fbpx

Flathead Wrestling Wins Tournament in Washington

Braves top strong field at Pacific Northwest Classic on Jan. 3-4

By Andy Viano
Flathead's Asher Kemppainen battles Glacier's Bridger Beach at the annual crosstown wrestling match at Glacier High School on Jan. 3, 2019. Greg Lindstrom | Flathead Beacon

Three Braves grapplers won their weight classes and Flathead High School bested a field with some of the top wrestling programs in the region to claim first place at the Pacific Northwest Classic in Spokane Valley, Washington on Jan. 4.

Flathead won the two-day event comfortably, with a combined team total of 214 1/2 points. Mt. Spokane High School (182 points) was a distant second.

Cade Troupe (126 pounds), Asher Kemppainen (132) and Tanner Russell (170) won individual titles. Troupe won all four of his matches by fall, going into the second period only once. Fin Nadeau (145) and Garrett Rieke (182) finished second. Brendan Barnes (138), Noah Poe-Hatten (152) and Zaybin Stewart (195) were third.

Glacier was also at the event and finished 12th as a team (72 points), led by 106-pound champion Josh Melton.