TACOMA – In any sport, a back-and-forth contest between two high-level competitors is often called a “chess match.”
In that case, advantage Connor Crum.
The sophomore from Seton Catholic was already a state chess champion.
Now he’s a state wrestling champion. Crum finished strong to beat Mack Pell of Cashmere 8-3 in the Class 1A 126-pound championship match at Mat Classic XXXVI on Saturday at the Tacoma Dome.
A second-place finisher last year, Crum is now a state champion after finishing the season 46-4.
The final step wasn’t easy. Crum found himself behind after Pell scored an early three-point takedown.
But that’s where the mind of a chess whiz comes in handy. Crum made the adjustments to score an escape and a takedown to take a 4-3 lead late in the first period. He then padded his lead with another escape and takedown in the second period.
And in a scoreless third period, Crum was all about protecting his King.
Checkmate.
Crum said he approaches each wrestling match like an actual game of chess.
“With chess, it’s all about knowing what you’re going to do four or five moves ahead,” Crum said. “In wrestling, you’ve got to be ready for what they are going to do and what you are going to do to counter.”
Like in wrestling and in chess, it helps to learn from the best. Crum’s season saw him compete in the region’s biggest tournaments against top wrestlers in larger classifications.
That included runner-up finishes in both the Pac Coast Championships and Norm Freihauf Clark County Championships, where he faced eventual 4A 132-pound state champion Jonas DesRochers of Skyview in the title match both times.
“Those high-level matches prepare you for the big moments and matches like this,” Crum said.
Isaac Chromey also used an earlier match to get ready to win a state title.
Two weeks ago, the senior from La Center was pinned in the third period at the District 4 championships by Mason Darvell of Castle Rock.
There was one wrinkle, however. Chromey was ill with the flu and had barely wrestled in two weeks.
Fully healthy on Saturday, Chromey dominated the rematch in the Class 1A 175-pound title match, winning 11-2.
“If I could wrestle him like that at 50 percent, I knew I could destroy him at 100 percent,” Chromey said. “I felt great out there. Maybe the stamina was a little bad after being out for two weeks.”
After placing fourth as a sophomore and third as a junior, Chromey capped his senior season with a backflip celebration on the mat.
“I had wanted to do that since I was a little kid,” Chromey said.
Two other 2A and 1A wrestlers from Clark County reached Saturday’s finals. La Center’s Wyatt Eiesland reached the 235-pound title match, but the No.4-ranked wrestler in his class lost 15-9 to No. 2-ranked Angel Layva of Wapato.
Woodland sophomore Mathis Johns reached the 2A final at 120 pounds, but lost 17-0 to undefeated Trevor Anderson of Orting.
Among Cowlitz County wrestlers, Cooper Williams of Castle Rock won his second state title by claiming the 1A 132-pound crown, Castle Rock’s Nolen Nelson won at 157 pounds and Kalama’s Harrison Suzara won the 1A title at 120 pounds.
