Mules grab 4 medals at Castle Rock

The Wahkiakum Mule wrestling team competed this past weekend at the Castle Rock Invitational with seventeen schools and nearly 200 wrestlers. The Mules finished in 12th place and earned four medals.

Medal winners for the Mules were Ben Miles (103 lbs), Kevin O’Connor (112 lbs), Jared McEntire (119 lbs), and Brady Johns (145 lbs). O’Connor finished tied for fourth place, and the rest of the Medal winners lost in the semi-finals and ended up in fifth place.

Coach John Hannah said the Mule Wrestlers had a very exciting first round and ended up in a three-way tie for fourth place with Montesano and Woodland. In the second round the Mules fell out of the top 10 due to lower numbers that all of the other teams.

Miles had the first match of the afternoon and started things off right for the Mules as he pinned Dalton Dellinger from Concrete who is ranked second in the state at the B level. Miles continued to upset other wrestlers as he defeated a wrestler from Forks who has placed high at several tournaments this year.

Johns faced one of his toughest opponents of the year in Joe Fistolera from Kalama, Hannah said. Fistolera is a two-time state placer at the 1A level. The two wrestlers battle back and forth throughout the match, and Fistolera ended up with the win as he as able to complete a throw for the pin.

Jeff Vik did not place at this tournament but continued to wrestle very well, Hannah said. Vik's best match of the afternoon was also the most exciting for all of the Mule fans, he added. Vik’s second match of the afternoon was against Asa Meyer of Clatskanie. Meyer scored often and quickly against Vik, and with 32 seconds left in the final round Meyer was leading 15-1. Vik was able to score a reversal, take Meyer to his back and get the pin with only four seconds remaining .

The Mule wrestlers compete Friday on the road against Kittitas, the third ranked team in the state at the Class 2B level. They will then travel to Royal City for their annual Royal Rumble Tournament on Saturday. Royal is currently ranked second at the 1A level.