Benefield battles through adversity to third place finish at state

NAMPA — Just five months ago, junior Tag Benefield saw his football season come to an end when he tore his meniscus.

Now he’s coming home from the 4A state wrestling championships with a third place medal around his neck.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” Benefield said. “I wish I got first but third is really good especially for three weeks of practice and coming off of a knee injury.”

It was a storybook ending for Benefield, who made his season debut just three weeks ago at the Bonners Ferry Invite. Benefield wasn’t sure he’d take the mat at all this season, but on Saturday he broke down each opponent he faced en route to a hard fought third place finish at 220 pounds.

“When I felt my knee a couple weeks before I was going to be cleared to return, I was like I don’t know if I want to risk it again,” he said, “but you only get one shot at a junior year and if I’m able to wrestle, that’s what I was going to do.”

Benefield said the chance to place at state helped him through rehab and get back to what he loves to do.

“I just wanted to win,” he said.

Head coach Jake Stark said Benefield looked focused Saturday and wasn’t going to let anyone take him down.

“He knew what he had to do in each match,” Stark said. “He left it all out there on the mat, didn’t take any breaks. He wasn’t in the greatest shape but he pushed through it and I’m proud of the way he wrestled.”

Benefield’s journey to third started Friday when he was pinned by Columbia’s Nico Rodriguez in his second match. Rodriguez went on to claim the state championship.

The loss sent Benefield to the consolation bracket where he was faced with a win or go home bout against teammate Matt Thurlow.

“You know right there if you lose one more you’re done so I just went and took all my shots I could,” Benefield said.

With his back against the wall, Benefield won the match to become the only Bulldog to advance to the second day of state.

Coming into Saturday, all Benefield had to do to guarantee himself a placing position at state was beat Pocatello’s Ben Reed. But he did much more than that.

After dismantling Reed by pin, Benefield took on Century’s Campbell Hicks. He outlasted Hicks and claimed a 9-7 win to secure a spot in the third place match.

It didn’t take long for Benefield to do away with Jerome’s Porter Wright. He pinned Wright in just 14 seconds to capture third.

Benefield said it took him a few moments after the match to realize what he accomplished.

“It didn’t feel crazy,” he said. “It just felt like a normal match. It just felt like another day wrestling.”

The best part was the other eight Sandpoint wrestlers that qualified for state were able to cheer on Benefield the whole day and congratulate him after a 5-1 showing at state.

“It was a really cool atmosphere after I got that win,” he said.

Stark said Benefield wanted it more than his opponents and simply overpowered them.

“He’s just that physically dominating that other kids wanted to fold,” he said.

Several young Sandpoint wrestlers got their first taste of state this weekend and Starks expects them to build off that next season.

“It’s been bitter sweet,” he said. “We’ve had our ups and our downs, and for Tag to finish third it kind of finished our season on a great note.”