Central hosts state championship

Ryan Kinker, Staff Reporter

This Sunday, Central’s wrestling club will hit the mats when it hosts the National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) Washington State Championships.

The NCWA is the governing organization of club wrestling across the country, just like the NCAA governs varsity sports.

Central wrestlers have been wrestling in the NCWA since the team lost its varsity status in 2004.

Wrestling did well as a varsity sport and is finding the same success as a club team in the NCWA.

After a strong finish in tournaments in 2015, Central was elevated from NCWA Division II to Division I.

The club had also done well in 2013, when the team won the Northwest Conference Regional Championship, finishing in second the following year.

Both of the finishes were followed with the team placing fifth the NCWA National Championships.

The Washington State Championships will bring teams from across the state that will be competing for spots in the NCWA Northwest Conference Championship and NCWA National Championship.

This Northwest Conference Championships represents teams in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. The tournament is in Butte, Mont. on Feb. 27.

Grays Harbor College is one of the favorite schools attending the meet.

They are ranked 15 in NCWA Division I and are the only other Washington school besides Central in Division I.

However, Wrestling Club President Andrew Vulliet isn’t ready to give in to the rankings.

“I think we have a chance to probably do really well,” Vulliet said.

Vulliet, senior geography major, acknowledges that Central’s team is very young and inexperienced with many freshmen, but he believes that the team can get some wins.

Vulliet believes the team will be anchored by Jake Ferris, a junior recognized as an NCWA All-American last year.

“We lost a lot of the guys we had the last two years or so that were doing pretty well,” Vulliet said. “We lost two All-Americans. We have a lot of newcomers, and they’re pretty solid…but I’m expecting a few [weight class] championships.”

The end of season tournaments serve as a platform for improvement for the younger competitors.

Vulliet does point out that, regardless of the results, the enjoyment comes from competing together as a team.

“We’re just a close group of guys who… become a family as the season goes on. That’s what I go for with the club,” Vulliet said. “Plus, [we] have kids who maybe could’ve gone and wrestled at an actual program, but decided they’d rather go in-state.”