With wrestlers silhouetted by a light-and-smoke screen during introductions, the Pacific Coast Championships had a flair of showmanship on Saturday.
Danny Snediker didn’t need any special effects to ramp up the drama.
The Union senior won the 160-pound title by beating Drew Christensen of Woodinville 10-9 in the night’s most thrilling final at Mountain View High School.
Trailing 8-4, Snekider rallied in the third period, scoring the winning points on a takedown with 30 seconds left.
Snediker was one of three local champions at the annual tournament, which drew 40 teams from Washington and Oregon.
Tanner Craig of Camas won for the second straight year, beating a reigning Oregon state champion for the 138-pound title.
Jack Latimer, also of Camas, showed why he’s the top-ranked 132-pounder in Class 4A with four pins before a convincing 8-1 win in the title match.
C.J Hamblin of Seton Catholic and Nicholas Langer of Prairie earned runner-up finishes.
Snediker won a state title at 152 pounds last year. He said he defines his season not by trophies or titles, but by how much he improves.
“It’s how you learn from your mistakes,” he said. “You get better and better until you’re perfect. At least that’s the goal.”
That approach perfectly summed up his title match Saturday.
Snediker made mistakes early in the match, falling behind 7-2 in the second period. But he adjusted and didn’t repeat them.
“At the start I was going to kind of feel him out,” he said. “But then I got put on my back. I was like, this isn’t happening anymore.”
Snediker went on the attack throughout the third period, scoring takedowns in quick succession. When he went ahead 10-9, it was his first lead of the match.
“I learned a good thing about myself that if I’m down, I can always come back,” Snediker said. “I have that style where I can just keep scoring and scoring.”
Tournament organizers wanted the last match to be a highlight. So they scheduled the 138-pound championship last, pitting two state champs in Craig and Joey Coste of Westview.
The match lived up to the hype. Craig won 5-2, a late takedown clinching the victory after he defended a narrow lead for much of the second and third periods.
For Craig, who volunteered at the tournament as a child, winning a second Pac Coast title was special.
“I’ve seen some wrestlers come through here who, in my mind, are some of the best wrestlers ever,” Craig said. “It feels awesome. My freshman year, I didn’t even place here. So it’s a big jump.”
Latimer, who placed third in state last year, was hungry to make a statement on Saturday.
He definitely did, dominating his 132-pound title match against Parker Hardy of Glacier Peak.
“I’ve been wanting to make a statement all year,” Latimer said. “People have been underestimating me like crazy.”
Latimer might not be an overlooked often this season. But an underdog mentality helps him wrestle better, he said.
“Last year at state, I was ranked number one and people were saying I was going to win it,” Latimer said. “I choked. That got to my head a lot. I just love being the underdog.”
How does he keep than mentality as the top-ranked wrestler in the state?
“Always know that there’s someone better than you out there,” he said. “Always stay on your toes.”
Hamblin, a freshman, fell short in the 145-pound title match 1-0 to now two-time Pac Coast champ Cael Brunson of West Linn (Ore.).
Langer, a senior who placed seventh in state last year, was pinned 5:10 into his 195-pound title match by Dominic Kremer of Kentwood.
Sean Harman of West Linn won his fourth Pac Coast title, beating Josh Walker of Bethel 18-6. Harman is the No. 7-ranked wrestler in the nation and has committed to wrestle at Missouri.
Wrestling
Pacific Coast Championships
At Mountain View
Team scores — 1, Kentwood 199.5; 1, South Kitsap 199.5; 3, Bethel 193; 4, Camas 192.5. Also: 6, Union 172.5; 13, Heritage 87; 14, Prairie 81.5; 16, Mountain View 78; 18, Woodland 77; 26, Seton Catholic 56.5; 28, Ridgefield 54; 31, Evergreen 48; 34, Skyview 41.5; 35, Columbia River 37.5; 37, Battle Ground 34.
106 — 1st: Donnie Krissak (Bethel) def. Ricky Bell (West Linn) 12-1. 3rd: Sanry Nguyen (Heritage) p. Israel Gonzalez (Heritage) 2:38.
113 — 1st: Wylder Kraght (Kentwood) def. Anjelo Pangelinan (Olympic) 8-7. 3rd: Ty Whitney (Bethel) def. Cameron O’Connor (Tigard) 5-3, OT.
120 — 1st: Noah Cortez (Graham-Kapowsin) p. John Seth (Burlington-Edison) 1:40. 3rd: Kaden Goff (West Linn) def. Brandon Esperto (Union) 11-6.
126 — 1st: Xavier Eaglin (South Kitsap) p. Coty Chabot (Bethel) 0:40. 3rd: Davis Cook (Burlington-Edison) def. Andrew Fritz (Mountain View) 11-3.
132 — 1st: Jack Latimer (Camas) def. Parker Hardy (Glacier Peak) 8-1. 3rd: Jabril Muhammad (Kentwood) def. Dylan Draper (Ridgefield) 9-0.
138 — 1st: Tanner Craig (Camas) def. Joey Coste (Westview) 5-2. 3rd: Logan Smith (Skyview) def. Zyle Blas (Bethel) 19-11.
145 — 1st: Cael Brunson (West Linn) def. CJ Hamblin (Seton Catholic) 1-0. 3rd: Jacob Laws (South Kitsap) def. Nathan Johnson (Peninsula) 7-3.
152 — 1st: Quinn Brink (Lakeridge) def. Nolan Casey (Peninsula) 7-4. 3rd: Isaac Duncan (Camas) def. Noah Talavera (Union) 10-2.
160 — 1st: Danny Snediker (Union) def. Drew Christensen (Woodenville) 10-9. 3rd: Alex Long (Kentwood) def. Six Buck (Union) 6-5.
170 — 1st: Sean Harman (West Linn) def. Josh Walker (Bethel) 18-6. 3rd: Gideon Malychewski (Camas) p. Logan Candanoza (Prosser) 4:17.
182 — 1st: Kaden Martin (Emerald Ridge) def. Logan Stafford (South Kitsap) 6-3. 3rd: Jonas Crowder (Lakeridge) def. Dustin Hubbard (Camas) 5-3.
195 — 1st: Dominic Kremer (Kentwood) p. Nicholas Langer (Prairie) 5:10. 3rd: Colby Stoller (Camas) def. Jake Flynn (Gig Harbor) 6-3.
220 — 1st: Antonio Garcia (North Salem) def. Christopher Sparks (Graham-Kapowsin) 5-1. 3rd: Dawson Lieurance (Columbia River) p. Adrian Sandoval (West Linn) 2:59.
285 — 1st: Javier Velasquez (Tigard) def. Courtland Laha (South Kitsap) 10-2. 3rd: Curtis Hill (Graham-Kapowsin) def. Cutter Sandstrom (Scappoose) 4-2.
