Sisters wrestler places second in Rocky Mountain tourney

Ryan Haney of Sisters placed second in the Rocky Mountain Nationals Gladiator World Championships in Boise last weekend.

The regional tournament drew 673 wrestlers ages six to 15. Haney wrestled in the 12-and-under, 78-pound bracket. There were 11 wrestlers in his bracket.

"We drove over to Boise on Friday morning for a Friday afternoon weigh-in," his father Jim Haney said. "After a good night's sleep, wrestling started at the Idaho Center Saturday morning at 9 a.m."

Haney's first match was at 10 a.m. against Kyle Clark.

"Ryan quickly used his favorite weapon, an ankle pick takedown, got three near fall points and ended the first round in front 5-0," Jim Haney reported.

To start the second round, Haney chose the down position and proved too difficult for Clark to hold. Haney scored the escape and a quick takedown, before putting Clark on his back for the pin at 47 seconds into the second round.

Two hours later, Haney faced Kade Perrin in the quarterfinals. Another quick takedown gave Haney a 2-0 lead, but Perrin's strength did not allow Ryan to score again in the first or second round. In the third round, Ryan chose down and exploded for seven points to end the match at 9-0.

Three-and-a-half hours later in the semifinals, Haney faced Kameron Reddish, the Idaho State Champion in both Freestyle and Greco-Roman.

Haney quickly scored a takedown but then gave up his first points of the day when Reddish caught him out of position for the escape. After a scramble, Haney got the takedown and ended the first period, ahead 4-1. Haney again chose down to start the second period and an escape and a takedown gave Haney a 7-2 lead going into the third. Reddish chose neutral and quickly took Ryan down to close the score to 7-4, but Reddish could not turn Haney for the needed back points, and Ryan moved on to the finals with an 8-4 victory.

In the finals, Haney met one of the toughest wrestlers Haney has ever wrestled. Iowa's Jack Hathaway has won National Championships on several levels and has been named to the World of Wrestling's All-Star Team the last two years.

Hathaway quickly took Ryan down, set up the arm-bar and pinned Ryan in the first round, as he had done to every other wrestler on the day.

"While Ryan was disappointed to be put down so quickly, the trophy presentation brought the smile back to his face," his father reported.

"Of the six national-level tournaments Ryan has traveled to, he had never placed, twice being knocked out only one win from a podium finish. The seventh tournament was the charm. The second place trophy now sits proudly on his desk," Ryan's father said.