Burns returns to NCAA wrestling championships
Published 12:07 am Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Parker Burns is headed back to the NCAA wrestling championships.
Burns, a graduate of Everett High School, became just the second wrestler in Campbell University history to qualify for the tournament in back-to-back seasons when he won the heavyweight title Sunday at the East Regional Champio
nships in Lynchburg, Va.
Burns, a senior, defeated Paul Schweighardt of Sacred Heart 7-1 in the title match of the heavyweight division. Burns was one of three Campbell wrestlers who reached the regional finals but was the only one who advanced to the NCAA championships.
“Parker had a great weekend and looked really sharp all week,” Campbell coach Joe Boardwine said on the school’s website. “He brought the right attitude to the week of training and he looked great. We couldn’t be more proud of him.”
Last season, Burns qualified for the NCAA tournament in the 197-pound class, the first Campbell wrestler to advance out of the regionals in eight years. He posted an 0-2 record at the NCAA meet.
This year, he said, he’ll be better prepared because he knows what to expect.
“There was a shock factor (last year) walking into the stadium and seeing all the big names and big teams,” he said.
Burns also said he’s more comfortable in his new division. A natural 240-pounder, he had to cut weight last year to wrestle in the 197 class.
“I’m wrestling some bigger guys,” he said, “but it’s nice to be quicker and smaller.”
The championships will mark the end of Burns’ wrestling career. A business major, he’s scheduled to graduate in December and plans to go into law enforcement.
Campbell University is located in Buies Creek, N.C.
Everett Trojans honored
Aaron Matzen, a 6-foot-3 sophomore forward on the Everett Community men’s basketball team, has been named a Northwest Athletic Association of Community College’s Northern Region First-Team All-Star.
Matzen, a graduate of Lynnwood High School, led the region in scoring at 19.0 points per game. He also averaged 7.0 rebounds and shot 50 percent from the field.
On the women’s side, Everett post Mary Ochiltree was named to the NWAACC Northern Region first team. A 5-11 sophomore from Lake Stevens, Ochiltree averaged 18.4 points and 6.9 rebounds for the Trojans.
One of Ochiltree’s teammate, 5-4 sophomore guard Anna Work from Lakewood, earned second-team honors. She averaged 13.4 points and 3.5 assists per game.
Matzen, Ochiltree and Work are all scheduled to play in the NWAACC Sophomore All-Star Games on Sunday at Everett Community College. The first game, which pits the South women against the West women, tips off at 11 a.m. The other games are East women vs. North women (12:30 p.m.), South men vs. West men (2 p.m.) and East men vs. North men (3:30 p.m.).
Admission is $5 for those ages 12 and older. Everett CC students, staff and faculty get in free.
Gymnastics champions
Everett-based Leading Edge Gymnastics won the Level 4, Level 5 and Level 8 team championships at the 2011 Seattle Open, held Feb. 18-20 at the Lynnwood Convention Center.
The Level 4 team captured first place without producing an overall champion. Olivia Hartzell of Everett (9-year-old division), Corzette Rose-Dampac of Lynnwood (9-10 age division) and Emmaline Seth of Arlington (10-year-old division) each placed second.
The Level 5 team produced five all-around champions, including Ryzele Lagdaan of Snohomish, who placed first in all four events — vault (a score of 8.900), bars (9.475), beam (28.900) and floor exercises (28.875) — in the 8-9 age division.
Other Level 5 all-around winners for Leading Edge were Julissa Huesca of Everett (9-10 age division), Jessie Gorman of Lynnwood (10-11), Celinda Sewell of Snohomish (11-year-olds) and Kalieghe Phillips of Everett (12-and-older).
The Level 8 team placed first in all four events — vault, bars, beam and floor exercises — and produced two all-around champions: Jillian Ohlemeir of Stanwood (13-14) and Lilly Kaiser Schmidt of Clinton (14-and-older).
Other all-around winners for Leading Edge included Miranda McGinnis of Arlington (Level 7, 13-14 division), Jeia Villacis of Everett (Level 9, 15-and-over) and Kelsey Morris of Snohomish (Level 10, 17-and-older).
