Chinle grapplers take Sportsmanship award

FORT DEFIANCE

In pool play competition the Chinle wrestling team went 5-1 at the 4th Annual Veteran Memorial Invitational.

Based on their finish in pool play they were able take part in the team duals competition that had the top eight teams compete during the two-day wrestling tournament hosted by Window Rock.

The Wildcats lost to Round Valley in the opening round. With that they wrestled Mingus Union for the 7th place.

“We lost a close dual with Mingus,” Chinle coach Nathan Wagner Sr., said. “Overall I am very proud of our wrestlers who came. They competed and they left everything on the mat. It was a lot of wrestling over the weekend and it was a competitive tournament.”

Wagner thanked his assistant coaches for getting his wrestlers up to speed as Chinle qualified four wrestlers to the medal rounds.

Nate Wagner Jr. was Chinle’s top finisher as he placed second overall in the 220-pound weight class, losing a close match to Camp Verde wrestler Tristian Stanfield, the 2017 Arizona Division IV state champ, by a 3-2 count.

At 152, Lane Begay placed third while Chad Begay finished fourth at 170 and Isaiah Honyumptewa took sixth at 138.

As a team Chinle placed 8th out of the 28 teams and they earned the Team Sportsmanship Award.

“Everybody stepped up and competed for our team,” Wagner said. “We have some time off until after the new year. We’ll prepare our wrestlers for our January meets as well as the sectional and state tournament.”

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