South Whidbey High School junior Drew Aposhyan earned this third consecutive state wrestling berth by winning the 132-pound division at the regional tournament Saturday, Feb. 15, at Klahowya High School in Silverdale.
He will be joined at state by teammates Aiden Coleman (182 pounds) and Dylan Davis (285), who both finished third at district. The top four in each weight class qualified for state, which is Friday and Saturday, Feb. 21 and 22, at the Tacoma Dome.
As a team, the Falcons placed seventh in the 13-team district meet with 86 points; Vashon Island won with 197. Seven of the eight South Whidbey wrestlers who competed finished among the top six.
Aposhyan won by falls (:31 and 2:56) in his first two matches before defeating Cascade Christian’s Griffin Zetterberg 11-3 in the title bout.
Coleman lost to fourth-ranked Hunter Wallis of Klahowya in the first round and then won three state matches to grab third.
Davis, who also qualified for state last year, lost in the second round to fourth-ranked Ben Vanderwel of Granite Falls after winning by a fall in his first match. Davis bounced back with two pins to take third.
Sawyer Mauk (138) and Dayton Birchfield (170) took fifth, and Justin Moberly (152) and Magnus Nyberg (195) placed sixth.
South Whidbey results at the regional tournament
126, Drew Aposhyan (first place): won by fall, :31; won by fall, 2:56; won 11-3.
138, Sawyer Mauk (fifth): lost by fall, :33; won by fall, 1:49; lost by fall, :23; won by fall, 3:37.
152, Justin Moberly (sixth): lost by fall, 5:07; won by fall, 1:18; lost by fall, 3:20; lost by fall, 4:44.
160, Kaidyn Brinks: lost by fall, 1:33; lost by fall, 4:13.
170, Dayton Birchfield (fifth): lost by fall, 3:51; won by fall, 1:13; lost by fall, 4:11; won by fall, 1:34.
182, Aiden Coleman (third): lost by fall, 2:38; won 4-0; won 6-1; won by fall, 1:44.
195, Magnus Nyberg (sixth): lost by fall, :18; won 3-2; lost by fall, :54; lost by fall, 1:31.
285, Dylan Davis (third): won by fall, :54; lost by fall, 2:54; won by fall, 1:33; won by fall, 1:39.
