It’s safe to say the Grays Harbor College men’s and women’s wrestling programs had a pretty good weekend.
Make that a history-making weekend.
In the season-culminating National Collegiate Wrestling Association National Championships on Saturday — a meet that featured wrestlers from across the collegiate spectrum — the Chokers earned a school-record three National Championships and 15 All-Americans in Allen, Texas.
“Overall the team wrestled fantastic. We peaked at the right time, which is obviously the goal,” GHC head coach Kevin Pine said.”We had some great matches throughout the tournament and looked great with 15 total All-Americans.”
Three Chokers wrestlers won National Championships on Saturday, all on the GHC women’s team.
JIM THRALL | MATFOCUS.COM Grays Harbor College’s Grace Miller, left, Jocelyn Fierro, middle, and Tatum Pine won NCWA National Championships on Saturday in Allen, Texas.
Grace Miller (136 pounds) and Jocelynn Fierro (143 pounds) — both No. 1 seeds — breezed through their respective brackets to earn gold medals in convincing fashion.
Fierro won her two matches via fall and major decision with Miller winning all three of her matches via fall.
“They just went out and dominated every match,” Pine said, offering the team’s strategy to success in the tournament. “We just focused on having fun and sticking to the game plan and it worked out.”
Also winning a national title was Coach Pine’s daughter Tatum Pine, who was the No. 2 seed in the women’s 130 pound weight class.
Tatum Pine was tied with No. 1 seed Serenity Thomas (Toledo) 6-6 late in the title match before scoring two points on a reversal in the final 22 seconds to earn the national championship.
“As a parent, you couldn’t be more proud. Tatum has worked so hard over the years and has been right there on the bubble the past few years of either winning or medaling at a major event. She’s always been in the mix but just came up short,” Coach Pine said of his daughter. “She’s continued to improve and I’m just so excited for her that she achieved national championship status. Very proud and she worked hard for it.”
JIM THRALL | MATFOCUS.COM Grays Harbor Choker Tatum Pine, right, and her father and head coach Kevin Pine were all smiles after Tatum won the NCWA National Championship in the women’s 130 pound weight class on Saturday in Allen, Texas.
On the men’s side, GHC was led by crowd favorite Sione Halo, who missed out on a national title at 197 pounds with a loss in overtime on a video-reviewed takedown that gave Liberty’s Josiah Murphy the championship.
“(Halo) took a chance in the overtime, almost got the takedown and then there was a scramble,” Coach Pine said, stating Liberty coaches originally challenged that a takedown should have been awarded during the scramble. “If you stop the frame and slow it down, that was the only way you could determine it was a takedown.”
But Halo’s performances in advancing to the title match was much-watch wrestling for the crowd at the Allen Event Center.
“He wrestled lights out all weekend and he was a crowd favorite,” Coach Pine said. “Everyone was looking forward to him wrestling because he was hitting duck-unders, he was hitting throws. People were excited to watch him wrestle all weekend.”
JIM THRALL | MATFOCUS.COM Grays Harbor College wrestler Sione Halo, left, grapples with Liberty’s Josiah Murphy in the 197 pound title match at the NCWA National Championships on Saturday in Allen, Texas.
The Grays Harbor men’s team also set a school record with two wrestlers earning All-American honors in the same weight class, a first for a GHC team. Noah Cortez and Donnie Krissak faced each other in the men’s third/fourth-place match, with Krissak earning a close 4-3 decision.
Octavio Alejandre (235, 6th), Ryan Cummings (174, 6th), Saul Rocha (141, 6th), Desmond Bowers (184, 7th), Elijah Gandert (149, 7th) and Karter Kares (165, 8th) also earned All-American status for the Chokers men’s team, which placed third overall with 127 points.
Liberty (229 points) placed first with Apprentice (133.5, 2nd), Penn State WC (106, 4th) and Ohio State WC (96, 5th) rounding out the top five.
In addition to Miller, Fierro and Tatum Pine, GHC’s Andrea Jones (155, 4th), Marissa Riojas (130, 3rd) and Renaeh Ureste (191, 3rd) earned All-American honors for the Chokers women.
The Chokers women’s team placed third with 72.5 points.
Big Bend CC (115.5) won the national title with Ottawa-Arizona (73.5, 2nd), M.I.T. (27.5, T-4th) and Texas-Arlington (27.5, T-4th) rounding out the top five teams.
GHC placed third in the NCWA Cup, which represents the cumulative score of both men’s and women’s teams.
JIM THRALL | MATFOCUS.COM Grays Harbor College wrestling assistant coach Kateri Rowell, left, and head coach Kevin Pine cheer after the Chokers’ Tatum Pine won an NCWA National Championship on Saturday in Allen, Texas.
Grays Harbor All-Americans
Men — Noah Cortez (125 pounds, 4th); Octavio Alejandre (235, 6th); Ryan Cummings (174, 6th); Saul Rocha (141, 6th); Sione Halo (197, 2nd); Desmond Bowers (184, 7th); Donnie Krissak (125, 3rd); Elijah Gandert (149, 7th); Karter Kares (165, 8th)
Women — Grace Miller (136, 1st); Jocelyn Fierro (143, 1st); Tatum Pine (130, 1st); Andrea Jones (155, 4th); Marissa Riojas (130, 3rd); Renaeh Ureste (191, 3rd)
