BATTLE MOUNTAIN - A total of 25 teams from across Nevada, Utah and Idaho converged upon the Spring Creek High School gym this past weekend for the annual Kiwanis Invitational Wrestling Tournament.
After two long days of top-level action, the Battle Mountain High School wrestling team found itself in the middle of the pack in the final team standings. Lowry won the team title, followed by Caldwell (Idaho) and host Spring Creek.
"We've been trying to increase the strength of our schedule over the past few years and we have definitely done that," said BMHS head coach Mitch Domagala. "Besides the two Christmas tournaments in Reno, this is the premiere tournament in the state."
The Longhorns battled in every match and posted quite a few wins throughout the course of the event.
"Every one of the kids posted a few wins during this tournament," Domagala said. "We battled in all of our matches and made some good strides forward as we prepare for the state tournament."
The coach added that several younger kids gained valuable experience this weekend and had success in the process.
Battle Mountain was led by Tyler Sparks, who finished in third place, Justin Cordova in fourth and Chris Johnson in fifth.
Dillon Thompson, Christian Perez, Alex Gonzalez, Jonas Norman, Erick Haney, George Mayberry, Alvaro Martinez, Oscar Chavira and David Sanchez all went deep into the tournament and missed out placing by one match.
The JV portion of the tournament kicked in alongside the varsity competition on Saturday, with several Longhorns competing.
Jacob Rochester posted a 3-0 mark on the day, while Michael Williams, Luis Tovar, Joey Cross and Michael Marshall racked up a number of wins for the green team.
"These guys are continuing to get better and better," added the coach. "The more they win, the more confidence they gain, and the better they become. They work hard and it is starting to pay off for them."
Parker Rochester also competed on Saturday but had to withdraw due to illness.
The Longhorns are back in action on Friday and Saturday when they travel to Fernley for the annual Vaquero Classic Tournament. Fernley will also host a JV tournament on Saturday alongside the varsity competition.
Battle Mountain will have its senior recognition night on Friday, Jan. 27. The Longhorns will host a seven-team dual match against Elko, Churchill County, Fernley, White Pine, Tonopah and Pershing County beginning at 4 p.m.
The next day, Jan. 28, Battle Mountain will host the third-annual Battle Mountain Brawl, with action starting at 8:30 a.m. and continuing throughout the day. This will be an 11-team tournament with Carlin, Elko, Churchill County, Fernley, Pershing County, Lowry, Round Mountain, Spring Creek, Tonopah and White Pine competing. Many of the top wrestlers in Nevada will be featured, with plenty of excitement guaranteed.
[[In-content Ad]]
