ROGER LALONDE / Staff

Tige Thompson, Lely wrestling coach, took second place awards in National Roman Greco and Freestyle Championships in Las Vegas last week.

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Lely High wrestling coach Tige Thompson can add an “r” to his first name after placing second in two events at the U.S. Wrestling Nationals in Las Vegas.

Wrestling in the Veterans Division, in the 32-to-39-year-old class, Thompson, 38, placed second in the Greco Roman and Freestyle Championships.

“It was the first time I had wrestled Greco Roman since high school, except for messing around in practice with my wrestlers,” Thompson said of his fete. He wrestled in the 152-pound class, or 69 kilograms as described in Greco Roman wrestling.

In both events he pinned two opponents, while losing once each on points.

In Freestyle Rudy Dizon of Oakland Calif. won by a better overall match score. Thompson pinned him in Greco Roman.

“After three days of intense wrestling my body was pretty sore,” Thompson said.

Now it is back to coaching members of the Trojan Wrestling Club twice a week, on Tuesday and Thursday, at Lely.

“We have had good participation from the younger kids,” he said, “but not as good from the older kids as a lot of them are out for football,” he said. The Trojans football team is having spring practices.

The high school wrestling team only loses one starter, senior Louga Isme. Last season they didn’t have a 103-pound wrestler, but Thompson expects that through the wrestling club he can develop a young wrestler for that class.