Dunn finishes 1st, Brumsickle 4th in regionals Saturday
Willy Dunn captures regional title, to make fourth trip to Mat Classic Friday Harbor's Willy Dunn earned his fourth consecutive trip to the state wrestling tournament - the Mat Classic – by pinning his two foes at the 1A Regional Championships at Bellevue Christian High School Saturday, Feb. 11.
"Willy has come through all year long," said Friday Harbor coach Neil MacDiarmid. "It's good to see him finishing strong."
"I'm looking forward to it a lot," Dunn said of competing in next week’s tourney at the Tacoma Dome. "It's my last year, so I might as well savor it."
Tate Brumsickle finished fourth in the 152-pound division and the Friday Harbor junior will attend the state tourney as an alternate.
“Everybody did really well,” said Friday Harbor coach Neil MacDiarmid. "We've just got a really tough region this year."
By earning a gold medal Dunn completed the cycle at the regional tourney: He's placed first, second, third and fourth. He entered this weekend ranked seventh in Class 1A.
Dunn earned a first-round bye and pinned Otring’s Andrew Melot in a semifinal match. In the second-to-last match of the tourney he pinned Vashon Island’s Louis Jovanovich with four seconds to go in the first period.
Brumsickle pinned Portownsend’s Jeff Seton-Saenz but was sent to the consolation bracket by eventual 152-champ Dalton Evanger of Orting. Brumsickle worked a 21-6 decision over Friday Harbor teammate Eli Baker. Tyler Warner pinned Brumsickle in the consolation final.
"Tate did an amazing job. He was up 6-4 at one point,” MacDiarmid said of the match with Evanger.
“I wrestled him better this time than any of the other times," Brumsickle said of Evanger.
The other Wolverine wrestlers – Xander Crichton (120), Aiden Anderson (145), Eli Baker (152), Carson Browne (160), Sam Ibold (170) and Dusty West (182) – were eliminated after losing two consecutive matches.
Friday Harbor placed seventh in the team standings with 37.5 points. Orting dominated the tourney. The Cardinals scored 342. 5 points - nearly double second-place finisher Nooksack Valley’s tally of 167. The team standings are:
1. Orting 342.5
2. Nooksack Valley 167
3. Vashon Island 148
4. Cascade Christian 114
5. Meridian 72
6. Port Townsend 66.5
7. Friday Harbor 37.5
8. Chimacum 0
Ticket and other Mat Classic information is available in a PDF.
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