Kennewick to send 12, Hermiston 18 to state wrestling tournament in Tacoma Dome
Hermiston had three individual champions at the 3A boys regional tournament at University High School in Spokane over the weekend.
The Bulldogs placed second as a team with 267.5 points. Mead won the team title with 404 points, and host University finished third with 171.5 points.
Hermiston’s three champs were led by senior Daniel Garza at 144 (with three pins and a decision).
Bulldogs freshman Aidan Larson defeated Southridge senior Jacob Chapa (a two-time Washington state champion) in the 120-pound title match by a 3-1 score. Larson is now 28-2 this season.
Junior Jaysen Rodriguez, who won at 126 pounds for Hermiston, is now 36-7 this season.
Walla Walla senior Carter O’Dell earned the 157-pound title, with three pins and a decision. O’Dell is now 42-5, and has 113 career victories for the Blue Devils.
Here are the region’s state 3A boys qualifiers headed for the state tournament in the Tacoma this week:
HERMISTON (10 qualifiers): Dominic Echeverria, jr., 285; Daniel Garza, sr., 144; Aidan Larson, fr., 120; Benjamin Larson, sr., 165; Hayden Larson, so., 150; Isaac Ramirez Ruiz, jr., 132; Jacoby Rodriguez, so, 120; Jaysen Rodriguez, jr., 126; Siu Sepeni, sr., 285; Maximus Ugarte, sr., 215.
KENNEWICK (6): Hunter Brower, so., 175; Mark Kucheryaviy, jr., 132; Jaden Lopez, sr., 190; Abraham Lopez-Laguna, sr., 113; Abraham Noriega, jr., 106; Jacob Priest, so, 113.
SOUTHRIDGE (2): Gabriel Borisch, so., 150; Jacob Chapa, sr., 120.
WALLA WALLA (1): Carter O’Dell, sr., 157.
3A-4A girls
The Mid-Columbia Conference dominated the 3A-4A girls regional wrestling tournament last weekend at Sunnyside, with Hermiston (164.5 points), Richland (133) and Kennewick (102) taking the top three team spots in the standings.
Richland had three individual championships, led by Yaneece Sanchez, a sophomore, who pinned Hermiston’s Hadley White in 41 seconds in the 190-pound final.
Senior Kyndra Casias (145 pounds) and junior Portia Harker (155) also won titles for the Bombers.
Hermiston had two individual champs, led by 235-pound senior Lindsey Perkins, who pinned teammate Tutaitaga Sepeni in 23 seconds in the final.
Freshman Carly Rangel-Tucker also won for Hermiston at 140 pounds.
Walla Walla also had two individual champions in junior Alexa Kemp at 125 pounds and sophomore Kylie Whitaker at 130.
Pasco freshman Berkley McCullough won a regional title at 135 pounds.
Here are the area’s state tournament qualifiers for the upcoming Mat Classic XXXV finals in Tacoma on Friday and Saturday:
HANFORD (3): Genesis Cambron, so., 100; Dayna Enderlin, sr., 155; Makenzie Shupe, jr., 120.
HERMISTON (8): Hayleigh Cubbage-Thorp, so., 190; Elena Flores, sr., 135; Jorgia McKim, jr., 170; Laura Meyers, sr., 155; Lindsey Perkins, sr., 235; Carly Rangel-Tucker, fr., 140; Tutataiga Sepeni, jr., 235; Hadley White, sr., 190.
KAMIAKIN (3): Helena Jansky, jr., 170; Hailey Schroder, jr., 145; Lilliana Uzarraga, sr., 120.
KENNEWICK (6): Melanie Alvarez, jr., 135; Jaslene Gonzalez, so., 140; Genesis Habana Corcuera, jr., 145; Jaylee Lopez, jr., 170; Vanessa Robles, sr., 130; Delaney Rush, jr., 125.
PASCO (4): Nicole Cooke, jr., 190; Berkley McCullough, fr., 135; Elisa Sanchez, jr., 115; Genesis Zaragoza, jr., 105.
RICHLAND (6): Kyndra Casias, sr., 145; Savannah Dufault, jr., 115; Portia Harker, jr., 155; Amy Ordaz, so., 235; Yaneece Sanchez, so., 190; Savannah Thorpe, so., 110.
SOUTHRIDGE (4): Lexi Gideon, jr., 125; Desirae Juarez, so., 135; Xenia Morrison, so., 140; Tenaciou Villasenor, jr., 155.
SUNNYSIDE (4) : Brooke Farias, sr., 115; Veronica Sanchez Rivera, jr., 145; Danica Torres, so., 105; Sophia Zesati, so., 140.
WALLA WALLA (3): Alexa Kemp, jr., 125; Alisson Rojas, so., 110; Kylie Whitaker, so., 130.
2A boys
Led by three individual champions, Othello’s boys dominated the Class 2A regional wrestling tournament last Saturday at Ellensburg High School.
The Huskies scored 202 points to take the team title. Host Ellensburg was second with 126.5 points, while West Valley of Spokane was third with 121.5 points.
Seniors Anthony Abundiz (132 pounds) and Isaac Campos (113), as well as junior Mason Perez (285), all earned titles for Othello.
Perez pinned Grandview’s Anthony Ramos for his title in 1 minute, 22 seconds.
The Huskies will send 10 wrestlers to the state tournament.
Grandview senior Evan Benitez got his revenge on Othello sophomore Mason Russell in winning the 126-pound title 13-10. Last week at the district tournament, Russell handed Benitez a rare loss. Benitez is now 43-3 this season.
Prosser junior Julian Joel Torres earned the 120-pound championship.
Here are the Mid-Columbia participants in this weekend’s state 2A tournament in Tacoma:
GRANDVIEW (4): Evan Benitez, sr., 126; Anthony Ramos, sr., 285; Juan Rodriguez, jr., 175; Julian Sanchez, sr., 144.
OTHELLO (10): Anthony Abundiz, sr., 132; Isaac Campos, sr., 113; Jeremiah Flores, jr., 150; Parker Freeman, jr., 157; Daniel Gonzalez, so., 113; Camilo Mendez III, so., 157; Mason Perez, jr., 285; Mason Russell, so., 126; Anthony Solorio, jr., 215; Miguel Zuniga, so., 190.
PROSSER (5): Alex Anderson, sr., 175; Jacob Thom Marks, sr., 285; Karsten Merrick, fr., 120; Logan Myers, jr., 165; Julian Joel Torres, jr., 120.
2A/1A/2B/1B girls
Host Toppenish may have won the 2A/1A/2B/1B girls Region 3 tournament last Saturday, but Othello and Warden each had three individual champions.
The area’s most impressive wrestler may have been Warden junior Maira Yanet Zaragoza, who defeated teammate and sophomore Ashley Cruz in the 125-pound final in 1 minute and 54 seconds.
Zaragoza had three pins in just 3 minutes and 12 seconds en route to the title.
Other Warden champs included senior Jada Hernandez, who is now 43-3 this season at 120 pounds; and Warden senior Brianalee Hernandez at 115.
Othello’s contingent was led by senior Elia Velazquez, who pinned Grandview’s Sofia Tovar in 41 sec nods to win the 190-pound final.
Teammates Kiara Haertling (145 pounds) and Diamond Van Cleve (135) also won titles. The Huskies will send nine wrestlers to the state tournament.
Grandview senior Ivanna Perez pinned teammate and sophomore Surielah Almazan in 1:46 to win the 170-pound championship.
In the Region 4 tournament in Quincy, Royal placed third in the team race and had two champions.
Knights senior Emma Villa raised her season record to 36-0 while winning the 170-pound title. Teammate Sharon Arroyo, a sophomore, tool the 100-pound crown.
Here are the area’s wrestlers who will be competing in the state meet this coming weekend in Tacoma:
COLLEGE PLACE (1): Brooke Hodgen, fr., 155.
GRANDVIEW (4): Surielah Almazan, so., 170; Ihanna Perez, sr., 170; Sofia Tovar, jr., 190; Tatiana Tovar, fr., 190.
KIONA-BENTON (3): Hailey Austin, fr., 115; Jenna Baugh, sr., 145; Aubrey Newberry, fr., 190.
MABTON (1): Zeyli Reyna, jr., 140.
OTHELLO (9): Serenity Ayala, so., 125; Alejandria Espindola, so., 235; Briseida Galvez, so., 120; Bella Garza, jr., 105; Kiara Haertling, so., 145; Grayce Mendez, fr., 110; Grace Rocha, jr., 115; Diamond Van Cleve, jr., 135; Elia Velazquez, sr., 190.
PROSSER (1): Miya Franco, jr., 135.
ROYAL (4): Sharon Arroyo, so., 100; Analy Castillo, so., 235; Lauren Jenks, jr., 135; Emma Villa, sr., 170.
WAHLUKE (1): Mariangela Gonzalez, sr., 145.
WARDEN (5): Alona Castro, sr., 100; Ashley Cruz, so., 125; Jada Hernandez, sr., 120; Brianalee Martinez, sr., 115; Maira Yanet Zaragoza, 125.
1A boys
Kiona-Benton senior Keeven Gifford and College Place’s Ethan Parker each won titles at last weekend’s 1A regional tournament in Connell.
Gifford took the 157-pound title and now has a 42-6 record.
Parker, a senior, won at 165 pounds and now has a 34-4 record.
Toppenish took the team title with 401 points, while Wapato was second with 236.5 points.
Here are the region’s state tournament qualifiers:
COLLEGE PLACE: Jackson Forsyth, sr., 215; Ethan Parker, sr., 165.
CONNELL: Eliuth Serra, so., 120.
KIONA-BENTON: Keeven Gifford, sr., 157.
ROYAL: Dennis Hernandez, so., 113; Shea Stevenson, so., 150.
2B/1B boys
Warden will send four wrestlers this weekend to the state B boys tournament in Tacoma. Here is the region’s representatives:
COLUMBIA-BURBANK: Carter Katz, sr., 113.
MABTON: Steven Rodriguez, jr., 165.
WARDEN: Anthony Contreras, sr., 285; Michael Gonzalez, jr., 126; Jaden Hernandez, fr., 190; Omar Pruneda, sr., 215.
Jeff Morrow is former sports editor for the Tri-City Herald.
