Wrestlers showing improvement

The Mountain Home Tiger wrestling squad continues to show improvement, picking up a conference dual match win over Vallivue, and finishing seventh at the Weiser Invitational Wrestling Tournament.

Kyle Hickerson won by pin at 119 pounds to put Mountain Home ahead of Vallivue, 21-16 halfway through the match. The Tigers would go on to win six of the last seven matches to defeat the Falcons, 52-22 in an SIC 4A wrestling match at Vallivue last Thursday night.

The Tigers won 10 of the 14 matches against Vallivue, seven by pins. Besides Hickerson, Kole Spaulding (171 pounds), Charles Davidson (215), Calvin Vivier (130), A.J. Hutchison (135), Tanner Carpenter (140), and Chris Knudson (152) all won by pin. Kori Andrews won a 13-0 major decision at 145 pounds, Tyson Sessions won an 8-2 decision at 189 pounds, and Daniel Doronio outscored his 125-pound opponent 17-14.

"It went real well," said Tiger wrestling coach Lynn Knudson of the Vallivue match. "A lot of the younger kids are really stepping up and doing the job we need them to do. We're 11-12 so far in dual matches, and we just keep getting a little bit better as they keep getting the knowledge."

The Tigers came home from the Weiser Invitational with a champion, a second, two thirds and two fourths. The Tigers finished seventh in the team standings out of 18 teams. Skyview won the meet.

Kole Spaulding won the 171-pound weight class, winning all four of his matches.

Calvin Vivier lost the championship match at 130 pounds to finish second.

Kyle Hickerson and A.J. Hutchison both finished third, Hickerson at 119 pounds, Hutchison at 135. Nico Pinque finished fourth at 112 pounds, and Tyson Sessions finished fourth at 171 pounds. Chris Knudson did not place, but won two and lost two in the 152-pound weight class.

"I was really happy with the overall result," said Coach Knudson. "Everybody there at the tournament stepped and scored us points. It was a tough tournament, but the kids continue to improve and good things happened to us at this tournament, and we look forward to more improvement as we go along."

The Tigers were at Jerome for a dual match last (Tuesday) night, and close out their regular season schedule at home against Kuna tomorrow (Thursday) night in Lloyd Schiller Gymnasium. It is Senior Night for the Tiger seniors, who will be wrestling in Lloyd Schiller Gymnasium in front of the home crowd for the last time of their high school career.