Wrestling / Mat Classic Xi -- Kingco Schools Might Not Get Heavy Medals

Feb 18, 1999

Tom Fuller

Seattle Times Eastside Bureau

No KingCo 3A Conference team will contend for the state wrestling title at Mat Classic XI at the Tacoma Dome this weekend. Don't expect many individual champions from KingCo 3A, either.

Mount Si's Ben Veyna (122 pounds) was the only league representative to win a regional title last weekend.

Other KingCo 3A wrestlers who could place high include Cedarcrest's Eric Pedeferri (115), Mercer Island's Chris Cahoon (129) and Issaquah's Matt DeFranco (178 pounds). All three were runners-up at the regional meet. Newport's Mirweis Hazrat (122), who beat Veyna for the KingCo title, also could place high.

It looks better for KingCo 4A teams and individuals. Lake Washington, which claimed three regional champions and two runners-up last weekend, placed second by half a point to Snohomish for the Region I title. Eastlake and Juanita, which placed third and fourth, also could place in the Top 10.

Eight KingCo 4A wrestlers captured Region I championships, which should make them contenders for trophies at state. They are: Bothell's Paul Ciccu (101), Lake Washington's Luke Pitman (129), Inglemoor's Brad Boyle (135), Lake Washington's David Boothe (148), Juanita's Justin Corbett (158), Eastlake's Jesse Smith (168), Lake Washington's Jabari Sykes (190) and Redmond's Ben Poort (215).

Pig-tail pressure

In a somewhat unusual format, there will be a pig-tail round at the beginning of the Class 3A state tournament. Six KingCo wrestlers who finished fifth in the Region IV tournament last weekend will wrestle against the fifth-place finishers in their weight class from Region III.

The good news is that, if they win, they advance to the first round of the state tournament. The bad news is that, if they win, they will face a regional champion in the first round.

The six KingCo 3A wrestlers in the pigtail round: Chad Mills of Mount Si (115 pounds), Blake Moore of Mount Si (129), Alex Flieder of Liberty (135), David Honarkhah of Issaquah (141), Ali Khademi of Newport (158) and Chad Schaefer of Liberty (215).