Wrestling: Three Tigers qualify for state

RENO - Douglas High wrestlers Dillon Spates, Michael Sepulveda and Patrick Miller emerged as second-place finishers in their respective weight classes at the Northern 4A Regional Tournament on Saturday.

All three advanced to the championship finals and in the process earned invitations to wrestle at the NIAA 4A State Championships next Friday and Saturday at the UNLV Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas.

Spates lost to Reno freshman Joey Lavallee in the 125-pound gold medal match 9-3, Sepulveda lost 5-4 against Damonte Ranch freshman Drew Smith at 130 pounds and Miller was pinned by Elko senior Zach Stetler in the 215-pound finals at Reno High School.

Douglas scored 74 points to finish ninth as a team with a lineup of only seven wrestlers. Not bad, if you ask coach Justin Shine.

"It was a very nice day," Shine said. "We came here with seven wrestlers and three of them are going to state. Three of seven, that's a pretty good percentage."

Miller supplied a highlight earlier in the day when he rallied for a 7-6 semifinal victory against Hug's Joe Taulaki.

Spanish Springs won the team championship 187-178 over Carson.