Columbia Basin roundup: Local wrestlers compete in out-of-state tournaments

MOSES LAKE — Two weeks.

That’s all the time off Hunter Cruz took after his state championship. No rest for the weary, or the determined.

It’s the high school offseason, but there’s still plenty of wrestling around the country. Cruz recently won the Best of the Northwest Tournament in La Grande, Oregon to go with a trip to Virginia for another tournament that featured All-Americans.

“Going to all these big tournament, it keeps me humbled,” Cruz said. “I won state, but it doesn’t really mean anything when you go to Virginia because everyone won state. Going over there and not being an All-American just lit the fire underneath me again. I was getting kind of confident or whatever after state, but definitely not now.”

Cruz along with Moses Lake High School teammates Riley Burgess and Christien Knopp head to Reno, Nevada this weekend for the World of Wrestling Reno World Championships.

Like Cruz, Knopp and Burgess are using out-of-state tournaments to stay sharp until the next high school season begins in December. Reno features brackets with 100-plus wrestlers.

“You just got to have fun,” Knopp said. “If you’re not out there having fun then what’s the point of doing it? If you don’t have fun, you’re not going to perform at your best.”

Knopp was a state participant in 2017. He hopes the added mat time can translate to increased success at the Tacoma Dome in 2018.

“It opened my eyes,” Knopp said. “I realized I was there to compete and I just wasn’t on my game when I was there. I’ll be there next year; a whole another year to get ready for the state title.”

Burgess placed at the Tri-State Tournament and was a state alternate as a sophomore. The rangy lightweight is one Chief with an abundance of potential as an upperclassmen.

“I’m working on my basics,” Burgess said. “Trying to fine-tune my shots... Getting off the bottom, that’s another thing. That’s my weak zone. I need to learn how to get up off the bottom.”

Along with the high schoolers, Freedom Wrestling Academy is sending its youngsters to their state tournament at the Spokane Convention Center this weekend. Freedom has a group of over 20 youth wrestlers that practice at the Moses Lake Armory.

“I like these guys,” Cruz said. “Mark (Janke) is probably one of the best wrestlers to ever come from Moses Lake and they’re good coaches. I like what they’re doing here. They’ve got a lot of good little kids.”

College baseball

Big Bend swept by Columbia Basin

PASCO — Big Bend squandered two leads and was swept by Columbia Basin 8-4 and 7-6.

The Vikings led 3-2 after two innings in the first game before the Hawks scored six unanswered runs.

Nathan English was 0-for-5 at the plate, but drove in two of Big Bend’s runs. Moses Lake’s Cade Tunstall pitched three innings of relief, allowing two runs on four hits.

Big Bend held a 6-5 lead entering the ninth inning of the second game. RBI singles by McKlane Elgin and Zeb Chamberlain in the final frame. completed Columbia Basin’s comeback.