Eureka grapplers off to divisionals

The numbers will be stacked against Eureka when it comes to claiming a team trophy at the Western B divisional wrestling tournament today in Thompson Falls.

The Lions will have just five wrestlers on the mats for the one-day event.

But when it comes to individual honors, the Lions will more than likely hold their own against all the teams competing.

Eureka coach Danny Lemer has three returning divisional champions — junior Nikko Bakkila (135) and sophomores Zach Durden (119) and Garrett White (112) — and all are poised to defend their titles.

Bakkila is a two-time divisional champion.

‘I’m pretty confident,” Lemer said of having three divisional champions again.

“Maybe one runner-up.”

That runner-up could be freshman Josh Schmidt, who also wrestles at 112.

“We could get both of them (Schmidt and White) in the finals,” Lemer said.

White is 26-5 to date with two of his losses to Class B foes.

Schmidt is 23-10.

Bakkila is 31-10 heading into divisionals. He won 20-plus matches as a sophomore and freshman.

Bakkila wrestled at 119 the last two years, going 2-2 at state a year ago.

Durden is currently 31-3 and finished fifth at state last year at 112.

“I could see him in the state championship finals (this year),” Lemer said of Durden.

Eureka’s other hopeful this weekend is freshman Jarrett Pecora at 130 (12-13).

Wrestling begins today at 10 a.m.

Although the Lions began the season with a dozen grapplers, injuries and having a few kids quit have hurt the program’s chance of matching last year’s number of state qualifiers, which was eight.

The top four in every weight class at divisional advance to state — Feb. 9-10 in Billings.

“We’ve battled the flu pretty hard this week,” Lemer said

“Three out of the five were sick. We got them all back today (Thursday).”