Blackhawks ranked sixth overall in state 2A division
Cheney's Teagan Simon locks-up his opponent during his match in the 152-weight-class during the Blackhawk Invite Saturday in Cheney. The Blackhawks took third out of 19 participating teams, missing second place by half a point.
CHENEY - Blackhawk wrestlers wrangled their way to a third-place team finish at their own Blackhawk Invitational on Saturday with a 181.0 overall team score, giving up the second-place slot to Lakeside by half a point.
That half-point head coach Jason Connor blamed on a "mental mistake" that cost the team a point - and second place.
Junior Dylan Straley took first on a major decision in the 145 weight class to improve his 17-1 record, while Ashton Geiger won his fifth-place match with a pin in 2 minutes, 26 seconds.
In the 152 class, junior Jackson Showalter nailed a first-place finish with a pin in 3:45 to add to his impressive 21-3 record, while teammate Teagan Simon (16-6) settled for a sixth-place finish after losing his fifth-place match in a 5-2 decision.
Junior Blake Seubert improved his record to 25-2 with a first-place 7-3 decision at 160, while Anthony Aguilera settle for second-place at 170 against defending state champion Kaden Krouse in a 12-4 major decision loss for first place.
Connor noted that Aguilera gave Krouse, "a good match but couldn't quite match his scrambling and counter attacks on their feet."
James Whiteley (12-4) won his third-place match on a decisive 7-0 decision in the 195-weight class.
Adding to his 22-9 record, junior Hunter Despino won his third-place match, beating his West Valley opponent in the 138-weight class in an 8-5 decision.
Senior William Seeberger (18-6) took fourth and Trevor Caldwell (11-9) sixth in the 113 weight class, both in 6-3 decisions.
Sophomore Joe Showalter (10-11) settled for sixth in the 120-class on a 2-0 decision.
Junior Jase Winner (9-9) took sixth at 132, losing a fifth-place match on a 12-2 major decision.
"Our middle weights proved again that they are a tough group putting four straight in the finals," Connor said.
But that wasn't good enough.
"As a team, we fell apart a little in the placing round dropping four straight in the light weights and leaving a ton of team points on the mat," he said, adding, "we have got to be more disciplined as we approach the post season tournaments."
The Greater Spokane League's Mead Panthers took home first–place bragging rights by a wide margin with 217.5 team points overall out of the 19 teams participating in the tournament.
As of Dec. 26, Cheney was ranked sixth overall in the state 2A division, according to Washington Wrestling Report.
Cheney was scheduled to face their old cross-plains rival Medical Lake at the Scabland Scuffle dual at home on Wednesday, Jan. 8, followed by visiting West Valley the following Wednesday, Jan. 15.
Lee Hughes can be reached at lee@cheneyfreepress.com.
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