Mat Classic X / Class 4A State Wrestling Meet -- Perfect Finish For Vombaur -- Wins Third Title To End At 102-0

TACOMA - It wasn't quite the perfect ending to the perfect high-school career, but close enough.

Ben VomBaur, a senior at Evergreen High of Vancouver, put his name in the record books last night at Mat Classic X as he won a third straight state wrestling championship to finish his prep career with a 102-0 record.

"It's unbelievable," VomBaur said after beating Chris Montgomery of Gonzaga Prep 5-0 in the 115-pound final of the Class 4A state tournament at the Tacoma Dome. "Just knowing nobody has beaten me in high school just feels great."

VomBaur, who beat Montgomery 2-0 for the AAA title at 108 last year and was the 101-pound winner in 1996, is only the second Washington wrestler to complete at least a three-year high-school career unbeaten. Jeff Gotcher of Spanaway Lake went 101-0 and won three titles from 1985-87.

"It's pretty amazing," said Tahoma's J.P. Marinacci, the Class AA champion at 108 last year who finished third at 115 yesterday.

VomBaur had hoped to wrestle what he considers a perfect match sometime over the weekend but fell a little short, in his eyes.

"Maybe I'll get it in college," he said. "But that was close (to perfection)."

Evergreen came close to repeating as team champion but fell a point shy of Central Valley, 95 1/2-94 1/2. Tahoma, the first-day leader, finished a disappointing third with 80 1/2.

The event drew a record two-day crowd of 36,036.

VomBaur's victory gave the Plainsmen a nine-point cushion, but Central Valley's John Reese (122) and Shane Cunanan (129) both won their title matches by major decisions, moving the Bears in front by a point. They held on for their first-ever team title as Evergreen's other finalist, Brad Alberts at 158, lost to Nate Stum of Columbia River in their sixth meting of the season (each won three), causing the Central Valley cheering section to erupt. "I was up there coaching (Stum) from the stands," said CV Coach Dale Ethridge, who got at least one victory from each of the seven wrestlers he brought to the tournament.

Tahoma's Zhon Kuraspediani scored a 9-3 victory at 141 over Joe Kubec of Marysville-Pilchuck, giving him his third championship after AA crowns at 135 and 148 the previous two years.

Kuraspediani was one of three local champions in the 4A tournament. Kentridge's Titus Folden floated to the top at 178, while Jesse Pederson of Auburn claimed the 215-pound title. Both had placed fourth as juniors. Pederson beat Sumner's Nyle Chambers 12-5 in a rematch of the Region II final.

Sehome's Ravil Muhamediev was the 135-pound champion.

Brian Shaw of Marysville-Pilchuck suffered his first loss of the season in the 168-pound finals, falling 10-4 to Travis Pascoe, a sophomore from Gonzaga Prep. Aaron Bjornberg, seeking to become Auburn Riverside's first champion, was second at 275, losing 2-1 in double-overtime to Bethel's Travis Brock.

Redmond's Tom Heier, the AAA champ at 141 last year, had his bid for a second straight title come to an end in the 148-pound semifinals as he lost 12-7 in overtime to Wenatchee's Dustin Fisher. Heir then lost again before coming back to beat a familiar foe, Eastlake's Kyle Smith, in the match for fifth and sixth places. It was the fourth week in a row the two KingCo rivals met. Smith had won the first three times.

Heir, a 3.8 student weighing college options in football, wrestling and track, wasn't hanging his head yesterday. "I feel great," he said. "I'm a little disappointed that I didn't do as well as I would have liked to, but if's not meant to be, it's not meant to be. The sun's still going to rise tomorrow. I did my best."