Sub-region champ: Cedarcrest sends eight to region, three to state

Published 3:51 pm Tuesday, February 17, 2015

It’s been a growing year for Cedarcrest High School’s wrestling team, marked with a 2A sub-regional tournament trophy from Feb. 7, and a trip to regional competition over the weekend at Hudson Bay High School in Vancouver.

“This year is the beginning of the rebuild,” said coach Mark Ward.

“The amount of progress we’ve made this year has been pretty satisfactory in my opinion,” Ward said.

Cedarcrest claimed the 126- and 182-pound weight classes for its own with the sub-regional win. Wrestlers Conner Lemon, a senior, and Cameron Rose, a sophomore, represented the sub-region at 126, and seniors Donald Lay and Elliott Dick had the 182 class.

Four wrestlers placing at sub-regional will also go: Sophomore Parker McBride, 113; sophomore Billy Hinzman, 120; freshman Mark Collinwood, 152; and senior Bryce McKee, 170. Alternates are: Brandon Nicholas, 132; Marcos Pena, 138; Sam McClelland, 160; and Shane Cook, 195.

Ward is optimistic about the team’s potential at state this year, and beyond.

“We’re going to state,” he said. “I would be quite shocked if I did not have a few wrestlers going to state.”

As for the future, he’s got a young team, with only five seniors this year.

“All those kids that are freshmen and sophomores are going to be major contributors,” he said.

Ward, with assistant coach Cameron Oviatt, is the latest in a series of new coaches the team has had since long-time coach Eric Pedeferri stepped down in 2012. The team may have suffered from the many transitions, and Ward is looking forward to providing them some stability in future seasons.

Following the regional tournament, Cedarcrest advanced one wrestler, Parker McBride, and two alternates, Connor Lemons and Donald Lay to the state competition.

Senior wrestlers, from left, are Marcos Pena, Bryce Mckee, Donald Lay,  Connor Lemons and  Elliot Dick.