Randles, Williams lead Bulldog wrestlers at Tri-State Tournament

SANDPOINT — Despite taking only five wrestlers to Tri-State, the Bulldogs more than held their own in one of the premier wrestling tournaments in the Northwest, finishing 27th among 67 schools as wrestlers from four states converged at North Idaho College last weekend.

Casey Randles (170 pounds) had the most pins of any wrestler in the 500-plus field, pinning five opponents in the first period, en route to a fifth place finish.

“He became the first underclassman from Sandpoint to ever place in an upper weight class,” said head coach Mike Randles of his sophomore son. “He’s competing in an upperclassmen weight class so the hiccups are still there. Nonetheless, he posted six wins in a very tough draw so the hard work is paying off.”

Jake Williams (195) was the only other Bulldog to place, earning eighth place in a tournament where brackets are laden with multiple state champions.

“He continues to build a conservative, fundamentally sound approach,” described Randles of his junior. “He is increasingly finding himself on everyone’s radar, including colleges.”

The Bulldogs were hit by the flu heading into the tournament, opting to drop three wrestlers from their initial lineup. Tyler Brown (220) was two matches away from placing, including a pin over a returning state placer from Post Falls, and continues to improve at a steady rate. Tyler Presser was also one match away from placing, with his losses coming to the eventual champ and fourth place finisher.

Freshman Preston Bunty lost both of his matches to round out the Bulldogs in action. The tournament serves as a great prep for state, where brackets are tame by comparison.

“Overall, the five kids delivered,” praised Randles. “How we would have done with a healthy group remains to be seen.”

The Bulldogs get a break in the schedule to refine things before hosting Lake City on Jan. 6.