Grapplers end season with wins
The Whidbey Wildcat wrestling club finished the 2007/2008 season on a high note bringing home medals in the final three tournaments of the season.
On Saturday, April 26, six of the local grapplers participated in the USE Everett Freestyle Tournament and four placed.
The following Saturday, May 3, eight wrestlers traveled to East Valley High School in Spokane for the state freestyle championships and six placed.
In the final tournament of the year, at Sedro-Woolley High School May 10, just three wrestlers participated in the Steelclaw Classic, but two finished in the top eight.
“Great job guys, we saw some real tough wrestling, and coach Matt and myself are real proud in how you all did,” said coach Rick Fakkema. “Those that placed, qualified for regionals in Idaho in the middle of June.”
On an exciting note, the club will be hosting the peewee, schoolboy/schoolgirl Washington state freestyle tournament in 2009.
The tournament’s date will be announced in the early fall and as many as 500 wrestlers from around the state could be entered in the tournament.
USA Everett freestyle tournament
at Cascade High School
Saturday, April 26
112 to 120-pound schoolboy/schoolgirl — 2. Dakota Sinchak.
112 to 120-pound schoolboy/schoolgirl — 3. Joshua Crebbin.
171-pound junior — 1. James Schoor.
185-pound senior — 3. Jason Mannie.
Washington state freestyle championships
at Spokane East Valley High School
Saturday, May 3
55-pound bantam — 7. Ty Eck.
65-pound bantam — 3. Gabriel Eck.
75-pound midget — 3. Jacob Dye.
75-pound novice — 3. Mike Johnston.
98-pound schoolboy/schoolgirl — 4. Cody Fakkema.
112-pound schoolboy/schoolgirl — 6. Dakota Sinchak.
Sedro-Woolley Steeclaw Classic
at Sedro-Woolley High School
Saturday, May 10
119-pound cadet — 4. Connar Zimmerman.
130-pound junior — 5. Colton Elliot.
Mariners groove on UW softball
On Tuesday, May 6, the Oak Harbor Little League Junior fastpitch softball team, the Mariners, traveled to Seattle to the University of Washington campus for a look at what softball is at its highest level, the college game.
Mariner manager Bob Price said, “I was excited about the experience, but the girls were just stoked at the opportunity after we were invited out for a practice. I had no idea what was in store for us.”
Huskies head coach Heather Tarr met with the team and was very adamant to the players during practice about the importance of education and being a student athlete.
“I’ll have to say, to have a means to an end to strive for, the University of Washington is it,” Price said. “My Mariners will never forget it and I have never had a more productive day with a bunch of young players.”
Price has been a volunteer coach in little league since 1998 and is an active duty US Navy Chief Petty Officer when not involved shaping the lives of his players in Little League softball.
