Wrestling: Four Wolves in 2A state rankings

Sequim’s elite continue to roll in Port Angeles, North Mason tourneys

By Matthew Nash • January 5, 2016 3:55 pm
Sequim's Kevyn Ward works his way to a 15-6 major decision over Caleb Joslin of Port Angeles at the Battle for the Axe tournament on Jan. 2. Ward went 5-0 on the day with four pins.
Sequim's Kevyn Ward works his way to a 15-6 major decision over Caleb Joslin of Port Angeles at the Battle for the Axe tournament on Jan. 2. Ward went 5-0 on the day with four pins.

Despite injuries and Christmas vacation limiting Sequim’s numbers, some Wolves came up big during the Battle for the Axe tournament in Port Angeles on Jan. 2.

Kevyn Ward, wrestling at 160 pounds, won all five of his matches with four pins and a 15-6 major decision over Caleb Joslin of Port Angeles.

Washington Wrestling Report’s online rankings say Ward is ranked eighth among 2A wrestlers and his teammate, Michael Latimer, 220 pounds, also is ranked eighth despite a recent injury keeping him out of last weekend’s tournament.

Both Craig Baker (138) and Grant Pierson (145) went 4-1 on the day with Baker taking four pins and losing his lone match 4-3 to Morgan Mower of PA. Pierson pinned three wrestlers on the day.

Despite these wrestlers’ victories, Sequim could only fill eight of 14 weight classes and finished last in the tournaments, losing 57-11 to PA, 34-30 to North Mason, 64-30 to Oak Harbor, 57-17 to Jackson and 58-30 to Hoquiam.

Port Angeles won the tournament going 5-0 with 250 points followed by Jackson going 4-1 with 222 points.

The same day, the Lady Wolves traveled to the Elma Invitational with more big finishes.

Abby Hansted finished first at 155 pounds followed by Kiara Pierson taking second at 115, Alma Mendoza second at 140 and Aylee Bennett third at 135.

Both Mendoza and Pierson are ranked by Washington Wrestling Report, too, with Mendoza third at 140 pounds and Pierson at fourth at 115.


More wins in North Mason

Adrian Klarich earned a second-place finish at 182 pounds after winning two of three matches at the North Mason Classic Boys Varsity Tournament on Dec. 30. In the quarterfinals, Klarich pinned Stadium’s Isaac Corral in the first round (1:26). In the semis, he earned a 6-2 win over Just Baldwin of Aberdeen. In the 182-pound final, Olympia’s Patrick Flannery edged Klarich 6-3 for the title.

At 220 pounds, Michael Latimer placed second. After receiving a pair of byes, Latimer pinned Olympic’s Adrian Miranda in 4:33, then was pinned by Tumwater’s Brin Hanson with five seconds left in the second round.

At 138 pounds, Craig Baker won three of four matches to take third/fourth place. Baker pinned Tenino’s Coulson Chambers in 5:22 in the opening round, then picked up a technical fall victory (15-0) against Edmund Taylor of Bremerton. In the semifinal, Jahrett Schiemer of North Mason edged Baker 6-0, sending the Sequim grappler to the consolation bracket where Baker pinned North Mason’s Colton Peterson in 27 seconds.

At 132 pounds, Ben Newell shrugged off a first-round loss to go 2-2. He edged Gig Harbor’s Ben Martin 8-7 and pinned Bodie Wharton of Aberdeen in 3:04 before falling in the consolation semifinal to Tumwater’s Mason Burbidge, 5-0.

At 170 pounds, Sequim’s Dylan Perreira won one of three varsity matches, a consolation bracket pin of North Kitsap’s Alexander Ashley in 2:35. Perreira also competed in the junior varsity tourney the day before going 2-1. After a quarterfinal loss, he picked up a pin against Joshua Raymond of North Mason (1:42) and Gio Mino of Tenino (1:27) for third/fourth place.

Also in junior varsity action, Hayden Gresli of Sequim took second place in the 152-pound weight class, winning two of three matches. Gresli pinned Gabe Petrick of Port Townsend in 94 seconds in the quarterfinals, then earned a technical fall over Olympic’s Robert Chesser, 16-1. John Bittinger of Gig Harbor pinned Gresli in 1:41 in the division final.

 

SHS girls trio win titles

Sequim’s Pierson earned three pins on her way to a title in the 112- to 119-pound girls division of the North Mason JV/Girls Hawkins Invitational Tournament on Dec. 29. Pierson pinned Haily Henry of Olympia in 3:22, Haily Genster of Olympia in 1:40 and Ally Bradley of Port Townsend in 38 seconds for the round robin division win.

Pierson also wrestled in the varsity tournament on Dec. 30, going 0-1 after falling 1-0 in a heartbreaker to Michael Hoang of Olympia in the semifinals in the 113-pound division.

Teammate Aylee Bennett also won her girls round robin division, going 3-0 in the 127- to 134-pound weight division. She pinned North Kitsap’s Annika Taylor in 1:17, Paige Harkness of Olympic in 1:39 and Billie Bergeson of Napavine in 1:59.

Mendoza swept her three round robin matches as well to take the 136- to 139-pound weight class. She pinned Rebekah Adams of Napavine in 20 seconds, topped Brittni Smith of Central Kitsap in a major decision (14-1) and edged Kaitlyn Bornstein of Napavine, 6-3.

Mendoza also wrestled in the varsity competition, winning one of her three varsity matches. She pinned Jack Butcher of Aberdeen in the first round (in 3:35) before getting pinned by Bremerton’s Cobey Vetch (1:27) and Eugene Macero of North Mason (2:19).

Hansted went 1-1 in her 146- to 149-pound weight class to take second. She won a 7-4 decision against Leslie Espinosa of Olympic and was pinned by division champ Makayla Ramirez of South Kitsap in 2:44.

Coming up

This week, Sequim travels to Klahowya on Jan. 7 and hosts Kingston on Jan. 12 the following week.