Washington State Mid-Season Wrestling Rankings

By Kurt Lang—The Predictor

Dec 31^st, 2002

Welcome to my Mid-Season rankings----your mileage may vary!

Well, at long last, I’ve got something presentable in the form of rankings for Washington wrestlers. I only say presentable because this is a constantly evolving task. When Preseason rolls around, I don’t know which weight guys are going to be at, whether they’ve moved, whether their priorities have shifted away from wrestling, or if they got injured in the Fall. I read the papers, talk to coaches, listen to the message boards, and try to figure it out—but until about now, I can’t even begin to get it right.

And maybe it’s still very wrong….

Since the start of the season, I’ve entered 2500 new names into the database. I’ve deleted a few hundred (they’re still in the archive), and I now have about 5300 wrestlers to track. I have knowledge of 246 tournaments in which Washington wrestlers compete. I try to keep up on which teams and individuals do well in them. I watch matches and announce as often as I can. I have considered becoming a referee, but I think I’d have to give up the rankings to maintain partiality. Bottom line, I give between fifteen and thirty hours per week to this little project, and I still don’t know if the rankings are worth a hoot.

But guess what? They don’t have to be perfect. And they certainly aren’t gospel. The merely show you, the fan, who’s hot in a weight class. The actual ranking is not as important as making the list, when it comes to a wrestler’s quality. If you want to know for sure who the best wrestler in the state is, you will have a lot of disappointments in your life—because there is no “best wrestler”. “…on any given day, on any given mat…”, the saying goes, “One wrestler will come out on top”,—but he may only be the best THAT day.

It’s a long season, full of surprises. I didn’t have Michael Johnson of Tahoma in my rankings at the start of the season. The guy came from nowhere! I did a search of my database—no Michael Johnson. I just figured he was a transfer or one of those rare guys that decides to try out the sport and is a natural. Two weeks after he won the Tri-State, I did another search, this time on Michael OR Mike. Bingo! He’s no stranger—I’ve got records on him going back two and a half years. Okay, rookie data-mistake by me--Duh.

But I’m just trying to give you a feel for the breadth of what I do, and more importantly, its purpose. I’m only trying to raise interest in a sport that made me feel special when I was in school, where even though I wasn’t even the tenth-best wrestler on my team, I could still feel like a contributor. In this sport, you don’t have to be a great athlete; you just gotta have a lot of heart. Hopefully, a few young men and women read my stuff and strive to make the list—or not, if that’s their wish. Just contributing to the team is plenty.

Okay, enough about what I do—let’s talk about what THEY do.

I’ve listed more than 500 wrestlers from 165 teams here—I do the best I can to hear from the WHOLE state—but I need to hear more. Spokane 4A schools—I’m talking to you, how about sending the ole Predictor some results from your tourneys. Inquiring minds want to know. And you folks in the Southwest Washington leagues, 1A and 2A, give me a shout from time to time. And I can’t forget my friends in the Great Northern League—let me know!

My system is based on tournament performance—period. If there is a question or a tie, I look at head-to-head competition, but I’m reluctant still unless I have three scores to use. You get the idea—send me those results, and I’ll do you proud.

Please send corrections, comments, and abuse (Really—I can take, and sometimes I deserve it) to me at wapredictor@hotmail.com.

Now, then, onto the rankings. In the Rankings, you’ll see the wrestler’s name, followed by their year in school, their school, and their previous ranking (in this case, the pre-season listing). The abbreviations are HM—Honorable Mention, or NR—Not Ranked. Obviously, wrestlers have shifted weights, so it will be common to see one or more of the same previous rankings listed (145 Pounds has three number-ones, for example)

103 Pounds

In the early season, I look at BIG tournaments and see how the wrestlers do. When one wins two of the premier tourneys, I raise both eyebrows twice. Nathan Decker of Sedro-Woolley pulled off a trifecta—White River, Tri-State, and the Pacific Coast Championships, all in December (and his home-team Skagit Invitational, to boot). Catch him if you can, because he’s the hot 103 pounder in Washington right now.

1. Nathan Decker, Sophomore, Sedro-Woolley (6)
2. Rogelio Diaz, Senior, Wapato (2)
3. Cory Fish, Freshman, University (4)
4. Scott Thompson, Sophomore, East Valley (Yakima) (15)
5. Anthony Vela, Sophomore, Moses Lake (NR)
6. Brian Kelly, Junior, Mount Baker (NR)
7. Brandon Ashley, Sophomore, Kiona-Benton (HM)
8. Maurice Lopez, Sophomore, Auburn (HM)
9. Frankie Torres, Junior, Warden (20)
10. A.J. DeLeon, Sophomore, Othello (NR)
11. Brandon Freed, ??, Evergreen (Vancouver) (NR)
12. Chris Koontz, Junior, Enumclaw (NR)
13. Jonny Gilbertson, Freshman, Cascade (Everett) (NR)
14. Tyson Metz, Sophomore, Anacortes (NR)
15. Jeremy Kelsey, ??, Heritage (NR)
16. Alex Jaime, Senior, Olympic (HM)
17. Davin Knemeyer, Freshman, Aberdeen (NR)
18. Micah Perrin, Senior, Meadowdale (HM)
19. Chris McKinley, Senior, Onalaska (NR)
20. Tyler Bowles, ??, Auburn (NR)

Honorable Mention

Zack Aguirre, Quincy

Matt Barnes, Stanwood

Jason Costello, Squalicum

A.J. Cummings, Ephrata

Lenny Hahn, Mount Spokane

Andrew Hansen, WF West

Darren Holz, Darrington

Kenny Kubec, Marysville-Pilchuck

Jesse Romero, Sunnyside

Nick Ruff, Cascade (Leavenworth)

Phil Schorr, South Whidbey

Jordan Stevens, Ferndale

Zach Studley, Stanwood

Austin Templeton, Central Kitsap

112 Pounds

Let’s talk about beating somebody tough, after a long day of tourney wrestling. Cory Vombaur of Evergreen (Vancouver) beats #18 Peter Barnes of Heritage in the Quartefinals, then has to defeat #4 Jake Gonzales (Enumclaw) in the semis. He didn’t do it so convincingly, with a 3-2 decision and a 0-0 OT Criteria win, respectively, but he still got the job done. Finally, when he beat the #1 wrestler in California (Hugo Guzman, Santa Ana, 3-3 OT Criteria), I gave the nod. #1 in California is a ranking to be respected, and Vombaur beat it. He’s my #1 Washington wrestler until I hear otherwise.

1. Cory Vombaur, Sophomore, Evergreen (Vancouver) (11)
2. Jon Bennett, Junior, Newport (5)
3. Lester Brown, Junior, Lake Stevens (HM)
4. Jake Gonzalez, Junior, Enumclaw (6)
5. Paul Klein, Junior, White River (5)
6. Edgar Mendez, Sophomore, Connell (9)
7. Bradley Muri, Sophomore, Steilacoom (7)
8. Kameron Hopkins, Sophomore, East Valley (Yakima) (NR)
9. Lorenzo Longoria, Senior, Quincy (16)
10. Jonathan Cats, Junior, Richland (NR)
11. Mike Woodruff, Senior, Bellingham (10)
12. Justin Smith, Senior, Elma (12)
13. Chris Meister, Senior, Inglemoor (NR)
14. Kerry Green, Junior, Lake Roosevelt (12)
15. Jason Pascua, Junior, River Ridge (13)
16. Aaron Anderson, Sophomore, Deer Park (HM)
17. Jeff Cox, Junior, Warden (17)
18. Peter Barnes, ??, Heritage (NR)
19. Reese Whitley, Junior, Wenatchee (8)
20. Ryan Hoang, Senior, Columbia River (19)

Honorable Mention

Geoff Arnold, Aberdeen

Herley Beyene, Highline

Mike Caniparoli, Eastlake

Cody Elledge, Inglemoor

Jeriah Erickson, Jenkins

Robert Foy, WF West

Mike Good, Renton

Aaron Hargrove, Cashmere

Shawnee Hinman, Kettle Falls

David Howard, Cedarcrest

Mauricio Jaimez, Prosser

Tyler Justus, Ridgefield

Tyler Marshall, Mount Baker

Kevin Mitchell, Tonasket

Amberle Montgomery, Tahoma

Juan Ortiz, Burlington-Edison

Noland Raybell, Rogers (Puyallup)

Martin Salinas, Pasco

Josh Sicard, Winlock

Caleb Stripes, Bothell

119 Pounds

Some guys are just there, in the zone. Mike Rodriguez of Kamiakin went south and finished sixth in the toughest tournament in the country, by some accounts. Sixth at the Reno Tournament of Champions is as big as a Tri State Title, in my opinion, and may be as tough as a state championship. Mike is my #1 for Washington, but I’d feel better about it if he had wrestled #2 Zach Morgan of Selah at the Sundome Classic. Instead he Injury Defaulted to Morgan, citing the flu bug as the reason. Don’t know if they’ll have another chance to see each other….

1. Mike Rodriguez, Junior, Kamiakin (1)
2. Zach Morgan, Senior, Selah (2)
3. Michael Bell, Senior, Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) (14)
4. Jose Tanguma, Senior, Warden (3)
5. Justin Davidson, Junior, Bothell (7)
6. Joe Trieu, Senior, Edmonds-Woodway (9)
7. Joel Anderson, Junior, Enumclaw (14)
8. Ricky Valadez, Junior, Zillah (1)
9. Ismael Fajardo, Senior, Grandview (11)
10. Greg Abe, Senior, Renton (16)
11. Dago Velasquez, Senior, Connell (8)
12. Craig Fawcett, Senior, Spanaway Lake (8)
13. Brandon Sitch, Freshman, Kelso (NR)
14. Manuel Plata, Junior, Prosser (14)
15. Rodrigo Velasquez, Senior, Eastmont (HM)
16. Rick Yeager, Junior, Heritage (18)
17. John Hanks, Senior, Marysville-Pilchuck (16)
18. Dustin Chellson, Junior, Mount Baker (HM)
19. Tonio Thacker, Senior, Auburn Riverside (HM)
20. Brandon Shetlin, ??, North Thurston (NR)

Honorable Mention

Andrew Ashmore, Ferndale

Gilbert Bazan, Eisenhower

Bryan Bosch, La Center

Aaron Carr, La Center

Tyler Draper, Ridgefield

Jake Farmer, Heritage

Justin Friddle, Darrington

Gavin Garrett, Cheney

Stephen Gillis, Lakewood

Alex Haas, Mount Si

Tommy Huizenga, Meridian

Brandon Lytle, Washougal

David Markey, Thomas Jefferson

Frank Mendez, Wahkiakum

Cory Nagel, Arlington

John Phimmasane, Juanita

Kyle Shattuck, Orting

Vihn Tran, Highline

Steve Turner, Cashmere

DeSean Willis, Lakes

James Williams, Mount Vernon

Allen Wood, Tahoma

125 Pounds

Okay, Aaron Pedeferri (Cedarcrest) is the man unless he gets beat. He’s working on state championship number three this season. And either Jesse Lang (Richland) or Eli Zuniga (Sunnyside) are close behind. But I thought for sure Aaron Sample (Elma) would be there too. He may still be, but he’ll have to go through Colt Warren (Mount Baker) to get there, and he didn’t go through him at the Vashon Rock Tourney. Warren came out on top with a little controversy (6-5, disputed scoring in the third…), and moved up many notches in my ranks.

1. Aaron Pedeferri, Senior, Cedarcrest (1)
2. Jesse Lang, Senior, Richland (5)
3. Eli Zuniga, Senior, Sunnyside (3)
4. Aaron Sample, Senior, Elma (1)
5. Adam Bryant, Junior, Deer Park (7)
6. Colt Warren, Junior, Mount Baker (HM)
7. Jeff Hatton, Junior, Aberdeen (10)
8. Mich’el McKinnnon, Senior, Anacortes (13)
9. Angel Gonzalez, Senior, Toppenish (5)
10. Ismael Campos, Junior, Warden (13)
11. Nate Uehara, Senior, River Ridge (11)
12. Julio Garcia, Senior, Port Angeles (15)
13. Rick Shattuck, Junior, Orting (HM)
14. Jace Cutrer, Junior, Squalicum (HM)
15. James Standerfer, Junior, Clarkston (HM)
16. Matt Curry, Senior, Mount Vernon (NR)
17. Brad Balcom, Senior, Central Valley (NR)
18. Ryan Conley, Junior, Sultan (15)
19. Chris Ross, Senior, Mountain View (HM)
20. Jose Mendez, Senior, Connell (17)

Honorable Mention

Brent Buhtz, Ocosta

Kyle Barber, Camas

Daniel Curulla, Elma

Joe Edmonds, Lakewood

Jackson Embly. Mercer Island

Jeff Hause, Mark Morris

Richie Hearst, Quincy

Trung Huyhn, Squalicum

Jared Imes, East Valley (Spokane)

Dustin Johnson, South Kitsap

Rusty Johnson, Mercer Island

Warren Kern, Spanaway Lake

Kevin Kimball, Cheney

Geoff LaGrandeur, Lynnwood

Josh Martinez, La Center

Lucas Massey, Tenino

Eric Miller, Woodinville

Jeremy Montang, University

Patrick O’Neill, Sedro-Woolley

Jorge Perez, Othello

Matt Roll, Clover Park

Tyson Smith, Willipa Valley

Zach Smith, Bainbridge

Albert Starrett, Colfax

Kevin Swanson, Sumner

Brad Taylor, Eastmont

Jairo Torres, Selah

Tony Underwood, Peninsula

Kai Van Leuven, Lake Stevens

J.J. Westover, White River

Ryan Wheeler, Olympic

130 Pounds

Yowza, is this a tough weight to rank. Just look at the names in the top five, and tell me how you’d do it. Tyler Sherfey (Kamiakin) and Tony Kubec (Lake Stevens) have a common opponent in the finals of two premier tournaments, Pacific Coast and Tri-State, respectively. Sherfey Beat Jacob Evans (Sedro-Woolley) only marginally more convincingly and just barely gets the pole position in my grades.

1. Tyler Sherfey, Junnior, Kamiakin (2)
2. Tony Kubec, Junior, Lake Stevens (3)
3. Jacob Evans, Senior, Sedro-Woolley (3)
4. T.C. Imes, Junior, East Valley (Spokane) (NR)
5. Josh Cristelli, Junior, Elma (NR)
6. Keith Hillis, Junior, Washougal (NR)
7. Octavio Mendoza, Junior, Ridgefield (16)
8. Sammy Macias, Junior, Wapato (20)
9. Charles Boyko, Senior, Kelso (11)
10. Keith Smith, Senior, Othello (HM)
11. Trent Baisden, Senior, Mount Baker (NR)
12. Maury Lundberg, Senior, Arlington (NR)
13. Kris Nolan, Senior, WF West (NR)
14. Adam Morrison, Senior, Rogers (Puyallup) (HM)
15. J.D. Gomez, Junior, Othello (NR)
16. Andrew Bartels, Senior, Freeman (13)
17. Chris Spurlock, Junior, Heritage (16)
18. Sean Forbes, Senior, Emerald Ridge (NR)
19. Curt Nelson, Senior, Eatonville (15)
20. Gabe Capelletti, Senior, Eastlake (NR)

Honorable Mention

Paul Bates, Southridge

Torrin Bradbury, Montesano

Daniel Brusser, Foss

Aaron Cahoon, Mercer Island

A.J. Creek, La Center

Donny DeRusha, Central Kitsap

Lance Guzek, Richland

Arnie Harkanson, Bellarmine Prep

Scott Lytle, Hoquiam

Luke McCollum, Mead

Mike McPeak, Clarkston

Brett O’Brien, Junior, Squalicum

Levi Somers, Rochester

Marc Villano, Lakewood

Aaron Yearout, Mountain View

135 Pounds

I’ve actually watched most of my top-ten picks in action already this season, and one wrestler stands out. If Anthony Zender from Mount Baker can stay healthy and wrestle the same way all year, he should be the top wrestler in Tacoma come February. He may not always look like he’s in the lead, but he always seems to come back and make something happen.

1. Anthony Zender, Senior, Mount Baker (2)
2. Chad Eickmeyer, Senior, Central Kitsap (3)
3. Ty Human, Senior, Lake Stevens (4)
4. Chris Smith, Senior, Eastmont (11)
5. Darren DeBoer, Senior, Cedarcrest (1)
6. Brett Wagner, Senior, Rogers (Puyallup) (10)
7. Kayle Gray, Senior, Cheney (4)
8. Ian Richards, Junior, Spanaway Lake (6)
9. Greg Ford, Junior, Heritage (4)
10. Adam Thiessen, Senior, Auburn Riverside (6)
11. Chris Williams, Senior, Camas (7)
12. Rene Valadez, Senior, Zillah (11)
13. Junior Gonzalez, Sophomore, Kiona-Benton (14)
14. Tommy Lindquist, Junior, Quincy (13)
15. Sean McNulty, Sophomore, White River (NR)
16. Nick Miles, Senior, Elma (NR)
17. Andy Westrick, ??, Aberdeen (17)
18. Ethan Sandelin, Sophomore, Sedro-Woolley (HM)
19. Colt Heger, Junior, Clarkston (18)
20. Jimmy Akiyama, Senior, Newport (Bellevue) (15)

Honorable Mention

Tesir Al-Hussaini, Lynnwood

Mark Atterbury, Sultan

Dan Austin, Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls)

Gavino Bautista, Clover Park

Garrett Dart, Cashmere

Kyle Castle, Mariner

James Curliss, Yelm

Nick DeLeon, Lakes

Nic Fistolera, Kalama

Leonardo Flores, Prosser

Dustin Gilbert, Royal

Cody Hardgrove, Newport

Tim Healy, Gonzaga Prep

Zach Holcomb, Mountain View

Grant Nakashima, Kentwood

Brandon Monroy, Columbia River

Rigo Pruneda, Othello

Ray Romero, Sunnyside

Josh Thorn, Vashon Island

Mason Webb, Squalicum

Chris Wichers, Oak Harbor

140 Pounds

My top four here all have records in my database going back three or four years. For the moment, Nick Tompkins (Tahoma) gets the catbird seat by virtue of a Tri-State finals appearance and Skagit Invite championship over Skylar Marler (White River). But I don’t look past Craig Jackson (Mount Baker), winner at the Rock, or Bryce Doehne of Kalama, champ at the Battle at the Border.

1. Nick Tompkins, Senior, Tahoma (4)

2. Skyler Marler, Senior, White River (5)

3. Craig Jackson, Junior, Mount Baker (6)

4. Bryce Doehne, Senior, Kalama (13)

5. Jon Bauer, Sophomore, Rogers (Puyallup) (14)

6. Mike Sewell, Sophomore, Inglemoor (NR)

7. Andy Hall, Senior, Kennewick (20)

8. Lee Morrison, Junior, Okanogan (7)

9. Coby Jones, Sophomore, Burlington-Edison (15)

10. Justin Corke, Senior, Kiona-Benton (NR)

11. B.J. Ward, Junior, Liberty (Issaquah) (18)

12. Jake Friedman, Sophomore, Peninsula (9)

13. Tanner McCoy, Junior, Sedro-Woolley (17)

14. Scott Ouradnik, Senior, Ephrata (10)

15. Brent Stover, ??, Spanaway Lake (NR)

16. Juan Pena, Junior, Eisenhower (NR)

17. Karl Nelson, Senior, Aberdeen (13)

18. Brandon Sims, Junior, Cashmere (NR)

19. Nick Webb, Junior, Squalicum (16)

20. Joe Vanaman, ??, Fife (NR)

Honorable Mention

Darren Ammerman, West Valley (Yakima)

Kyle Arnold, Hoquiam

Casey Audette, Mount Vernon

James Barr-Finch, Auburn Riverside

Jimmy Bennefield, Lake Washington

Owen Bickford, Elma

Zach Dompier, Moses Lake

Chris Farmer, Hoquiam

Joe Gomes, Onalaska

Josh Gomez, Othello

Nathaniel Hicks, Tenino

Keith Johnson, Port Townsend

Curtiss Lett, Cedarcrest

Jacob Lund, East Valley (Spokane)

Brett Nelson, Skyview

Caleb Patee, Ridgefield

Nathan Ray, Auburn

Jordan Smith, Kamiakin

Travis Southwick, Medical Lake

Steven Werner, Mountain View

Steven Whitcher, La Center

Blake Willard, Franklin Pierce

145 Pounds

Well, as I said in the intro, I’ve become a Michael Johnson (Tahoma) believer. I watched him beat a very good #14 Mike Frerichs (Central Kitsap) in the final at the Yonlick Wrestlerama and thought, “Well, this guy may have the stuff…” When he won at Tri-State, beating Lakeside’s #6 Michael Griffith, I became a true believer. #2 Jeff Nimrick (Peninsula) woke me up at the Pacific Coast Championships, outdistancing returning champ #4 Kyle Bounds (Columbia River). Brandon Hunter moves down only because of his broken ankle, which leaves doubts about a repeat championship. Man, what a weight…

1. Michael Johnson, Sophomore, Tahoma (NR)

2. Jeff Nimrick, Senior, Peninsula (6)

3. Chase Reed, Senior, Orting (3)

4. Kyle Bounds, Sophomore, Columbia River (1)

5. Brandon Hunter, Senior, Kentwood (1)

6. Michael Griffith, Senior, Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) (4)

7. Josh Corke, Senior, Kiona-Benton (1)

8. Kenny McNeese, Senior, Auburn (6)

9. Alex Torres, Junior, Othello (13)

10. Justin Van Dyke, Senior, Nooksack Valley (3)

11. Ryan Ringhouse, Senior, Sedro-Woolley (8)

12. Brad Rasmussen, Junior, Cheney (12)

13. B.J. Russell, Senior, Moses Lake (9)

14. Mike Frerichs, Senior, Central Kitsap (4)

15. Ryan Rosetti, Senior, Clarkston (10)

16. Marcus Garthe, Senior, Lake Washington (7)

17. Matt ReMillard, Junior, Southridge (9)

18. Joel Mack, Senior, Heritage (14)

19. Frank Jachetta, Senior, Newport (17)

20. Chris Long, Senior, South Whidbey (12)

Honorable Mention

Tanner Aldrich, Mariner

Kameron Beedle, Ellensburg

Ben Comeau, Mountlake Terrace

Zach Dalling, Washougal

Cody Hudson, Cedarcrest

Willy Ives, Omak

Nels Jorgenson, Tenino

Patrick Kelly, South Kitsap

Josh Little, Mount Baker

Nick Martindale, Mount Si

David Maybury, Bellarmine Prep

Landon McCombs, Elma

David McNeely, Yelm

John Quintrell, Woodland

Beau Robideau, Mount Vernon

Daniel Smith, Emerald Ridge

152 Pounds

Dusty Long (Mountain View) put an exclamation point on things by winning the Pacific Coast Championships over a very able #2 Jonny Wicker (Sedro-Woolley). But matters aren’t settled at all in this weight class.

1. Dusty Long, Senior, Mountain View (4)

2. Jonny Wicker, Senior, Sedro-Woolley (2)

3. Derek Williams, Senior, Tonasket (1)

4. Shane Proctor, Senior, Lake Roosevelt (2)

5. Tony Dorward, Junior, Mount Rainier (3)

6. Tyson Hurst, Senior, West Valley (Spokane) (5)

7. Josh Gardner, Senior, Vashon Island (9)

8. Justin Studer, Junior, Liberty (Issaquah) (8)

9. Adam Logozzo, Senior, Grandview (8)

10. Willie Ward, Senior, Monroe (10)

11. Eric Garcia, Senior, Moses Lake (7)

12. B.J. Vavra, Senior, Mount Baker (9)

13. Cody Hughes, Junior, Southridge (6)

14. Andrew Claussen, Senior, Cedarcrest (14)

15. Mason Massey, Senior, Chelan (8)

16. John Leraas, Senior, River Ridge (9)

17. Larry Lytle, Senior, Hoquiam (13)

18. Sterling Morat, Junior, Stevenson (16)

19. Patrick Mitchell, Senior, Tonasket (NR)

20. Tyler Pederson, Senior, Auburn (15)

Honorable Mention

Rick Copsey, Camas

Nick Woodbury, Kentwood

Josh Servian, Wenatchee

Andrew Parker, Mercer Island

Billy Hamllick, Washougal

Cory Higbee, Bothell

Patrick Janicki, Sedro-Woolley

Ryan Anderson, Tonasket

Jacob Buckenmeyer, Mount Vernon

Jason DeBeaumont, Moses Lake

B.J. Swift, Sumner

Norman Orr, Marysville-Pilchuck

Rory Douglass, Cascade (Everett)

Jacob Holden, East Valley (Yakima)

Richard Van Volkinburg, Aberdeen

160 Pounds

If you’ve ever watched Patrick Pitsch (Spanaway Lake) wrestle, you’ve seen a guy with all the tools. He has technical knowledge, outstanding balance, good strength, and the heart to finish impossible combinations. He may find someone to beat him this season, but don’t count on it.

1. Patrick Pitsch, Senior, Spanaway Lake (1)

2. Juventino Orozco, Senior, Connell (3)

3. Josh Butler, Senior, Royal (4)

4. James Pearson, Senior, Gonzaga Prep (1)

5. Nick Roberts, Senior, West Valley (Spokane) (11)

6. Josh Martinelli, Senior, Central Kitsap (7)

7. Mark Dodge, Sophomore, Heritage (11)

8. Andrew Larson, Senior, Nooksack Valley (10)

9. Nick Aadland, Senior, Juanita (NR)

10. Sam Wagg, Senior, Eastmont (12)

11. Jordan Henderson, Senior, Kennewick (15)

12. Quinton Josie, Senior, Enumclaw (8)

13. Ben Harris, Junior, South Whidbey (NR)

14. Chase Gotham, Senior, Colville (11)

15. Eric Olson, Senior, Stanwood (NR)

16. Corey Watson, ??, Yelm (NR)

17. Alan Shults, Senior, Cedarcrest (20)

18. Ryan Oswalt, ??, Peninsula (NR)

19. Adam Uptegrove, ??, Prosser (NR)

20. Fred Arnold, Sophomore, East Valley (Spokane) (NR)

Honorable Mention

Ty Aiken, Clarkston

Robert Bennedson, Vashon Island

Colin Boyle, Ridgefield

Travis Bright, Kentlake

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Medical Lake

Alan Grimes, Mount Baker

Ira Jarmon, Clover Park

Daniel Kilcup, Sedro-Woolley

Cody Leifheit, Ferndale

Cole Martin, Aberdeen

Travis Meske, Shorecrest

Brandon Schut, West Valley (Yakima)

Aaron Tugmon, Ferris

Jamie Watts, Washougal

171 Pounds

Josh Corriell (Kiona-Benton) is tearing up the eastside this season with wins at the Connell Invitational and the Royal Rumble. To top it off, he beat #4 Tom Snell (Lakeside [Nine Mile Falls]) in a dual. White River has two really tough sophomores at this one weight—darn the tough luck. #3 Brad Padgett and #6 Dustin Haukenberry both have a shot at the finals in Tacoma—and wouldn’t it be interesting to see them square off for the whole bag of marbles?

1. Josh Corriell, Senior, Kiona-Benton (2)

2. Clark Hutchman, Senior, North Kitsap (5)

3. Brad Padgett, Sophomore, White River (19)

4. Tom Snell, Senior, Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) (5)

5. Derek McLaughlin, Senior, Capital (3)

6. Dustin Haukenberry, Sophomore, White River (7)

7. Cody (C.J.) Warren, Senior, Mount Baker (10)

8. Josh Smith, Senior, Prosser (14)

9. Stephen Gruginski, Senior, Goldendale (6)

10. Sam Parmenter, Senior, Lynden (13)

11. Chris James, ??, Bellarmine Prep (NR)

12. Jacob Sandiford, Senior, Hazen (6)

13. Pat Gannon, Senior, West Valley (Spokane) (NR)

14. Joe Webb, Senior, Stanwood (17)

15. Mike Lorence, Senior, Burlington-Edison (NR)

16. Darren Sanders, Senior, South Bend (14)

17. Joe Rosenkranz, Senior, Naches Valley (11)

18. Clyde Switzer, Senior, Olympic (7)

19. Robert Hazenberg, Junior, Kennewick (NR)

20. Patrick O’Brien, Junior, Oak Harbor (18)

Honorable Mention

Cory Creighton, Stevenson

Joe Evans, Sunnyside

Brady Emmons, Meridian

Michael Neuenschwander, Columbia-Burbank

Jon Potts, South Kitsap

Dallas Ricks, Moses Lake

Paul Rudisky, Vashon Island

Brandon Severance, Fife

Bryan Schneider, Kalama

Adam Spier, Cedarcrest

Trent Tyler, Elma

Nick Vincent, Thomas Jefferson

189 Pounds

I’ve been talking up Chet Slevin (Ferndale) since I saw him beating guys in Junior Freestyle—when he was in the Schoolboy class! But this weight is so even, I bet any of the top ten would have a shot at beating him on any given day. Don’t get me wrong, Chet’s the best in the state right now, but never say never, ya’ know?

1. Chet Slevin, Junior, Ferndale (1)
2. Jay Carlile, Junior, Battle Ground (2)
3. Josh Edmonson, Senior, Medical Lake (1)
4. Jake Nelson, ??, Mead (NR)
5. Kyle Bressler, Junior, Decatur (4)
6. Evan Mattingly, Junior, Vashon Island (5)
7. Jim Wilson, Senior, WF West (NR)
8. Robbie Westerman, Senior, Cedarcrest (4)
9. Matt Vignalli, Senior, Columbia River (2)
10. Sean Kelly, Senior, Bellarmine Prep (5)
11. Scott Labrash, Junior, Bothell (19)
12. Jessey Adcock, Senior, Richland (17)
13. Chase Campbell, Sophomore, Kalama (NR)
14. Nick Vlahos, Junior, Bellingham (9)
15. Maxs Newberry, Sophomore, Aberdeen (NR)
16. P.J. McAtee, ??, Washougal (NR)
17. Clint Webley, ??, Quincy (NR)
18. Bradley Bacon, Sophomore, La Center (NR)
19. David Pichler, ??, Yelm (NR)
20. Kyle Thompson, ??, Marysville-Pilchuck (NR)

Honorable Mention

Brysen Brown, Emerald Ridge

Eric Cunningham, Mount Vernon

Jake Firman, Kentlake

Jordan Gwyther, Lakewood

Clinton Meacham, Cacscade (Leavenworth)

Dominique Small, Bellarmine Prep
Matt Suthern, Lynnwood

Ryan Trittle,. Woodinville

Brandon Walsh, Evergreen (Vancouver)

Scott Winslow, Liberty (Issaquah)

215 Pounds

And speaking of an evenly matched bunch of guys at the top….Yuri Malamura (Spanaway Lake) beat #3 Brad Farmer (Heritage) at the Pacific Coast Championships. But he could easily be challenged by #3 Garrett Johnson (Medical Lake), or a very impressive #4 Kyle Simmons (Ridgefield).

1. Yuri Malamura, Senior, Spanaway Lake (3)

2. Garrett Johnson, Junior, Medical Lake (1)

3. Brad Farmer, Junior, Heritage (4)

4. Kyle Simmons, Senior, Ridgefield (2)

5. Matt Moore, Senior, Columbia River (NR)

6. Jehra Moore, Senior, Sedro-Woolley (2)

7. Chris Keeney, Senior, North Thurston (3)

8. Drew Oswald, Senior, Cheney (8)

9. Jon Ragan, Senior, Heritage (9)

10. Mike Lee, Senior, Ocosta (6)

11. Brian Bishop, ?? Prosser (NR)

12. Jake Healy, Senior, Ephrata (7)

13. Reese Cogdill, Senior, Lynnwood (9)

14. Cody Simmons, Junior, Shelton (NR)

15. Tyler Marshall, Senior, Hazen (NR)

16. Tom Radach, Junior, Eastmont (12)

17. Charlie Brown, , Mount Baker (NR)

18. Nate Vining, Senior, Kettle Falls (13)

19. Dane Mallahan, Senior, Bellingham (14)

20. Caleb Osborn, ??, Skyview (NR)

Honorable Mention

Shawn Failor, Aberdeen

Ash Friedrichs, Burlington-Edison

Justin Gielski, Kentlake

Barry Greenwood, Yelm

Ryan Grose, Tahoma

Ben Hauk, Bethel

Roman Hernandez, Rogers (Spokane)

Jim Holloway, Clarkston

Scott Jennings, Central Kitsap

Isaac Joe, Decatur

Chris Lee, Connell

Rickey Leiser, Thomas Jefferson

Mike Lisenby, Bothell

Nick McCallum, Bainbridge

Matt Neilon, Colfax

Brandon Ono, Pasco

Johnny Pitman, Warden

Brent Rushin, Kamiakin

Trenton Tuiasosopo, Mariner

Talon Ventura, Lakewood

Chris Yearout, Moses Lake

275 Pounds

Blaine Guenther (Bethel) was my #1 at the start of the season, and I haven’t change my mind—not after he won the Pacific Coast Championships. Jacob Bouge (University) moved well up in the rankings this month, bolstered by an impressive Tri-State Championship.

1. Blaine Guenther, Senior, Bethel (1)
2. Jacob Bouge, Senior, University (17)
3. Jeff Seath, Senior, Aberdeen, (2)
4. Will Blaschko, ??, Tahoma (NR)
5. Richard Kowell, Senior, Mount Vernon (3)
6. Austin Garner, Senior, West Valley (Spokane) (HM)
7. Cesar Williams, Junior, Quincy (4)
8. Tim Sommer, Junior, Anacortes (7)
9. Robbie Shaw, Junior, Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) (NR)
10. Nathan Schaeffer, Junior, Liberty (Issaquah) (8)
11. Zack Kenealey, Senior, Juanita (11)
12. Matt Leonard, Senior, Lake Stevens (NR)
13. Kyle Clerget, Senior, Enumclaw (NR)
14. Stephon Westfall, Junior, Cheney (14)
15. Mario Regino, Senior, Toledo (6)
16. Nick Berry, Junior, Vashon Island (9)
17. Josh Albee, Senior, Olympic (14)
18. Pat West, Senior, Tumwater (15)
19. Merlin Brittenham, Senior, Lindbergh (16)
20. Blake Busey, ??, West Valley (Yakima) (NR)

Honorable Mention

Ian Anderson, Chelan

Cris Arostigui, Fife

Ryan Bush, Rogers (Puyallup)

Jake Byl, Omak

John Carson, Lake Roosevelt

John Cerrillo, Mabton

Kellan Lindley, Elma

Eric Mitchell, Eastmont

Matt Olesen, Marysville-Pilchuck

Chris Medrzycki, Bellarmine Prep

James Rogers, Skyview

Ryan Smith,Montesano

Adam Starr, Bothell

Jesse Trudeau, Sleah

Darin Weaser, Hazen