Fallon finishes highest among 3A schools at Sierra Nevada Classic

RENO — With another wrestling tournament in the books, the Greenwave is showing it will be tough to dethrone at next month’s state tournament.

Three wrestlers medaled as the Greenwave placed 22nd — the highest among Nevada 3A schools — in the 40th annual Sierra Nevada Classic on Thursday at the Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center.

“The SNC was great for us,” Fallon coach Trevor de Braga said. “We won a bunch of matches, and I had a handful of kids that were a match or two from getting into the medals.”

Sean McCormick (145 pounds) captured third place after a forfeit, Jack Swisher (160) won his final bout for seventh place and Matt Goings (170) took sixth in the 92-team tournament.

“Placing at this tournament showed the improvements they are making this season,” de Braga said. “The guys that didn’t place were right there and just had a few things not go their way.”

Fallon scored 86 points thanks to its medal winners and overcame Spring Creek, which led for most of the tournament. The Spartans finished 29th with 81 points. Del Oro, Calif., won the tournament with 246.5 points and Spanish Springs finished third with 172.5 as the highest finisher among all Nevada schools.

“As a team, we were the highest placers in the 3A and that’s huge for us,” de Braga said. “We are six weeks away from state and this is the time to really step on the gas pedal and wrestle our best.”

McCormick won his first four matches before dropping into the consolation bracket. McCormick lost to Crater’s (Ore.) Logan Meek in the semifinals, before he defeated Reno’s Connor Pearson. McCormick won the third-place match by rule.

“I lost in the semis to a tough guy. I felt like I wrestled my best this weekend,” McCormick said. “(The SNC) gives you confidence that you can wrestle each match and you’re going to win. It’s great to just come to see these wrestlers from out of state. It’s early right now. The fact that we’re placing higher than these (league) teams gives us confidence and we can win another state title.”

Goings won his first matches before a quarterfinal loss sent him to the consolation bracket. Goings won two more to advance to the consolation semifinals but lost to Douglas’ Blake Murrary, 7-2, and then Lakewood’s (Calif.) Zack Gonzalez by pin in the fifth-place battle.

Swisher won his first three bouts before dropping into the consolation bracket in the quarterfinals. Swisher won two of his last three, including a 5-2 win over Folsom’s (Calif.) Jeffery Skyrud in the seventh-place bout.

“The last match, I felt pretty good. I’ve wrestled the kid before (over the summer),” Swisher said. “I tried to keep my elbows in and get my shots in.”

Tommy McCormick (113) finished 4-2, winning all of his matches after the opening round loss. McCormick’s first win was over a league foe, Truckee’s Myle Love-Doroska, and then he won three straight before missing out on the medal round.

Chase Hyde (195) split his first two matches before winning three straight, including a pin over league opponent Trent McKellips (Lowry). Hyde lost to Carson’s Able Carter by pin before the consolation’s medal round.

Conley Hyde (160) dropped his first match but scored a major decision and pin to move through the consolation bracket before losing to Bella Vista’s (Calif.) Colton Labanowski, 9-2. Ben Dooley (220) won his first two by major decision and pin before dropping his next two, both one-point losses.

Kobe Abe (285) dropped to the consolation bracket after an opening loss but pinned Central Catholic’s (Calif.) Austin Cook in the consolation second round. Abe lost by major decision in his final bout. Mason Smith (120) finished 2-2, posting wins over out-of-state opponents (Mountain View, Ariz., and Culver, Ore.).

Leo Aicher (145) won one bout, a pin over Wooster’s Jimmy Vega, while Blane Aicher (152) finished 1-2 with his lone win over Truckee’s Trevor Shroeder in the prelims. Ilyes Taleb (132) and Tanner Stritenberger (145) lost both of their matches.

Fallon travels to Idaho this weekend before returning to the Silver State for the Kiwanis Invitational in Spring Creek in two weeks. Another road trip to Morro Bay, Calif., will be the team’s final test before the 3A duals at the end of the month.

“I’m very excited the direction we are headed and I hope it only gets better,” de Braga said.