Subscribe
to the E-Star!

Badgers roll on toward Masters championship

Mike Hackworth

(Updated: Thursday, February 25, 2010, 1:25 PM)

Smith, Lincoln give Badgers one-two punch at Valley Championships

The Yosemite High School wrestling team, continuing its quest to rank among the Central Section's top wrestlers, finished in 10th place in the Sierra-Sequoia Valley championship tournament at Shafter High School last Friday and Saturday.

The Badgers sent seven wrestlers to the Valley tournament, which was comprised of 14 weight classes each of which was centered on a 16-wrestler bracket. It was a double-elimination tournament where the top four wrestlers will now move on to Masters.

The Yosemite team was led by team captains, senior Dakota Smith at heavyweight and sophomore Kyle Lincoln at 171 pounds. Freshmen Paul Reyna, at 103 pounds, Ethan Micallef and Mike Waybright at 112 pounds, sophomore Matt Thompson, at 130 pounds, and junior Grant Hendrickson, at 215 pounds, completed the roster.

Smith, Lincoln, Thompson, Waybright, Reyna and Micallef all won their preliminary matches to advance to brackets on Saturday.

Smith and Lincoln were the only top six qualifiers for Yosemite. Lincoln's top victory was in the championship semi-final round when he defeated the defending 2009 Valley Champion, senior Tyler Grandal of Kingsburg by decision 10-4. In the finals match, Lincoln lost by pinfall to senior Rene Medina of Wasco High School, who won his third straight Valley title.

Smith overcame Niko Taliulu of Tehachapi 4-3 in the semi-final round and then defeated Juan Tovar of Woodlake by pinfall in the second round of the championship match. For Smith, it was the pinnacle of his Badger wrestling career. He is the first Yosemite High School heavyweight to win a Sierra-Sequoia Championship and is currently ranked seventh in the Central Section.

Next up for Smith and Lincoln is the Central Section Masters Tournament held at Lemoore High School, Saturday, Feb. 27. This tournament is highly regarded and one of the toughest wrestling competitions in the state.The Master's tournament is a 10-person bracket with the top seven moving on to the CIF State Championships, March 5-6 at the Bakersfield's Rabobank Arena.

Both wrestlers participated in the Masters in 2009. "Dakota and Kyle have an excellent opportunity to qualify for the California State Championship Tournament," said Yosemite head wrestling coach Kent Lincoln. "We are all very excited and proud about these young men."

The pair have their work cut out for them. As assistant Yosemite coach Brad Zinich said, "There will be a bunch of animals at this next tournament."