Hawks Soar at League Finals

The Chief Kanim Middle School wrestling team looked outstanding at the league finals held at Mercer Island on Jan. 22. All 18 participating wrestlers placed in the tournament with 12 wrestlers making it to the championship round. The team yielded six champions and six second-place finishers.

Seventh-grader Ben Larson dominated the 78-pound weight class. The wrestler sailed through his first two matches to meet a tough Pine Lake opponent in the finals. The championship match was tight, but Larson’s technique and conditioning prevailed in the end. The wrestler finished the season with the league championship and a 10-0 record.

Andrew Sypher continued the Hawk’s magic with a first-place finish at 85 pounds. The wrestler breezed through his first two matches, sending him into the finals against Beaver Lake. Sypher had lost to the Beaver Lake opponent during the regular season but his determination was too much to handle. He finished with a first-place medal and an 8-2 record on the season.

Darryl Kinsman also competed in the 85-pound weight class for the Hawks. Kinsman lost only one match in the tournament, ending with a fifth-place finish. His only loss occurred in the first round of wrestling. This kept him from the third- and fourth-place consolation round.

Eighth-grader Ryan Makela dominated the 90-pound weight class throughout the season and the tournament. Makela met an old Issaquah rival in the championship round. Last year, Issaquah’s Burns beat Makela in the semi-final round, keeping him from the championship. Makela’s hard work and dedication in the off-season gave him the edge this year. He beat his opponent handily, giving him a perfect 10-0 record and a first-place medal.

Royce Clark continued the Kanim surge with a fifth-place finish at 95 pounds. Clark lost a tough first-round match, but fought through his remaining two matches. Coach Tony Schlotfeldt said, “Clark displays much wrestling potential that has yet to be tapped into. Look out for this wrestler in the years to come.”

Lee Amador, at 100 pounds, was looking unstoppable in his first match but suffered a severe neck strain while performing a pinning maneuver. Amador continued to wrestle despite intense neck spasms but fell short in the semi-final round. He came back to beat a tough Tolt opponent to place third in the tournament.

Josh Myers also wrestled in the 100-pound bracket. Myers entered the tournament as an underdog with only one varsity match on the year. He proved his worthiness however, sailing through his first two matches. Myers was finally caught in the championship round, giving him a second-place finish for the evening.

First-year wrestler Drew Handy wrestled an outstanding tournament at 105 pounds. The wrestler performed flawlessly throughout the day, only to be caught by one mistake in the championship round. Handy was winning against his opponent from Tolt but was caught on his back in the third round. The result was a second-place finish and an 8-2 overall record.

Frank Tassara ruled the 110-pound weight class. Tassara battled through the first two rounds with a severely sprained hand. He kept his composure, however, and came out of the tournament with an 8-2 record and a first-place medal.

A true Cinderella story came from the 115-pound wrestler Chris Hindmarch. Hindmarch struggled on and off this year in the toughest weight bracket in the league. His determination carried him through the championship round. He finished second in the tournament.

Stuart Hallock kept an undefeated record and won the 120-pound championship. The second-year wrestler looked like a seasoned veteran, sporting high-school caliber moves throughout the tournament. Hallock was also awarded “Most Outstanding Wrestler” in the tournament.

Vince Vasquez was unstoppable all season at 125 pounds. The seventh-grade wrestler finished the season with 10 pins (all occurring in the first round), an undefeated record at 10-0, and a first-place finish at the league finals. Vasquez’s humbleness, dedication, desire and discipline truly inspired the rest of his teammates and coaches to do their best in practices and competition. The Chief Kanim matman is now 22-0 as a Hawk wrestler.

Wrestlers Connor Hollis and Taylor Yotz both competed in the 130 pound-weight class. After suffering tough losses in the first round, the wrestlers met in the second round to compete for fifth and sixth-place. Hollis came out on top and went on to win his final match for a fifth-place finish. Both wrestlers did an excellent job for the Hawk team.

R.W. Johnston entered the tournament ready to wrestle. After losing to Tolt in the regular season, Johnston battled back and defeated his opponent in the semi-finals. The wrestler would face a tough Pine Lake opponent in the championship round. Johnston battled hard into the third round but was caught on his back while performing a roll. The result was a second-round finish for the Kanim wrestler.

At 154 pounds Tony Hanna brought home a sixth-place finish. The seventh-grader wrestled his best of the season and fought hard to the fifth and sixth- consolation round.

A late bloomer surprised the 175 pound weight class this season. After turning out three weeks late, wrestler Zach Kirchmeyer battled his way to the championship round. Kirchmeyer wrestled an excellent championship match but his opponent utilized his experience to defeat the Hawk wrestler. Kirchmeyer ended the tournament with a second-place finish.

Mark Stetson wrestled well in the unlimited weight class. The wrestler worked his way to the championship round to meet an extremely tough Mercer Island opponent. Stetson wrestled a great match but his opponent defeated him in the third round.

The team was coached by Tony Schlotfeldt, Eddie Roberts and Vince Vasquez this season. The coaches were extremely pleased with the performances of the relatively young team and eagerly await another season with the talented group of athletes.

Hawks take to mat

On Jan. 19, the junior varsity and sixth-grade wrestling team traveled to Beaver Lake to end their season at the league tournament. The team brought home a load of hardware, with many wrestlers placing high in the tournament. Matt VanOurek, David Johnston, Justin Williams, Evan Prior, Justin Bridges and Jarret Adams placed first on the evening. Zach Storm, Taylor Hawes, Trevor Carter and Keith Barnum finished second in the tournament. Dan Peterson and Shane Nicolson brought home third place, while Patrick Brown and Nick Jackson finished fourth on the evening. Coach Tony Schlotfeldt and Eddie Roberts were impressed with the hard work the young wrestlers put forth throughout the season and are looking forward to working with the wrestlers at the varsity level next year.