Mixed feelings took center stage Saturday night at the Tacoma Dome during Mat Classic XXIII.
For 171-pound Kentlake senior Jesse Keliiliki, those feelings revolved around being an “underdog.” For Kent-Meridian heavyweight Jean-Claude Atkinson, the feelings were more about exceeding most everyone’s expectations, yet still falling short of the goals he established for himself at the beginning of the season. And for 119-pound Kentridge senior Nick Aliment, Saturday proved to be a day when he finished his prep wrestling career on a high note by winning his final match.
Along with a state championship by Kentwood senior Ruben Navejas, Kent schools combined for a grand total of seven medals during the Class 4A state meet, which was held Friday and Saturday at the Tacoma Dome.
After Navejas, Kent-Meridian’s Atkinson and Kentwood’s Cassidy Meyers, a 119-pounder competing in the girls tournament, brought home the next two highest finishes. Meyers worked her way into the semifinals with a pair of pins, but was unable to continue the momentum en route to a fourth-place finish.
Atkinson, a 230-pound heavyweight, opened with a pair of narrow victories — 1-0 over Michael Henry of Graham-Kapowsin and a 4-2 overtime victory over Union’s Max Proudfit — to move into the semifinals, but was unable to sustain the momentum. Atkinson, a senior, lost to Auburn’s Nick Conlan in the third-place match, 4-3. Atkinson led the match with less than 10 seconds remaining before giving up a 2-point takedown.
“It was really tough,” said Atkinson, who finished the season 39-5. “I got out of position and I just kept charging at him, which wasn’t very smart.”
It was a bittersweet end to the tournament for Atkinson.
“I have mixed feelings,” he said. “I feel like I should have done a little bit better on my two losses. I am really sad that this is my last year because this is my first state tournament.”
Overall, however, it was a solid campaign for the K-M standout.
“He’s had a great year,” said Kent-Meridian coach Todd Owens. “I am really happy with him. He overachieved.”
Kent-Meridian’s Luke Barzie added a fifth-place finish for the Royals.
Like Atkinson, Kentlake’s Keliiliki proved to be a bit of an overachiever. Keliiliki barely advanced to the state tournament after taking fourth at regionals. The top four wrestlers at the regional tournament earned state berths. Once at state, Keliiliki didn’t disappoint, bringing home a fourth-place medal.
“I didn’t get nervous (at state) because I’m the underdog,” he said. “That’s what I felt like coming into this. The three guys who placed above me (at regionals) didn’t even make it. I don’t know, I guess some people want to go home early and some don’t.”
Keliiliki was joined on the podium by teammate Colton Marlowe, a 130-pounder who grabbed a sixth-place medal. Marlowe had to go through teammate Sean Farr in a second-round consolation match en route to that sixth-place finish. It’s the third time in as many weeks Marlowe met his teammate at a tournament.
“It’s really frustrating when one of your guys is continuing his season while another is finished,” lamented Kentlake coach Jeremy Williams.
Meanwhile, Aliment was all smiles about making it to the second day of the state tournament. The Kentridge senior took eighth as a sophomore, but didn’t advance to the tournament last year.
Just making it back to state was a load off of Aliment’s shoulders.
“I spent all of last year and this year working to get back here,” said Kentridge’s 119-pounder, who finished the year with a 32-10 overall record and a seventh-place medal. “To have it happen is nice. I wanted to place top five, but I also wanted to win my last high school match.”
Aliment accomplished just that, knocking off Moses Lake’s Beau Gleed 5-2 for the seventh-place medal.
The biggest surprise of the tournament, however, belonged to Kentwood senior Daniel Park, who also took seventh. Park finished fifth at the league tournament, where only the top four advance, and only qualified for the regional tournament after another wrestler came down with a skin infection. Park made good on the opportunity with a strong showing at regionals and state.
“I already told him that he’s going to be my inspirational speech for my kids for the next 10 years because you never know,” said Kentwood coach Ken Sroka. “He got a chance, he worked hard at practice … made it to regionals, re-adjusted and wrestled really well here. I am really happy with him.”
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