From the Sidelines

Observations on Vashon Island sports, mostly the Pirates, from the sidelines.

Wrestlers rock

February 7th, 2010 at Sun, 7th, 2010 at 1:58 pm by Rik Forschmiedt

Pirate boys take second at sub-region, both Pirate girls win championships, Mustangs prepare for first meet.

Has any high school wrestling program in recent memory been as dominant as Orting this year? The Cardinals walked away with yesterday’s 1A sub-regional boys tournament at Vashon, scoring 419.5 points almost 2 1/2 times second-place Vashon’s 168.

Orting had 17 wrestlers in the finals and won 10 individual championships. Five of the finals featured two Cardinals and only two of the 14 weight classes did not include at least one Orting wrestler.

Each competing school could enter two wrestlers in each weight class.

It’s hard to compete against that kind of power and talent, but the Pirates sent four to the finals, two in the weights where Orting didn’t reach the finals, and captured two firsts and two seconds.

Sam Chapman, 112 pounds, decisioned Dillon Stiles, Orting, 8-0. Geran Webb, 215, pinned Gregory Seylor, Cascade Christian, in 27 seconds.

At 140 Brady Maris, Orting, scored a 13-1 major decision over Pirate Dominik Stemer; and at 160 Port Townsend’s Brett Johnson pinned Vashon’s Elliot Ellingsen.

Vashon’s two girl grapplers couldn’t have done better at the 3A/2A/1A sub-regional at Eatonville.

Madeline Wolczko, 119, entered as the number-two seed and defeated Electra Duclos, Steilacoom, for the championship with a 13-2 major decision.

Iris Spring, top seed at 125, took her championship with a 8-2 decision over North Mason’s Patricia Costello.

The two-girl Pirate team took fourth place in the three-division tournament.

Next Saturday the wrestlers try to qualify for State. The boys compete in the Regional Tournament at Bellevue Christian and the girls at Emerald Ridge.

While the high-schoolers approach the climax of their season, the middle-schoolers are just starting. After practicing since Jan. 19, the McMurray Mustangs host Mountain View tomorrow, Monday, Feb. 8. The meet starts at 3:45 p.m.

The Mustangs have four home meets this season. After March 11 wrestling aficionados will have to wait until late fall for more wrestling on the Island.

Rik Forschmiedt 20-year Island resident. Retired in 2006 after almost 11 years as Beachcomber sports editor. Now a volunteer assistant coach for Vashon High School soccer teams.

More articles by Rik >
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