The lady wrestlers from Liberty Bell High School pinned their way to high finishes Friday (Dec. 27) at the Hanford Winter Cup in Richland. On the boys’ side, two wrestlers traveled to Royal City Saturday (Dec. 28) for the Royal Christmas Tournament, and both finished in fourth place in their weight classes.
In Richland, senior Shelby White competed in a bracket of 17 wrestlers at 135 pounds. After a first-round bye, White pinned opponents from Othello and Newport to advance to the semifinals. White lost by pin to a girl from Toppenish in that match but bounced back to pin a Grandview wrestler to take third place, coach Jason Newman said.
Freshman Mariah Paz was among 22 wrestlers in the 105-pound bracket. Paz lost her opening match against a girl from Eisenhower High School. The Yakima wrestler pinned Paz with one second remaining in the final period.
“It was close the whole match,” Newman said.
Paz didn’t let the early loss derail her. She went on to pin her three remaining opponents, who hailed from Chiawana High School (Pasco), Wenatchee and Prosser, to finish eighth.
Sophomores Cody White and Noah Holston made the trip to Royal City for the Christmas tournament, against competition that was predominantly from A-league schools, boys’ coach Jonathan McMillan said.
Cody White, at 126 pounds, won his first two matches to reach the semifinals but then lost his last two matches to settle for fourth place.
White’s final match was close, McMillan said, with White “almost turning the kid for the near fall to win the match, but not being able to.”
Holston also advanced to the semifinals, in the 170-pound weight class, but lost his final two matches to take fourth place. Like his teammate, Holston found himself in a closely fought battle that went all three two-minute rounds in that final match to decide third- and fourth-place finishers.
“We need to work on winning the close ones in the third round,” McMillan said.
The boys’ and girls’ teams both return to the mat Saturday (Jan. 4) for the Banks Lake Brawl at Almira Coulee-Hartline High School.
