Prep Athlete of the Week: Joey Calene

Clarkston senior Joey Calene “had a goal this year to win whatever championship we had,” Bantam wrestling coach Duane Benton said.

The 182-pounder did just that at the Class 2A Greater Spokane League culminating event June 9 in Mead, Wash., ruling the division with three consecutive pins to put an exclamation point on his high school career and gain recognition as the Tribune’s Prep Athlete of the Week.

“Joey’s a very hard-working kid,” Benton said. “First one in the practice room and last one to want to leave every day. That’s saying a lot. ... I live close to him — around the block — and I would see him on weekends and evenings out running.”

Calene was undefeated in league in the regular season before reaffirming his supremacy at the tournament.

“It was a pretty impressive tournament for him,” Benton said. “He went into the day saying he was going to win it, and asked if he knew who he was going to wrestle, he said, ‘I don’t care who it is.’ He just had the attitude going in that he wasn’t going to lose.”

Calene, who also was an all-league honorable mention defensive lineman for the football team, plans to wrestle for North Idaho College starting in the fall.