Aberdeen’s Caleb Lock and Jeremy Roberts won their respective weight classes to lead the host Bobcats to a team victory at the Kickoff Classic wresting tournament on Saturday.
Lock won a 4-1 decision over Kiahowya’s Kelton Gagnon in the 113-pound weight class and Roberts earned a 9-5 victory over Rochester wrestler Dallin Schlecht in the 126 division to lead Aberdeen (163 points) to a narrow four-point victory over Elma (159).
In addition to Lock and Roberts’ performances, Aberdeen got second-place finishes from Bodie Wharton (152 pounds), Enrique Ontiveros (285) and third-place finishes from Patrick Hunt (145), Joseph Bercier (195) and Jaden Hoseny (220).
“As a team, we were looking to dominate, some of us did and some of us didn’t,” Roberts said. “But we did good. … It felt pretty good knowing that I can win in front of people I know. … I felt like I was in control, there were shots I could’ve taken but didn’t. But overall, I thought I did great.”
Aberdeen’s Jeremy Roberts, left, grapples with Dallin Schlecht of Rochester during the 126-pound final match at Saturday’s Kickoff Classic tournament in Aberdeen. (Photo by Sue Michalak)
Elma, which led by four points over Aberdeen heading into Saturday’s final round of matches, had more wrestlers advancing to title matches than any of the nine schools competing at the event with five. But only 220-pounder Jacob Garcia was able to pick up a tournament title. He did so with a great reversal he parlayed into a pinfall against Black Hills’ Jordan Claridge.
Eagles Yaitt Murphy (145), Isaiah O’Farrill (160), Taitum Brumfield (195) and Mason Boyce (182) placed second in their respective weight classes and Braedon McMillan (113), Ben Bridge (220) and Alejandro Hernandez (285) each placed third.
Elma’s Jacob Garcia, top, pins Black HIlls’ Jordan Clairbridge to win the 220-pound final of the Kickoff Classic at Aberdeen High School on Saturday. (Photo by Sue Michalak)
The only other Twin Harbors-area wrestler to earn a Classic championship medal was Montesano’s Kai Olson, who used a Joyce cradle to pin Brumfield in the 195 title match.
“I was a little nervous coming into the first match, I always am,” Olson admitted. “First tournament of the year is always exciting and I’m always looking forward to it. … I did what I wanted to do and that’s all I can really ask for.”
Olson’s 195-pound title match against Brumfield was the only final-round contest featuring two local wrestlers.
“I was coming in light today and I knew he was all of 195. He’s a big kid,” Olson said. “I knew I was technically better than him, so I came in and was feeling him out and I took my shot, put him in the cradle and stuck him.”
Monte had five wrestlers place in the top three of their respective classes to give the Bulldogs 117 points and a sixth-place finish.
In addition to Olson’s victory, Bulldogs Konner Odekirk (120) earned a silver medal and teammates Jacob Salstrom (106), Joel Pine (145) and Isaiah Pierce (160) landed in third place at the tournament’s end.
Four Hoquiam Grizzlies earned top-three finshes led by Alex Houbregs (132) and Brady Cummings (170), each placing second. Levi Sudderth took third place in the 160 division and fellow Grizzly Malakai Eaton finished in third place in the 152-pound weight class
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Kickoff
Classic Results (Top 3)
Team scores — Aberdeen, 163 points, 1st; Elma, 159, 2nd; Black Hills, 147, 3rd; Rochester, 139, 4th; North Mason, 131, 4th; Montesano, 117, 5th; Shorecrest, 116, 7th; Kiahowya, 105, 8th; Hoquiam, 87, 9th..
106 pounds — Thomas Rhodes, SC, 1st; Cole Tate, NM, 2nd; Izaiah Smith, NM, T-3rd; Salstrom, MONT, T-3rd.
113 — Lock, Aberdeen, 1st; Gagnon, KW, 2nd; Nathan Hipple, NM, T-3rd; Braedon McMillan, HOQ, T-3rd.
120 — Jesus Miguel, NM, 1st; Odekirk, MONT, 2nd; Reese Cohron, ROC, T-3rd; Payton Hlebechuk, KW, T-3rd.
126 — Roberts, AB, 1st; Schlecht, ROC, 2nd; Phil Stafford, KW, T-3rd; Sage Hlebechuk, KW, T-3rd.
132 — Domingo Pedro Gaspar, NM, 1st; Houbregs, HOQ, 2nd; Talon Betts, ROC, T-3rd; Jacob Spann, ROC, T-3rd.
138 — Thomas Francisco-Juan, NM, 1st; Riley Cohron, ROC, 2nd; Kaiya Conway, SC, T-3rd; Hayden Steele, KW, T-3rd.
145 — Jayden Lancaster, ROC, 1st; Murphy, EL, 2nd; Hunt, AB, T-3rd; Pine, MONT, T-3rd.
152 — Nolan Keesee, BH, 1st; Wharton, AB, 2nd; Sowers, EL, T-3rd, Eaton, HOQ, T-3rd.
160 — Trentyn Good, SC, 1st; O’Farrill, EL, 2nd; Pierce, MONT, 3rd.
170 — Julian Kennedy, BH, 1st; Cummings, HOQ, 2nd; Ian Mortensen, SC, T-3rd; Sudderth, HOQ, T-3rd.
182 — Hunter Wallis, KW, 1st; Boyce, EL, 2nd; Josh Raymond, MN, 3rd
195 — Olson, MONT, 1st; Brumfield, EL, 2nd; Cade Lester, BH, T-3rd; Bercier, AB, T-3rd.
220 — Garcia EL, 1st; Claridge, BH, 2nd;Hoseny, AB, T-3rd; Bridge, EL, T-3rd
285 — Tate Elliot, BH, 1st; Ontiveros, AB, 2nd; Wylee Rice, NM, T-3rd; Hernandez, EL, T-3rd.
Montesano’s Kai Olson, left, tussles with Elma’s Taitum Brumfield during the 195-pound final of the Kickoff Classic at Aberdeen High School on Saturday. Olson won via fall. (Ryan Sparks | Grays Harbor News Group)
