Bravettes win Best of the West Tournament
PASCO, Wash. — The Flathead Bravettes won the Best of the West Girls Tournament Saturday, topping a field of 22 teams from Washington and Oregon.
McKenna McCarthy (155 lbs) and Boston Howell (235) were winners in their respective weight classes and Lily McMahon, wrestling at 130 pounds, was second, as was Lucille Libby at 190 and Emma Gambino (140).
“We were very proud of how our girls competed against these tough Washington and Oregon teams,” Flathead coach Jeff Thompson said. “Our girls might not have the mat time or even the technique as their competition at this tournament but our Flathead girls are Montana tough. So many of our girls have improved leaps and bounds in only a couple of weeks.”
Skye Shelmerdine was pinned in the 115 3rd place match to finish fourth, while Alissa Leimkuehler (190), Alivia Reinhart (140) and Aaliyah Stevens (235) were fifth in their divisions. Paige Hermann was sixth at 190.
The Flathead boys scored 138 points to take third against a stacked field in Pasco on Saturday.
Mason Duran was second at 170, as was Sawyer Troupe (195). William Barnes (113) wrestled to third and 152-pounder Gunnar Thompson placed fourth.
“This tournament is such a grind for two days,” Thompson said. “Most of our boys wrestled almost 10 matches over the last two days. That’s a lot of competition but it’s only going to help them reach their goals.”
Best of the West Girls Tournament
Pasco, WA
Team scores —1, Flathead 187; 2, Othello (WA) 185; 3, Moses Lake (WA) 137; 4, Chiawana (WA) 130; 5, Pasco (WA) 126; 6, Hanford (WA) 116; 7, Richland (WA) 101, 8, Wapato (WA) 99; 9, Quincy (WA) 83; 10 Royal (WA) 77; 11, Hermiston (OR) 76; 12, Goldendale (WA) 66; 12, Granger (WA) 66; 12, Southridge (WA) 66; 15, Ephrata (WA) 63; 16, Kamiakin (WA) 55; 17, Prosser (WA) 54; 18, Connell (WA) 41; 19, Newberg (OR) 26; 20, White River (WA) 24; 21, Warden (WA) 22; Ki-Be (WA) 11.
115
Semifinal - Mariah Hinojosa (Chiawana) pinned Skye Shelmerdine (Flathead), 1:11; Cons. Semi - Shelmerdine pinned Samantha Kirby (Southridge), 4:09; 3rd Place Match - Jada Hernandez (Warden) pinned Shelmerdine, 2:15.
120
Semifinal - Ashley Dayana Naranjo (Moses Lake) pinned Trinity Boivin (Flathead). 1:58; Cons. Semi - Cami Anderson (Prosser) pinned Boivin, 1:44; 5th Place Match - Grace Rocha (Othello) 6-2 pinned Boivin, 2:30.
130
Semifinal - Lily McMahon (Flathead) pinned Lana Ali (Chiawana), 0:26; 1st Place Match - Lexie Garza (Wapato) pinned McMahon, 1:54.
140
Cons. Semi - Kyndra Casias (Richland) pinned Alivia Rinehart (Flathead), 4:38; 5th Place Match - Rinehart pinned Diamond Van Cleve (Othello), 1:22; Semifinal - Emma Gambino (Flathead) dec. Kyndra Casias (Richland), 7-6; 1st Place Match - Alondra Morales (Royal) 4-0 pinned Gambino, 1:16.
155
Semifinal - McKenna McCarthy (Flathead) over Emma Villa (Royal), For.; 1st Place Match - McCarthy maj. dec. Laura Meyers (Hermiston), 14-6.
190
Cons. Semi - Erin Kremer (Richland) pinned Paige Hermann (Flathead), 0:36, Thalia Gallegos (Othello) pinned Alisa Leimkuehler (Flathead),1:40); 5th Place Match - Leimkuehler pinned Hermann (Flathead),1:32; Semifinal - Lucille Libby (Flathead) pinned Thalia Gallegos (Othello), 3:52; 1st Place Match - Mirella Morfin (Pasco) pinned Libby, 5:10.
235
Cons. Semi - Elia Velazquez (Othello) pinned Alliyah Stevens (Flathead), 4:11; 5th Place Match - Stevens pinned Rebecca Grijalva (Hanford), 2:13; Semifinal - Boston Howell (Flathead) pinned Rebecca Grijalva (Hanford), 0:56; 1st Place Match - Howell (Flathead) pinned Luisa Carrizales (Prosser), 3:41.
Best of the West Individual Tournament
Pasco, WA
Saturday
Team scores — 1, Newberg (OR) 356.5; 2, Selah (WA) 198; 3, Flathead 138; 4, Sandpoint (ID) 122; 5, Ellensburg (WA) 108; 6, Walla Walla (WA) 106; 7, Prosser (WA) 95; 8, West Valley Spokane (WA) 93; 9, Pasco (WA) 88; 10, Southridge (WA) 80.5; 11, Kennewick (WA) 66.5; 12, Hanford (WA) 58; 13, Richland (WA) 50.5; 14, Chiawana (WA) 45; 14, Goldendale (WA) 45; 16, Ki-Be (WA) 30; 17, Hermiston (OR) 14.
Individual
113
Quarterfinal - William Barnes (Flathead) pinned Wesly Ely (Selah), 2:41; Semifinal - Jacob Chapa (Southridge) pinned Barnes (Flathead), 0:42; Cons. Semi - Barnes pinned Kaiden Rose (Sandpoint), 1:22; 3rd Place Match - Barnes pinned Elijah Bauer (Walla Walla), 0:21.
120
Champ. Round 2 - Saw Thee (Kennewick) maj. dec. Gannon Wisher (Flathead), 13-4.
126
Quarterfinal - Logan Pekins-Utecht (West Valley Spokane) pinned Logan Stansberry (Flathead), TB-1 2-1); Cons. Round 3- Stansberry pinned Devin Boone (Southridge), SV-1 4-2; 5th Place Match - Dillon Le (Newberg) dec. Stansberry, 4-0.
138
Quarterfinal - Cade Gardner (Flathead) pinned Tablut Htoo (Kennewick), 0:57; Semifinal - Gus Amerson (Newberg) pinned Gardner, 1:45; Cons. Semi - John-Mark Whitaker (Walla Walla) inj. def. Gardner; 5th Place Match - Gardner and Nicky Olmstead (Newberg) (DFF).
152
Semifinal - Drew Humphrey (Walla Walla) ins def. Gunnar Thompson (Flathead); 3rd Place Match - Trae Frederick (Newberg) inj. def. Thompson.
170
Semifinal - Mason Doran (Flathead) pinned Breck Hammond (Ellensburg), 3:00; 1st Place Match - Judah Yates (Selah) pinned Doran, 4:54.
182
Semifinal - Gavin Korkeakoski (Newberg) pinned Xander Winter (Flathead) 3:19; Cons. Semi - Sean Davis (Ellensburg) pinned Winter, 2:34; 5th Place Match - Gerald Schmidt (Selah) pinned Winter, 1:35.
285
Cons. Round 2 - Forest Howell (Flathead) pinned Ronin Alvarado (Chiawana), 4:45; Cons. Round 3 - Howell pinned Jacob Thomas Marks (Prosser), 4:33; Cons. Semi - Trenton Rowton (Hanford) pinned Howell, 2:20; 5th Place Match - Howell pinned Ben Duffield (Hanford), 2:23.