Graham Kapowsin will be hosting The Washington Iowa State Commuter Camp from July 13th through July 17th. Cael Sanderson, Head Coach at Iowa State University, and the ISU coaching staff, plus four current NCAA All-Americans will be clinicians.

For more information click on the title or go to www.iowastatewrestlingcamps.com to take advantage of this great opportunity.

The GK Grappler Freestyle and Greco Club (formerly Bethel Freestyle Club) begins practices on Tuesday, March 3rd. The club practices every Tuesday and Thursday from 6 to 8 pm in the Graham-Kapowsin High School mat room. There is no cost for the club itself. The only cost is for a USA Wrestling membership card and the entry fee for the tournaments you choose to wrestle in. Come and out and get some important mat time with instruction from a variety of clinicians.

The GK wrestlers were crowned Region II Champions. The team had three individual regional champions out of six finalists. All ten wrestlers won matches contributing to the team championship. Seven wrestlers automatically advanced to State, with two alternates. A dramatic pin in the finals by Dylan Evanger pushed GK 1/2 point past second place Rogers.

Tanner Sturdevant (4th), Efrain Aguilar (1st), Travis Metcalf (2nd), Dylan Evanger (1st), Cameron Stickell (2nd), Tyler Story (1st), Chris Sweet (5th-alt), Zach Folden (2nd), and Michael Henry (5th-alt).

Good luck at State next week!

Drrue Partridge placed second at her regional tournament and will attempt to become a three time state placer.

The GK wrestling team placed second at the SPSL Sub-Regional Tournament held at GKHS. The Eagles had 12 placers, 10 of whom will advance to the Regional Tournament at Todd Beamer High School on Saturday. Seven of GK's wrestlers made the finals, with six being crowned League Champion!

112 Tanner Sturdevant- 2nd, 119 Efrain Aguilar-Champion, 125 Travis Metcalf-Champion, 130 Evan Neese-3rd, 140 Dylan Evanger-Champion, 145 Cameron Stickell-Champion, 160 Tyler Story-Champion, 160 Chris Sweet-4th, 189 Shayne Erickson-6th (injured), 215 Zach Folden-Champion, 215 Michael Thorin-5th (alternate), and 285 Michael Henry-4th.

At the girls tournament Drrue Partridge (160) placed first. Drrue is now a three time League Champ!

He was a man of flesh and blood. He wasn't made of rock. Angel, devil, child, - man of ordinary stock. but somehow he was different - true athletes always are- For as he cursed, sweated, and bled, he took pride in the scar.

They told him to win like a man, no matter what the cost; So many times he ventured forth; so many times he lost. And when they turned around and said, "It's OK son, you tried," He clenched his headgear in his fist, and like a man he cried.

But from his tears came anger; then, when it ceased to spin, He rose again, determined that next time he would win. His trembling body strengthened; his heart soared in sky. His darkened soul stood flaming; there was fire in his eye. He worked and worked relentlessly; he struggled and he strained. His conscience whipped him mercilessly for every ounce he gained.

He ran on legs like pistons; his muscled arms grew sore; He'd tell himself, "I have to" then ask himself, "What for?"

And then, at last, the reckoning: the final hour was here, His stomach tightened dangerously, his muscles tensed with fear. Weak-kneed, he shook the challenger's hand- and then, as one possessed, His instincts gave him power, and his body did the rest.

It suddenly was ended. His body seemed to scatter. A crowd was cheering somewhere, but to him it did not matter. One thought was gleaming in his brain, a thought that made him smile. He's given it all he had, and that's what made it all worthwhile

He stood and faced his teammates, with pride instead of shame. He knew not that he'd won or lost, but that he'd played the game.

And some call him THE WRESTLER, and some call him A MAN, But he called himself a WINNER...

and the ref held up his hand.

-Author Unknown

The GK wrestling team defeated the Emerald Ridge Jaguars, 51-27, to finish the SPSL South dual season 8-0 (12-1 overall). This is the first League Dual Championship in our school's short history. This was truly a team effort. Congratulations Eagles!

Summary of ER Dual:

103: Smith (ER) forfeit 112: Sturdevant (GK) forfeit 119: Aguilar (GK) forfeit 125: Morrison (ER) p. Fox, 2:47 130: Neese (GK) p. Olson, 0:36 135: Slocum (ER) p. Wojtasczcyk, 4:46 140: Evanger (GK) p. Velasquez, 0:43 145: Stickell (GK) p. Osborne, 5:01 152: Olson (GK) p. Schubin, 0:53 160: Story (GK) d. Souza, 4-1 171: Williams (ER) d. Sweet, 5-2 189: Steed (ER) p. White, 0:56 215: Thorin (GK) forfeit 285: Henry (GK) p. Patterson, 1:42.

The post season now begins. The SPSL South Sub-Regional Tournament is this Friday and Saturday at Graham-Kapowsin High School.

Drrue Partridge took first at the Lady Wolfpack Invitational at Jackson High School. She avenged an earlier loss this season in the finals at 160. Congratulations Drrue! She is on a mission this year.

Graham-Kapowsin 59 - Bethel 15

103: Quicho (B) won by forfeit. 112: Sturdevant (GK) d. Green, 5:20. 119: Aguilar (GK) won by forfeit. 125: Fox (GK) d. Sonneman, 4-0. 130: Metcalf (GK) d. Henderson, 0:47. 135: Neese (GK) d. Reina, 5-2. 140: Tracy-Seely (B) d. Flora, 2:49. 145: Stickell (GK) d. Smith, 10-2. 152: Olson (GK) d. Santomassimo, 4:28. 160: Story (GK) d. Vellias, 0:56. 171: Franco (B) d. Sweet, 8-4. 189: White (GK) d. Thornton, 2:45. 215: Folden (GK) d. Vansleete, 0:26. 285: Henry (GK) d. Glick), 0:43.

Graham-Kapowsin 58 - Spanaway Lake 15

103: Double forfeit. 112: Sturdevant (GK) won by forfeit. 119: Aguilar (GK) d. Ayuso, 3:30. 125: Fox (GK) won by forfeit. 130: Neese (GK) won by forfeit. 135: Grady (SL) d. Griffin, 0:38. 140: Napier (SL) d. Flora, 8-7. 145: Stickell (GK) d. Baker, 3:41. 152: Olson (GK) d. Shenkel, 10-1. 160: Story (GK) d. Ortiz, 0:43. 171: Diaz (GK) won by forfeit. 189: Land (SL) d. White, 5:17. 215: Folden (GK) d. Robinson, 0:58. 285: Henry (GK) d. Frymire, 0:16.

The GK wrestling team placed second as a team at the 2009 Tahoma Mat Classic. Twelve of thirteen wrestlers won matches. Ten wrestlers placed in the top five.

112- Tanner Sturdevant-Champion, 119- Efrain Aguilar- Champion, 125- Travis Metcalf- Co-Third, 130- Evan Neese- Co-Fifth, 140- Dylan Evanger- Co-Third, 145- Cameron Stickell- Co-Third, 160- Tyler Story- Champion, 171- Chris Sweet- Runner-Up, 215- Zach Folden- Runner-Up, 285- Michael Henry- Co-Third.

 

In a span of less than a week, GK beat both SPSL South Viking teams. The Eagles defeated the Puyallup Vikings on Wednesday, January 21st, in an SPSL South showdown. The GK wrestlers came out on top 52-17.

Summary:

103: double forfeit. 112: Sturdevant (GK) won by forfeit. 119: Aguilar (GK) d. Goodlet, 5:40. 125: Espinoza (P) d. Fox, 25-9. 130: Metcalf (GK) d. Jensen, 0:31. 135: Neese (GK) d. Aden, 1:41. 140: Evanger (GK) d. Arndt, 13-5. 145: Barnes (P) d. Stickell, 4:35. 152: Todd (P) d. Olson, 5-1. 160: T. Story (GK) d. Birklid, 0:58. 171: Sweet (GK) d. Reeves, inj def. 189: Cope (P) d. C. Story, 15-13 (OT). 215: Folden (GK) d. Thomas, 0:18. 285: Henry (GK) d. Zandan, 0:15.

On Friday, January 16th, the Eagles downed the Curtis Vikings 49-26.

Summary:

103: Rutledge (C) won by forfeit.112: Schatz (C) d. Sturdevant, 14-0.119: Aguilar (GK) d. Williams, 2:09.125: Metcalf (GK) d. Taylor, 0:33.130: Brisky (C) d. Neese, 11-3.135: C. Condon (GK) d. Webster, 1:39.140: Nehem (C) d. S. Condon, 3:25.145: Evanger (GK) d. Homeyer, 16-3.
152: Stickell (GK) d. Betteridge, 9-5. 160: T. Story (GK) d. Conklin, 0:28.171: Sweet (GK) d. Cox, 1:32.189: C. Story (GK) d. O'Connor, 2:16.215: Folden (GK) won by forfeit.285: Lindberg (C) d. Henry, 2:59.

The next dual is Wednesday, January 28th, versus Spanaway Lake and Bethel (@ BHS). The Eagles are 5-0 in League.

The GK wrestlers scored 202 team points on their way to being crowned 2009 CK Matman Team Champions. Every Eagle scored team points with eleven placers, four finalists, and two individual champions. The list of placers includes:

112-  Tanner Sturdevant  2nd    119-  Efrain Aguilar  1st   125- Travis Metcalf  3rd   135- Chris Condon  3rd   140- Dylan Evanger 5th   145- Cameron Stickell 3rd   160- Tyler Story  1st   171- Chris Sweet  2nd   189- Colten Story  5th   215- Zach Folden  3rd   285- Michael Henry  5th

Congratulations! (For complete brackets click on the title.)  

103: Carter (R) d. won by forfeit. 112: Evans (R) d. Sturdevant, 9-1. 119: Aguilar (GK) d. Ross, 1:45. 125: Metcalf (GK) d. Brimhall, 0:47. 130: Bitney (R) d. Neese, 10-2. 135: C. Condon (GK) d. Hawkins 8-4. 140: S. Condon (GK) d. Cruz, 4-2. 145: Leale (R) d. Evanger, 10-2. 152: Stickell (GK) d. Hill, 15-0. 160: Story (GK) d. Mooney, 8-2. 171: Sweet (GK) d. McAlister, 16-7. 189: Erickson (GK) d. Rude, 12-1. 215: Foldon (GK) d. Manz, 17-4. 285: Thompson (R) d. Henry, 7-3.

Great job! The teams next league dual is this Friday at home versus the Curtis Vikings. Come out and support your Eagle wrestlers!

The wrestling team was crowned team champions for the second straight year at the Pac Coast Championships in Vancouver, WA. The team topped last year's score (200 pts.) by scoring 201.5 points in the thirty-four team tournament. Twelve wrestlers recored wins of which eight placed (including two champions). Tyler Story led the entire tournament by recording 33 team points! Travis Metcalf led the tournament with six pins (in seven matches). Great job Eagles! (click on the title to see complete brackets and team scores.)

Placings:

112- Tanner Sturdevant 5th

119- Efrain Aguilar 1st (3rd championship of the season)

125- Travis Metcalf 3rd

135- Chris Condon 6th

160- Tyler Story 1st (3rd championship of the season)

171- Chris Sweet 4th

189- Shayne Erickson 6th

215- Zach Folden 2nd

The GK wrestling team took second place at the George Wilfong Classic at Puyallup High School. The Eagles faired well in their first tournament of the year. Individual placers included:

Champions:

Aguilar (119), Metcalf (125), Evanger (145), T. Story (160), and Erickson (189)

Runners-Up:

Dawley (152), Sweet (171), and Henry (285).

Third Place:

Sturdevant (112), Neese (135)

The Eagles defeated Todd Beamer High School 57-13 in their SPSL South opener. Wins were posted by Sturdevant, Aguilar, Metcalf, Fox, Evanger, Stickell, T. Story, Sweet, C. Story, Thorin, and Henry. For more detailed results click on the event off of the Schedule tab.

The GK wrestling team split a double dual with Kentlake and Lake Stevens. The Eagles defeated Kentlake 56-15. Wins were posted by Tanner Sturdevant (112), Efrain Aguilar (119), Travis Metcalf (125), Bailey Fox (130), Evan Neese (135), Chris Condon (140), Dylan Evanger (145), Chris Sweet (171), Colten Story (189), Michael Thorin (215), and Michael Henry (285).

GK was defeated by Lake Stevens in the second dual 57-9. It was not one of the team's better showings. The lone wins were posted by Aguilar and Sweet. Tyler Story won an exhibition match against LS.

The team dual record is now 4-1.

Graham-Kapowsin got it's 2008-2009 campaign off to a good start Thursday night, winning three duals. There first dual was a 68-12 win over Eatonville, with the Eagles winning 12 of 13 matches wrestled. The second dual of the night was a 48-30 win over Yelm, last year's runner-up team (3A) at state. The final dual was a 63-18 win over North Thurston. Although the team still has some wrestlers out due to injury and some others still getting down to their target wrestling weight (weight certification process) the team still battled hard. (click on the title for complete results)

"It was what we expected. This early in the season we don't have everything in yet. Guys are a still a little rusty. The team itself is still solidifying. But I think the guys were just excited to finally wrestle someone else. I was impressed by the intensity that they came out with on the mat, and I think we saw that their conditioning is right on target. These matches are all practice for the post season. We are now able to start identifying some particular things that individuals can begin to work on and improve. I'm just happy we're finally getting a chance to compete."- Coach Stirts

Cal State Fullerton Head Coach, D. Hicks, will be putting on a clinic at Bonney Lake HS on October 24th and 25th. This is a great opportunity to shake off the rust, start getting the muscle memory back, and to advance and tweak your technique. See Coach Stirts for a brochure. The season starts on Nov. 17th.

"I will do everything possible to attain my goals!"

There will be a preseason wrestling parent meeting on Monday, October 27th at 7pm. The meeting will take place in the Graham-Kapowsin HS Gymnasium. The topics to be discussed include:

• weight certification process
• required paperwork
• schedule and transportation
• team rules and guidelines
• funding issues/ fundraising
• Booster Club (GKGBC)

Thanks in advance for your support. We look forward to seeing you there.

Wrestlers reporting for team camp will meet at the back gate of GK at 6:20 am on July 7th. We will leave at 6:30 am. Each wrestler will need $20 cash to chip in for gas ($10 to camp, and $10 for return). There will also be a release form that a parent or guardian will need to sign. Make sure that you have everything that you need. You can check the camp website to see a list of what is needed (just click on the image below).

See you then!

Congratulations to our graduating Seniors; Alex Barley, Dane Griffin, Josh Henry, Ryan Johnson, Jack Miller, and Brad Sweet. These young men were part of the first graduating class at Graham-Kapowsin to spend all three years at the school. All of your hard work and dedication helped build the foundation of a new school and wrestling program. You will all be greatly missed. Always remember the lessons learned on the mat through out your life, they will serve you well.

"Youre an Eagle, Play like it, Think like it, Live like it!"

Brad Sweet was honored as The GK Male Athlete of The Year at the Senior Awards Banquet on June 6th. Brad was an All SPSL defensive back for the state playoff football team, and a state champion for the second in state wrestling team. Brad is the first wrestler in school history to win the award, and he had some extremely tough competition.

Efrain Aguilar was named Sophomore Male Athlete of the Year for his dominant performance on the mat this last season. Great job Efrain!

 Congratulations to both Eagle Wrestlers!

Brent Jones, a wrestler from Auburn HS, came down with a rare and life threatening form of pneumonia recently. He was very close to death. After being in coma induced state and almost 100% oxygen, he made it through. His family, friends, and community were greatly relieved. Unfortunately, the hospital bills were astounding.

The wrestling community stepped in. A charity dinner, auction, and wrestling event was hosted at Vision Quest on Saturday, May 17th. Carl Mangrum put together some dream wrestling match ups to draw interest, and local wrestlers stepped up to wrestle in support of the event. The match ups included: (winners are underlined)

• Efrain Aguilar (GK) vs. Sam Bauer (Enumclaw)
• Jason Gray (Enumclaw) vs. Tyler Bowles ( )
• Michael Mangrum (ARHS) vs. Derek Garcia (SW)
• Brad Sweet (GK) vs. Eric Jones (ARHS)
• Taylor Meeks (Orting) vs. Jake Swartz (Auburn)
• Wayne Swartz vs. Jason Perry

Western Junior Greco-Roman Results

112: Efrain Aguilar- 2nd Place 5-1 Lost to Ryan Mango of Missouri in final.

125: Travis Metcalf- DNP 2-2 Tough bracket.

152: Brad Sweet- 3rd Place 5-1 Lost to champion Kalvin York of Wisconsin in first round.

160: Chris Sweet- 6th Place 4-2 Beat some impressive opponents.

189: Zach Folden- 6th Place 3-3 Bracket included who's who of WA wrestling at this weight.

(for complete brackets go to trackwrestling.com on the links page or click on the poster or title.)

Western Junior Freestyle Results

112: Efrain Aguilar- 2nd Place 7-1 Lost to R. Mango of MO. in final 1-0, 0-7, 4-2.

125: Travisn Metcalf-DNP 1-2

152: Brad Sweet- DNP 4-2 One win away from medal rounds.

160: Chris Sweet- DNP 1-2

189: Zach Folden- DNP 0-2

We are all very proud of the way the boys wrestled and competed against some of the best in the country. Great job!

The Washington Games promote health and fitness through Olympic-style sporting events offered throughout Washington.The Washington Games is a member of the National Congress of State Games (NCSG). This association involves more than 40 states and 500,000 participants annually and is sanctioned by the United States Olympic Committee.

The summer events include Archery, Badmiton, Baseball, Basketball, Extreme Sports (BMX, Inline Skating and Skate Boarding), Fencing, Golf, Gymnastics, Karate, Lacrosse, Rowing, Soccer, Softball, Squash, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Track & Field, Ultimate Frisbee, Volleyball, Weightlifting, and Wrestling.

This year's wrestling event will be July 27th at Fife High School. Weigh-ins begin at 7am. The cost is only $15 for each wrestler. For more information and to register simply click on the title or the picture.

WA State Greco Roman Championships Results
Midget-75 - Giuseppe Sabin's place is 3rd.
Midget-80 - Zachary Franke's place is 5th.
Midget-95 - Kenny Marll's place is 3rd.
Midget-95 - Jeremy Smith's place is 5th.
Novice-75 - Dakota Benson's place is 7th.
Schoolboy/Girl-84 - Adam Romano's place is unknown.
Schoolboy/Girl-91 - Taylor Salzberg's place is 1st.
Schoolboy/Girl-98 - Cody Benson's place is 7th.
Schoolboy/Girl-105 - Ian Steen's place is 1st.
Schoolboy/Girl-105 - Chili Sabin's place is 6th.
Schoolboy/Girl-112 - John Folkestad's place is 5th.
Schoolboy/Girl-120 - Trevor Anderson's place is 1st.
Schoolboy/Girl-144 - Zackery Bickford's place is 4th.
Cadet-112 - Miguel Ayuso's place is 3rd.
Cadet-119 - Grant Steen's place is 1st.
Cadet-130 - Patrick Benson's place is 1st.
Cadet-152 - Taylor Lile's place is 6th.
Cadet-152 - Taylor Smith's place is 7th.
Junior-152 - Brad Sweet's place is 1st.
Junior-160 - Chris Sweet's place is 1st.
Junior-160 - Marshall Llanos's place is 6th.
Junior-189 - Zach Folden's place is 1st.
Open (Senior)-264.5 - Ben Hawk's place is 2nd.

That's eight state champions!

(for completed brackets go to trackwrestling on the links page or click on the title of this news item.)

Congratulations to all of you for competing. Good luck to those of you who will be competing at Nationals. The WA State Freestyle Championships will be held at Sedro Woolley HS on May 10th.

(Efrain Aguilar and Travis Metcalf previously qualified for Nationals in both Greco and Freestyle.)

Efrain Aguilar (10) was crowned the Cliff Kleen Reno Worlds Champion at 115 lbs. (15U) in Reno, NV. The tournament hosted nearly 2,700 wrestlers from 38 states. There were almost 90 wrestlers in Efrain's bracket, representing over 10 states. He defeated Oregon's Sean Soliz 5-0 in the final. Aguilar was fittingly awarded a huge eagle trophy. Great job! Dylan Evanger (10) was 5-2 at 145 lbs., just missing the medaling rounds. Dalton Evanger (FJH) also competed. Way to represent guys!

(click on the title to see a video of Efrain's finals match, and on the picture to see the complete results.)

"You have to seek out the best, to beat the best, and become the best!"

The lone Lady Eagle wrestler, Drrue Partridge (11), travelled to Livonia, Michigan to compete in the USGWA National Championships. (Other WA wrestlers competing included R. Pilger, C. Yeik, and S. Rowan). Drrue battled through the two day tournament to place 7th at 160, qualifying her as a high school All-American (top 8). Way to go Drrue! She is now the school's first girl league champ (2X), first girl regional champ, first girl state placer (2X), and first girl national placer and All-American! Drrue exemplifies what determination and desire can accomplish.

She also competed in the open college division simultaneously where she placed 2nd! Drrue wrestled a total of ten matches on the second day alone! Now that's getting some mat time!

Eight Eagles went to Battle Ground this weekend to compete in the Northwest Regional Qualifier for Freestyle and Greco. The top three in each weight class qualify for Nationals (Fargo). Washington, Oregon, and California were represented.

In Freestyle action: Efrain Aguilar*, 119- Cadet, took 1st place after going 5-0, Travis Metcalf*, 125- Junior, took 3rd place after going 3-1, Brad Sweet, 152- Junior, was 3-1, but was withdrawn, Chris Sweet, 171- Junior went 2-2, Tyler Story, 171- Junior, went 2-2, and Tyler Parker, 215- Junior, won his first match. Dylan Evanger, 145- Cadet, and Zach Folden, 189- Junior also competed.

In Greco action: Efrain Aguilar*, 119- Cadet, took 1st place , Travis Metcalf*, 125- Junior, placed 2nd, Brad Sweet, 152- Junior, withdrawn, Chris Sweet*, 171- Junior, placed 2nd , and Zach Folden*, 189- Junior, placed 2nd.

(*=qualified for Nationals in this discipline.)

These wrestlers did a great job representing GKHS and the community this weekend. Their hardwork will pay off this winter! A number of the wrestlers will be traveling to Las Vegas (Western Junior Regionals) in April for the stiff competition and another chance to qualify for nationals.

(Click on the news item title to go to trackwrestling and see complete brackets.)

The Eagles will be attending the Oregon State University Team Camp from July 7th through the 10th. Wrestlers are then encouraged to roll into the intensive camp at OSU, July 11th through the 24th. For more information you can click on the image to the right. Registration forms were sent out through school to team members. Please have registration and deposit for team camp turned into Coach Stirts by April 14th in room 203.

"Summer Wrestling Makes Winter Champions!"

The Tacoma Athletic Commisioin honored Graham-Kapowsin wrestlers Efrain Aguilar and Brad Sweet at their Winter Athletes of the Month luncheon. Efrain Aguilar was GK's representative for Male Athlete of the Month for January. Brad Sweet was GK's representative for Male Athlete of the Month for the month of February. Brad was named Male Athlete of the Month for February (for all of Pierce County) out of the 15 nominees in attendance. He is now in the running for TAC's Male Athlete of the Year to be awarded at the end of the school year. Congratulations to both wrestlers!

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER

Wrestling All-Stars

Last updated March 18, 2008 7:12 p.m. PT

Efrain Aguilar GRAHAM-KAPOWSIN | SOPH.

WHAT HE DID: In his first season of high school wrestling, Aguilar finished 44-1 while claiming titles at the Pac Coast Championships and the Central Kitsap Matman Invititational. He was perfect in the postseason, taking the SPSL South, district and 4A state championship at 112 pounds.

HOW HE DID IT: As an eighth-grader watching the state championships at the Tacoma Dome, Aguilar made it a personal goal to become a state champion. "I visualized myself winning a state title," he said.

WHAT HE'LL DO NEXT: Wrestling freestyle and Greco-Roman year-round will keep Aguilar busy. "My goal is to be a three-time state champ," he said. "I expect guys to bring their best against me; it'll only make me a better wrestler."

Brad Sweet GRAHAM-KAPOWSIN | SR.

WHAT HE DID: The team captain, Sweet took second place at the Pac Coast and Tri State tournaments. He became a three-time SPSL and regional champ before winning the 4A state title at 152 pounds, becoming the first two-time state champ at Graham-Kapowsin in any sport.

HOW HE DID IT: Much of Sweet's inspiration came from brothers Dan and Pat Pitsch, former club teammates with Sweet. The Pitsch brothers were each two-time state champs at Spanaway Lake.

WHAT HE'LL DO NEXT: Sweet will continue to wrestle freestyle and Greco-Roman. He accepted a scholarship to wrestle this fall at Boise State.

The GK Wrestling Team's 2007-2008 Awards Banquet was held Monday, March 10th at Round Table Pizza on South Hill. We would like to thank all of the wrestlers, their families, friends, and fans who were able to attend. The following Awards were presented:

• 35 Win Club
  • Efrain Aguilar (41) new team record
  • Brad Sweet (39)
  • Tyler Story (36)

• 30 Win Club
  • Jack Miller (32)
  • Zach Folden (31)

• 25 Win Club
  • Shayne Erickson (29)
  • Ryan Johnson (29)
  • Alex Barley (27)
  • Dylan Evanger (25)

• 20 Win Club
  • Travis Metcalf (23)
  • Chris Sweet (21)
  • Evan Neese (21)

• Iron Eagle Award (never missed a practice, match or team outing)

The Competitive Edge will be sponsoring Agility and Strength Training sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays at GKHS. The sessions begin March 3rd. They are from 7 to 8 pm and will continue through May 21st. This is a great way to improve on athletic ability and strength. It is a great complement to any wrestling you do this spring. For more information contact Eric Kurle, ekurle@bethelsd.org.

"Be willing to pay the price to become a champion!"

The Bethel Schoolboard will be honoring the achievements of the Graham-Kapowsin Wrestling Team at their meeting on Tuesday, February 26th. The meeting will be at Camas Prairie Elementary at 7pm. The board wishes to acknowledge the sacrifices, hard work, dedication, and success of these student-athletes. We hope that many fans, parents, and community members will turn out to congratulate these young men on their outstanding accomplishments this season.

Highlights:

• 10 of 10 wrestlers won matches and scored points for the team!
• 8 of 10 wrestlers medalled!
• 4 wrestlers made the finals!
• 2 State Champions!

Medalists included:

• Brad Sweet (12)- State Champion 152 (2X Champ, 3X Placer)
• Efrain Aguilar (10)- State Champion 112
• Tyler Story (11)- State Runner Up 160 (2X Placer)
• Zach Folden (11)- State Runner Up 189
• Shayne Erickson (11)- 5th Place 171
• Jack Miller (12)- 6th Place 130
• Alex Barley (12)- 6th Place 145
• Ryan Johnson (12)- 7th Place 125

Fantastic Work Eagles!

For the full story of the team race, read the articles below from the Tribune and the Times.

There was no emotional victory celebration for Brad Sweet.

The Graham-Kapowsin senior won his second straight state championship at Mat Classic XX on Saturday night at the Tacoma Dome, but he didn’t leap into his coach’s arms. Not even a fist pump.

Off in the distance, the Class 4A standings leaderboard showed the reality: Graham-Kapowsin still trailed defending champion Lake Stevens.

“I wanted to help the team as much as I could,” said Sweet, who beat Rogers’ Kyle Foster, 10-1, in the 152-pound finals. “I didn’t pin him.”

The extra points from a pin by Sweet wouldn’t have mattered anyway. The Vikings from Snohomish County edged the Eagles by 51/2 points, 145-139.5, for their fifth title since 2000.

Despite the disappointing finish, Graham-Kapowsin coach Scott Stirts was pleased with the direction his 3-year-old program is headed.

“It’s huge,” he said. “It helps set up what we want. When these seniors were sophomores, I told them we’re going to build tradition six minutes at a time.”

Heading into the finals, Graham-Kapowsin trailed Lake Stevens by 31/2 points, 133-129.5. The Eagles held an edge with four wrestlers in title matches to the Vikings’ three.

Lake Stevens won all of its finals, while the Eagles won two of their first three. The Vikings clinched the championship when Shorewood’s Tim Hester beat Graham-Kapowsin’s Zach Folden in the 189-pound final.

“I’m a little sick to my stomach,” Lake Stevens coach Brent Barnes said. “I was nervous. I don’t know if this is the way to do it, having someone else win the matches for you.”

The Vikings had a 117-match dual meet winning streak snapped earlier this month, and Barnes said that was a turning point for his squad.

“It was a case of a loss making you better,” said Barnes, who has coached at Lake Stevens for 21 seasons.

Graham-Kapowsin sophomore Efrain Aguilar won the Eagles’ other championship. He beat Central Valley’s Tanner Teeples 13-4 at 112 pounds.

Aguilar scored three near-falls in the first two rounds, but couldn’t quite pin Teeples and get the extra points for his team.

“We all want the pins really bad,” Stirts said. “Efrain probably wants it more than anybody.

“I told him before the match that his opponent has been waiting for this all year, just like he has. That he was standing in his way. Efrain said ‘He’s in my way and the team’s.’ ”

Sedro-Woolley coach Jay Breckenridge said Graham-Kapowsin’s rise reminded him of the path the Cubs took to becoming one of the state’s most dominant programs in any sport.

“What they’re instilling at that school right now is that wrestling is a sport that matters,” said Breckenridge, who took over an average Sedro-Woolley program a decade ago and has won six state titles. “It’s a 3-year-old school and they’re in the hunt for a state title? That’s big.”

DOUG PACEY; doug.pacey@thenewstribune.com Last updated: February 16th, 2008 01:23 AM (PST)

Graham-Kapowsin coach Scott Stirts looked at the Class 4A leaderboard from the Tacoma Dome’s east grandstands and saw his 3-year-old program trailing only one school: Lake Stevens.

“Our goal from the beginning of the year has been to finish in the top four,” he said. “I told the kids that if you’re in the top four, you can land anywhere.” Despite trailing Lake Stevens, the defending 4A champion, 82.5-71.5, after the first day of Mat Classic XX on Friday at the Tacoma Dome, the Eagles are in position to possibly overtake the Vikings, who have won four state titles since 2000.

Six wrestlers from Graham-Kapowsin, which finished 13th last season, advanced to today’s semifinals, giving the Eagles one more in the championship bracket than the Vikings.

“I’m not surprised a bit,” Lake Stevens coach Brent Barnes said. “Graham-Kapowsin is a tough team.”

The Vikings will find out just how tough when they go head-to-head with the Eagles in two semifinals. Lake Stevens’ Zach Zweifel, defending state champion at 103 pounds, will face Efrain Aguilar at 112 pounds. The two have split two matches this season.

At 145 pounds, Graham-Kapowsin’s Alex Barley will face the Vikings’ George King.

“There’s extra added importance in those matches,” Barnes said. “We’re going head-up against each other and some points can be made there.”

Lake Stevens does have one point-scoring advantage over the Eagles – 11 Vikings are still alive in the tournament, while Graham-Kapowsin has eight, including defending champion Brad Sweet at 152 pounds.

“I know that the first round (today) is huge,” Stirts said. “Right now, our guys are battling really hard. They’re peaking at the right time. Hopefully, we can put two days together.”

( Administrators Note: The GK Wrestlers had an incredible first round at Mat Classic XX. They won ten of ten matches wrestled! In the second round they won 6 of 10 to put six wrestlers in the semi-finals. Of the four wrestlers on the consolation side of the bracket, two won their next match to qualify for a top 8 spot.)

TACOMA — Brad Sweet wants some company.

• Efrain Aguilar, soph., 112, 1st Place
• Travis Metcalf, soph., 119, 3rd Place
• Ryan Johnson, senior, 125, 2nd Place (2X SQ)
• Jack Miller, senior, 130, 3rd Place (3X SQ)
• Alex Barley, senior, 145, 1st Place (2X SQ)
• Brad Sweet, senior, 152, 1st Place (3X SQ)
• Tyler Story, junior, 160, 2nd Place (2X SQ)
• Shayne Erickson, junior, 171, 1st Place
• Chris Sweet, junior, 171, 3rd Place
• Zach Folden, junior, 189, 3rd Place

FINAL TEAM SCORES: 1..GRAHAM-KAPOWSIN 229.5 2..ROGERS 217 3..SOUTH KITSAP 138.5 4..EMERALD RIDGE 118 5..TODD BEAMER 102 6..CURTIS 92 7..OLYMPIA 91 8..PUYALLUP 87 9..BETHEL 74 10..FOSS 68 11..NORTH KITSAP 53.5 12..CENTRAL KITSAP 50 13..GIG HARBOR 46 14..SPANAWAY LAKE 40 15..BELLARMINE 37 16..MT. TAHOMA 37 17..WILSON 35 18..LINCOLN 20 19..STADIUM 8

For the complete story read the article below from the Sunday edition of the Tacoma News Tribune.

(Click on the title of this news item to see complete Region III results and the picture below for upcoming Mat Classic brackets.The attached handout has the Bethel Pride article covering the Region III Tournament.)

Note: Drrue Partridge finished 2nd at 160 in her regional finals match. She is now a two-time state qualifier, and will be looking to improve on last year's 4th Place state placing.

By DOUG PACEY; doug.pacey@thenewstribune.com Last updated: February 10th, 2008 01:25 AM (PST)

Graham-Kapowsin wrestler Brad Sweet had done his part.

With the Eagles in a dogfight with Rogers for the team championship at the Class 4A Region III wrestling tournament, Sweet kept his team ahead of the Rams by beating Rogers’ Kyle Foster in the 152-pound finals.

But Rogers still had two wrestlers to go and all Sweet and his teammates could do was wait and cheer for a couple of guys from South Kitsap and Curtis to repel the Rams.

“We’ll know after a few more matches,” Sweet said, still sweating from his 11-3 victory.

An hour later, the Eagles claimed their first regional championship in their three-year history, edging Rogers 229.5-217. The Rams beat Graham-Kapowsin last week for the West Central District title.

“Rogers is an established wrestling program,” Eagles coach Scott Stirts said. “They’re a tough team and they’re going to give everything they have. We did the same and we came out on top. We’re in our third year and we’re still building our program. We’re stepping up and we have to keep making steps.”

The Eagles, who qualified 10 wrestlers for the Mat Classic next week at the Tacoma Dome, held a slim lead, 208.5-207, heading into the finals. Both teams had six wrestlers in the finals, including head-to-head matchups at 145 and 152 pounds.

Graham-Kapowsin sophomore Efrain Aguilar gave the Eagles a boost in the 112-pound finals, pinning Foss’ Kamm Freudenstein in 2:23. Aguilar, who is 40-1 in his first season of high school wrestling, recorded pins in all three of his matches.

“They had 17 guys and we had 13 wrestling in the tournament,” Aguilar said, “but it didn’t matter to us. We wanted to win and we knew where we had to get it done.”

Rogers followed with victories by Jared Sterling (135) and Jeff Eaton (140), before falling to Graham-Kapowsin in the next two matches. Alex Barley (145) pinned Brent Maybury in the second round of the finals and then Sweet beat Foster at 152 pounds.

“We knew the score was close so our coach told us to go for the pin,” Barley said. “Even if you were up by a lot, we needed the pins because it was going to be close.”

Graham-Kapowsin’s Shayne Erickson (171) capped the Eagles’ titles with a win, beating Emerald Ridge’s Mitch Steed, 4-0.

Rogers’ hopes of repeating as regional champion ended when it lost the 215- and 285-pound finals. The Rams will send nine wrestlers to the state tournament.

South Kitsap’s Matt Foxworthy won the 215 division when he beat Jordan Waits, 10-1, improving his perfect record to 34-0.

“Matt likes to mix it up,” said South Kitsap coach Chad Nass, who was voted the region’s coach of the year. “His upper body is real strong and he’s added some offense to his arsenal. Guys aren’t going to want to get tied up with him.”

Curtis junior Cort Schatz cruised through the 103-pound bracket, recording pins of 39 and 27 seconds in the quarterfinals and semifinals. Schatz took a bit longer against South Kitsap’s Joel Miner in the finals, pinning him in 5 minutes, 32 seconds.

The GK wrestling team placed 2nd at the SPSL South Sub-Regional Tournament. Thirteen Eagles advanced to the Regional Tournament at Foss next weekend (plus 3 more alternates). Seven of GK's wrestlers made the finals with Efrain Aguilar (112), Brad Sweet (152), and Tyler Story (160) coming away with victories. Brad Sweet is GK's first three-time League Champion. He will be attempting to become a three-time Regional Champion next weekend. The team stepped up their wrestling and intensity this week and will be attempting to do the same next week. Individual placers included:

• 112- Efrain Aguilar (10) 1st, Tyler Porter (10) 6th-Reg. Alternate
• 119- Travis Metcalf (10) 2nd, Chris Condon (11) 4th
• 125- Ryan Johnson (12) 3rd
• 130- Jack Miller (12) 3rd
• 135- Cameron Stickell (10) 5th
• 140- Dylan Evanger (10) 4th
• 145- Alex Barley (12) 2nd
• 152- Brad Sweet (12) 1st
• 160- Tyler Story (11) 1st
• 171- C. Sweet (11) 2nd, Shayne Erickson (11) 3rd
• 189- Zach Folden (11) 2nd, Nathan Tout (11) 6th-Reg. Alternate
• 285- Josh Henry (12) 6th-Reg. Alternate

The final team scores were:

1..ROGERS RAMS 342 2..GRAHAM KAPOWSIN EAGLES 298.5 3..EMERALD RIDGE JAGUARS 224.5 4..TODD BEAMER TITANS 181 5..PUYALLUP VIKINGS 173.5 6..CURTIS VIKINGS 138 7..BETHEL BRAVES 97 8..SPANAWAY LAKE SENTINELS 77.5

(For completed brackets click on the article title. Click on the picture to see the upcoming Region III brackets.)

Drrue Partridge was crowned the SPSL (All Division) Girls Sub-Regional Champion at 160 pounds. Drrue is now a two-time League Champ. She will attempt to become a two-time Regional Champ next week.

The SPSL South League Tournament is this Friday (Feb 1) and Saturday (Feb 2) at Rogers High School. Two rounds of wrestling will be conducted Friday starting at 4pm. Wrestling will resume at 10 am on Saturday. The top 5 in each weight class move on to the Regional Tournament (with the Narrows League) the following week at Foss High School. Click on the title to see complete brackets of the League (Sub-Regional) Tournament.

"It's that time of year where some will step up...and some will step down. Which will you be?"

Last night, the Eagle wrestlers defeated Emerald Ridge 38-28 to finish second in the SPSL South League Dual race. The team was 6-1 in league duals and 10-1 overall. The team starts the push towards State now. The results are as follows:

Graham-Kapowsin 38, Emerald Ridge 28

160: Story (GK) f. Carlos, 1:10. 171: Steed (ER) d. Erickson, 10-2. 189: E. Halsey (ER) d. Folden, 11-9. 215: Iliff (ER) f. Tout, 1:22. 285: Wetterauer (ER) f. Henry, 36 sec. 103: Double forfeit. 112: Aguilar (GK) won by forfeit. 119: Metcalf (GK) f. Savage, 29 sec. 125: Tenninson (ER) f. Johnson, 1:25. 130: Miller (GK) won by forfeit. 135: Stickell (GK) d. Slocum, 11-3. 140: Weber (ER) d. Evanger, 16-10. 145: Barley (GK) d. Wicklund, 10-2. 152: B. Sweet (GK) f. T. Halsey, 3:03.

The Eagles set a team tournament point record (260.5) on their way to winning the Tahoma Classic Tournament in Covington on Saturday. Twelve of fourteen Eagle wrestlers placed in the tournament. Ten of them wrestled in the finals. "It (the finals) looks like a GK dual meet," reported a spectator. Five Eagles were crowned individual champions. And for the second tournament in a row, an Eagle was named Outstanding Wrestler (145-285) of a tournament. Congratulations Brad Sweet. (click on the article title to see complete brackets.)

The GK wrestlers defeated the Puyallup Vikings 60-16. They won 11 of 12 matches wrestled, nine of those by fall. Their last dual is next Wednesday versus Emerald Ridge. The team will be honoring their first class of seniors. Come out and see what is sure to be an exciting dual. The detailed Puyallup results are as follows:

Team Final

Puyallup 16

Graham-Kapowsin 60 (home)

Summary: 103: Goodlet (P) won by forfeit. 112: Aguilar (GK) d. Stark, 0:31. 119: Metcalf (GK) d. Grob, 0:22. 125: R. Johnson (GK) d. Bitney, 8-4. 130: Miller (GK) d. Morrow, 3:27. 135: Wood (P) d. Stickell, 18-5. 140: Evanger (GK) d. Kirkwood, 1:15. 145: Barley (GK) d. Barnes, 3:35. 152: B. Sweet (GK) d. Grenier, 2:49. 160: Story (GK) d. IV, 0:57. 171: Romes (GK) d. Smith, 1:15. 189: Folden (GK) d. Sidhu, 1:32. 215: Erickson (GK) d. Sanchez, 4-3. 285: Ryder (P) won by forfeit.

Graham-Kapowsin defeated Spanaway Lake in a SPSL dual 60-22. The coaches juggled the line up a bit due to wrestlers quickly approaching their match limits. The results are as follows:

103 -Tims (SL) Forfeit 112- Ayuso (SL) maj. dec. B. Johnson 14-2 119- Metcalf (GK) pinned Ochoa 1:05 125- R. Johnson (GK) Forfeit 130- Brown (SL) pinned Sheaffer 1:59 135- Stickell (GK) Forfeit 140- Evanger (GK) Forfeit 145- Barley (GK) Forfeit 152- George (GK) Forfeit 160- Story (GK) Forfeit 171- Romes (GK) pinned Chamberlain 3:19 189- Tout (GK) Forfeit 215- Erickson (GK) pinned Clark :46 285- Duncan (SL) Forfeit

Next up is the Puyallup Vikings.

The Team took third place at the 31st Central Kitsap Matman Tournament in Silverdale. Efrain Aguilar (112) and Shayne Erickson (215) were crowned individual champions. Brad Sweet (152) and Zach Folden (189) both made the finals. Tyler Story (160) placed third, while Travis Metcalf (119), Ryan Johnson (125), Jack Miller (135), and Dylan Evanger (140) each took 5th. Efrain Aguilar was named the "Oustanding Wrestler" of the tournament by a vote of the coaches. He is the first GK wrestler ever to receive this award. (click on the title for complete brackets.)

Team scores: Lake Stevens 188.5, Enumclaw 182.5, Graham-Kapowsin 164.5, Rogers 147, Auburn Riverside 113, Olympic 101, Central Kitsap 96.5, Shelton 96, A.C. Davis 95, Tahoma 87, South Kitsap 82.5, Mount Spokane 72.5, North Kitsap 49, Bremerton 40, Spanaway 31, Newport 11.

*Meanwhile other team members travelled to the Everett Classic where Evan Neese was crowned 125 Champion.

Graham-Kapowsin was proud to host the first Bethel AllStar Night. The Eagles hosted the PCJWL youth wrestling team and their coaches at their dual against Bethel HS. The AllStars accompanied the GK wrestlers during their introductions, flag salute, and coin flip. After the ceremonies the Eagles defeated a down Bethel team. The only losses were a forfeit at 103, and an injury default at 160. Great job Eagles!

Summary:

103: Clemons (B) won by forfeit.
112: Aguilar (GK) d. Maher, 1:29.
119: Metcalf (GK) d. Smith, 0:50.
125: Johnson (GK) d. Acosta, 16-4.
130: Miller (GK) d. Parvi, 5:44.
135: Neese (GK) d. Reina, 4:47.
140: Evanger (GK) d. Tudor, 1:43.
145: Barley (GK) d. Lewis-Kent, 1:14.
152: B. Sweet (GK) won by forfeit.
160: Tanner (B) inj. def. C. Sweet.
171: Story (GK) d. Franco, 1:47.
189: Tout (GK) won by forfeit.
215: Erickson (GK) won by forfeit.
285: Henry (GK) d. Tucker, 0:33.

Thanks to all the Bethel AllStars, their coaches, and parents who came out and made the night a success. (See the links page to connect to the Bethel AllStars website.)

Classic Confrontation at Matman

(excerpts from the Kitsap Sun)

The South Puget Sound League 4A South Division wrestling dual match between the Rams and Graham-Kapowsin was expected to be close, and it would be up to Waits in the final match, at 215 pounds, to decide it.

The nearly full gym at Rogers High School got the tight finish it came to see.

Both teams wrestled at the Pacific Coast tournament last weekend in Vancouver, Wash., where the Eagles, in their third year, captured the title while Rogers came in fourth place in a tournament considered a good indicator of what teams can do at Mat Classic.

When Waits began his match against Dane Griffin of Graham-Kapowsin, Rogers was clinging to a five-point team lead.

“It was a little nerve-racking,” Waits said, “but it was fun. I enjoyed it.”

Waits got a pair of takedowns and, at the 2:52 mark, pinned Griffin for the win – for himself and for the rest of the Rams, who won the dual, 41-30, and improved to 3-0 in SPSL South. The Eagles fell to 2-1.

While preparing for his match, Waits quickly determined that he wasn’t about to let Griffin wrestle the whole six minutes.

“I was going for the pin,” Waits said.

Waits, a third-year varsity wrestler, improved to 18-2, and his win allowed Rogers coach David Johnston to exhale.

“We knew it was going to be tight,” Johnston said. “We wrestled with emotion. We won the close ones and got some bonus points.”

The Rams started strong as Henry Thompson won by pin after 23 seconds against Josh Henry in the opening match at 285 pounds.

Junior Brian Bitney (125 pounds) and Jeff Eaton (140) also pinned their opponents, sandwiching a decision from Teilor Isaac (130) and a major decision from Jared Sterling (135).

Brent Maybury (145) gave Rogers an invaluable extra point when he defeated Alex Barley, 9-1, for a major decision, giving the Rams a 35-12 lead with five matches to wrestle.

“We expected a barn-burner,” Graham-Kapowsin coach Scott Stirts said. “We got into a deep hole, but the guys stepped up and got into the match.”

Led by defending state champion Brad Sweet at 152 pounds, the Eagles won four consecutive matches in the upper weights and slowly chipped away at Rogers’ lead, which shrunk to 35-30 before the Waits-Griffin finale.

Sweet and his younger brother, Chris (171), won by decisions, while Tyler Story (160) and Zach Folden (189) got pins for the Eagles, setting up the Waits-Griffin showdown.

“It was a great wrestling dual match,” Johnston said. “It was fun to see.”

285: Thompson (R) d. Henry, :35
103: Ongoco (R) won by forfeit.
112: Aguilar (GK) d. Bebo, 0:19.
119: Metcalf (GK) d. Thomas, 1:22.
125: Bitney (R) d. Neese, 4:40.
130: Isaac (R) d. Johnson, 11-8.
135: Sterling (R) d. Miller, 17-6.
140: Eaton (R) d. Evanger, 2:30.
145: Maybury (R) d. Barley, 9-1.
152: Sweet (GK) d. Foster, 5-1.
160: Story (GK) d. McAlister, 3:59.
171: Sweet (GK) d. Patacsil, 8-5.
189: Folden (GK) d. Nix, 5:25.
215: Waits (R) d. Griffin, 2:52.

The Graham-Kapowsin wrestling team won the Pacific Coast Championships Wrestling Tournament in Vancouver this weekend. The two day tournament featured 32 of the top teams in Washington and Oregon. Every Eagle scored points for the team, and eight of the thirteen wrestlers placed top six in their individual brackets. On their way to breaking the mythical 200 team point barrier, the team recorded thirty pin falls, two tech falls, and five major decisions. This was the team's last outing of 2007. They now start the second half of the season with a push toward the state tournament in February. (click on the news item title for complete brackets.)

Pacific Coast Championships
at Hudson's Bay High School

Team scores: Graham-Kapowsin 200, Snohomish 176.5, Enumclaw 165, Rogers 150, Kentwood 146, Heritage 130.5, Redmond 124.5, South Kitsap 118, Tahoma 111.5, Newberg 102, Ridgefield 95, Emerald Ridge 94.5, Kelso 88, W.F. West 85, Gresham 71.5, Todd Beamer 63.5, Jefferson 60, Pasco 57, Camas 56, McKay 52, Auburn-Riverside 51, Kentlake 48, Evergreen 43, Columbia River 40.5, Bonney Lake 40.5, Hudson's Bay 33, Eagle Point 30.5, Bethel 29.5, West Linn 23.5, Central Kitsap 23, Peninsula 18, Mountlake Terrace 7

Individual placings:

112 - Championship: Efrain Aguilar (Graham-Kapowsin) pinned Timmy Constien (Gresham) in 4:55.3, Zach Holland, Evergreen; 4, Tyler Lefebvre, Ridgefield; 5, Hunter File, Bonney Lake; 6, Simon Kipperberg, South Kitsap; 7, Nick Truan, Columbia River; 8, Eric Alonzo, Kentwood.

119 - Championship: Sam Bauer (Enumclaw) d. Brandon Rogers (Kentwood) 3-1. 3, Sean Soliz, Redmond; 4, Travis Metcalf, Graham-Kapowsin; 5, Dominic Sepe, Ridgefield; 6, Nick Tennison, Emerald Ridge; 7, Mike Turner, Auburn Riverside; 8, Trevor Standburg, Central Kitsap.

135 - Championship: Stefan St. Marie (Snohomish) d. Tarrance Williams (Jefferson) 15-4. 3, Connor Flanagan, Redmond; 4, Jack Miller, Graham-Kapowsin; 5, Dario Rodriguez, Rogers of Puyallup; 6, Jonathan Leale, Rogers of Puyallup; 7, Jacob Jokela, Enumclaw; 8, Kario Wallen, Enumclaw.

145 - Championship: Jesse Whitton (Tahoma) d. Aaron Grenz (Ridgefield), 12-6. 3, John Garcia, Snohomish; 4, Karston Bruner, Heritage; 5, Alex Barley, Graham-Kapowsin; 6, Jared Kilcup, Heritage; 7, Dakota Rhodes, Hudson's Bay; 8, Brent Maybury, Rogers of Puyallup.

152 - Championship: Eric Jones (Auburn-Riverside) d. Brad Sweet (Graham-Kapowsin) 5-2. 3, Kyle Foster, Rogers of Puyallup; 4, Nick Zografos, Kentwood; 5, Kaleb Cook, McKay; 6, Ben Draeger, Todd Beamer; 7, Scott Leonardo, Eagle Point; 8, Ben Bellmont, W.F. West.

171 - Championship: Butch Whitaker (Redmond) d. Tyler Story (Graham-Kapowsin), 12-4. 3, Taylor Johnson, Kentlake; 4, Aaron Boyle, Ridgefield; 5, Robby Mannenbach, Eagle Point; 6, Luke Angevine, Kentwood; 7, Mitch Steed, Emerald Ridge; 8, Teagan Franco, Bethel.

189 - Championship: Taylor Johnson (Redmond) d. Michael Rossi (Enumclaw) 8-1. 3, Erik Halsey, Emerald Ridge; 4, Nick Smiley, Pasco; 5, Josh Howard, Heritage; 6, Zach Folden Graham-Kapowsin; 7, Spencer Caraballo, Snohomish; 8, Brad Feddersen, South Kitsap.

215 - Championship: Matt Foxworth (South Kitsap) d. Donavon Cunningham (Heritage) 18-5. 3, Jordan Watts, Rogers of Puyllup; 4, Braedan Binkiewicz, Emerald Ridge; 5, Dane Griffin, Graham-Kapowsin; 6, Wyatt Deremer, Gresham; 7, Konner Knudtsen, Tahoma; 8, Sean Staaleson, Kentwood.

We want to wish everyone and their families a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year. Thank you for all of your support this year.

-Coach Stirts and Coach Stover

P.S. Wrestlers, why are you on the computer? Go out and get a good run in and do some lifting! You've got goals! Do everything you can to reach them. And for the love of God, do some "push-aways" from the table over the holidays! :)

Graham-Kapowsin wrestlers placed in two tournaments this weekend. Eight wrestlers attended the Tri-State Tournament in Coeur d' Alene, ID. The tournament hosts 51 of the toughest teams from Washington, Montana, Idaho, and Oregon. The team finished in 11th place, the highest placing of any of the small teams (partial team entries). Individual Placers included: Brad Sweet, 2nd @ 152, Efrain Aguilar, 3rd @ 112, Tyler Story 7th @ 171, and Zach Folden, 8th @ 189. Ryan Johnson and Jack Miller won multiple matches. (click on the news item title for complete brackets.)

The Eagles also sent 12 wrestlers to the Shelton Invitational. Evan Neese, 125, and Dylan Evanger, 140, both placed 3rd. Matches were won by Brennon Johnson, 112, Chris Condon, 119, Dakota Sheaffer, 135, and Nathan Tout, 215.

RYAN DIVISH; The News Tribune
Last updated: December 13th, 2007 06:42 AM (PST)

The Graham-Kapowsin High School senior had debated about not playing football this season and focusing solely on wrestling. After all, as a 145-pounder he was the first state champion for the Eagles in any sport, and he desperately wanted to be the school’s first two-time state champ.

“Most of my friends that were seniors last year didn’t play football so they wouldn’t get hurt for wrestling,” Sweet said.

It was logical thinking, but there was a rub. Football was fun, easily more fun than wrestling practice, and Sweet, who would go on to earn all-South Puget Sound League honors, was good at it, and so was his team, good enough to make the 4A state playoffs.

“It was great we made the playoffs, and if we kept playing it meant I didn’t have to go to wrestling practice,” Sweet said. “I wanted to keep playing because it was fun.”

But his fun and his season ended in the first round of the playoffs against South Kitsap. From his defensive back position, Sweet made a good play to break up a pass. But before he could celebrate, he found himself writhing on the ground in agony and clutching his throbbing ankle.

“I thought somebody hit me from behind, but we looked at the film and it just gave out,” Sweet said.

A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, one of them being, “Why did I play football?”

“It was the one thing I didn’t want to happen,” Sweet said. “It wasn’t a good day.”

Graham-Kapowsin won the game and Sweet, being the ultimate competitor, gritted through therapy in an effort to play the next week against Ferris. But he never set foot on the field during the game.

“I was cleared to play by my physical therapist,” Sweet said. “But we got down by so much in the first half, Coach (Eric Kurle) didn’t want to put me in so I would get hurt any worse for wrestling.”

Regrettably for his future wrestling opponents, the ankle is giving Sweet few problems now.

“It hurts sometimes when I make hard plants, but it doesn’t really bother me,” he said.

Not that it would matter if it did. Sweet possesses a wrestler’s unreal tolerance for pain. Last season, he wrestled the entire season with a separated rib, and still put up a 30-0 record and cruised to a Class 4A state title.

“I was really happy how he ran through the tournament,” coach Scott Stirts said. “He really dominated, I think his closest match was 7-0.”

So a sore ankle means nothing to Sweet. He’s back this season, older, wiser, stronger and bigger, and he has yet to lose a match at 152 pounds.

“I feel like mentally I’m more prepared being older and having been through his before,” Sweet said. “The part that bothers me is the pressure from other people.”

It seems like every day somebody asks him if he’s going to repeat this season.

When he was asked about the old adage that “Winning a title is tough …

“Repeating is even tougher,” Sweet said, finishing the thought.

It’s something he understands.

“There’s more people that want to beat you now,” he said. “There’s people out there working harder than they’ve ever worked to beat me, just like I was doing last year to beat those older guys.”

Awareness that others are preparing for him has fueled Sweet’s motivation this season.

Sweet has been a leader on the Graham-Kapowsin team since the school opened when he was a sophomore. But this year he’s got more kids to lead. The Eagles have a large group of talented sophomores joining Sweet, 160-pounder Tyler Story (fourth at state last season), heavyweight Aaron Lenk and others returning to form a solid team.

And it shows in the results so far. The Eagles won last weekend’s Olympic Duals.

Success has the Eagles thinking about a Mat Classic trophy.

“I definitely feel we’re a top-three team,” Sweet said.

Ryan Divish: 253-597-8483

ryan.divish@thenewstribune.com

The GK Eagle Wrestlers defeated the Todd Beamer Titans last night 52-27 to up their SPSL South league record to 2-0.

103 — double forfeit. 112 — Efrian Augilar, GK, pinned Cody Moriarty, :55. 119 — Trevor Simpkin, TB, pinned Tyler Porter, 3:32. 125 — Chris Condon, GK, pinned Chase Nelson, 1:36. 130 — Trevor Mills, TB, dec. Ryan Johnson, 9-2. 135 — Tyler Enos, TB, dec. Jack Miller, 4-1. 140 — Corey Obungen, TB, dec. Dylan Evenger, 15-9. 145 — Alex Barley, GK, maj. dec. Alex Crumley, 14-1. 152 — Brad Sweet, GK, pinned Ben Draeger, 1:14. 160 — Chris Sweet, GK, pinned Kevin Oyer, :51. 171 — Tyler Story, GK, pinned Connor Gleason, 1:16. 189 — Zach Folden, GK, pinned Thomas Nadrich, 1:28. 215 — Nicky Faulaau, TB, pinned Nathan Tout, 1:58. 285 — Josh Henry, GK, pinned Johnny Kemman, 0:33.

The next league dual match is January 3rd at Rogers (2-0).

The GK Wrestlers went 4-0 at the Olympic Dream Duals in Silverdale this past weekend to take the tournament championship. They defeated Kingston, Olympia, A.C. Davis, and Olympic. The 76-0 win over Olympia was the first team shutout in school history. The Eagles also set a tournament record for the most team pins. The team won 47 of 56 individual matches wrestled, 34 by pin fall. See excerpts from the Kitsap Sun news article below:

Olympic sophomore Branden Yeik paused and cracked a smile in the direction of his teammates moments before pinning his Auburn Riverside opponent in the semifinals of Saturday's Olympic Duals wrestling tournament at the Kitsap Sun Pavilion.

In the finals against Graham-Kapowsin, however, Yeik and the Trojans didn't find much to smile about.

The Eagles won 10 of 14 matches — including six by pin — to win the team championship with a convincing 57-23 victory.

"All the way through, those guys were nails," Olympic coach Bobby Manglona said. "If all went well and we wrestled to our peak, yeah, we could have beat them. But they are the type of team that if you have a kink in your armor, they'll expose it. And they did that."

Not only did G-K avenge a 44-30 loss to Olympic in last year's finals, the Eagles also set a tournament record for pins with 34.

"We got pins in a lot of matches," said Eagles senior Brad Sweet, the defending Class 4A state champion at 145 pounds, who went 4-0 with four pins during the tournament.

Fresh off their win at the West Valley Invitational last week, the Eagles dominated Kingston (71-9) and Olympia (76-0) in the first two rounds Saturday, then beat A.C. Davis 59-16 in the semifinals to set up a rematch with the Trojans.

Unlike last year, G-K had its full lineup available against Olympic, who beat Wenatchee, Gonzaga Prep and Auburn Riverside to reach the finals.

"They had about four guys out last year, including Brad Sweet," Manglona said. "They came fully stacked today."

The championship began in the 112-pound class, where G-K's Efrain Aguilar pinned Jesse Borcherding. Both are among the top sophomores in the state, but Aguilar got the better of Borcherding early, pinning him 1 minute, 24 seconds in the match.

Olympic senior Brandon Truini got the Trojans back on track with his fourth win of the tournament, earning a second-round pin over Chris Condon at 119.

The Eagles would respond by winning the next four matches — including Ryan Johnson's 8-6 overtime win against Yeik at 130 — to take a 27-5 lead. Then, after Olympic's Billy Neary won at 145 to cut the deficit to 27-11, the Eagles won five straight to put things out of reach.

"I'm glad we got our butts handed to us," Manglona said. "It's a good humbling experience. It's good to know our kids have something to work on."

Graham-Kapowsin 57, Olympic 23 (finals)

103—Camie Yeik (Oly) p. Cole Delaney 3:54; 112—Efrain Aguilar (GK) p. Jesse Borcherding 1:24; 119—Brandon Truini (Oly) p. Chris Condon 3:25; 125—Evan Neese (GK) p. Curtis Reeve 1:03; 130—Ryan Johnson (GK) d. Branden Yeik 8-6 (OT); 135—Jack Miller (GK) p. Josh Melencio 1:17; 140—Dylan Evanger (GK) p. John Giese 1:20; 145—Billy Neary (Oly) p. Alex Barley 5:05; 152—Brad Sweet (GK) p. Lucas Kogut :52; 160—Chris Sweet (GK) def. Ivan Gaeta by injury default; 171—Tyler Story (GK) p. Shane Galeski 1:07; 189—Jon Folden (GK) p. Luke O'Halek :36; 215—Shane Erikson (GK) p. David Reynolds 3:53; 285—Michael D'Astoli (Oly) p. Josh Henry 1:32.

The Eagles opened the SPSL South dual season with a 66-18 triumph over Curtis on Thursday night. Congratulations Eagles! The results are as follows:

• 103 Double Forfeit
• 112 Aguilar, GK Tech-Fall over Shatz, Curtis 15-0
• 119 Condon, GK Fall over Rupert, Curtis 1:54
• 125 Brisky, Curtis Fall over Neese, GK 1:51
• 130 Johnson, GK dec. over Ceccarelli, Curtis 6-2
• 135 Miller, GK Fall over Davis, Curtis 1:42
• 140 Evanger, GK Fall over Betteridge, Curtis 2:37
• 145 Barley, GK Fall over Yoshikawa, Curtis 3:01
• 152 B. Sweet, GK Fall over Pagel, Curtis :47
• 160 C. Sweet, GK Maj. Dec. over Sheldon Curtis 11-0
• 171 T. Story, GK Fall over Herberholz, Curtis 1:05
• 189 Folden, GK Fall over Mays, Curtis 3:52
• 215 Erickson, GK Fall over Johnson, Curtis :30
• 285 O'Connor, Curtis Fall over Henry, GK 3:34

The GK Wrestling Team won the West Valley Invite in Yakima on Dec. 1. Every Eagle won matches. 13 of 14 Eagles placed top 3, with 11 in the finals! Great Job Eagles! The final team scores were GK 250.5, Top***h 186, Pasco 128, Ephrata 100, West Valley 87, East Valley 69, Camas 54, Fife 25, Unattached 11. Individual placings were as follows:

• 103 Cody Delaney 2nd
• 112 Efrain Aguilar 1st
• 119 Chris Condon 2nd
• 125 Evan Neese 1st
• 130 Ryan Johnson 3rd
• 135 Jack Miller 2nd
• 140 Dylan Evanger 2nd
• 152 Brad Sweet 1st
• 160 Chris Sweet 2nd
• 171 Tyler Story 1st
• 189 Zach Folden 1st
• 215 Shayne Erickson 2nd
• 285 Josh Henry 3rd

(Drrue Partridge finished second in the ER Girls tournament as well.)