Tag Benefield advances to second day of state
(Photo by DYLAN GREENE) Junior Tag Benefield (right) takes on Moscow’s Logan Kearney in the 220 pound district championship match last Saturday. Benefield was the only Bulldog wrestler to make it to day two at the 4A state championships.
NAMPA — Only one Bulldog remains after the first day of competition at the 4A state wrestling championships on Friday.
Junior Tag Benefield at 220 pounds is the lone Sandpoint wrestler that is still alive and has a chance to place. The other eight wrestlers the team brought to state have been eliminated.
Benefield started the day with an opening round victory, pinning No. 9 seed Tyler Barry from Emmett in just 36 seconds.
Next up was a bout with the No. 1 seed Nico Rodriguez from Columbia, who had a 26-1 record this season coming into the match. Benefield’s goal heading into state was to upset Rodriguez. Unfortunately, did that happen as Benefield was pinned 3:52 into the match.
The loss sent Benefield to the consolation bracket where he met a familiar face — teammate Matt Thurlow. In that bout, Benefield held off Thurlow to claim a 10-4 victory.
Now Benefield will face No. 11 seed Ben Reed from Pocatello in a third round consolation match Saturday morning. If he wins that match, Benefield would guarantee a placing position at state.
Thurlow was one of three Sandpoint wrestlers that went 1-2 at state. Senior Brady Nelsen (145) and freshman Jacob Albany (98) were the other two.
Nelsen had hopes of winning a state title in his final season but a first round defeat to Kuna’s John Kallmeyer ended those aspirations.
Freshman Forest Ambridge (98), sophomore Blake Sherrill (145), junior Trevan Adam (138), and seniors Isaiah Caralis (152) and Jake Suhr (195) all finished 0-2.
Results from day one of state
98 — Navarro (Nampa) p. Albany, 1:07, Albany md. Hagen (Bonneville), 18-8, Zagal (Twin Falls) tf. Albany, 15-0, Martinez (Mountain Home) p. Ambridge, 4:42, Gurney (Ridgevue) d. Ambridge, 8-7.
138 — Mansfield (Century) p. Adam, 1:13, Tuttle (Idaho Falls) d. Adam, Inj. 3:11.
145 — Hernandez (Minico) d. Sherrill, 3-1, Inskeep (Blackfoot) p. Sherrill, 2:42, Kallmeyer (Kuna) d. Nelsen, 11-5, Nelsen p. Rogers (Emmett), 1:23, Hernandez (Milton) d. Nelsen, 3-2.
152 — Rios (Columbia) p. Caralis, 2:28, Leak (Jerome) d. Caralis, 3-1.
195 — Wood (Skyline) p. Suhr, 1:12, Jess (Bishop Kelly) p. Suhr, 1:27.
220 — Benefield p. Barry (Emmett), 0:36, Rodriguez (Columbia) p. Benefield, 3:52, Benefield d. Thurlow, 10-4, Striet (Vallivue) p. Thurlow, 1:42, Thurlow p. Rasmussen (Idaho Falls), 0:24.