Cash Short (fourth at 190).
Black Hills’ Roberto Rivera-Jesus was second at 113, while teammate Ammon Combs was second at 157. Cash Boos was fourth at 113.
Tickets for Mat Classic XXXV are available at wiaa.com/tickets.
Tenino’s Knox moves on to state
Tenino’s Koy Knox finished second at the 1A Region 2 wrestling tournament on Saturday in Hoquiam to move on to Mat Classic XXXV.
Knox was the runner-up in the 175-pound weight class, winning his first match via pin and his second in a 4-2 decision. He then lost an 8-3 decision to Montesano’s Gabe Pyhala in the finals.
Knox enters state tournament action on Friday in the Tacoma Dome.
Napavine’s Hernandez, Kunkel win regional titles
A pair of Napavine wrestlers topped their weight classes in the 1B/2B Region 1 boys wrestling tournament Saturday in Adna.
The top three wrestlers in each classification advance to Mat Classic XXXV on Friday and Saturday in Tacoma.
Napavine’s Peyton Hernandez won the 126 bracket, beating Kalama’s Harrison Suzara 5-2 in the finals. Teammate Evan Kunkel won at 175, pinning Adna’s Jacob Price in the finals in 3:21.
Rainier advanced three wrestlers to the state championships. Zander Peck won at 157 with an injury forfeit to Willapa Valley’s Lucas Swogger in the finals, while Jacob Scott (106) and Dorien Cano (165) each took third. The Mountaineers finished second in the team standings behind Forks, 186.5 to 121.
Onalaska’s David Locklin was first at 150, defeating Wade Smith in a tight 9-8 decision in the finals. Teammate Norman Prazak was second at 120.
Bomani Birdwell won the 165 bracket, beating Willapa Valley’s Tyson Portmann in the finals with a pin in the first round. Teammate Bayron Rodriguez was third (175).
Adna’s Eli Wentzel was third (144), and Mossyrock’s Marshall Brockway was third at 285 to move on to the state tournament.
