Tigers’ Season Ends At Regionals

KITTITAS -- The WP Tigers' hopes for a showdown at the state wrestling tournament evaporated after they were knocked out of the regional competition in Kittitas last Friday, but by all measures the first-year program was a success, head coach Lanny Adams said after the big meet.

"I couldn't be more proud of any of them," Adams said. "They gave it their best. Watch out next year. We're coming back with a vengeance."

Wrestlers Gabe Escalante, Trent Kitselman and Dalton Larue participated in the regional competition, which drew teams from 26 schools in Eastern Washington to Kittitas High School, just a few miles from Ellensburg.

First-year wrestler Kavin Kuykendall was unable to compete because of family circumstances, though he had qualified for the competition. Each of the three Tigers who entered Friday wrestled two matches. Escalante was pinned just before the end of the first round in the first match, but hung in much longer in the second match, holding off a pin just before the end of the third round.

Escalante said he was close to gaining control of the other wrestler.

"If I could just have broken him down, I could have done a double-arm bar," the junior said regretfully. But he was otherwise pleased with his first-year performance. Kitselman too was pinned in the first round of his first match, but did much better in the second, almost tying the contest but for two penalty calls, one for unnecessary roughness and once for illegally locking hands.

"I had him beat," Kitselman said after the match. "I was nervous my first match, but after that I was ready to go. I'm disappointed I didn't win and go on, but I liked making it to regionals my first year in high school."

All three Tigers said they were impressed by the increased level of competition at the competition, which was staged on three large mats in two gyms at Kittitas High School.

"The intensity goes up so many more bars," said Larue, a sophomore who hopes to go much further next year. "Next year, we'll be smarter and stronger. But really need more (Waitsburg-Prescott) kids to wrestle."

Adams said the Tigers' experience at the competition was invaluable and prepares them better for 2013.

"We'll be contenders to deal with," he said.