4 Bulldogs advance to second day at state

NAMPA — Senior Josh Travers scored two pins and a decisive win to advance into the championship match of the 220-pound bracket, leading the Bulldogs during day one of the 4A state wrestling tournament on Friday at the Idaho Center in Nampa. Sandpoint is 12th in 4A after day one.

The No. 2 seeded Travers pinned Skylar Baecth of Canyon Ridge in 1:54 in the first round, followed that with a 14-7 win over Cory Lester from Nampa in the second round, before closing a strong first day by pinning Emmett’s Zachary Hall in 4:44 in the semis.

Travers, whose height and athleticism present a dangerous combination, ran his record to 40-5 and will face No. 1 seed Jordon Crist, from Canyon Ridge, in today’s final.

Freshman Casey Randles (160) also reached the semis, where he was pinned by No. 1 seed Garrett Grigsby from Columbia in 1:33, dropping him into the consolation bracket. Randles beat Mountain Home’s Charlie Shoemaker 15-1 in the first round, before a first round pin of Minico’s Luke Allred earned him a berth in the semis.

Senior Lewis Dunton (145) won his first match in a 16-2 major decision over Chad Johnson of Nampa, before falling 11-6 in the next round to Mountain Home’s Tanner Sessions. Dunton bounced back to pin Jerome’s Cesar Castellanos in 4:03 to remain alive in the consolation bracket.

The final Bulldog to survive the first day was sophomore Jacob Williams (182), who drew No. 1 seed Jordan Nolan of 4A power Kuna in the first round, losing by pin in 1:26. Williams bounced back to score an 8-1 win over Blackfoot and an 11-1 win over Minico to remain alive in consolation.

Junior Tyler Brown (170) was pinned in :39 by Caldwell’s Chris Lamkins in the first round, before bouncing back to win a 7-3 decision over Twin Falls in consolation. His tournament ended when he was pinned at 1:58 against Bonneville.

Sophomore Mahonri Hunsaker (138) lost an 18-10 major decision to Fernando Parke of Burley in the first round, then was eliminated after losing 5-0 to Lakeland’s Tanner Wright in consolation.

Freshman Scout Nash (113) lost 8-3 to Nampa’s Justin Black in the opener, before pinning his Minico opponent in :59 for his first state win. Nash was eliminated after a 13-2 major decision loss to Sam Aguilera of Middleton.

Action wraps up today at the Idaho Center.