With three more wins under its belt, the Mercer Island wrestling team continues to accomplish its season goals and begins looking to where wrestlers sit for postseason action.
Last week, the Islanders beat O’Dea, 42-30, and Bellevue Christian, 54-27, at home before traveling to Lake Washington, where the Islanders won 55-16.
The team, which is undefeated in league matches this season, is on track to meet its season goals and prepare the younger wrestlers for futures in the program.
“We need to continue to work hard, stay focused and be prepared to make contributions,” said head coach Creighton Laughary. Due to high school finals last week, he said many JV wrestlers were called on to take a shot at the lineup, showing off good practices and meet performances.
“I am confident they will rise to the challenge,” the coach said.
After a successful competition at the Jack Reynold Memorial Fund tournament the weekend before, Laughary said that for many of the team members at this point of the season, it is about honing specific aspects of their game.
“Technique-wise, all the guys are refining their style at this point in the season. They are figuring out what moves work for them, they are refining those moves, adding countermoves and trying to become seamless in their execution of their moves. Instead of move, think, move, think, move — they need to move, move, move, move, win,” said Laughary.
Mercer Island 42, O’Dea 30
103 – Connor Gullstad won by fall
112 – Uriel Cohen lost by fall
119 – William Medlock lost by fall
125 – Kyle Shanafelt won by major decision 9-1
130 – James Kashima won by major decision 11-2
135 – Salvatore Giampapa lost by decision 5-3
140 – Blake Johnson won by forfeit
145 – Nathan Beckett won by forfeit
152 – Phil Frazier won by major decision 13-2
160 – Elliott Wittenberg lost by decision 9-4
171 – Nolan Fisk lost by fall
189 – Colton Knebel won by fall
215 – TJ Blackburn won by fall
285 – Frank Fulleton (O’Dea) won by forfeit
Mercer Island 54, Bellevue Christian 27
103 – Gullstad won by fall
112 – Cohen won by fall
119 – Medlock won by fall
125 – Tamir Amitai lost by major decision 14-5
130 – Yuanhan Xu lost by technical fall 16-1
135 – Giampapa lost by fall
140 – Parker Johnson lost by fall
145 – Samuel Vu lost by fall
152 – Frazier won by fall
160 – Tucker Vassau won by fall
171 – Wittenberg won by forfeit
189 – Fisk won by fall
215 – Blackburn won by forfeit
285 – Ben O’Connell won by forfeit
Mercer Island 55, Lake Washington 16
103 – Gullstad won by forfeit
112 – Cohen won by major decision 12-1
119 – Dylan Sullivan won by forfeit
125 – Shanafelt lost by decision 5-2
130 – Kashima won by fall
135 – Giampapa won by decision 6-5
140 – Blake Johnson won by fall
145 – Rawson won by forfeit
152 – Frazier lost by major decision 10-0
160 – Wittenberg won by decision 9-5
171 – Fisk lost by fall
189 – Knebel won by fall
215 – Blackburn won by fall
285 – O’Connell won by forfeit
