Mule wrestlers claim tourney championships

The Wahkiakum Mule Wrestling team hosted 13 teams from Washington and Oregon at The Down River Challenge on Saturday. With such a large turnout the weight classes were set to 16 man brackets; this puts the wrestlers in a position of having to win three matches before they even reach the championship match.

Again, the Mules were down to six wrestlers this week, but still pulled off third place in overall team points. This was possible because of the nine pins the wrestlers were able to achieve. Four Mules made it to the finals, and two walked away with the championship. Next week the team should be back up to seven wrestlers and hopes that by the week after, Jesus Crawford’s injury will be healed and bring the team back up to eight.

At 132 lbs., Luke Stacey, 1st place. Luke had three wins by pin in his first three matches against opponents from Astoria, Neah-Kah-Nie and Tacoma Baptist. Luke’s championship match was against Adna and he won by a technical fall 17-2.

At 145 lbs., Alex Johnson, 2nd place. Alex was seeded number 1 in his weight class and was given the bye first match. He defeated a Kelso wrestler 9-0 in the second match and a Columbia wrestler by 5-0. Championship match was a Neah-Kah-Nie opponent and a loss by points 8-4.

At 152 lbs., Mason Mackey, 1st place. Mason was also seeded number 1 in his weight class and had a bye first match. Second match was a win with a pin against Pomeroy, and third match was with a Chief Leschi opponent and a win by points 19-8. The championship match was a points win 4-0 against a Kelso wrestler.

At 182 lbs., Nate Cothren, 5th place. Nate won his first two matches with pins against Warrenton and Knappa. Match three and four were losses against Clatskanie by a pin and Kelso by points 7-1. This dropped him down to the consolation bracket. Nate then came back and pinned a Knappa wrestler to pull off 5th.

At 195 lbs., Trystan Mendez, 2nd place.Trystan wrestled up a weight class again so Wahkiakum didn’t have two wrestlers at 182. Match one for him was a win with a pin against Astoria; the second match with Pomeroy was also a pin. Match three was against an opponent from Clatskanie and a win by points 10-8. Trystan’s championship match was a loss by pin from Willapa Harbor.

Trynity Mendez wrestled two and out against Astoria and Clatskanie.

A huge thank you goes out to the program's weight class sponsors - Stuart and Ginger Moonen, Kyle and Kayli Hurley of MVP Apparel, The Wahkiakum Eagle, Hancock Forest Management, Gordon and Cheryl Spaulding, Jesse Haddix, Joyce Cothren (in memory of GL Cothren), Bjorge Bookkeeping, Mackey Construction, Kullerfull Bokuets, Sheriff Mark and Deb Howie, Cathlamet Eye and Vision, Lower Columbia Realty, Hair By Kandice, Bank of the Pacific, Cathlamet Realty West and The Video Store.