TRI-STATE INVITATIONAL: A showcase of northwest wrestling returns

By JASON ELLIOTT 

Sports writer 

You can understand why guys like North Idaho College wrestling coach Derrick Booth get a little excited for this weekend. 

It’s a showcase. 

It is a chance to prove that the campus is a place where the top wrestlers in the northwest come to show their stuff. 

And for Booth and his coaching staff, a chance to find the next Cardinal wrestler. 

NIC plays host to the 53rd annual Tri-State Invitational starting today at 10 a.m. at Christianson Gymnasium. 

“The biggest thing for us is that we get to bring high level wrestling into our gym,” said Booth, in his third full year as NIC coach. “These kids get to see what it’s like to wrestle in our gym, under that spotlight. We do a lot of recruiting over the weekend and have some guys that have already committed or guys that we’re currently recruiting here this weekend, so it’s big for us.” 

As of Thursday, 61 teams were registered to compete in the tournament. 

“Another big thing is growing wrestling in the area,” Booth said. “This is such a big event, with a lot of the youth programs and their families coming to watch. It’s really a big event each year.” 

It’s getting to the point where to add a separate girls tournament, it will take the tournament off the campus in Coeur d’Alene. 

“Right now, we don’t have the means and space to do it here as well,” said Booth of expanding the tournament, which includes eight mats in the school’s gymnasium as well as mats at the school’s fitness center. “We’ve talked about looking into it, but nothing concrete quite yet.” 

The Podium, which hosts the Spokane Open in November, as well as the Spokane Convention Center — the previous host of the NJCAA Tournament when NIC hosted in 2011 and 2014 are likely sites. 

“The Podium is an indoor track facility that gets used for that this time of year a lot as well,” Booth said. “If we do move, it would likely be to the Convention Center, but we’re also trying to see what’s best.” 

Bishop Kelly of Boise, in its first trip to Tri-State in 2023, won the team title last year. The Knights did not return this year. 

Local individual top seeds include Coeur d'Alene's Rocco White (113), Lakeland's Zach Teal (98), Post Falls' Rider Seguine (138), Trey Smith (175) and Seth Martin (190) and Lake City's Garrett Leonard (215). Seguine won at Tri-State in 2022 and Martin is a defending champion for the Trojans, who won four team titles at Tri-State since 2014 (2014, 2015, 2017 and 2019).

“Post Falls, Orting (Wash.), Tahoma and Meridian could be some of the favorites,” Booth said. “Mead might be right in there as well. For the most part, everyone we expected to be back is back again,” Booth said. “You always get some changeover each year with teams changing their schedules. But for the most part, we might have lost a few teams, but the teams that are back year-in, year-out are back.” 

On Saturday, wrestling resumes with a consolation round at 9 a.m., semifinals tentatively at 10 a.m., then finals at 4 p.m. 

Tournament passes are $25 for adults, $15 for seniors and students. Finals only are $10.

Live results can be found on www.trackwrestling.com. 

TRI-STATE INVITATIONAL 

Friday-Saturday 

At North Idaho College 

(Seeds listed with 2023 Tri-State and state tournament finish where available) 

98 pounds — 1, Zach Teal, Lakeland (did not place at Tri-State; fifth at state). 2, Colton D’Avanzo, Timberlake (did not place at Tri-State or state). 3, Collin Christman, Lake Roosevelt (did not place at Tri-State or state). 4, Bodee Williams, Meridian (did not place at Tri-State or state). 5, Maddox Taft, Mt. Spokane (did not place at Tri-State or state). 6, Logan Wray, Tahoma (did not place at Tri-State or state). 7, Brayden Harrison, Hermiston (did not place at Tri-State or state). 8, Cole Jensen, Rocky Mountain (did not place at Tri-State or state). 

106 — 1, Libby Roberts, University (second at Tri-State, won state title). 2, Wyatt Carey, Timberlake (third at Tri-State; third at state). 3, Miguel Depaz, Tonasket (did not place at Tri-State or state). 4, Gage Loftin, Post Falls (fifth at Tri-State, did not place at state). 5, Bodey Schwieger, Riverside (sixth at Tri-State, did not place at state). 6, Johnny Stovern, Kellogg (eighth at Tri-State, did not place at state). 7, Tobias Guillen, Meridian (did not place at Tri-State or state). 8, Braxton Reyes, Lakeside (did not place at Tri-State or state).  

113 — 1, Rocco White, Coeur d’Alene (second at Tri-State, sixth at state). 2, Cody Westlake, Belgrade (third at Tri-State, third at state). 3, Ian Garza, Moses Lake (did not place at Tri-State or state). 4, Brycen Dawley, Tahoma (did not place at Tri-State or state). 5, Rodger Cate, Lake Roosevelt (did not place at Tri-State, third at state). 6, Matthew Hamilton, Post Falls (eight at Tri-State, did not place at state). 7, Saidt Alvarez, Quincy (did not place at Tri-State, fourth at state). 8, Kadyn Hagerty, Capital (did not place at Tri-State, sixth at state). 

120 — 1, Crew Lambro, Tahoma (defending Tri-State champion; fifth at state). 2, Trevor Anderson, Orting (defending Tri-State champion; did not place at state). 3, Kaden Harding, Orting (defending Tri-State champion; did not place at state). 4, Carson Leonard, Lakeland (fourth at Tri-State, state champion). 5, Kaysic Lundquist, Mead (fifth at Tri-State; state champion). 6, Jeremiah Gonzalez, Meridian (did not place at Tri-State or state). 7, Samuel Valencia, Sunnyside (sixth at Tri-State; fifth at state). 8, Carter Tughan, Tahoma (eight at Tri-State; seventh at state). 

126 — 1, Czar Quintanilla, University (two-time Tri-State and state champion). 2, Owen Marshall, Tahoma (second at Tri-State; second at state). 3, Nolan Brown, Belgrade (third at Tri-State; second at state). 4, Ty Satiacum Jr., Orting (did not place at Tri-State; second at state). 5, Jaren Knopp, Lakeland (did not place at Tri-State; fifth at state). 6, James Mason, Mead (did not place at Tri-State; third at state). 7, Konnor Spradling, Lakeside (did not place at Tri-State; second at state). 8, Ricky Haralson, Kellogg (did not place at Tri-State; fifth at state). 

132 — 1, Dominic Thomas, Orting (second at Tri-State; won state title). 2, Aidan Larson, Hermiston (second at Tri-State; won state title). 3, Cooper Williams, Castle Rock (seventh at Tri-State; won state title). 4, Gerardo Hernandez, Tonasket (did not place at Tri-State; won state title). 5, Connor Crum, Seton Catholic (did not place at Tri-State; second at state). 6, Alex Othon, Tahoma (did not place at Tri-State; third at state). 7, Harley Uvalle, Chiawana (did not place at Tri-State; fourth at state). 8, Tanner George, Coeur d’Alene (did not place at Tri-State; fourth at state). 

138 — 1, Rider Seguine, Post Falls (sixth at Tri-State; three-time state champion). 2, Daeton Johnson, Chiawana (third at Tri-State; second at state). 3, Alan Salguero Jr., Orting (did not place at Tri-State; three-time state champion). 4, Darrell Nanpuya, Omak (seventh at Tri-State; two-time state champion). 5, Chase Scribner, Kellogg (did not place at Tri-State; sixth at state). 6, Landon Ramos, Castle Rock (did not place at Tri-State; fourth at state). 7, Isaac Echeverria, Hermiston (did not place at Tri-State; fourth at state). 8, Gus Ray, Tonasket (did not place at Tri-State or state). 

144 — 1, Israel Acosta, Gonzaga Prep (defending Tri-State, state champion). 2, Michael Fritz, Orting (eight at Tri-State; third at state). 3, Colm McLaimtaig, Priest River (fourth at Tri-State; won state championship). 4, Jayson Bonnett, Mt. Spokane (seventh at Tri-State; third at state). 5, Keenan Denison, Tonasket (did not place at Tri-State; second at state). 6, Tyge Plank, Tonasket (did not place at Tri-State; second at state). 7, Laithan Lawson, Orting (did not place at Tri-State; second at state). 8, Chase Weber, Burlington-Edison (did not place at Tri-State; third at state). 

150 — 1, Myles Christen, Lakeside (did not place at Tri-State; second at state). 2, Nolen Nelson, Castle Rock (did not place at Tri-State; second at state). 3, Christopher Villanueva, Sunnyside (did not place at Tri-State; third at state). 4, Andrae Ramirez, Meridian (did not place at Tri-State; third at state). 5, Brock Armstrong, Coeur d’Alene (did not place at Tri-State; fourth at state). 6, Gavin Wells, Tahoma (did not place at Tri-State; fifth at state). 7, Patrick Halpin, Capital (did not place at Tri-State; fifth at state). 8, Mason Bennett, Cheney (did not place at Tri-State or state).  

157 — 1, Quentin Harding, Orting (defending Tri-State, three-time state champion). 2, Tyrese Guzman, Shadle Park (did not place at Tri-State; third at state). 3, Jameson Davis, Selkirk (did not place at Tri-State; third at state). 4, Camilo Mendez III, Othello (did not place at Tri-State; fourth at state). 5, Brock Berger, Deer Park (did not place at Tri-State; sixth at state). 6, Kaleb Hammer, Lakeland (did not place at Tri-State or state). 7, Tyler Irish, Rocky Mountain (did not place at Tri-State or state). 8, Zach David, St. Maries (did not place at Tri-State or state).  

165 — 1, Samuel Thomas, University (second at Tri-State and state). 2, Aiden Yearout, St. Maries (third at Tri-State and state). 3, Damion Hamilton, Post Falls (eight at Tri-State; second at state). 4, Logan Shaver, Meridian (did not place at Tri-State; second at state). 5, Brock Armstrong, Coeur d’Alene (sixth at Tri-State; did not place at state). 6, Chub Plank, Tonasket (did not place at Tri-State; third at state). 7, Peter DesRoches, Riverside (did not place at Tri-State; fourth at state). 8, Kael Campos, Sunnyside (did not place at Tri-State; fourth at state). 

175 — 1, Trey Smith, Post Falls (third at Tri-State; second at state). 2, Levi DiCugno, Orting (did not place at Tri-State; won state title). 3, Nathan Booth, Lake City (seventh at Tri-State; did not place at state). 4, Adriano Perez, Tahoma (did not place at Tri-State; fourth at state). 5, Jonathan Hansen, Timberlake (did not place at Tri-State; fourth at state). 6, Blake Berger, Deer Park (did not place at Tri-State; fifth at state). 7, Mason Darvell, Castle Rock (did not place at Tri-State; fifth at state). 8, Caden Brooks, Mead (did not place at Tri-State or state). 

190 — 1, Seth Martin, Post Falls (defending Tri-State, state champion). 2, Asa Knutson, Hanford (second at Tri-State; did not place at state). 3, Jorden Tyler, Sandpoint (seventh at Tri-State; second at state). 4, Brock Gustaveson, Davenport (did not place at Tri-State; defending state champion). 5, Tayten Cissne, Chiawana (fourth at Tri-State; sixth at state). 6, Bayden Beard, Central Valley (fifth at Tri-State; seventh at state). 7, Brice Cuthbert, Lewiston (eighth at Tri-State; fifth at state). 8, Brayden Burgerner, Shadle Park (did not place at Tri-State; third at state).  

215 — 1, Garrett Leonard, Lake City (third at Tri-State and state). 2, Braeden Harvey, Mead (third at Tri-State and state). 3, Kendall Sage, Post Falls (fourth at Tri-State and state). 4, Trenton Moore, Cheney (fifth at Tri-State and state). 5, Landon Bolson, Chiawana (sixth at Tri-State; fourth at state). 6, Joshua Limon-Garcia, Kamiakin (sixth at Tri-State; did not place at state). 7, Ben Rodgers, Belgrade (sixth at Tri-State; did not place at state). 8, Andrew Royston, West Valley (did not place at Tri-State; fifth at state). 

285 — 1, Mason Perez, Othello (fifth at Tri-State; second at state). 2, Brooks Knight, Kamiakin (seventh at Tri-State and state). 3, Dominic Echeverria, Hermiston (eight at Tri-State; seventh at state). 4, Taylor Dodd, Bonners Ferry (did not place at Tri-State; fourth at state). 5, Carter Vanek, Lakeland (did not place at Tri-State; fourth at state). 6, Sebastian Mosman, Lake City (did not place at Tri-State; fourth at state). 7, Hakeim Smalls, Archbishop Murphy (did not place at Tri-State; fifth at state). 8, Briley Arnett, Timberlake (did not place at Tri-State or state).