Inton competes in coveted wrestling competition in Spokane

Skyline wrestler is prepared for his sophomore season on the mat.

By Shaun Scott • June 29, 2018 1:02 pm
Skyline Spartans wrestler Jacob Inton, who will be a sophomore during the 2018-19 school year, was a representative of Team Washington on the National Cadet dual wrestling team at the USA Wrestling Cadet National Duals from June 12-16 at the Spokane Convention Center in Spokane. Shaun Scott, staff photo
Skyline Spartans wrestler Jacob Inton, who will be a sophomore during the 2018-19 school year, was a representative of Team Washington on the National Cadet dual wrestling team at the USA Wrestling Cadet National Duals from June 12-16 at the Spokane Convention Center in Spokane. Shaun Scott, staff photo

Skyline Spartans wrestler Jacob Inton recently tested his mettle on the mat against some of the best competitors in the United States.

Inton, who will be a sophomore during the 2018-19 school year, was part of the Team Washington wrestling team that competed at the USA Wrestling Cadet National Duals from June 12-16 in Spokane. Inton said there were 51 wrestlers from Washington, which formed two teams for the tournament. Team Washington competed against teams from Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Colorado, California, North Carolina and Florida. The 152-pound Inton had an overall record of 5-4 at the five-day tournament.

“It was such a great experience. It was one of the greatest feelings I have ever had,” Inton said of competing against some of the top wrestlers in the nation. “Everybody out there was amazing. Getting to know other people and wrestle against people who were nationally ranked people from other states was my favorite part.”

Inton advanced to the Mat Classic Class 4A state wrestling tournament as a freshman during the 2017-18 season at Skyline. Even though Inton went 0-2 at the tourney, the 145-pound wrestling phenom displayed unbridled grittiness and toughness in his journey to the Tacoma Dome. Jacob’s father Gio will never forget watching his son reach the pinnacle of high wrestling (state tournament) while battling injury.

“Jacob hyperextended his shoulder at KingCo (tournament). At regionals, he wrestled with that hurt shoulder and upset a couple of seniors and juniors to get to state. He is one of the only freshmen in that group (145-pound weight class) to make it,” Gio Inton said with pride.

Jacob wasn’t going to let the shoulder injury he suffered at the KingCo 4A tournament derail him in his quest to make the state tournament.

“I just battled through it and kept going. Nothing stopped me. I said to myself, I am just going to go through the pain. It didn’t matter. I just pushed through it,” Jacob Inton said.

Jacob, who began wrestling when he was 10 years of age in 2013, plans on competing in the 145-pound weight class for the second consecutive year during the 2018-19 season for the Spartans.