TRI-STATE INVITATIONAL: Three Trojans triumph ... Wins by Seguine, Smith, Miller help Post Falls finish second to Flathead

By JASON ELLIOTT

Sports writer

COEUR d’ALENE — It was a crowning achievement — times three — for the Trojans.

The fourth, will have to wait another year.

Sophomore Rider Seguine (98 pounds), as well as seniors Gentry Smith (195) and Trevor Miller (220) claimed individual titles for Post Falls, which finished runner-up at the 51st Tri-State Invitational on Saturday at North Idaho College.

Miller, who was fourth at Tri-State as a junior, overwhelmed Koen Mattern in the second period for a pin. Smith outlasted Jarom Liljenquist of Mt. Spokane at 195 for his first title at Tri-State.

“I don’t know what to think of those last two matches (Smith and Miller),” Post Falls coach Pete Reardon said. “Those were wild and crazy matches. Both of those guys are really athletic and are capable of being explosive at any time. Gentry has that duck and saved it for the best time. Trevor’s just a great athlete and goes hard. He got to a position where he’s strong and made something happen.”

Miller trailed 2-1 after the first period, but after taking a moment, got things rolling his way.

“I got pretty wound up in the first period and kind after that first buzz, it’s a reality check,” Miller said. “After that, I need to focus on my positions and just get ready to go.”

Miller committed to play football at Idaho next fall.

“I’m at peace with it,” Miller said. “I’m totally OK with no wrestling again, but I’ll remember every memory we have as a team and all the work I’ve put in. But I’m really looking forward to playing football at Idaho and getting with them.”

Smith led his bout 2-1 after the first period.

“I was just really focused on taking it period by period and winning each of them,” said Smith, who finished third at Tri-State last year. “I just wanted to take care of business for my team and get us higher on the leaderboard.”

Seguine remembered that feeling under the spotlight at the 2021 Tri-State Invitational.

That 13-0 loss in the 98-pound championship, it wasn’t something he wanted to feel again.

So, what did he do? He went back to work.

“Last year, all of us were getting teched (in the 2021 finals),” Seguine said. “It was a real eye opener. I noticed I need to keep working and getting this win tonight really showed that.”

This year, back in the spotlight, Seguine didn’t let up, earning a pin over Preston Neufeld of Reardan in 4:36.

“Especially in neutral, I noticed he kept letting me keep my hand on his head,” Seguine said. “When I was able to circle around him, I was able to get his ankle, which led to me getting that pin.”

“Rider set the tone out there for us tonight for sure,” Reardon said. “He’s slick and when he’s at it, he’s tough. He’s hard-nosed and it was nice to see him get one here and start us off tonight.”

It was the first win at Tri-State for Seguine, who entered as the top seed at 98.

“It feels amazing,” Seguine said. “I just need to focus on one person at a time and everything that I do goes through our Christ.”

Seguine won the state 5A title last year in Pocatello.

“There’s always going to be someone better than me,” Seguine said. “I just need to keep working and be that wrestler that I strive to be.”

Post Falls was fifth at Tri-State in 2021. The tournament was not held in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Junior Tyson Barnhart (fourth at 132), sophomore Trey Smith (fourth at 145), sophomore Seth Martin (fourth at 152), senior John Rudebaugh (fourth at 160) and freshman Damion Hamilton (sixth at 145) also placed for the Trojans.

“It’s been awesome,” Smith said. “None of the kids are nationally ranked, but we all work together as a team to get better each day. We’re always working to get better each day.”

Post Falls, bidding for its first title at Tri-State since 2019, finished second with 229.5 points. Flathead of Kalispell, Mont., with two individual champions, won the tournament with 248.5.

“It’s a measuring stick for sure,” Reardon said. “We have to go out and see how good we are. We’ve got to train ourselves to be tough in tough matches, and that’s what you get here and at Rollie Lane (in Nampa, in January). This tournament, it’s the crown jewel of North Idaho and the northwest in general. It’s 51 years, and a huge tournament for us to compete at for sure.”

Lake City senior Zach Macdonald was fifth at 113. Macdonald beat Carlos Cervantes of Hermiston 14-8, his 100th career win. The Timberwolves finished 25th.

Senior Dax Larsen was fourth at 138, freshman Rocco White seventh at 98 for Coeur d’Alene, which finished tied with Lakeland for 28th with 61 points.

Sophomore Jaren Knopp (98) and senior Preston Jeffs (285) were fourth for Lakeland.

Sandpoint junior Andrew Duke finished third at 106.

Timberlake freshman Wyatt Carey was fourth at 98

Senior Jaeger Hall (sixth at 132) and freshman Chase Scribner (seventh at 106) also placed for Kellogg, which was 22nd with 71 points.

Priest River senior Matyus McLain was fifth at 220.

TEAM SCORES — 1, Flathead 248.5. 2, Post Falls 229.5. 3, Orting 218. 4, Mead 178. 5, La Grande 169. 6, University 161. 7, Mt. Spokane 160. 8, Chiawana 126. 9, Othello 118. 10, Pullman 106.5. 11, Lake Stevens 98. 12, Granger 96. 13, Hermiston 94.5. 14, Hanford 93.5. 15, Tonasket 91. 16, Tahoma 84. 17, Frenchtown 78.5. 18, Lewiston 78. 19, Glacier Peak 76. 20, Kamiakin 72. 21, Deer Park 71.5. 22, Kellogg 71. 23, East Valley 68. 24, Kelso 67.5. 25, Lake City 64.5. 26 (tie), Moses Lake, Richland 63. 28 (tie), Coeur d’Alene, Lakeland 61. 30, Lakeside (Wash.) 54. 31, Priest River 53. 32, Sandpoint 50. 33, Jenkins 49. 34, Clarkston 48. 35, Davenport 45. 36 (tie), Potlatch, Timberlake 44. 38, Cheney 43. 39, Central Valley 42. 40, Shadle Park 39.5. 41, Libby 36. 42, Colville 33.5. 43, Riverside 33. 44, West Valley 32. 45, Reardan 30. 46, Vashon Island 29. 47 (tie), Lake Roosevelt, Okanogan 28. 49, Liberty 23. 50, Gonzaga Prep 21. 51, Moscow 19. 52, Bonners Ferry 18.5. 53, Royal 17. 54, North Central 13. 55, Sentinel 12. 56 (tie), Eatonville, Freeman 10. 58, Medical Lake 6. 59, Northwest Christian 0.

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES

98 – Rider Seguine, Post Falls, p. Preston Neufeld, Reardan, 4:36. 106 – Isaac Stewart, Frenchtown, tf. Libby Roberts, University, 15-0. 113 – Czar Quintanilla, University, d. Michael Fritz, Orting, 4-2. 120 – Alan Salguero Jr., Orting, d. Tanner Grooms, Okanogan, 8-2. 126 – Kai Carson, La Grande, d. Quentin Harding, Orting, 2-1. 132 – Bryan Dickerson, Orting, p. Aaron Polito, Tonasket, 5:02. 138 – Apollo Cruz, Orting, d. Josh Neiwert, Mead, 7-5. 145 – Ethan Freund, Kelso, d. Gil Mossburg, Glacier Peak, 6-4. 152 — Q’Veli Quintanella, University, md. Jake Hubby, Hanford, 12-4. 160 — Gabe Lake, Flathead, p. Samuel Thomas, University, 1:23. 170 — Anders Thompson, Flathead, md. Ethan Frank, Deer Park, 16-6. 182 — Conan Worthwind, Granger, d. Noah Poe-Hatten, Flathead, 7-3. 195 — Gentry Smith, Post Falls, d. Jarom Liljenquist, Mt. Spokane, 7-3. 220 — Trevor Miller, Post Falls, p. Koen Mattern, Lake Stevens, 3:06. 285 — Alonzo Vargas, East Valley, d. Robert Storm, Lewiston, 3-1.

THIRD-FOURTH PLACE

98 — Tanner Crosby, Mt. Spokane, d. Wyatt Carey, 1-0. 106 — Andrew Duke, Sandpoint, p. Ian Garza, Moses Lake, 1:48. 113 — Diesel Thompson, Flathead, d. Isaac Campos, Othello, 7-5. 120 — Juan Hoffman, Kamiakin, d. Saul Salinas, Richland, 7-2. 126 — Hoyt Hvass, Lewiston, d. Nathan Curry, Tahoma, 9-5. 132 — Jose Toscano, Granger, tf. Tyson Barnhart, Post Falls, 16-0. 138 — Israel Acosta, Pullman, md. Dax Larsen, Coeur d’Alene, 13-2. 145 — Hudson Buth, St. Spokane, d. Trey Smith, Post Falls, 4-3. 152 — Cade Troupe, Flathead, md. Seth Martin, Post Falls, 12-3. 160 — Caden Wilson, Hanford, d. John Rudebaugh, Post Falls, 2-0. 170 — Gunnar Thompson, Flathead, d. Benjamin Larson, Hermiston, 3-2. 182 — Noah Rausch, Frenchtown, md. Jackson Hale, Mt. Spokane, 10-0. 195 — Sawyer Troupe, Flathead, d. Jace DeShazer, Libby, 6-4. 220 — Chris Grosse, Mead, d. Daren Airey, Mt. Spokane, 8-7. 285 — Connor Aney, Glacier Peak, p. Preston Jeffs, Lakeland, 1:29.

FIFTH-SIXTH PLACE

98 — Kaysic Lundquist, Mead, d. Joely Slyter, Lewiston, 6-0. 106 — Ahmad Banishamsa, Lake Stevens, d. Jaren Knopp, Lakeland, 4-0. 113 — Zach Macdonald, Lake City, d. Carlos Cervantes, Hermiston, 14-8. 120 — James Mason, Mead, d. Isaiah Medina, Chiawana, by injury default. 126 — Dawson Bailey, Clarkston, d. Daeton Johnson, Chiawana, by injury default. 132 — Braxton Smith, Maed, p. Jaeger Hall, Kellogg, 1:14. 138 — Joe Showalter, Cheney, d. Joshua Collins, La Grande, 7-3. 145 — Antonio Nicacio, Kamiakin, p. Damion Hamilton, Post Falls, :35. 152 — Cyrus Cornia, Tahoma, d. Chris Rodriguez, Tonasket, by forfeit. 160 — Ivan Acosta, Pullman, d. Austin Justice, Mead, by forfeit. 170 — Devin Pierce, East Valley, d. Levi DiCugno, Orting, by forfeit. 182 — Judah Bishop, Chiawana, d. Wyatt Livingston, La Grande, by forfeit. 195 — Jaxson Gribskov, Hermiston, d. Terrill Freeman, Othello, 3-1. 220 — Matyus McLain, Priest River, p. Josue Solorio, Othello, :58. 285 — Cotton Sears, Pullman, d. Siu Sepeni, Hermiston, by forfeit.

SEVENTH-EIGHTH PLACE

98 — Rocco White, Coeur d’Alene, p. Dayton Naldrett, Flathead, 1:43. 106 — Chase Scribner, Kellogg, d. Wes Leeper, Kelso, 4-2. 113 — Rodger Cate, Lake Roosevelt, p. Daniel Gonzalez, Othello, 3:34. 120 — Mason Wolcott, La Grande, d. Derek Dunlop, Lakeside, 4-0. 126 — Blaine Beard, Central Valley, d. Joe Sullivan, Tahoma, 3-1. 132 — Tommy Belding, La Grande, d. Aydin Peltier, Pullman, 4-1. 138 — Daniel Garza, Hermiston, d. Forrest Roylance, Othello, 2-0. 145 — Logan Stansberry, Flathead, md. Colin Edmonds, Glacier Peak, 10-2. 152 — Dayton Regan, Moses Lake, p. Tommy Elliot, North Central, 1:18. 160 — Mateo Escobar, Shadle Park, p. Cole Lockart, Lewiston, :54. 170 — Aaron DesRoches, Riverside, md. Hayden Blank, Lakeside, 9-0. 182 — Brendan Hughes, Mt. Spokane, d. Xander Winter, Flathead, 6-0. 195 — Jarett Armstrong, La Grande, p. Wyhatt Larson Phelen, Orting, 1:41. 220 — Melvin Kreitzer, Richland, p. Cedar Lundberg, Orting, :38. 285 — Lane Hedrick, Chiawana, p. Tyler Pettigrew, Jenkins, 2:47.