Wrestling Roundup: Elma takes team title at Rubber Chicken tournament

Also: Aberdeen girls win River Ridge Rumble

By Ryan Sparks • January 23, 2023 12:00 am
PHOTO BY SUE MICHALAK BUDSBERG Elma’s Taye Lessard, top, works to pin Kelso’s Christopher Travis during the Rubber Chicken meet on Saturday in Kalama.
PHOTO BY SUE MICHALAK BUDSBERG Elma’s Taye Lessard, top, works to pin Kelso’s Christopher Travis during the Rubber Chicken meet on Saturday in Kalama.

Taye Lessard, Kale Reeves and Aiden McCain won their respective weight classes to lead the Elma Eagles to a team title at the Rubber Chicken boys wrestling tournament on Saturday in Kalama.

Elma placed a pair of wrestlers atop the 132-pound class as Reeves defeated teammate Elias Cordova via pinfall to take first place.

Lessard won all three of his matches via pinfall to claim the 145-pound championship, pinning Kelso’s Christopher Travis 45 seconds into the second round to earn the title.

McCain placed first in the 195-pound class with a pinfall win over Toledo’s Chase Meyers at 1:18 of the first round.

PHOTO BY SUE MICHALAK BUDSBERG Elma’s Aiden McCain, top, controls Toledo’s Chase Meyers during the Rubber Chicken meet on Saturday in Kalama.

PHOTO BY SUE MICHALAK BUDSBERG Elma’s Aiden McCain, top, controls Toledo’s Chase Meyers during the Rubber Chicken meet on Saturday in Kalama.

Thirteen grapplers placed in the top six of their respective weight classes to earn points for the Eagles, with Cordova, Rusty Johnson (160) and Hunter Price (285) each placing second in their weight class.

Despite wrestling without standouts Austin Salazar (team captain) and Xavier Espinoza (18-1 record), Elma scored 182 points as a team to place ahead of Woodland (160.5, 2nd) and Kelso (152, 3rd) in the 10-team field.

“The week of practice we had really set the tone for this weekend. Our kids are working hard and stepping up their efforts,” Elma head coach Jeff Catterlin said. “I would like to add that this group of kids are buying into the concept that we are here to bring the rich wrestling tradition that Elma once had back into our community. My hat is off to all of my assistant coaches for pouring themselves out everyday to these kids. Without these kids buying in and these coaches constantly pushing them to improve, bringing back any type of tradition would be impossible.”

Full results are available at trackwrestling.com.

Elma Results

Aidyn Johnson (106 pounds, 3rd place); Blaize Salazar (126, 3rd); Elias Cordova (132, 2nd); Kale Reeves (132, 1st); Elias Cordova (132, 2nd); Caiden Rademacher (138, 4th); Liam McManus (145, 5th); Connor Cook (145, 6th); Taye Lessard (145, 1st); Rob Osbun (152, 6th); Rusty Johnson (160, 2nd); Aiden McCain (195, 1st); Hunter Price (285, 2nd).

Aberdeen places fifth at River Ridge

Talatheon Warness and Tristan Walker won their respective weight classes as Aberdeen placed fourth overall at the River Ridge Rumble on Saturday in River Ridge.

Warness won via a 12-7 decision over Forks’ Matthews Montes to win the 106-pound weight class while walker defeated Shelton’s Logan Peach via fall at 1:23 to win the 138-pound title.

Bobcats Tyler Caskey (113 pounds), Mikey Hatton (126), Aiden Watkins (145), Erick Silveira (160) and Paul Baltazar (285) each placed in the top four of their respective weight classes .

Aberdeen scored 134 points to place fourth overall.

Forks (167 points), Camas (158) and Shelton (142) placed 1-3.

Full results can be found on trackwrestling.com.

Aberdeen Results

Talatheon Warness (106, 1st); Tyler Caskey (113, 2nd); Mikey Hatton (126, 4th); Tristan Walker (138, 1st); Aiden Watkins (145, 4th); Erick Silveira (160, 4th); Paul Baltazar (285, 4th); Isaac Cisneros-Serrato (182-B, 1st).

SUBMITTED PHOTO Aberdeen’s four finalists at the River Ridge Rumble from Saturday at River Ridge High School (from left) Felicia Bell, Micah Turpin, Kya Roundtree and Peityn Munoz.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Aberdeen’s four finalists at the River Ridge Rumble from Saturday at River Ridge High School (from left) Felicia Bell, Micah Turpin, Kya Roundtree and Peityn Munoz.

GIRLS PREP WRESTLING

Aberdeen wins River Ridge Rumble

Led by an individual title from standout Kya Roundtree, the Aberdeen Bobcats girls wrestling team placed first at the River Ridge Rumble on Saturday at River Ridge High School.

The Bobcats had five wrestlers place in the top three or better of their respective weight classes to earn 111 points, five points better than second-place Mount Vernon.

Oak Harbor (103 points), South Kitsap (95) and host River Ridge (86) placed 3-5.

Roundtree made quick work of her three opponents on Saturday, winning all matches via first-round pin and claiming the 170-pound title by pinning WF West’s Kalee Corey in just 26 seconds.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Aberdeen’s Kya Roundtree celebrates after winning the 170-pound championship at the River Ridge Rumble on Saturday at River Ridge High School.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Aberdeen’s Kya Roundtree celebrates after winning the 170-pound championship at the River Ridge Rumble on Saturday at River Ridge High School.

Aberdeen’s Micah Turpin (100 pounds), Felicia Bell (125) and Peityn Munoz (130) each placed second in their respective weight classes while Kadence Braaten (140) took third.

“This was a close one. Coming down to our last finals match we needed a win to secure the team title and Roundtree delivered,” Aberdeen head coach Craig Yakovich said. “I can’t say enough good things about her. She brings an energy to her team and her matches that gets everyone excited to see her compete. Our team also had great performances today from Micah Turpin and Peityn Munoz. I knew coming in it was going to be a close competition with a handful of our regular scorers not competing, but the girls found a way to get it done. I couldn’t be prouder of their combined efforts.”

Full results are available at trackwrestling.com.