Five Wildcat wrestlers place in Tahoma Mat Classic

Five of the nine Oak Harbor High School wrestlers who competed at the Tahoma Mat Classic Saturday, Jan. 23, placed in the top five.

The Wildcats placed eighth out of 17 teams with 91 points.

Corey Trimbur (103 pounds), Colton Elliot (140) and Zach Loescher (171) each finished third, while Brandon Stratton (145) and Hunter Vail (189) placed fifth.

Oak Harbor coach Mike Crebbin said, "It was a tough tournament with a lot of quality competition."

Crebbin said that Trimbur didn't wrestle to his abilities in his first match, but refocused and "wrestled great and kept getting better with match."

After losing by a fall (5:16) in the first round, Trimbur roared through the consolation bracket with two pins (45, 1:17), a 17-0 technical fall and a 7-5 decision to place third.

Elliot won twice by falls (3:21, 49) before losing in the semifinals 5-3. He came back with another pin (4:14) to nab third.

After winning 5-4 in the first round, Loescher dropped a 4-3 decision. He bounced back to score two falls (1:54, 2:55) and an injury default to finish third.

Stratton won his first two matches, 14-8 and by a pin (3:13), before losing 11-2 and 6-4.

Vail won by a pin (2:41), lost by a pin (3:49), won 19-2, won by another pin (15) and lost 7-5.

Four other Oak Harbor wrestlers took part.

Josh Barton (135) won two out of four matches for seventh.

Justin Everett (152), Steven Souza (160) and Davion Watkins (189) each picked up a win in three matches.

Crebbin said, "Zach Loescher has really wrestled well lately, and Hunter Vail is really coming into his own."

The Wildcats get back into Wesco action Tuesday, Jan. 26, at Cascade and Thursday, Jan. 28, at Lake Stevens.

Contact Whidbey News Times Sports editor Jim Waller at jwaller@whidbeynewsgroup.com or 360-675-6611 ext. 5060.

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