10 BOYS TO WATCH
Dean Reginio, 106, sr., Timberline
Josh Beam, 132, jr., Timberline
Dillon Harris, 138, sr., Yelm
David Griffith, 138, sr., Capital
James Bradley, 145, sr., Yelm
Andrew White, 145, sr., W.F. West
Riley Prentice, 170, sr., Tumwater
Garrett Pannkuk, 220, sr., Centralia
Caleb Richards, 220, sr., North Thurston
Stone Hart, 220, jr., Timberline
OUTLOOK
The 2A Evergreen Conference will once again be very competitive with Centralia, W.F. West and Tumwater having a wealth of returning wrestlers. Centralia won the 16-team Timberline Invitational earlier this month and has more than 60 wrestlers on its team following one of the school’s most successful seasons last year. The Tigers went unbeaten in league play, then captured the regional title and finished as Class 2A runners-up to Deer Park at Mat Classic. … Tumwater likely will challenge the Tigers with Prentice, last season’s 2A champion at 160, and the Nolan brothers – James and Cameron – leading the way. The Nolans faced off for fifth place at 119 last season. … Richards leads North Thurston and is ranked second at 220 by washingtonwrestlingreport.com after placing seventh at Mat Classic last year. … Black Hills lost both of its 2011 state participants to graduation but returns junior Logan Gillihan (120), a state alternate last season. … River Ridge wrestlers went a combined 118-248 last season, so a rebuilding season is in store for the Hawks. … Could it be another Enumclaw-Yelm showdown for the 3A state team title? The Tornados are deep enough to make another run, led by four wrestlers – Dillon Harris (138), Bradley (145), Anthony Allred (170), and Jeren Hufford (132) – who have placed in the top five at the state championships. Harris and Bradley are multiple-time state placers – with Bradley twice finishing as a runner-up. … Timberline has four Mat Classic qualifiers back from last year’s team – Reginio (106), Beam (132), Tyler Saichompoo (182) and Hart (220), plus transfer Nick Morf (138), who qualified for the Alaska state tournament last season. … Ten ninth-graders are out for Capital, which did not have a state representative last season. Griffith, a 2010 Mat Classic entrant at 125, is the Cougars’ best bet to end that streak. … Tenino should be strong in the lower weights, with Tyler Langford (145) leading the way. … Defending Southwest Washington Evergreen Division champion Elma should be a real factor at 1A. Eleven of its 14 varsity wrestlers return this season. … Rainier’s turnout numbers are small, but junior Bryton Mede (132) is a two-time state participant.
5 GIRLS TO WATCH
Isabella Silva, 106, jr., Centralia
Charlene Carrell, 137, jr., Elma
Morgan Michels, 155, sr., Yelm
Tonie Edwards, 170, so., Yelm
Chandra Ragsac, 170, sr., Capital
OUTLOOK
With 26 wrestlers, Yelm is the largest team in South Sound and has placed in the top 10 in the team standings at Mat Classic the past two years. Michels, who started wrestling as a freshman at 210 pounds, is now wrestling at 155. She’s placed at state the past two years at 171 (sixth) and 160 (eighth). … Centralia will have a girls team this season for the first time and has 13 wrestlers out. Silva placed fourth last season at 103. … Elma has three wrestlers currently ranked in the top 10 of their respective weight classes — Carrell (137), Julia Arnold (145) and Hannah Strickland (170).
