The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

TACOMA - Before WP Tiger Tristan Newman even set foot on one of the many mats at the Tacoma Dome Friday, he had every reason to celebrate victory, his coach, family and friends in the stands said.

"It's always been our goal to get kids here," said head coach Lanny Adams, who has been a wrestling coach for 28 years, waiting to see a competitor to state. "Tristan has helped me make that dream come true."

Newman, a freshman expected to make future appearances at state, did not advance after losing his two matches against competitors from LaConner and the Methow Valley. But his coach and fans said the young athlete, who has three more years of high school wrestling, is just warming up for later years.

In his first match, he was pinned 48 seconds into the second round against senior William Ziemantz (LaCon­ner). The former member of the Waitsburg Matbird "Lit­tle Guys" wrestling program did much better against Dreyton Acord (Liberty Bell High). He won the first three rounds on points until he was penalized for stalling and allowed Acord back in the fight during overtime.

Though Newman had beaten Acord in a previous encounter, Adams described the two opponents as "even­ly matched" with "the other kid a little bit more hungry than Tristan was."

Newman scored the first three points for a near fall in the second round. He didn't quite get the pin at a moment when the ref was in posi­tion to see it, Adams said. Acord scored two points for a reversal and another point from a penalty against New­man for locking hands.

In the third round, New­man vaulted ahead 4-3 on an escape but lost the lead because of the stalling pen­alty, a foul that could as easily have been assigned to Acord, since both athletes failed to "work for a move," as Adams put it.

"He was pretty disap­pointed," Adams said of Newman. "He was more upset with himself. Had I wished for a different out­come? Sure. But you've got to look at it in a positive light and make it better for next year. We have the state jitters out of the way. I'm looking forward to next season now."

More than a dozen Waits­burg residents and family from elsewhere came to the Tacoma Dome to root for Newman, who has been a wrestler since age 5. Aside from Adams, parents Kari and Travis Newman, and Travis' brother Kevin, the group included assistant coach Jason Just, volunteer coach Jacob Moore, Buck and Lisa Norris, Bert and Bitsy Baxter, fellow Tiger wrestlers Steven Grimes and James Thompkins, and Tristan Newman's own friend Josh Zimmerman.

"This is pretty exciting," Kari Newman said. "I never even dreamed he would get here his freshman year. In his years as a wrestler, he's often gone without an op­ponent in his weight class. Now (in high school), he can figure out where he stands and what he can do."

Newman's father Travis was moved to tears at being in the stands to watch his son compete in the Tacoma Dome.

"I'm real proud of him," he said, recalling how his 15-year-old son not only stayed with his challeng­ing sport of choice but also knocked himself out to lose weight and get in shape for this year's sports season. "He can do anything he sets his mind to."

Travis Newman, who has been a coach for young­er kids in several sports himself, was particularly grateful to Adams who has known Tristan Newman for most of his life and helped him get ready for state, along with his other coaches and teammates.

Getting a WP wrestler to state bodes well for the sport's popularity in the Touchet Valley, where "little guy" wrestling has caught on and led Waitsburg to host two big regional meets for younger contenders in recent years.

"It's a close-knit feeder source for the upper levels," Travis Newman said about the Matbirds program he and Kari have helped organize and nurture for seven years. "I can't wait for the next five years. We're going to be known for wrestling like Pomeroy is. We're a small school with a big plan."