Belfair’s Cole Tate, 10, wrestling for the Northwest Washington Wrestling Club, won the Intermediate 55-pound Greco-Roman title at the 2014 ASICS/USAW Kids Freestyle & Greco-Roman National Championships held in Orem, Ut.
Tate also took second in the Intermediate 55-pound Freestyle. His placing in Greco-Roman and Freestyle earned him a spot on the U.S National Team and All-American status.
Also placing high for NWWC were 10-year-old Thor Michaelson, son of NWWC coach Ty Michaelson, who finished second in the Intermediate 75-pound Greco-Roman and Freestyle, Bremerton’s Diego Clemen, 10, who took third in the Intermediate 75-pound Greco-Roman and Quinn Lawrence of Poulsbo, age 9, who took third in Intermediate 55-pound Greco-Roman and Freestyle.
Michaelson, Clemen and Lawrence also claimed a spot on the U.S. National Team with their top finishes. All also made All-American.
A total of 12 NWWC wrestlers competed. The others who placed in the top eight included Savannah Sinclair of Bremerton who took eight place in Intermediate 50-pound Free Style and made All-American; Silverdale’s Preston Smith, fourth at Intermediate 55-pound free style and an All-American; Taylor Hernandez of Port Orchard, who took fourth in Novice at 60-pounds in Greco-roman and made All-American, and Bob Houpt of Poulsbo, who placed eighth in Novice at 70-pounds and also made All-American.
Other club members who competed were Vince Nabors of Port Orchard (Novice Freestyle and Greco-Roman at 70-pounds), Alex Sinclair of Bremerton (Intermediate Free Style 75 –pounds), Luis Clemen of Bremerton (Schoolboy Free Style and Greco-Roman at 112-pounds) and Lars Michaelson of Bremerton (Intermediate Free Style and Greco-roman at 60-pounds).