Pair of Rams earn titles at South Kitsap Invite

Rogers High boys wrestling had a strong showing over the weekend at the South Kitsap Invitational, putting five wrestlers into finals matches.

Both Kyle Kroneman and Ty Wilson each walked away with tournament titles while Troy Wilson, Austin Sprankle and Noah Howell each took home second-place honors.

The Rogers team took second place (176 points) behind host South Kitsap (237), with Olympic (175) and Olympia (134) rounding out the top four places, respectively.

“Kyle’s been steadily improving each week, and he shown more versatility lately … he’s been moving his feet more,” Rogers coach David Johnston said.

Kroneman cruised to a 10-0 decision for the opening-round championship victory in the 106-pound bracket when he went against Auburn Riverside’s Marco Galeano.

After struggling being on his feet in matches earlier in the season, Kroneman has been hot lately coming into the weekend’s tournament, and his momentum didn’t stop in his finals match on Saturday afternoon.

Right from the start, Kroneman moved right and into a double-leg takedown, flooring Galeano instantly. The move forced the Ravens wrestler to scramble, and each time it led to another takedown and points for Kroneman.

Rogers’ featherweight coasted out the third round and into a championship win.

“I just didn’t let him get up. He fought pretty hard, but I still had a lot of energy left to hold on,” Kroneman said.

With the win, it now marks the chance for Kroneman to take his game to the next level, he feels.

“I just need to work hard at practice and not let up,” he said.

Ty Wilson had a quick win in his 160-pound championship match against South Kitsap’s Nathan Marin, as the Rams superstar was able to connect with a rollup for a 44-second pinfall victory.

Ty hit a quick takedown right from the opening whistle, and after some positioning on the mat, the senior was able to hook Marin’s right arm behind his back before rolling him into a cradle for the pin.

“Once he gave up his arm, I was able to get complete control of him and where I wanted him to go,” Ty said. “He didn’t really fight back.”

The easy win has been one of many for Ty this season, but that only means it’s going to get tougher from here, he said.

“Not all my matches have been quick, as I’ve gone three rounds in (some) recent ones,” Ty said. “It’s about keeping focused and not letting up.”

This story was originally published January 27, 2016 at 9:19 AM with the headline "Pair of Rams earn titles at South Kitsap Invite."