Buoyed by individual titles from Christian Bertram and Jackson Constant, the Oak Harbor High School boys wrestling team finished fourth out of eight teams at the subregional tournament at Stanwood High School Friday and Saturday, Feb. 6 and 7.
Four other Wildcats placed in the top four and will join Bertram and Constant at the regional meet at Marysville-Pilchuck High School Saturday, Feb. 14. Four from each weight class will advance to the state meet.
Oak Harbor edged Stanwood by three points, 216-213, to finish fourth. Arlington won with 352.5 points.
Wildcats coach Peter Esvelt was impressed by the Eagles’ performance: “Arlington looked like a future state champ, placing first and young.”
Esvelt was also impressed with his team, especially from Nate Mecom (170 pounds, fourth place), Martin Powers (170, sixth place) and Eriq Boler (145, sixth place). All placed while coming into the meet with minimal wins.
“(Zach) Aketch (138) and (Garrett) Stahl (113) placing fifth was also a big surprise; they wrestled great this weekend,” Esvelt said. The pair will be alternates for the regional tournament.
Jeremy Vester (128) placed second, losing 4-2 in the finals to top-ranked West Weinert of Stanwood.
Tyler Adamson (285) placed third after losing 8-7 in the semifinals.
Mark Johnston (145) was fourth to round out the Oak Harbor regional qualifiers.
Aaron Fletcher (120) finished sixth.
Bertram reached the finals with two pins, then won the title 10-6 over Joel Delgadillo of Everett.
Constant also recorded two falls to qualify for the finals where he won by injury default over Marysville-Pilchuck’s Austin Brown.
Esvelt said he was pleased with sending six to regional: “Our subregional is one of the toughest around, this year more so than others. We knew that going into it, and this competition we are facing now will better prepare us for state.”
Oak Harbor results at the subregional meet:
106, Robert Pennington: won by pin, lost by pin, won by pin, lost 5-2.
106, William Nickelson: lost by pin, bye, lost by pin.
113, Stahl (fifth place): won by pin, lost 11-5, won by pin, won 18-6, lost 7-3.
120, Bertram (first): bye, won by pin, won by pin, won 10-6.
120, Fletcher (sixth): won by pin, lost by pin, won by pin, won 16-7, lost by pin, lost by pin.
126, Michael Lym: lost by injury default, lost by injury default.
126, Joseph Field: won by pin, lost by pin, won by pin, lost 14-2.
132, Trevor Vaughn: lost by pin, bye, lost 20-6.
132, William Stuntz: won 14-12, lost 6-2, won 20-6, lost by pin.
138, Vester (second): bye, won by pin, won 8-2, lost 4-2.
138, Aketch (fifth): won by pin, lost by pin, won 16-0, won 9-3, lost 9-2, won by pin.
145, Johnston (fourth): bye, won by pin, lost 15-10, won by pin, lost by pin.
145, Boler (sixth): won by pin, lost by pin, won by pin, won 5-3, lost by pin, lost by pin.
152, Chris Brooks: lost by pin, bye, lost by pin.
152, Michael Corfman: lost 16-8, bye, lost by pin.
160, Nick Dugin: lost 10-1, won 9-4, lost by pin.
160, Brycin McIntyre: lost by pin, bye, lost by pin.
170, Mecom (fourth): won by pin, lost by pin, won by pin, won 20-3, won by pin, lost by pin.
170, Powers (sixth): won by pin, lost by pin, won by pin, won by injury default, lost by pin, lost 12-1.
182, Colton Burdick: lost by pin, bye, lost by pin.
182, Josh McKenzie: lost by pin, bye, lost by pin.
195, Cameron Robards: lost by pin, bye, lost by pin.
220, Austin Taylor: won by pin, lost by pin, lost 10-3.
220, John Long: lost by pin, bye, lost by pin.
285, Constant (first): bye, won by pin, won by pin, won by injury default.
285, Adamson (third): bye, won by pin, lost 8-7, won 8-7, won by pin.
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Zach Aketch takes down Marysville-Pilchuck’s Justin Collier on the way to a 9-3 win. Photo by Jim Waller.
