Meridian High wrestling is back. Need proof? It won the Rollie Lane championship.
The Meridian High School wrestling program has slowly rebuilt itself in recent years. But the Warriors announced their return to prominence with an exclamation point Saturday, winning the prestigious Rollie Lane Invitational in Nampa.
The Warriors topped defending champion Kuna 226.5-221 to capture their first Rollie Lane championship since 2006.
“It’s definitely the biggest tournament in Idaho, especially this year,” Meridian coach Brad Muri said. “A lot of people looked at it as being an Idaho state championship of all divisions. It’s really cool for the kids. They’ve worked hard, so it’s good to see the fruits of their labor.”
Meridian took home the team title without a single individual champion, instead relying on its depth to rack up points all over the Ford Idaho Sports Center. Five Warriors finished as runner-ups, eight placed and all 15 who entered the tournament scored points.
Jason Mara (126), Nathan Gregory (132), Cade White (138), Caden Frix (160) and Kaleb Smith (182) all finished second in their weight classes. Brodyn Sunada (145), Isaiah Twait (170) and Roc Dixson (195) each finished fifth.
The Rollie Lane title makes Meridian the clear favorite for a 5A state championship in February — a championship the Warriors haven’t won since 1987.
The top three finishers Saturday included Kuna and Post Falls (144 points), all teams sure to challenge the Warriors at the state meet. But with opponents from all classifications, the field at Rollie Lane is typically deeper and tougher to navigate than a state tournament lineup, making the Warriors’ win even more impressive.
“There is still a lot of work to be done,” Muri said. “Obviously, Post Falls and Kuna have won a lot of state titles. They are really well coached. Going forward, we just need to focus on having fun and getting better.”
ROLLIE LANE BOYS CHAMPIONS
The Treasure Valley saw 11 individual champions crowned at Rollie Lane. They include:
- Nampa sophomore Dedrick Navarro (6-0) repeated as the tournament’s 98-pound champ with a 3-2 decision. He was the only individual champion to repeat this year.
- Nampa freshman Carson Exferd (8-0) started his career with a bang, winning the 106-pound division with an 8-2 decision over Columbia’s Payton Hernandez. He was seeded ninth entering the tournament.
- Eagle sophomore Tanner Frothinger (9-0) followed up his 5A state title last winter with the gold medal at 113 pounds. He pinned all five opponents he faced in the first round, including Ridgevue’s Treygen Morin in just 14 seconds in the finals.
- New Plymouth junior Kyle Rice (21-0) added another title to an already decorated career with his 5-0 decision for the 120-pound title.
- Caldwell sophomore Hunter Bidelman (12-2) won the 126-pound division as the sixth seed.
- New Plymouth junior Joel Campbell (22-0) needed a pair of overtime victories to reach the finals, then won a 5-3 decision for the 145-pound crown.
- Kuna junior Cael Palmer (12-0) topped Frix 11-3 in the 160-pound championship match.
- Kuna senior Dante Roggio (12-0) finally climbed to the top of the podium after finishing second and third at Rollie Lane the past two years. He edged Coeur d’Alene’s Gunner Giulio 3-2.
- McCall-Donnelly senior MaHonri Rushton (6-0), a former Oregon state champ, won the 182-pound division thanks to an injury default.
- Columbia junior Nico Rodriguez (21-0) followed up last year’s state title by pinning his way to the finals. He won the title via forfeit.
- Fruitland senior Greg Gissel (22-0) pinned every opponent he faced on his way to the heavyweight title. No match lasted longer than 1:15.
ROLLIE LANE GIRLS CHAMPIONS
Eagle earned the team title in the third year with a separate girls division at Rollie Lane.
The Mustangs finished with 132 points, 46 points ahead of Caldwell in second place. Minico was third with 76 points.
Eagle also brought home three individual championships. Kayli Acosta (143), Reece Woods (191) and Olivia Woods (235) each pinned all of their opponents en route to the top of the podium.
Other local champions include:
- Homedale’s Savannah Turner pinned Rocky Mountain’s Mia Furman in 1:57 in the 130-pound finals.
- Caldwell’s Marissa Jimenez won her second straight Rollie Lane title. She pinned Homedale’s Kaydince Turner with 18 seconds left in the third round of the 136-pound final.
- Columbia’s Kyra Richards pinned Vallivue’s Hope Thomas in 1:25 for the 170-pound crown.
A lack of teams from Oregon and Washington, where girls wrestling is more established, threatened to diminish the girls tournament. But Rollie Lane still featured 11 weight classes with 86 girls from 30 high schools, a testament to the sport’s growing popularity in Idaho.
Idaho girls will have to compete alongside the boys for an official state championship for the last time in February. Idaho will add a separate girls state tournament in 2022.
ROLLIE LANE AND COVID-19
Rollie Lane continued into its 21st year with 911 wrestlers from 49 schools.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little’s Stage 2 order limits gatherings to 10 people or fewer. But it does not count the number of participants in high school sporting contests for that limit, allowing Rollie Lane to continue without fans.
The tournament instituted a host of protocols to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
It moved from the Idaho Center Arena to the Idaho Sports Center next door, which allows for more floor space to spread out wrestlers. It reduced the number of coaches and officials on the mat. And it required everyone but wrestlers actively competing to wear a facial covering.
Compliance with the mask rule was high. But there was little social distancing off the mat as wrestlers crowded shoulder to shoulder around the railing to watch the finals.
Coronavirus restrictions in other states limited the tournament field. High school sports in Washington, Oregon and Nevada are on hold due to the coronavirus. Utah’s Wasatch High was the only team from outside Idaho to enter the tournament.
Rollie Lane Invite Results
At Ford Idaho Sports Center, Nampa
Friday-Saturday
BOYS TEAMS SCORES
1, Meridian 226.5. 2, Kuna 221. 3, Post Falls 144. 4, Nampa 137. 5, Highland 134. 6, New Plymouth 124. 7, Columbia 123.5. 8, Lakeland 114.5. 9, Coeur d’Alene 111. 10, American Falls 103.
11, Blackfoot 95. 12, Century 93. 13, Caldwell 88. 14, Fruitland 87. 15, Eagle 83. 16, Bonners Ferry 81.5. 17, Thunder Ridge 81. 18, Rocky Mountain 74.5. 19, Lake City 68. 20, Gooding 65.5.
21, Centennial 63. 22, Bishop Kelly 61.5. 23, Minico 60. 24, Lewiston 57.5. 25, Middleton 54.5. 26, Emmett 46. 27, Bonneville 45. 27, Madison 45. 29, Shelley 43. 30, Idaho Falls 42.
31, Rigby 38. 32, Mountain Home 37. 33, Wasatch 35.5. t-34, Mountain View 30. t-34, Ridgevue 30. 36, Preston 25. t-37, Hillcrest 23. t-37, Meridian B 23. 39, Payette 22.5. 40, Marsing 21.5.
t-41, Homedale 19. t-41, Vallivue 19. 43, Melba 14. 44, Skyline 8. t-45, Clearwater Valley 3. t-45, Grangeville 3.
BOYS INDIVIDUAL PLACERS
98 pounds: 1, Dedrick Navarro, Nampa. 2, Mack Mauger, Blackfoot. 3, Kolter Burton, American Falls. 4, David Scott, Columbia. 5, Zach Macdonald, Lake City. 6, Wylie Stone, Eagle.
106: 1, Carson Exferd, Nampa. 2, Payton Hernandez, Columbia. 3, Ezra Clemens, Fruitland. 4, Cole Currin, Kuna. 5, Grayson Williams, American Falls. 6, Carter Balmforth, Shelley.
113: 1, Tanner Frothinger, Eagle. 2, Treygen Morin, Ridgevue. 3, Simon Alberto Luna, Nampa. 4, Anderson White, Kuna. 5, Devyn Greenland, Century. 6, Caleb Shaw, New Plymouth.
120: 1, Kyle Rice, New Plymouth. 2, Peyton Munson, Nampa. 3, Roddy Romero, Post Falls. 4, Simon Graeber, Columbia. 5, Zanlen White, Kuna. 6, Cody Fitzpatrick, Middleton.
126: 1, Hunter Bidelman, Caldwell. 2, Jason Mara, Meridian. 3, Christopher Martino, Bishop Kelly. 4, Kolton Stacey, Shelley. 5, Kaden Ramos, Thunder Ridge. 6, Michael Mitchell, Kuna.
132: 1, Hudson Rogers, Gooding. 2, Nathan Gregory, Meridian. 3, Kayson Kenney, Idaho Falls. 4, Noah Ingram, Madison. 5, Evan Barajas, Bonners Ferry. 6, Mason Adamson, Eagle.
138: 1, River Wardle, Wasatch (UT). 2, Cade White, Meridian. 3, Tyler Jones, Rocky Mountain. 4, Xander Thompson, Century. 5, Jacob Blandford, Middleton. 6, Nikko Gonzalez, Nampa.
145: 1, Joel Campbell, New Plymouth. 2, Tayten Gillette, Gooding. 3, Riley Siegford, Lakeland. 4, Lane Reardon, Post Falls. 5, Brodyn Sunada, Meridian. 6, Lorenzo Luis, Hillcrest.
152: 1, Kael Cordingley, Highland. 2, Trent Myers, New Plymouth. 3, Preston Owens, Kuna. 4, Ryker Permann, American Falls. 5, Payton Brooks, Rigby. 6, Drew Roberts, Coeur d’Alene.
160: 1, Cael Palmer, Kuna. 2, Caden Frix, Meridian. 3, Ethan Miller, Post Falls. 4, Canyon Mansfield, Century. 5, Logan Taylor, Centennial. 6, Cooper Johnson, Lakeland.
170: 1, Dante Roggio, Kuna. 2, Gunner Giulio, Coeur d’Alene. 3, Shale Webb, Nampa. 4, Bristin Corrigan, Highland. 5, Isaiah Twait, Meridian. 6, Eli Richards, Bonners Ferry.
182: 1, MaHonri Rushton, McCall. 2, Kaleb Smith, Meridian. 3, Layne Dalton, Emmett. 4, Matthew Whitcomb, Lake City. 5, Easton Millward, Century. 6, Carter Torres, Kuna.
195: 1, Reuben Thill, Lewiston. 2, Garrett Roedel, Thunder Ridge. 3, Xander Floth, Kuna. 4, Isaiah Laguna, Post Falls. 5, Roc Dixon, Meridian. 6, Bronson Staley, Rocky Mountain.
220: 1, Nico Rodriguez, Columbia. 2, Logan George, Highland. 3, Tyler Cook, Post Falls. 4, Demetri Smith, Mountain Home. 5, Mason Jacobsen, Rocky Mountain. 6, Andrew Sandelin-Macintosh, Bonners Ferry.
285: 1, Greg Gissel, Fruitland. 2, Sam Feusier, Lakeland. 3, Miguel Perez, Caldwell. 4, Gerardo Duran, Century. 5, Jackson Kohal, Coeur d’Alene. 6, Ian Allen, Highland.
GIRLS TEAM SCORES
1, Eagle 132. 2, Caldwell 86. 3, Minico 76. 4, Columbia 72. 5, Thunder Ridge 65. 6, Meridian 62. 7, Post Falls 62. 8, Nampa 57. 9, Bonneville 53. 10, Lewiston 50.
11, Homedale 47. 12, Rocky Mountain 45. 13, Kuna 39. 14, Clearwater Valley 38. 15, Coeur d’Alene 37. 16, Vallivue 33. 17, Melba 31. 18, Ridgevue 31. 19, American Falls 28. 20, Grangeville 28.
21, Preston 28. 22, West Side 25. 23, Payette 23. 24, Mountain Home 22. 25, Shelley 22. 26, Blackfoot 21. 27, Bonners Ferry 17. 28, Emmett 17. 29, Bishop Kelly 14. 30, Centennial 14.
31, Hillcrest 12. 32, Skyline 11. 33, Highland 9. 34, Rigby 8. 35, Mountain View 4. 36, Fruitland 1.
GIRLS INDIVIDUAL PLACERS
101 pounds: 1, Danielle Holt, Thunder Ridge. 2, Myriam Riley, Blackfoot. 3, Jaycie Hackler, Melba. 4, Ivette Balero, Skyline.
109: 1, Lita Cruz, Minico. 2, Kayla Vail, Bonneville. 3, Taylor Call, Hillcrest. 4, Holli Schumacker, Grangeville. 5, Kaylee Hunt, American Falls. 6, Shantell Christensen, Shelley.
116: 1, Frankie Graham, Minico. 2, Hannah Dupay, Meridian. 3, Liv Wieber, Eagle. 4, Camille Ussher, Bonners Ferry. 5, Sesha Beckstead, West Side. 6, Kristen Rayo-Tona, Columbia.
123: 1, Alyssa Randles, Coeur d’Alene. 2, Camilla Tew, West Side. 3, Alexandra Crow, Centennial. 4, Holland Wieber, Eagle. 5, Jordan Barrett, Payette. 6, Elizabeth Hergesheimer, Homedale.
130: 1, Savannah Turner, Homedale. 2, Mia Furman, Rocky Mountain. 3, Alexandra Garvin, Rocky Mountain. 4, Angie Rios, Columbia. 5, Neveah Villalobos, Minico. 6, Lilianna Montufar, Rigby.
136: 1, Marissa Jimenez, Caldwell. 2, Kaydince Turner, Homedale. 3, Miah Garcia, Payette. 4, Abigale Piper, Post Falls. 5, Hallie Campbell, Columbia. 6, Sam Ferguson, Thunder Ridge.
143: 1, Kayli Acosta, Eagle. 2, Anjolina Espinoza, Mountain Home. 3, Jordyn Kearn, American Falls. 4, Alaysia Valverde, Caldwell. 5, Jenay Castro, Minico. 6, Lillee Olague, Bonneville.
155: 1, Brooke Boyle, Thunder Ridge. 2, Serena Luna-Gonzalez, Nampa. 3, Maria Sifuentes, Columbia. 4, Cassidy Rehoder, Lewiston. 5, Danica Valdez, Shelley. 6, Rylan Shipp, Ridgevue.
170: 1, Kyra Richards, Columbia. 2, Hope Thomas, Vallivue. 3, Alyssa Mabey, Kuna. 4, Emma Steel, Kuna.
191: 1, Reece Woods, Eagle. 2, Olivia Burciasa, Kuna. 3, Destiny Edgecomb, Columbia. 4, Riley Bodily, Preston. 5, Cheyenne Cada, Bonners Ferry. 6, Madison Malm, Blackfoot.
235: 1, Olivia Woods, Eagle. 2, Megan Webster, Post Falls. 3, Ashlyn Lee, Vallivue.
This story was originally published January 9, 2021 at 6:28 PM.
