Two Broncos wrestlers take fourth at Coyote Classic

Four Lind-Ritzville/Sprague wrestlers represented the Broncos at the Coyote Classic Tournament in Kittitas on Jan. 20.

Tristan Regan, wrestling at 113 pounds, was one of two Bronco athletes to finish in fourth place in their weight class.

Regan pinned Lake Roosevelt’s Everett Schmidt in 40 seconds to advance to the quarterfinals, where he scored a pin over Wahluke’s Hector Cruz in 55 seconds.

In the semifinals, Regan wrestled Selah’s Evan Anderson, who pinned him late in the first period of their match.

After the loss, Regan pinned Cle Elm’s Tyler McCormick in the third round of their bout. He advanced to the third-place match where Colfax’s Nolan Burrill pinned him in the second period.

Head Coach Jason Hilzer said Regan performed well in the tournament. Hilzer added Regan is at a point in his high school wrestling career where he has learned the fundamentals he and Assistant Coach Walter Crow have taught him.

Thomas Rosen, competing at 285 pounds, was the other LRS wrestler who took fourth in his weight division.

After byes in the first round and quarterfinals, Rosen advanced to the semifinals where he wrestled Selah’s Adrian Valdovinos, who pinned him late in the first period.

In the consolation round, Rosen pinned Pomeroy’s Emundo Meza in 37 seconds to qualify for the third-place match where he faced Almira-Coulee/Hartline’s Will Hahn. Hilzer said Rosen was ahead 3-1 in the third period before Haun pinned him.

Jesse Ryan went 1-2 in the 132-pound weight division. He lost his first match to Pomeroy’s Lane Lagergren, who pinned him in the second period.

Ryan moved to the consolation bracket, where he pinned Pomeroy’s Devon Noffsinger in the second period of their match. He was eliminated from the tournament by Dayton’s Carlos Norris, who pinned him in the second period.

Doug Morris was 0-2 in the 182-pound bracket. Morris lost his first match to Colfax’s Leonard Huels. Hilzer said Morris was leading the match in points in the second period, but he later lost top position, which allowed Huels to pin him.

Morris was eliminated from the tournament after Colfax’s Johnathan Logan pinned him in the first period.

The Broncos hosted their first tournament in Gilson Gym on Jan. 23 with the Mix and Match event. Prior to the first match, senior wrestlers Hailey Roderick, Aarron Phelps, Andy Ortiz, Ryan and Regan, were recognized for their efforts and contributions to the team.

The Broncos wrap up their regular season on Jan. 27 when they travel to Reardan to compete in their last South League Match.

Overall, Hilzer said the athletes are continuing to improve on the mat. With one week left in the regular season, he and Crow are helping the wrestlers focus on fine-tuning their strengths in order to prepare them for competition they will face in the postseason.