Eight wrestlers advance for Cheney

Cheney wrestlers will take one road trip to the west side this weekend in hopes of earning yet another more important one the next.

Following district competition Feb. 3 and 4 at the Spokane Convention Center, the Blackhawks will send one champion and seven other wrestlers to regional competition at Jaunita High School in Kirkland, Wash. on Feb. 11.

Their goal will be earning places in Mat Classic XXXIV State Wrestling, Feb. 17 and 18 at the Tacoma Dome.

Cheney's Dalton Taylor brought home the lone individual title at 152 pounds by pin over Gabriel Singley of Mt. Spokane in 2 minutes, 39 seconds to improve his season won-loss record to 29-8.

"Dalton Taylor had a great tournament pinning all of his opponents," head coach Jason Connor wrote in an email. "The 152-pound weight class is pretty wide open for the guy that shows up to take it."

Joe Showalter earned a runner-up finish at 132 pounds to Josh Neiwert of Mead by fall in just 34 seconds. By definition, if a wrestler pins his opponent before the end of the third period the winning wrestler earns a win by fall.

The good part of the loss, "We needed a better look at him going into regionals and state as I suspect they'll wrestle again," Connor said. Showalter brings a lofty 37-9 record into Saturday matches.

Mason Bennett collected a third place at 138 pounds won by a 7-6 decision over Gavin Shoemaker of Ridgeline.

"Mason Bennett wrestled out of his mind last weekend winning close decisions all the way through and avenging his loss to Gavin Shoemaker," Connor said.

A trio of fourth-place finishes went to Camron Bogle (126), Trenton Moore (170) and Gauge Seubert (195), each losing deciding bouts to a University High opponent.

Bogle lost by fall in just 20 seconds to Max Dillon, Moore, was a 2-1 loser to Ryan Sulpizio and Seubert lost by fall in 1:47 to Nicholas Alexander.

Fifth-place finishers, but still on to the next competition, were Ethan Martin (106) and Thayne Acedo (160). Martin lost 6-0 to Kaidn Montgomery-Jones of Ridgeline. Acedo topped Logan Ullah from Mead by fall in 1 minute.

Anthony Moore-Carr will travel at an alternate at 220.

The tournament features competition with the Mid-Columbia Conference and Kingco league. It starts Friday at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday at 9:30 a.m.

In girls' competition, Cheney's Jalisca Holmgren lost by fall to Lexi Gideon of Southridge in 2:40 for the title at 125 pounds. Holmgren will advance to compete at regionals in Hanford, Feb. 11 with the top four advancing to state.

Paul Delaney is a retired Free Press Publishing reporter and can be reached at [email protected].