TRI-STATE INVITATIONAL: Anyone's title to win, but Trojans a favorite again

By JASON ELLIOTT

Sports writer

With defending champion Flathead High of Kalispell, Mont., opting not to return, it’s anyone’s guess just who will be left standing on Saturday night at the 52nd Tri-State Invitational wrestling tournament.

Could it be Post Falls, last year’s runner-up which is bidding for its first title since 2019?

Maybe Mead of Spokane, fresh off its win at last weekend’s Inland Empire Classic at Central Valley High in Spokane.

“It’s a great environment for sure,” said NIC wrestling coach and tournament director Derrick Booth. “A lot of people come together on our campus, with some great competition and support the programs that are here. It’s a testament to the wrestling community here locally. They want to see good competition and it’s right here in their backyard.”

Since 2014, Post Falls has won Tri-State four times — 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2019 — and Coeur d’Alene once in 2021.

Junior Rider Seguine, the 2023 champion at 98 pounds, is the top seed at 120 for Post Falls.

“A team really needs to have two or three kids in the finals, along with six to 10 placers to contend for a title,” Post Falls coach Pete Reardon said. “So it really needs to be an overall team performance. Bonus points can really play in as well. Pins can make a big point difference throughout the tournament.”

“I feel like we’ve got a handful of guys that can place,” Coeur d’Alene coach Jeff Moffat said. “I know what a grind it is to get through that tournament. It really just depends on the mindset. Guys like Rocco (White) and Justus (Peregrina), we’ll see. You never know with our freshmen guys, but I think we’ve got a few medalists. We’ve got some guys that could be in the mix to place.”

Wrestling begins today at 10 a.m., with the quarterfinals scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday’s action begins at 9 a.m., with semifinals at noon and championship finals tentatively set for 5 p.m.

Booth added that they’ll hold a dedication preceding the finals for former NIC wrestling coach John Owen, who passed away on Jan. 19, 2023, from complications due to a stroke.

Matches will be held at Christianson Gymnasium on the campus at North Idaho College. Some upper weight matches will be held at the NIC Student Wellness and Recreational Center on Friday.

“Post Falls will be right there, and the same goes for Orting (Wash.) and Mead,” said Booth, a 2010 graduate of Post Falls High. “We’ve got a host of new schools that will be here for the first time that could make some noise as well.”

Orting was third at Tri-State last year, and Mead was fourth.

Those teams include Bishop Kelly of Boise and Belgrade (Mont.).

Flathead opted to compete in the CMR Holiday Classic in Great Falls this weekend.

“Year by year, some teams opt to go to different places,” Booth said. “We’re still making it as competitive as possible.”

Tournament passes are $25 for adults, $15 for seniors and students. Finals only is $10.

Live results can be found on www.trackwrestling.com.

TRI-STATE INVITATIONAL

Friday, Saturday

At North Idaho College

(Seeds listed with 2022 Tri-State and state tournament finish where available)

98 pounds — 1, Wyatt Carey, Timberlake (fourth at Tri-State in 2022, third at state). 2, Rocco White, Coeur d’Alene (seventh at Tri-State in 2022, fifth at state). 3, Gage Loftin, Post Falls (did not place at Tri-State or state). 4, Holten Crane, Bishop Kelly (did not place at Tri-State or state). 5, Landon Hansen, Frenchtown (did not place at Tri-State or state). 6, Johnny Stovern, Kellogg (did not place at Tri-State or state). 7, Maddox Taft, Mt. Spokane (did not place at Tri-State or state). 8, Kevin Watson, Kellogg (did not place at Tri-State or state).

106 — 1, Libby Roberts, University (second at Tri-State in 2022, won state title in 2023). 2, Tanner Crosby, Mt. Spokane (third at Tri-State in 2022, third at state in 2023). 3, Ian Garza, Moses Lake (fourth at Tri-State in 2022, did not place at state). 4, Jayden Jasso, Sunnyside (did not place at Tri-State or state). 5, Kaden Schaff, Grangeville (did not place at Tri-State or state). 6, Kaysic Lundquist, Mead (fifth at Tri-State in 2022, fifth at state). 7, Wesley Leeper, Kelso (eighth at Tri-State in 2022, fourth at state). 8, Cody Westlake, Belgrade (did not place at Tri-State, third at state). 

113 — 1, Czar Quintanilla, University (defending Tri-State champion, won at state). 2, Isaac Campos, Othello (fourth at Tri-State in 2022, second at state). 3, Dominic Thomas, Orting (did not place at Tri-State, 2023 state champion). 4, Nolan Brown, Belgrade (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, second at state). 5, Ahmad Banishamsa, Lake Stevens (fifth at Tri-State in 2022, fourth at state). 6, Samuel Valencia, Sunnyside (did not place at Tri-State or state). 7, Skylar Ammons, Castle Rock (did not place at Tri-State, third at state). 8, Logan Loaiza, Post Falls (did not place at Tri-State, fourth at state).

120 — 1, Rider Seguine, Post Falls (defending Tri-State and state champion). 2, Tanner Grooms, Okanogan (second at Tri-State in 2022, won state title). 3, Jesus Campos, Centralia (did not place at Tri-State, second at state). 4, Jacob Christianson, Lake Stevens (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, second at state). 5, Rodger Cate, Lake Roosevelt (seventh at Tri-State in 2022, did not place at state). 6, Chris Lopez Gonzales, Burlington-Edison (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, third at state). 7, Jaren Knopp, Lakeland (sixth at Tri-State in 2022, sixth at state). 8, Daniel Gonzalez, Othello (eighth at Tri-State in 2022, did not place at state).

126 — 1, Juan Hoffman, Kamiakin (third at Tri-State in 2022, did not place at state). 2, Andrew Duke, Sandpoint (third at Tri-State in 2022, did not place at state). 3, Mason Gutenberger, Belgrade (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, won state title). 4, Gerardo Hernandez, Tonasket (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, state champion). 5, Evan Benitez, Grandview (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, second at state). 6, Hudson Raulston, Medical Lake (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, second at state). 7, Cooper Williams, Castle Rock (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, second at state). 8, James Mason, Mead (fifth at Tri-State in 2022, fifth at state). 

132 — 1, Bryan Dickerson, Orting (defending Tri-State and state champion). 2, Aaron Polito, Tonasket (second at Tri-State in 2022, won state title). 3, Josh Neiwert, Mead (second at Tri-State in 2022, won state title). 4, Hoyt Hvass, Lewiston (third at Tri-State in 2022, did not place at state). 5, Blaine Beard, Central Valley (fourth at Tri-State in 2022, third at state). 6, Mason Wolcott, La Grande (seventh at Tri-State in 2022, third at state). 7, Jake Castagneto, Bishop Kelly (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, won state title). 8, Darrell Nanpuya, Omak (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, won state title).

138 — 1, Quentin Harding, Orting (second at Tri-State in 2022, won state title). 2, Israel Acosta, Pullman (third at Tri-State in 2022, second at state). 3, Daeton Johnson, Chiawana (sixth at Tri-State in 2022, won state title). 4, Jaeger Hall, Kellogg (sixth at Tri-State in 2022, won state title). 5, Manuel Valdez, Bishop Kelly (did not place at Tri-State, won state title). 6, Logan Utecht, West Valley (Spokane), (did not place at Tri-State, second at state). 7, Jayson Bonnett, Mt. Spokane (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, second at state). 8, Braxton Smith, Mead (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, sixth at state).

145 — Michael Fritz, Orting (second at Tri-State in 2022, won state title). 2, Tyson Barnhart, Post Falls (fourth at Tri-State in 2022, second at state). 3, Joe Sullivan, Tahoma (eight at Tri-State in 2022, second at state). 4, Tommy Belding, La Grande (seventh at Tri-State in 2022, third at state). 5, Colin McIntyre, Vashon Island (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, third at state). 6, Chase Weber, Burlington-Edison (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, third at state). 7, Logan Stucker, Tonasket (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, third at state). 8, Tyge Plank, Tonasket (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, fourth at state).

152 — 1, Apollo Cruz, Orting (defending Tri-State, state champion). 2, Ivan Acosta, Pullman (fifth at Tri-State in 2022, second at state). 3, Matthew Martino, Bishop Kelly (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, won state title). 4, Tre Haines, Arlington (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, won state title). 5, Jeroen Smith, Mead (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, third at state). 6, Damion Hamilton, Post Falls (sixth at Tri-State in 2022, did not place at state). 7, Dayton Regan, Moses Lake (seventh at Tri-State in 2022, fourth at state). 8, Jordan Tobias, Chiawana (eighth at Tri-State in 2022, third at state). 

160 — 1, Samuel Thomas, University (second at Tri-State in 2022, second at state). 2, Jadon Skellenger, Bishop Kelly (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, won state title). 3, Trey Smith, Post Falls (fourth at Tri-State in 2022, third at state). 4, Dustin Baxter, Arlington (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, second at state). 5, Cyrus Comia, Tahoma (fifth at Tri-State in 2022, third at state). 6, Hugh Wheeler, Cashmere (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, third at state). 7, Chase Bradrick, Vashon Island (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, sixth at state). 8, Ian Burton, Castle Rock (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, sixth at state).

170 — 1, Caden Wilson, Hanford (third at Tri-State in 2022, third at state). 2, Benjamin Larson, Hermiston (fourth at Tri-State in 2022, fifth at state). 3, Seth Martin, Post Falls (fourth at Tri-State in 2022, third at state). 4, Ezekiel McEwen, Capital (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, won state title). 5, Seiya Thompson, Bishop Kelly (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, won state title). 6, Eli Perkes, Hanford (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, second at state). 7, Ridge Kehr, La Grande (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, second at state). 8, Devin Pierce, East Valley (fifth at Tri-State in 2022, third at state).

182 — 1, Cody Northwind, Granger (fifth at Tri-State in 2022, won state title). 2, Luke Schell, Timberlake (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, fourth at state). 3, Nathan Hansen, Frenchtown (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, fifth at state). 4, Bayden Beard, Central Valley (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, seventh at state). 5, Cooper Hendrickson, Burlington-Edison (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, eighth at state). 6, Tayten Cissne, Chiawana (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, eighth at state). 7, Brice Cuthbert, Lewiston (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, did not place at state). 8, Asa Knutson, Hanford (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, did not place at state).

195 — 1, Jace DeShazer, Libby (fourth at Tri-State in 2022, won state title). 2, Kaleb Grove, Weiser (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, second at state). 3, Jorden Tyler, Sandpoint (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, third at state). 4, Conner Kline, Reardan (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, third at state). 5, Trenton Moore, Cheney (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, fifth at state). 6, Kendall Sage, Post Falls (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, sixth at state). 7, Bridger Cloninger, Lewis and Clark (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, seventh at state). 8, Joshua Limon-Garcia, Kamiakin (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, did not place at state).

220 — 1, Koen Mattern, Lake Stevens (second at Tri-State in 2022, second at state). 2, Brendan Hughes, Mt. Spokane (seventh at Tri-State in 2022, fourth at state). 3, Braeden Harvey, Mead (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, fifth at state). 4, Carson Durbin, Reardan (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, fifth at state). 5, Xavier Cardona, Omak (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, sixth at state). 6, Samuel Sears, Pullman (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, eighth at state). 7, Josh Henning, Hanford (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, eighth at state). 8, Dylan Scott, Lakeland (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, did not place at state).

285 — 1, Kenai Huff, La Grande (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, second at state). 2, Mason Perez, Othello (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, did not place at state). 3, Anthony Ramos, Grandview (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, fourth at state). 4, Austin Brush, Frenchtown (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, fifth at state). 5, Noah Morago-Bigboy, Omak (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, fifth at state). 6, Lane Hedrick, Chiawana (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, seventh at state). 7, Dominic Echeverria, Hermiston (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, did not place at state). 8, Gavin McCallum, Kamiakin (did not place at Tri-State in 2022, did not place at state).