Boys wrestling: Meadowdale’s Ball takes second place at Mat Classic XXVI

Meadowdale's Ciaran Ball (top) faces Stanwood's Foster Wade in the Class 3A 195-pound finals Saturday at Mat Classic XXVI in the Tacoma Dome. (Photos by Karl Swenson)

Meadowdale’s Ciaran Ball (top) faces Stanwood’s Foster Wade in the Class 3A 195-pound finals Saturday at Mat Classic XXVI in the Tacoma Dome. (Photos by Karl Swenson)

Meadowdale senior Ciaran Ball’s final high school wrestling match didn’t end the way he hoped it would.

Ball came out on the losing end of a heartbreaking 5-4 triple overtime loss to Stanwood’s Foster Wade in the Class 3A 195-pound finals at Mat Classic XXVI in the Tacoma Dome.

While admitting he understandably wasn’t feeling too good, Ball was philosophical about the loss.

“If there was any way to go out of it, it would have been in triple overtime,” Ball said. “I put my heart on the line. That’s all I could do.”

Ball might have been feeling quite different if the third period was extended by a few seconds.

With the score tied at 4, Ball made a last-second attempt to win and successfully executed a takedown of Wade. But the celebration by the Meadowdale coaching staff was brief when the officials ruled that the takedown occurred after time ran out in regulation.

“I got the takedown when time was out,” Ball said. “So they didn’t give me the two and we went to overtime.”

Both wrestlers did not score any points in the first two overtime periods. Wade then scored an escape point in the third overtime and Ball was unable to tie the score.

Ball initially appeared to be headed for a loss when he was trailing 4-3 late in the third period following a takedown by Wade. Ball then tied the score at 4 with an escape.

Seconds later, it appeared Ball’s takedown would be the difference in the match.

“Overall, we were just neck and neck,” Ball said. “We were both doing really good.

— By David Pan

Meadowdale's Ciaran Ball (right) takes on Lincoln's Aliyas Fletcher in the semifinals.Meadowdale’s Ciaran Ball (right) takes on Lincoln’s Aliyas Fletcher in the semifinals

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