Host of Top Dogs nab titles to start season

SANDPOINT — The Top Dog Wrestling Club kicked off the 2009 season with tournaments in Priest River and Coeur d Alene. With fall sports concluding on the same weekend, the Top Dogs sent a skeleton crew to the Priest River Halloween Tournament. A dozen Top Dogs captured medals, including five champions, at the tournament, which fielded nearly 320 wrestlers from across the Panhandle and Eastern Washington.

Leading the charge for the Top Dogs were champions Scout Nash, Mahonri Hunsaker, Dean Ramey, Adam Wendl and Casey Randles.

No less than 19 Top Dogs captured medals the following weekend at the Coeur d’Alene Invitational. Of the 19 placers, 13 advanced to the championship round with Randles, Nash, Hunsaker and Ramey all repeating as champions in a tournament that drew 420 competitors. Other tournament highlights included Luke Stebbins’ hard-fought battle to finish in third place. Stebbins, who avenged a first round loss to place, and his brother Owen accumulated four medals over the two tournaments.    

Following an upcoming tournament in Lakeland, the Top Dogs will host the 2009 North Idaho Wrestling League Team Championships. The event, which is expected to draw nearly 500 competitors, is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 21, at Sandpoint Middle School.

TOP DOG PLACERS

n Priest River — First: Scout Nash, Mohonri Hunsaker, Dean Ramey, Adam Wendl and Casey Randles; Second: Luke Stebbins, Lindsey McCabe, Owen Stebbins, Colton Muldoon and Tyler Brown; Third: Adam Bucholtz and Brady Nelson.

n Coeur d’Alene — First: Scout Nash, Mahonri Hunsaker, Deam Ramey, and Casey Randles; Second: Adam Bucholtz, Sam Becker, Payton Webley, Ryan McNelley, Braden Payne, Conrad Becker, Owen Stebbins,  Zack Alamillo, Tanner McNelley; Third: Luke Stebbins, Spencer Rucker, Mason Bangeman, Tanner Kohal, Anthony McKuin, Layne Stevens, Tyler Brown