Friday, March 29, 2024

Three Cascade wrestlers earn State berths

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Just like Cascade Head Coach Jesus Sandoval predicted, the Regional wrestling tournament in Medical Lake was very difficult. The NEA League boasts some of the best 1A teams in the state.
In fact, only seven wrestlers from the Caribou Trail League made it to State, three from Cascade, three from Chelan and one from Okanogan.
“Last Saturday, the Regional Tournament, it came out like we expected. We had one upset. I was hoping bring one other wrestler to state. This was Danny Sandoval, 126. He wasn’t able to get through. He made it to state last year,” Jesus Sandoval said.
Making it to state from Cascade was freshman 106-pounder, Juan Carlos Martinez, who finished third, senior 145 pounder Daniel Claros, who finished first and senior 285 pounder Arthur Rhodes who finished fourth.
Claros was the only wrestler from the CTL to make the finals.
“He had a really good day. He won the first match and second match. Both were really close. Both he won by one point,” Sandoval said. “His match to get into the finals, he wrestled a kid from Medical Lake who is ranked number 5 in the state. He beat him. That was probably his best match of the day.”
Claros wrestled a Deer Park wrestler in the finals and was on the verge of getting pinned, when the other wrestler dislocated his knee. He could not continue so Claros won the match by forfeit.
“That’s how he won the finals. It was an interesting way, but we’ll take it. He will be the number one seed from our region,” Sandoval said.
Danny Sandoval, who made state last year, was not having a good day.
“He was supposed to win that first match, but he lost. He got caught and got pinned. He saw that kid during the summer and dominated him. I’m not sure if he was over-confident. It was a big upset,” Jesus Sandoval said. Sandoval was also hoping junior 122 pounder Axel Martinez could make it, but he lost out. Another wrestler who had been having a good season was junior 145 pounder D’Andre Vasquez. He injured his knee in the first match and was knocked out of the tournament.
Colville won the regional tournament, with Deer Park second.
As for State, which is this weekend at the Tacoma Dome, Sandoval believes Claros can place in the top five.
“If he wrestles at State the same way he wrestled at regionals, he should place, but you never know,” Sandoval said.  “For Juan Carlos Martinez, the other regions have a good 106 pounders. Even though he placed third, he’s going to have a tough tournament.”
Arthur Drake has a tough path because he must wrestle a number one seed in the first round.
“He will have a really tough first match. We hope he can get to the second day and place. He will have to bring his best to state,” Sandoval said. “We’ll be working hard getting him ready for this tournament. I hope he can bring his best game.”
Ian Dunn can be reached at 548-5286 or editor@leavenworthecho.com.

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