SANTA ROSA — Middletown High School freshman Nolan Tkachenko placed fifth at 127 pounds on Saturday during the Puma Classic wrestling tournament at Maria Carrillo High School in Santa Rosa.
“That tournament has become one of the toughest one-day tournaments in Northern California,” Middletown coach Troy Brierly said. “Every bracket was loaded with ranked kids, section champs and medalists, and state qualifiers and medalists.”
Tkachenko beat Alex Hartlieb of Petaluma (ranked fifth in the section) by a 3-1 decision. He also lost to Chase Aura of Foothill, the two-time defending section champion.
Middletown pulled down another fifth at 191 pounds, where a less-than-100-percent Jason Hill still managed to bring home a medal.
“I made a mistake by wrestling him last Wednesday against Upper Lake,” Brierly said. “He was a warrior and I”m very proud of him for the mental toughness he showed. If he was healthy, he might have been in the finals.”
J.T. Baumann of Dublin, ranked third in the section, knocked Hill into the consolation bracket with a 4-2 decision.
“It was a very close match that Jay could have won if he had any reserves left, but he gutted it out for how bad he felt.”
Clear Lake wrestlers also took part in the meet but no results had been reported as of the Record-Bee”s Monday deadline.
Middletown also sent a contingent of its younger wrestlers to the Willits Invitational on Saturday. Medalists were Paul Rogers, first at 171 pounds; David King, second at 119 pounds; Terry Brierly, second at 140 pounds; and Dale Hoskins, second at 160 pounds.
“These kids are improving every week,” Brierly said. In a year or two, we”ll be alright.”
Middletown hosts Lower Lake and St. Helena in a Coastal Mountain Conference tri-meet on Wednesday at 5 p.m.
Editor”s note: The Record-Bee welcomes all Lake County teams to report their wrestling results. Results from weekend activity need to be reported no later than 9 p.m. on Monday.
