Wave aims for strong showing

Two days removed from Christmas, and the Greenwave wrestling team is back on the mat.

After competing in one of the country’s toughest tournaments last weekend, Fallon returns to Reno today for the two-day Sierra Nevada Classic at the Reno Livestock Events Center. Doors open at 8 a.m., with opening ceremonies at 9 a.m.

The annual wrestling tournament still boasts a strong level of competition like the Reno Tournament of Champions, which saw one Fallon wrestler place eighth, but the depth of each weight class doesn’t match.

Nevertheless, Fallon coach Mitch Overlie will field close to a full team as opposed to taking only six to last week’s RTOC and will get a good feeling about some of the teams in the Division I-A.

“We’ll have more of our lineup, a good 12 for sure. We had a couple injuries to work through,” Overlie said. “It will be good competition.”

At the TOC, Trae Workman was the only Fallon wrestler to reach the medal round and placed eighth. Fallon nearly had another in the medal round as the Greenwave continue to display a competitive showing, including producing a champion when Lyle Gardner won it less than 10 years ago.

“I liked how they wrestled early in the day,” Overlie said. “At the end of the day, they looked a little (fatigued). We gave some matches but we had a really good couple of rounds.”

Overlie, though, said in the state’s second-largest class, most of the teams are still playing around with the lineup but it will be a good gauge as the Greenwave close out the month.

“The thing about the league being so small is the lineup switches around,” Overlie added. “It will be nice to see other teams and see more teams from Nevada. I don’t see it as a step down (from the TOC). The kids might be able to wrestle deeper in the tournament.”

Today will be the busiest day of the weekend tournament with five rounds scheduled (three championship and five consolation). Saturday’s competition will open at 9:30 a.m. with the championship quarterfinals followed by two rounds of consolation. The semifinals are slated for noon and the medal round begins at 4:15.

Fallon has been able to send many to the medal round, but it’s been awhile since a Greenwave wrestler has won a title. Trent de Braga, who recently graduated from Colorado Mesa, won the SNC on his way to a state championship last decade.

“You’re just hoping for someone to place,” Overlie said. “We haven’t had that since the de Braga (Trent and assistant coach Trevor) boys, multiple times.”