White River girls third, boys sixth at weekend Hammerhead tournament

The White River High girls placed third and the Hornet boys were sixth during the two-day Hammerhead Invitational wrestling tournament.

The tourney was contested Friday and Saturday at the Kitsap Sun Pavilion in Bremerton.

The White River girls were led by Sam Mitchell and Dylan Fagan, both fighting their way to the championship round. Once in the finale, Mitchell took a 5-2 decision to claim the crown at 190 pounds, while Fagan was pinned to claim second place at 170.

Along the way, Mitchell avenged her only loss from last season and earned the tournament’s “outstanding  wrestler” honors for the upper weights. Fagan dominated much of her match against a defending state champion and nearly had her foe pinned.

“You don’t always get the calls, that’s the nature of the sport,” coach Rich Valdez said.

Adding to the Hornet girls total, Hannah Lewandowski pinned three opponents on the way to a third-place finish at 235 pounds, Jamie Meagher won the Sportsmanship Award and placed fifth at 155. Kendra Blue, Morgan Shirey and McKinsie Shirey also finished fifth.

The Hornet boys saw two grapplers make their way to the finals. Brandon Short made the most of his opportunity at 152 pounds, earning a hard-fought decision to take the tourney title, while Cody Schwab lost by decision to take second at 120.

Trevor Kurtz also was a major contributor, winning his consolation bout at 138 pounds to place third.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.