One unusual aspect about wrestling is that a team can be built for success in a dual-meet format, where two squads go head to head, but it won’t necessarily be good in a multi-team tournament.
With the regular season finished, it’s time to see which dual-meet powerhouses can dominate in postseason tourneys.
I’ll be at the Class 4A District 1 competition Friday and Saturday at Marysville-Pilchuck High School. The tourney features two Top-10 teams: No. 1 Lake Stevens and No. 6 Snohomish. Snohomish beat Lake Stevens earlier this month in a dual meet, but Lake Stevens has the pieces to do better in the postseason, according to rankings compiled by Washington Wrestling Report.
Here are WWR’s latest 4A state rankings. (For comprehensive team and individual rankings, click on “Washington Wrestling Report” at the end of the previous paragraph.)
1. Lake Stevens 118 points
2. Kentwood 110
3. Graham-Kapowsin 82
4. University 81
5. Rogers 79
6. Snohomish 67
7. Central Valley 61
8. Decatur 40
9. Moses Lake 40
10. Mead 39
11. Heritage 35
12. Battle Ground 34
13. Emerald Ridge 34
14. Tahoma 33
15. Todd Beamer 32
16. South Kitsap 28
17. Shorewood 26
18. Spanaway Lake 26
19. Kentlake 24
20. Mariner 21
In other wrestling news, longtime Sultan head coach Wes Fischer has decided this will be his final season guiding the Turks. Fischer announced his plan to retire last Thursday during Sultan’s final home meet of the season.
Fischer has been involved in wrestling since 1959, Sultan athletic director Scott Sifferman said. After competing at Snohomish High, Fischer became a wrestling official and got into coaching.
“He doesn’t just teach kids how to be good wrestlers. He teaches them to be good young men. He helps really bring these kids together as a team,” said Sifferman, who has worked in the district for 18 years.
Another note: Earlier this month the 2008 Washington State Track and Field Coaches Convention was held in Everett. According to Tuck Gionet, the following people were honored at the two-day event (Jan. 18-19).
*Bob Sund, local and state javelin official – Official of the Year
*Craig Smith, Seattle Times sportswriter – Media Contributor of the Year
*John Crawford, Pasco Invite organizer – Lifetime Achievement
*Dave Bowdoin, publisher of Athletic.net – Contributor of the Year
*Kevin Eager (Gig Harbor boys) and Dawn Geiser (Skyline girls) – Coaches of the Year
*Clay Lewis, Dan Blackmer, Jim Kennet and Jerry Russell – 2008 Hall of Fame inductees
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