The Olympic High School wrestling team finished with 110.5 points to earn seventh place at the 32-team Pacific Coast Wrestling Championships in Vancouver on Saturday.
Undefeated senior Branden Yeik secured an individual championship at 145 pounds to lead the Trojans, who host Klahowya Secondary School and Central Kitsap High School Wednesday for the annual Battle of the Bay.
Olympic coach Steve Polillo called the Pacific Coast Championships, a combined Class 4A/3A/2A event, “one of two premier tournaments in the state,” saying he was impressed with the team’s performance despite the fact the Trojans sent just 11 wrestlers.
“Every team member won at least one match,” Polillo said. “And they won them by pins, which dramatically increases the team points. All in all, it was a team effort.”
Sophomores Cody Yeik (112), brother of Branden Yeik, and Caleb O’Halek (160) took third and fourth in their respective weight classes, while senior Jesse Borcherding (130) placed seventh. J.D. Parrish wrestled seven matches in the 119-pound weight class to come away with an eighth-place finish.
“That was a big stage, and they didn’t let the spotlight distract them,” Polillo said, referring to Cody Yeik and O’Halek.
Klahowya and Central Kitsap also competed, finishing 17th and 24th, respectively.
Adam Burchett (103), Joe Sawyers (145) and Neil Sell (152) secured fourth-place finishes to pace the Eagles, who finished with 82 points, while Joey Troyer took fifth at 112 to lead the Cougars to 53 points.
Graham Kapowsin High School in Graham tallied 176 points to earn the team championship, topping runner-up W.F. West High School in Chehalis (162.5) and Deer Park High School (161.5) in Deer Park.
The Battle of the Bay begins at 5 p.m. at Olympic High School. The Trojans have won the past five.
Pacific Coast Wrestling Championships, Vancouver
Team results
1. Graham Kapowsin 176; 2. W.F. West 162.5; 3. Deer Park 161.5; 4. Enumclaw 153.5; 5. Zillah 151; 6. Evergreen 115; 7. Olympic 110.5; 8. Snohomish 109
9. Auburn Mountain View 106; 10. South Kitsap 102; 11. Auburn 98; 12. Sherwood 97.5; 13. Heritage 91; 14. Kentwood 87; 15. East Valley 87; 16. Burlington Edison 83; 17. Klahowya 82; 18. Union 75.5; 19. Todd Beamer 75; 20. West Linn 74; 21. Bellingham 65.5; 22. Decatur 56.5; 23. Camas 54; 24. Central Kitsap 53; 25. Emerald Ridge 53; 26. Bonney Lake 53; 27. Woodinville 43.5; 28. Skyview 39.5; 29. Mountain View 33.5; 30. Hudson’s Bay 31; 31. Ridgefield 28; 32. Gresham 15.
Individual champions
Ruben Navejas, Kentwood, 103; Jesse O’Camb, W.F. West, 112; Blake Adams, Deer Park, 119; Efrain Aguilar, Graham Kapowsin, 125; Travis Metcalf, Graham Kapowsin, 130; Sean Biltoft, East Valley, 135; Toney Chay, West Linn, 140; Branden Yeik, Olympic, 145; Chris Castillo, Zillah, 152; Micah Morrill, Snohomish, 160; Dylan Rutledge, Auburn, 171; Clint Coulter, Union, 189; Nathaniel Deardorff, Zillah, 215; Nick Conlan, Auburn, 285.
