COLUMBIA BASIN — With the Mat Classic just about a month away, Basin squads continue to battle down the stretch of the 2023-24 wrestling season. Read along to see how local teams fared at last weekend’s tournaments across the Pacific Northwest.

Battle in the Blues
College Place 

Warden left the Battle of the Blues tournaments with a second-place team finish, scoring 164.5 points and seeing 11 wrestlers finish on the podium. 

Five Cougars wrestled in the finals, with three finishing on top of their respective brackets; junior Michael Gonzalez (132-pound bracket), junior Junior Santiago (138) and senior Anthony Contreras (285). Also reaching the finals were freshman Samuel Aquilar (106) and senior Manny Canales (126), who both placed second. 

Rounding out the Cougar placements were senior Jose Arriaga (120, fourth), freshman Daniel Martinez (144, fourth), sophomore Gustavo Canales (157, third), senior Rufino Gonzalez (165, third), freshman Jaden Hernandez (190, fourth) and senior Omar Pruneda (215, third). 

Crusader Classic
Colbert

Saturday’s Crusader Classic saw the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos earn a top-three finish, scoring 114.5 points and placing behind Riverside and Kettle Falls, while Almira/Coulee-Hartline placed seventh as a team with 83 points. 

Bronco senior Gabriel Smith (215) and junior Brock Tracy (285) led the way with first-place finishes at the tournament, followed by senior Octavio Paredes Martinez (113, second) sophomore Waylon Rosman (120, third) and junior Carson Kubik (144, third).

For ACH, junior Jack Molitor (120), senior Everett Wood (157) and senior John Pierce (175) all led the Warriors with second-place finishes in their respective brackets. Junior Paul Stout (190) and freshman Porter Wood (138) also placed, earning third and fourth-place finishes, respectively. 

Davis Invite
Yakima

Three local teams placed in the top 10 of Saturday’s Davis Invite, with Moses Lake placing fourth (107 points), Royal placing fifth (105 points) and Ephrata taking ninth (78 points). Warden placed 18th with 48 points. 

Two of Moses Lake’s three placers took home titles, with senior Ashley Naranjo (110) and sophomore Reese Prescott (120) both finishing atop their brackets. Senior Gabriela Vela (140) placed third in her bracket. 

The Knights also had three wrestlers place at the tournament, led by senior Emma Villa who recorded a first-place finish in the 170-pound bracket. Also finishing on the podium for Royal were sophomore Sharon Arroyo (105, third) and junior Lauren Jenks (135, third). 

Ephrata seniors Leslie Sanchez Guerrero and Kadie McMullen both placed in the girls 145-pound bracket, with Sanchez Guerrero placing second and McMullen placing third. Tiger sophomore Adylene Sanchez placed third in the girls 155-pound bracket.

Warden’s two placers were senor Alona Castro (105, fourth) and senior Brianalee Martinez (115, second). 

Ray Westberg Inv.
Ellensburg

Othello and Moses Lake both earned top-five finishes at last weekend’s Ray Westberg Invitational, with the Huskies taking second with 183 points and the Mavs placing fifth with 130.5 points in the tournament. 

Leading Othello’s 11 placers was sophomore Daniel Gonzalez, who placed first in the 113-pound bracket at Saturday’s tournament; rounding out the placements were sophomore Mason Russell (126, third), senior Marcos Zuniga (126, sixth), senior Anthony Abundiz (132, tied-fifth), junior Jeremiah Flores (150, tied-fifth), sophomore Camilo Mendez III (157, tied-third), junior Abrehin Veliz (157, tied-fifth), junior Jaxon Gomez (175, tied-third), sophomore Miguel Zuniga (190, sixth), junior Anthony Solorio (215, fourth) and junior Mason Perez (285, tied-third).

Maverick senior Dayton Regan left the Ray Westberg Invitational as the champion of the 150-pound bracket, one of two Moses Lake wrestlers to compete in the finals; junior Cruz Hernandez (120) placed second in his bracket.

Also placing at the tournament for Moses Lake were sophomore Ian Garza (106, fourth), freshman Bryan Naranjo (113, third), junior Drayden Gaither (126, fifth) and freshman Eli Anderson (215, third). 

River City Duals
Post Falls, Idaho

After defeating Pasco (38-33) and Post Falls (2) (41-36), and falling to Thunder Ridge (52-36) and Lewiston (45-21) on the opening day of the River City Duals, the Tigers went on to wrestle in the bronze championship bracket. 

Ephrata lost to Mead 45-31 and St. Maries 60-18, placing fourth. Seniors Zander Boyd and Jorge Rodriguez finished the weekend undefeated, with Boyd going 7-0 and Rodriguez going 6-0.

    The Warden Cougars placed second at Saturday’s Battle of the Blues tournament in College Place, scoring 164.5 team points.
  

    The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Broncos placed third at last weekend’s Crusader Classic, with the Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors placed seventh.
  

    Royal was one of four local squads that competed at the Davis Invite in Yakima on Saturday, placing fifth in the tournament.