The immediate and long-term future for the Edmonds-Woodway wrestling team looks bright.
The Warriors return three veterans — Andrew Vulliet, Mack Hutchinson and Ryan DeWeese — who should be battling for medals at the state championships in the Tacoma Dome this season.
Whether the three have much company is going to depend on how fast the rest of the squad develops in the coming months.
First-year head coach Joe Trieu likes what he has seen of his young team.
“The biggest thing is we have a young group,” said Trieu, a long-time assistant coach who succeeded former coach Mike Hanchett. “Half the team are freshmen. They’ve done a phenomenal job. We had a rough start. … They’re getting a lot better. We’re riding a lot of momentum. We’re heading in the right direction.”
So are Vulliet, Hutchinson and DeWeese.
Vulliet (119 pounds) is moving up a weight class. He finished sixth at 112 last year and is currently ranked No. 2 in the state.
“He’s taking a big leadership role on the team,” Trieu said. “He’s one of those really patient wrestlers. In his matches he starts a little slower. … He’s not flashy. He’s a huge threat to most guys.”
Hutchinson, who advanced to state at 112 last season, is jumping up to 125. Trieu is hoping he’ll finish in the top three.
“He has a lot more confidence,” Trieu said. “He experienced a huge growth spurt. … He was one of our late bloomers. He’s starting to get a lot of muscle. It was good for him to get a little bigger in the offseason.”
Also back is state participant Ryan DeWeese, a 135-pounder who also is moving up a weight class.
“He’s a phenomenal wrestler,” Trieu said. “We expect good things from him.”
Other Warriors to watch include Stefan Carlson (125, 130), Sam Storino (160, 171), Zach Perez (171, 189) and Laren Fuell (135, 140).
Meadowdale is another team off to a strong start. The Mavericks took first place at the Cascade Big Dog tournament and finished second at last weekend’s Lynnwood Classic.
“So far we’ve done pretty well,” Mavericks coach Brian Boardman said.
Senior Nathan Petrone (152), a state returner, won his weight class at the Lynnwood Classic.
Teammate David Sanchez (140) finished second.
“He’s worked hard in the offseason,” Boardman said. “He’s doing some great stuff.”
Junior Nathan Park (125), who also finished second at the Lynnwood Classic, is having a good season.
“I’ve got a whole bunch of sophomores who also are doing well,” Boardman said. “The season is going where I’d like it to. They’re all working very hard with a common goal to get better.”
Lynnwood took third place overall at its own tournament with Rodson Ubungen (119) and Alex Basabe (112) taking first place in their respective divisions. The Royals might have finished higher but were missing some individuals.
Ubungen has only one loss this season and Basabe also is off to a solid start.
“They’re both having good seasons,” said Lynnwood coach Carl Wilkins.
Other Royal standouts include junior Nick Ulke (215) and older brother Luke Ulke (171), a senior.
“We’re pretty young,” Wilkins said. “We’ve got some new decent kids. … We’re close to filling out our lineup, which is something we haven’t been able to do until recently. The kids have a good attitude.”
Mountlake Terrace also fields what is one of its youngest lineups in a long time.
Coach Kanoe Vierra noted that the Hawks have five wrestlers who are new to the sport.
“We just want to improve by the end of the season,” he said. “So far, we’re doing OK.
The Hawks’ top returners are Eric Quinteiro (119) and Taylor Call (171). Quinteiro advanced to regionals, while Call was an alternate last year.
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