CLOVIS, Calif. — Lake Stevens’ 145-pounder Trysten Perales continued his sensational senior campaign at the prestigious Doc Buchanan Invite on Saturday, placing sixth in his stacked division.
Perales joined the Vikings’ Michael Soler as the only Lake Stevens wrestlers to place at the tournament. Soler also placed sixth after aggravating the rib injury that kept him out of Lake Stevens’ dual against Moses Lake on Dec. 30.
Perales, who Vikings coach Brent Barnes said is the team’s best wrestler at the moment, knocked off the tournament’s sixth and fifth seeds in succession in the consolation bracket on Saturday.
A 6-2 loss to third-seeded Ruben Garcia of Selma (Calif.) in the consolation semifinals sent Perales to the match for fifth and sixth place, where he dropped a 6-5 decision to De La Salle (Calif.)’s Peyton Omania.
“Watching him compete this weekend just verified everything we already knew about what he could be,” Barnes said of Perales. “Being here really helps him refine his style. He’s not physically developed yet, but he’s got a great body with long levers. He’s got a great gas tank which enables him to really push. He has a really high ceiling.”
Soler was set for a titanic semifinal with nationally-ranked Joe Grello of Bergen Catholic (N.J.), which wound up winning the team title Saturday.
That never materialized, as Soler was pinned in :46 after his rib acted up.
Soler forfeited his final two matches and finished in sixth place.
“We just decided it wasn’t worth it to keep going, since these matches are really meaningless,” Barnes said. “Under different circumstances he could have kept going, but we just want to make sure he’s healthy.”
Lake Stevens placed 20th in the 93-team field.
Panther Classic
SNOHOMISH — Arlington couldn’t keep pace with Decatur, finishing second to the Gators at Snohomish H.S. on Saturday.
The Eagles, who were missing undefeated 182-pounder Ruben Crew at the event, sent four wrestlers to the finals, but only Jeremy Nygard (145) and Adalberto Ramos (220) emerged victorious.
Nygard exorcised an old demon by soundly defeating Decatur’s Leviticus Arizpe 10-4 in his title bout. Arizpe was the only wrestler to beat Nygard in the regular season last year.
Ramos ground out a 4-3 decision against Decatur’s Quinzy Salu in the 220-pound final.
The host Panthers took home an individual title, with 285-pounder Wyatt Gardner outlasting Kamiak’s Tanner Kunard 3-2 in the final.
Sky Valley Invite
SULTAN — Sultan captured six weight classes as well as the team title at its tournament on Saturday.
Turks coach Garth MacDicken said it could have been seven, as 145-pounder Jamell Carroll was disqualified from his championship match for an illegal slam.
Shoreline Invite
SHORELINE — Oak Harbor brought home four individual championships as well as the team title at Shorecrest H.S.
Zion Gomez (113), Garrett Stahl (120), Dymond Piper (152) and Samuel Zook (285) each won his weight class to help the Wildcats hold off Shorewood.
Gut Check Challenge
BREMERTON — Darrington senior Mason McKenzie rebounded from a quarterfinal loss to two-time defending 2A champion Dylan Beeler to pin his next four opponents to earn third place at the Kitsap Sun Pavilion.
McKenzie, also a two-time defending state champ in 2B/1B, was the fifth seed at the event.
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