Four of the area’s best high school wrestlers finished one step short of a state title last year.
Yet they continue to climb. Saturday, those four each ascended the podium at the Clark County Wrestling Championships at Prairie High School.
Union’s Ethan Rotondo, Ridgefield’s Trevor Newburn, Hockinson’s Cameron Loos and Evergreen’s Dalwlas Goodpaster each hopes a county championship is a step toward finishing on top of the state next month in Tacoma.
“Placing second last year sucked,” said Goodpaster, who pinned Skyview’s Jimmy Rowe to win the 285-pound title Saturday. “I was predicted to win and I had the target on my back. Somebody else stepped up. It will for sure not happen during my last year.”
After pinning all four of his opponents in the two-day county tournament, Goodpaster is starting to zero in on state, where he has placed in the top five for three straight years.
“Going from fifth to third to second, there’s only one more spot to go,” he said.
Loos fell one point short of a 2A state title at 220 pounds. In Saturday’s final, his 6-0 win over Camas’ Dylan Ingram was the kind of grind-it-out match that will help against tough opponents in the future.
“Losing in that final second has really motivated me all this year,” Loos said. “I can’t wait. This tournament has really boosted my confidence. I got some good mat time here.”
Rotondo is also hitting his stride as the wrestling season enters a five-week sprint toward state. The Union junior pinned each of his opponents in the 113-pound bracket, defeating Mountain View’s Troy Ewers in Saturday’s final.
“I know I didn’t reach my goal last year,” Rotondo said. “It’s a big influence on this season, bigger than anything else. You feel like you’re this close to being a state champ. It makes you work that much harder.”
Newburn of Ridgefield repeated as Clark County champion, beating Battle Ground’s Joseph Harnett 9-2 in the 120-pound final.
The junior said he feels like a stronger, more technically sound wrestler than last year, when he lost 2-0 in the 113-pound 2A state final.
“I’m feeling more confident than last year, so that’s good,” Newburn said. “I’m always trying to improve, so that second place isn’t going to cut it this year.”
Battle Ground had two champions Saturday, one familiar and one fresh. Chris Joner won his second straight county title, pinning Prairie’s Tommy Greensky 1:07 into the 126-pound final.
In the 145-pound final, Tigers freshman Jake Rogers outlasted Union’s J.J. Talavera 3-1. Often competing against upperclassmen, Rogers has only lost once this year.
Union won five individual championships en route to winning its seventh straight team title. In addition to Rotondo, Vitaliy Manolov won at 106 pounds, Tommy Strassenberg at 152, Shan Singh at 182 and Zach Berfanger at 195.
Camas placed second, 51 points behind Union’s 237.5 points. The Papermakers had champions in Rylan Thompson at 132 pounds and Samuel Malychewski at 170.
Larry Andersen of Columbia River won his second straight county title, pinning Josh Sokolowski of Ridgefield in the 160-pound final.
Evergreen senior Isaiah Av won the 138-pound title by beating Prairie’s Talen Goodpaster 14-1.
