PORT ANGELES — The Axe stays in Port Angeles.
The Roughrider wrestling team made history by winning its own tournament, Olympic Shootout: “The Battle for the Axe,” for the second straight year Wednesday.
Port Angeles is the only team to win the team trophy in back to back seasons during the event’s seven-year history.
It is the third time overall that the Riders will keep the Axe in its own gym.
And this year’s win was a little sweeter than normal, because the Riders had to go through archrival Sequim to get it.
The two North Olympic Peninsula rivals won their pool divisions and met for the team championship in dual-meet format.
The Riders surged to a 32-9 lead over the Wolves, then withstood losing three pins in a row to eventually come out on top 50-24.
“It feels great to win the tournament again and keep the Axe here,” Port Angeles coach Erik Gonzalez said.
Wrestling Sequim for the championship was a dream come true for Gonzalez.
“This is why I created our tournament in 2005,” he said. “I wanted it to have our local feel to it, our local history [between teams on the Peninsula].”
Even though the Riders are on the top of the world this holiday weekend after capturing the Axe for the second straight year and defeating archrival Sequim, there still is much improvement needed.
“We’re feeling pretty good about ourselves but we need to improve,” Gonzalez said. “It’s all a learning experienced. Ultimately, we need to keep improving and aim for the [end of season] February tournaments.”
That’s when teams will be using the regionals as a stepping stone to the Mat Classic in the Tacoma Dome.
There was plenty of state-caliber wrestlers at Wednesday’s meet, especially at 182 pounds.
“We had four state-caliber wrestlers at that weight,” Gonzalez said.
Two of them were named most valuable wrestlers for each pool.
In Pool 1, which included Port Angeles, Eatonville, Central Kitsap and Ocosta, there was Eatonville’s Freddie Baumann, who went 3-1 in the tourney.
His only loss came to the Pool 2 MVP, Bainbridge’s Connor Kenyon, who won the prestigious Hammerhead tourney on Saturday.
It took overtime for Kenyon to beat Baumann.
The other two state-caliber athletes in that weight class were Sequim’s Dakota Hinton and Brian Cristion of Port Angeles.
Hinton lost 4-3 to Kenyon in pool competition but he turned around to beat Cristion 9-1 in the championship match.
Hinton ended up 2-1 on the day, receiving a forfeit in one match.
Cristion and Hinton had a spirited match but Hinton had the upper hand throughout the action.
“I was really looking forward to this match [with Cristion],” Hinton said.
“He has really improved from last year. He will be at the state tournament.”
The Riders dominated team competition, beating Class 4A Central Kitsap 66-7, Ocosta 69-9 and Eatonville 45-24.
The Wolves also had an easy time in pool play, defeating the All Star JV team 77-0, River Ridge 70-4 and Bainbridge 52-21.
Sequim coach Len Borchers said he felt good about the Wolves taking second in the tourney.
Clay Charlie, competing at 220 pounds, and Luke Mooney, at 138, both went undefeated in the tourney, going 4-0 each.
Mooney recorded three pins and won by a major 13-5 decision.
Mooney said he is not surprised to see Port Angeles dominate the tourney.
“Port Angeles has got a pretty stacked team this year,” he said. “They are good. We have a couple good kids but we have some open spots this year being filled with young kids.
“We will improve and get better.”
Several Riders went undefeated in the tourney, including Brady Anderson, Ozzy Swagerty and Kody Steele.
Anderson picked up three forfeits at the lowest weight, 106 pounds.
“It hasn’t been a very exciting day for me,” he said with a smile before going into his only real action of the day in the championship match against Sequim.
Anderson barely broke a sweat in that one, winning by a pin with 35 seconds left in the first round.
Steele ended his four-win day with a pin against Sequim.
“We are going to win the Axe and I really think we’ll win league,” Steele said before taking the mat against Sequim.
In one of the most exciting matches of the night, Blake Meldrum of Port Angeles came from way behind to pin Cole Morgan at 126 pounds.
At the end of the win against Sequim, Gonzalez put his arm around Meldrum and talked to the team about the wrestler’s effort.
“This is what it’s all about,” Gonzalez said.
“Blake was getting killed, to put it honestly, but he kept coming back and he kept the match close.
“He won with all heart.
“We teach to keep the match close and we can win. Blake proved that today.
“Keep it close and we all have a chance to win.”
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Sports Editor Brad LaBrie can be reached at 360-417-3525 or at brad.labrie@peninsuladailynews.com.
