Top squads grinding it out

MILL CREEK – Whether you ask the coaches, the athletes or the fans, they all agree: this region is the toughest of them all.

It’s easy to agree considering that four of the state’s top seven Class 4A teams, according to the latest Washington State Wrestling Coaches Association poll, are at the 4A Region 1 tournament at Jackson High. Based on Friday’s opening-round action, it will be a grind to the finish.

The third-ranked Lake Stevens Vikings (59 points) and No. 4 Auburn (58) separated themselves as frontrunners for the team title. Both teams moved a meet-best seven wrestlers to today’s semifinals.

The regional meet ends today. The first session starts at 10 a.m. and finals – including championship, third/fourth-place and fifth/sixth-place matches – begin at 4:30 p.m. The top five placers in each weight class advance to Mat Classic XVIII Feb. 17-18 at Tacoma Dome (sixth-place finishers are state alternates).

The favorites weren’t the only ones making noise. Unranked Mariner, the Western Conference South Division dual-meet champion, occupies third place with 39.5 points. The Marauders have four semifinalists, including Raymon Yee (125), Austin Kintner (140), Mohammad Mustafa (189) and Zak Rydzak (275).

“We’re doing better than we thought we would,” said Mariner coach Otto Olson, whose team took second last weekend at the Wesco South meet behind Everett, which is in sixth with 34 points.

Rydzak, a junior, was the biggest surprise for Mariner. After placing fourth last week, he had to win a loser-out pigtail match Friday afternoon just to advance to regionals. Rydzak, who faces Everett’s Kenny Hudson in the semifinals, made the most of his opportunity. “He didn’t have a very good (divisional meet),” Olson said, “but he’s definitely a capable wrestler.”

Cascade (33 points, seventh place) had a solid opening day thanks in part to performances by seniors Randall Walt (103) and Blake Vigoren (171), and sophomore Andy Duncan (119), all semifinalists. Vigoren, who placed second in the Wesco South meet, is competing in his first regional, but he refused to let jitters get the best of him.

“I was pretty nervous. I just wanted to focus on my first match because it’s the most important match of the tourney,” said Vigoren, who followed up an 11-1 major decision in the opening round with a quarterfinal pin against Kentwood’s Joel Phillips.

Next up for Vigoren: top-seeded Kurt Swartz of Auburn, who had a first-round bye and then defeated Monroe’s Dustin Shelton in a 6-1 decision.

Within one victory of his first trip to state, Vigoren will rely on “the basics.”

Cascade also suffered one of the night’s biggest upsets when senior Jonny Gilbertson lost a quarterfinal match against Auburn-Riverside sophomore Eric Jones. Gilbertson, who placed third in the state last year at 125, got behind early and lost an 11-5 decision. It was just Gilbertson’s fourth loss in 32 bouts this season.

“He’s really shocked and disappointed right now,” Cascade coach Jake Huizinga said after the match. “He’ll just have to come back with guns blazing.”

It was also an interesting night for Jackson, which had one wrestler – Ramsey Nijem (160) – break his nose but advance because his Stanwood opponent used an illegal throw that caused the injury. Another Jackson grappler, Harrison Warner (215) prevailed in one of the night’s most thrilling matches. Trying to become the first Jackson wrestler to make state in at least four years, Warner used an escape in the final seconds to win a first-round decision (10-9) over Blake Austin of Lake Stevens.

“I just had to dig deep and give it everything I’ve got,” said Warner, who lost his second bout and must maneuver through the loser’s bracket to get to Mat Classic.

Pigtail breakdown: North Division wrestlers dominated the loser-out Wesco pigtail matches that started one hour before regionals. North competitors prevailed in 20 of 28 head-to-head bouts against South opponents, including Cascade’s 3-0 performance and Stanwood’s 3-1 effort.

At Jackson H.S.

Team scores after Day 1-1. Lake Stevens 59, 2. Auburn 58, 3. Mariner 39.5, 4. Auburn-Riverside 38.5, 5. Enumclaw 36.5, 6. Everett 34, 7. Cascade 33, 8. Kentlake 32, 9. Tahoma 31, 10. Arlington 27, 11. Monroe 19, 12. Snohomish 18.5, 13. Stanwood 15, 14. Oak Harbor 13, 15. Marysville-Pilchuck 12, 16. Sumner 11, 17. Edmonds-Woodway 10, 18. Mountlake Terrace 10, 19. Kamiak 9, 20. Kentridge 8, 21. Mount Vernon 7, 22. Jackson 6, 23. Kentwood 5, Tie-24. Kent Meridian, Auburn Mountainview, Meadowdale 0, 27. Shorewood -1.

Winner-to-regional, loser-out pigtail matches (Held immediately before regional meet) North No. 4 seeds versus South No. 5 seeds-103-Duran (St) pinned A. Lucero (Ev) 3:28; 112-Alewine (LS) major dec. Chow (Ka) 11-3; 119-Eacrett (LS) major dec. Chen (Ka) 11-1; 125-Perry (Sn) pinned Garvey (Ka) 1:40; 130-Mather (St) pinned Dabling (MT) 1:36; 135-Bui (Ma) pinned Austin (LS) 1:42; 140-Erickson (Arl) pinned Meakins (J) 4:41; 145-Lampers (Mo) pinned Graham (Ev) 0:24; 152-Zuzula (J) pinned Spear (Arl) 4:45; 160-Morrison (C) dec. Montanari (Me) 8-2; 171-Cadiz (M-P) major dec. Wyman (Sh) 9-1; 189-Doner (M-P) pinned Holmlund (MT) 2:42; 215-Kendo (C) pinned Garton (Me) 1:54; 275-Whitlock (Sn) dec. Raby (Ev) 1-0.

South No. 4 seeds versus North No. 5 seeds-103-Bascom (St) pinned Berenson (Sh) 3:58; 112-Hauser (MV) major dec. Yun (Sh) 10-0; 119-Solano (MV) dec. Perrin (Me) 4-2; 125-Kalloch (Ev) dec. Lemme (OH) 9-6; 130-Rios (C) pinned Ogden (Ev) 1:00; 135-B. Alfi (E-W) dec. Hale (Sn) 5-1; 140-St. Marie (Sn) dec. O’Donnell (Ka) 6-4; 145-Hartzell (St) pinned C. Irwin (Ev) 4:59; 152-Zemenak (Sh) major dec. Reed (Sn) 10-1; 160-Morgan (Mo) major dec. Vongphrachanh (Ma) 17-8; 171-Salsbury (Ev) dec. McGuire (LS) 7-3; 189-M. Johnson (OH) pinned Nigg (K) 0:51; 215-Carey (MT) major dec. Morales (St) 9-1; 275-Rydzak (Ma) pinned Anonson (Mo).

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