Five Tooele High School wrestlers were among the leaders at the 64-team Rocky Mountain Rumble last weekend at Utah Valley State College in Orem. The meet included wrestlers from six states.

Daniel Goode at 135 pounds was the most impressive earning 30.5 of his team's 76.5 points for the tournament. Goode battled to a 6-1 record at the two-day event, and his efforts earned him a third-place finish at a tournament which is probably more grueling than wrestling at a state tournament. As a team Tooele finished 33rd.

Other outstanding wrestlers at the tourney included Austin Hansen at 145, Monte Schmalhaus at 152, Zeb Hansen at 160 and Glen Kummer at 171.

Goode won his first four matches in the tournament with two pins and two decisions. His fourth victory against three-time defending state champion Aaron Butler of Monticello propelled Goode into the semi-finals where he lost his only match of the tournament, a 6-2 decision against a top wrestler from the state of Washington.

After his only loss, Goode came back to win a technical fall over an opponent from Rock Springs, Wyo. and then won another decision over Butler to secure third place. The Monticello wrestler entered the tournament with a 34-2 record.

"Dan has a good chance at winning a state championship this year," said coach Gary Coffman. "He's been wrestling at 140 most of the season, but now he's at 135 where he can really excel."

Schmalhaus at 152 rolled through the competition during his first three matches with a pin and two major decisions, but dropped his final two matches by narrow decisions. Schmalhaus is another wrestler who is capable of winning a state title according to his coach.

"Right now he's the top in his weight class in  region and in the top three in the state," Coffman said.

"We have two or three that could win state championships and I think five or six of our wrestlers could place at state which means finishing in the top six. I believe as a team we can finish in the top 10," the coach said.

Schmalhaus scored 10 points for the team and Austin Hansen, at 145 pounds, scored 12. Hansen won his first match, but then dropped to the consolation bracket with a loss. He won his third and fourth matches by pinning his opponents, but loss the consolation championship to finish the tourney with a 3-2 record.

Zeb Hansen at 160 also earned 12 points for the team with a 3-2 record at the tournament. Hansen won by decision in the second round after a bye, lost by a narrow 7-6 decision in the third round and then pinned his next two opponents before losing a major decision in his fifth match of the tournament.

Kummer, at 171, won eight points with a 2-2 record. He earned two wins by major decision and a pin, lost a 7-3 decision and was pinned once.

"Glen is really a 152 wrestler, but we have Schmalhaus there. Glen started wrestling at 160, but then Zeb Hansen came back so now Glen is wrestling at 171," the coach said.

Coffman said another of his top wrestlers, Isaac Brown at 215, did not wrestle in the tourney because of injury but will be a strong contender in region and state competition.

Tooele wrestles at Orem tonight, a team that placed 53rd at the Rocky Mountain Rumble. The junior varsity will wrestle in a region tournament on Jan. 31. Because Timpview does not have a wrestling program, the top two wrestlers in each weight division at the junior varsity tournament earn a spot in the Region 7 varsity tournament.

"It looks like Payson, Springville and Mountain View will be the top teams battling for the title in our region and we'd like to be right there with them," the coach said.

The region tournament is set for Feb. 8 at Orem High, followed by the state tournament Feb. 13-15 at Utah Valley State College.

"It's very possible that four teams from our region will finish in the top 10 at state," Coffman said.

mwatson@tooeletranscript.com