Flat on the mat: Bainbridge slow to show at State wrestling tourney

Despite the late hour inclusion of a previously alternate contender — 195-pounder Mac Schelbert — on the official bracket, the Bainbridge High School varsity wrestling team’s talented trio of grapplers suffered through a disappointing display at last week’s 2018 3A Washington State Mat Classic XXX Championships.

Schelbert, a junior, 160-pound senior co-captain Nate Michaels and 113-pound sophomore Cameron Williams made the trek to Tacoma, and each made two appearances beneath the big lights in the Tacoma Dome before the day was done.

Bainbridge ultimately placed 44th overall, out of 58 teams in attendance.

Mount Spokane claimed the top spot with a team score of 179. O’Dea was the best of the Metro squads, ranking 12th overall (55 points).

Williams, the lightest Spartan, was felled in 1:09 by Bethel’s Coty Chabot in his first outing Friday, Feb. 16.

In his second showing, Williams was brought down in 1:25 by Bridger Paradis.

Michaels was also defeated in both his matches Friday. First, he was pinned in 52 seconds by Kennewick’s Emilio Ramos. Then, against Hudson’s Bay’s Angel Castillo, he went the distance but lost 13-8.

Schelbert was pinned in 1:06 by Mount Spokane’s Mason Miethe in his first time on the mat. Then, against Christian Balmer, of Everett, he was pinned in 39 seconds.

For complete brackets of each weight class, visit www.wiaa.com.

Though not their best in recent memory, the Spartans’ performance in Tacoma Friday was guaranteed to be better than last season, when they did not advance any contenders to the Mat Classic tourney.

In 2016, the island squad saw one top-10 finish (Aaron Jumpa, 160-pounds); in 2015, three (Jumpa, 160, Liam Topham, 170, Jack Miller, 138); and, in 2014, one (Miller, 138).