Issaquah finished in seventh place at the Region II wrestling tournament Saturday, earning 77 team points. Graham-Kapowsin won the tournament with 165 – a half point more than Rogers. The top four finishers in Region II all came from the South Puget Sound League. Only two KingCo schools, Woodinville (92) and Inglemoor (85.5), finished higher than the Eagles.
Issaquah advanced five wrestlers on to this weekend’s state championship at the Tacoma Dome.
Dalton Baunsgard grabbed the highest Eagle finish, taking second at 112 pounds. The senior went undefeated through the first two rounds with a third-round pin over Decatur’s Rad Krysa and a 9-2 decision over Graham-Kapowsin’s Tanner Sturdev. Baunsgard lost his championship bout in a 17-2 technical fall to Curtis’ Cort Schatz. Junior Jordan Tanner (125), senior Ben Tickman (130), senior Jacob Borin (160) and junior Tyler Volk (171) all earned fourth-place finishes to move on to the Mat Classic. Borin and Volk lost their first-round matches, but battled back through the losers’ bracket to seal their first-ever state berths.
Skyline finishes middle of the pack
Skyline placed 11th out of 21 teams at the Region II tournament with 45 points. The Spartans had two third-place finishers and one fourth-place finisher, advancing three to state. Anthony DeMatteo (189) bounced back from a second-round loss to win a 6-5 decision over Inglemoor’s Michael Lambert and a second-round pin over Rogers’ Ryan Rude. Nolan Richards (130) recovered from a first-round loss to win three straight matches and take third. He earned a 7-2 decision over Issaquah’s Ben Tickman in his final match. Danny Christianson (152) claimed fourth with wins over Bothell’s Ben Arriola and teammate Larson Caldwell.
Alexis Willcher claimed the Region I girls championship Saturday at Liberty, winning three straight matches at 140 pounds – all by pin. She beat Sedro-Woolley’s Jalysse Garcia in with a second-round pin for the championship. Willcher is the top seed going into the Mat Classic.
Eastlake advances one to state
Eastlake finished in 14th place of the Region II tournament with 24 points. Sophomore Max Benjamin (103) battled back after a first-round loss to take two straight and clinch a state berth. Benjamin beat Rogers’ Trey Carter and Woodinville’s Joah Fennel to clinch his spot at the Mat Classic.
Eastside Catholic takes sixth in Region I
Eastside Catholic earned 72 points, finishing in sixth place of the Region I championship Saturday at West Seattle. O’Dea ran away with the title with 205 points. The Crusaders had two champions in CJ Dansforth (112) and AJ Hostak (130). Dansforth pinned Gage Anderson of O’Dea in the second round for the title, while Hostak earned a 10-1 decision over Bellevue’s Matthew Verstegen for his championship. Ian Smith (125) finished in third place, also earning a state berth. According to coach Dennis Reddinger, three state wrestlers is a new school record for Eastside Catholic.
