NC tops in 3A Sub-Regional Tournament

Greater Spokane League schools were dominant during the 3A tourney that included Columbia Basin Big Nine schools Sunnyside, West Valley-Yakima and Hanford, earning 41 of 56 regional berths. North Central was the team champ with 304.5 points in spirited competition with league foes East Valley and Shadle Park.

as it has been all season, is the emergence of GSL schools as wrestling forces.

It really showed in the subregional at which Spokane earned 23 of 28 finals berths, won 11 of 14 titles, and secured the vast majority of spots to next weekend’s regional in Yakima.

They’ll compete with schools from District 1, a northwest Washington wrestling power.

“Six or seven of the top 10 teams in state are in our region,” NC coach Luke Leifer said. “If we get through that, it should mean placing (at Mat Classic in Tacoma).”

NC’s Indians put eight wrestlers into the finals at Mead, getting victories from returning state finalists Nathan Brown (135) and Ben Carter (171), two-time placer Jared Berlinger (119), plus junior Sam Rykken (160).

Brown, despite an 18-6 triumph over Mt. Spokane’s Wyatt McGuire, was not satisfied with his effort.

“I felt gassed,” he said. “I had felt great the whole tournament and had him on his back four or five times the first two rounds, then let it get into my head.”

Berlinger and Carter won by pin. NC suffered a couple of tough losses in other matches.

“We got 11 through, but I was hoping for a few more,” Leifer said. “But you can’t have every match go your way. For the most part I was pleased.”