Cherokee’s Tavi Rivera (top) won the 160lb. division at this past weekend’s 1A West Regional wrestling championship. He is shown here in a match against Hendersonville’s Bryan Wallace. (DENISE WALKINGSTICK/One Feather contributor)
EBCI tribal members Tavi Rivera (CHS) and Spencer McCoy (Robbinsville) won the championship in their respective weight divisions at the 1A West Regionals wrestling tournament held in Hendersonville on Feb. 22-23. West Wilkes won the team championship with 156.5 points followed by Robbinsville 124 and Mitchell 115. Cherokee came in eighth place with 72.5 points.
Rivera, who took first in the 160lb. division, was also named the tournament’s Most Valuable Wrestler. Rivera and McCoy, who took first place in the 195lb. division, qualified for the 1A State Wrestling final set for Thursday, Feb. 28 at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro. Also qualifying for state are tribal members Levi Swearengin (CHS), fourth place in the 126lb. division, and Jacob Wildcatt (Swain), fourth place in the 285lb. division.
Download for full bracket results of each weight division
Tournament results of these four wrestlers are as follows:
- Rivera
– Pinned Keangan Hoilman (Mitchell) at 1:42
– Pinned Thomas Bartley (Elkin) at :57
– Won by major decision (16-0) over Lyle Morian (Central Aca.)
– Won decision (7-3) over Bryan Wallace (Hendersonville)
- McCoy
– Bye in first round
– Won major decision (14-2) over Ryan Sheppard (Avery)
– Won decision (9-3) over Zaqwan Dobson (Mt. Airy)
– Won decision (3-2) over Zack Faircloth (E. Wilkes)
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Cherokee’s Levi Swearengin (top) wrestles Mitchell’s Soloman Duncan during last week’s Regionals. Swearengin took fourth place in the 126lb. division.
Swearengin
– Pinned Josh Cochran (Alleghany) at 1:37
– Won decision (6-4) over Soloman Duncan (Mitchell)
– Lost decision (14-5) to Alexander Preudhomme (Bishop McGuiness)
– Pinned Zachary Nelson (Walkertown) at 1:14
– Pinned by Jake St. Germain (W. Wilkes) at 4:09
- Wildcatt
– Pinned Andres Villagomez (Rosman) at 1:15
– Lost decision (10-5) to Eithen Sheets (W. Wilkes)
– Pinned Jerry Bennett (Mt. Airy) at 4:13
– Pinned Dylan Camp (Cherryville) at :33
– Pinned Michael Montelongo (Cherokee) at :24
– Pinned by Eithen Sheet (W. Wilkes) at 1:43
Full results of Cherokee’s other wrestlers are as follows:
- Michael George, 106lb.
– Pinned Maria Garcia (Monroe) at 1:14
– Pinned Peyton Green (Mitchell) at 3:00
– Lost decision (14-7) to Eddie Nunez (E. Surry)
– Lost decision (9-4) to Jose Aguilar (N. Wilkes)
- Ethan Swearengin, 113lb.
– Pinned by Irvan Portugal (Robb) at 3:11
– Pinned Dalton Williams (Queens Grant) at 4:00
– Pinned by Dustin Garret (Murphy) at 1:24
- Austin Padilla, 132lb.
– Lost decision (8-2) to Kade Guffey (Robb)
– Lost decision (8-2) to Logan Nelson (Walkertown)
- Jaron Bradley, 145lb.
– Won decision (10-5) over Peter Mantione (Union Aca.)
– Lost decision (12-8) to Jake Shore (E. Wilkes)
– Pinned by Zack Wagoner (N. Wilkes) at 1:44
- Dorian Walkingstick, 170lb.
– Won by technical fall (15-0) over Erich Carpenter (Cherryville)
– Lost decision (5-4) to Luke Johnson (N. Wilkes)
– Pinned Kane Owensby (Rosman) at 4:19
– Lost by major decision (10-2) to Frank Ledew (Bishop McGuiness)
- Raymond Taylor, 220lb.
– Pinned Scot Wiseman (Avery) at :56
– Pinned by Brandon Stiles (Murphy) at 5:01
– Pinned Jacob Reeves (N. Wilkes) at :48
– Pinned by Rhett Hoy (Hendersonville) at 1:02
- Michael Montelongo
– Pinned Ben Tuttle (S. Stokes) at :42
– Won by technical fall (18-1) over Raul Hernandez (Monroe)
– Lost decision (3-1) in overtime to Jackson Price (Central Aca.)
– Pinned by Jacob Wildcatt (Swain) at :24
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