By AARON MANAGHAN
Sports editor
TACOMA — While the Olympic Trojans and Central Kitsap Cougars sent similar numbers of wrestlers to their respective regional tournaments this weekend, the two teams’ experiences couldn’t have been more different.
Both squads advanced 13 wrestlers to the 4A and 3A West Central District Region III Tournaments on Saturday, but while the Trojans advanced seven to the state tournament this weekend at the Tacoma Dome, CK had just one grappler move forward.
In 3A action, held Saturday at Yelm High School, the Trojans finished third overall, scoring 163 team points to finish behind winners Kelso (240) and host Yelm (200).
Both Branden Yeik and Billy Neary won individuals titles.
Yeik, at 130, won by injury default for the second-consecutive weekend, while Neary took 145 with a 14-10 win against Hudson Bay’s Dakota Rhodes.
103-pounder Camie Yeik, 119er Brandon Truini, 160-pounder Ivan Gaeta and 171er Shane Galeski also advance, as does 112er Jesse Borcherding, who battled with Bremerton’s Billy Richardson for a third time this season.
In their third go-round, Richardson went up 2-1 on Borcherding in the series, taking a 2-1 win. Each time they’ve wrestled this year the winner has won by a single point.
Both Matt Hoyt (135) and Lucas Kogut (140) won their fifth-place matches, meaning both will be alternates for Mat Classic XX.
The going was much rougher for CK, as only senior Franco Cruz will advance to state following his third-place finish at 140. Cruz bounced back from a tough 8-6 overtime loss to Jeff Eaton (Rogers of Puyallup) in the semifinals with a dominant18-5 major decision against Olympia’s Franklin Kline.
