WA’s top high school wrestlers head to Tacoma this week for state title tournament

The state’s top high school wrestlers congregate in Tacoma this week for what has become annually one of the best events in the state: the state wrestling championships.

Set once again in the Tacoma Dome, Mat Classic XXVI has become even bigger.

Last year, the executive board of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association announced that the usual regionals portion of the postseason — the tournaments between districts and state — would be eliminated.

That would allow each classification to have 32 competitors in each weight class.

In addition, the top two classifications for girls — Class 3A and 4A — have split into separate tournaments. All of this allows more athletes to experience competing at the state tournament.

What it also means is that the WIAA will need one more full day of competition in the Tacoma Dome.

So here is the schedule for Thursday, Feb. 20, and Friday, Feb. 21: 4A boys, 4A girls, 3A boys, and 3A girls.

The smaller-school tournaments — 2A boys, 2A girls, 1A boys, 1B/2B boys, and 1B/2B/1A girls — will pick up on Friday and then finish on Saturday, Feb. 22.

Tacoma Dome and WIAA officials will have 24 mats layed out on the Dome floor for this week.

A large number of Mid-Columbia competitors will be battling for state titles this week.

Here is a look at the larger-school tournaments for local wrestlers:

Class 4A boys

Chiawana placed second at the District 6 tournament two weeks ago, scoring 300.5 points.

Greater Spokane League powerhouse Mead, however, ran away with the team title with 493.5 points.

Still, the Riverhawks will be taking 11 wrestlers to state.

Zachariah Delgado (157 pounds) and Victor Luna (132) each won weight class titles for Chiawana.

Senior Daeton Johnson placed second at 144 pounds. The Riverhawks’ 144-pound standout, who is headed next year to compete for North Idaho College, has a 38-4 record.

Richland and Kamiakin coaches will also be busy in Tacoma, as the Bombers and Braves will send 10 wrestlers each to Tacoma

Richland juniors Derek O’Dell (113) and Xavier Salinas (138) each earned titles.

Kamiakin’s Brooks Knight, a junior, earned the 285-pound championship. His record is now 35-4.

Pasco senior Josue Reyes (150) improved to 34-10 after winning his weight class championship. Reyes will lead a Bulldogs contingent of seven to Tacoma.

Hanford senior Asa Knutson was the top Falcons performer, earning the 190-pound title to raise his season record to 33-4. Hanford will send four wrestlers to state.

▪ Sunnyside won the Big Nine Conference district title on Feb. 8, and the Grizzlies will send 10 competitors to the 4A state tournament.

Perhaps the top contender for a state title will be Grizzlies senior Christopher Villanueva, who took the 150-pound title and improved to a perfect 41-0.

But Sunnyside also got district titles from 165-pound junior Kael Campos (40-4 record), 126-pound junior Mesiah Valdez (31-3), and 120-pound senior Samuel Valencia (29-5).

Class 4A girls

Led by 170-pounder Zoe Almaguer and 130-pounder Ella Beck, Chiawana took the team title at the Class 4A District 6 girls wrestling tournament Feb. 7-8 at Hanford High School.

The Riverhawks edged out Richland 279 to 275.5 for the championship.

Almaguer and Beck won their respective weight class titles.

Richland had four individual champions, led by senior Savannah Dufault, who is now 38-5 at 110 pounds. Other winners for the Bombers were Portia Harker at 155 pounds, Kiana Kawaii at 145, and Savannah Thorpe at 115.

Hanford, Kamiakin and Pasco each had two individual champions.

Genesis Cambron (100) and Makenzie Shupe (120) earned titles for Hanford, while Reagan Downing (235) and Talan Jansky (140) were champions for the Braves.

Meanwhile, Pasco was led by winners Nicole Cooke at 190 pounds and sophomore Berkley McCullough at 135. McCullough has a 34-4 record this season.

Altogether, the five Tri-City schools will send 48 wrestlers to Mat Classic XXXVI in the Tacoma Dome.

Chiawana leads the way with 14 competitors, Richland has 11, and Kamiakin will send 10. Pasco has seven advancing, while Hanford will send six.

▪ Sunnyside’s girls had four individual champions at the Big Nine Conference district wrestling championships at Eastmont High on Feb. 8.

Led by 105-pound division winner Danica Torres, the Grizzlies will send 18 competitors to the Class 4A state tournament in Tacoma on Feb. 20-21.

Torres, a junior, has a 35-7 record this season.

Other Grizzlies to win titles were Alyssa Graciano (130 pounds), Kaylia Maltos (100), and Nahkila Ray (135).

Sunnyside also won the district team title with 375 points. Davis placed second with 279.

Class 3A boys

Hermiston hosted the District 6 3A tournament on Feb. 7-8, and the Bulldogs came away with four individual champions and 11 state competitors.

Senior Dominic Echeverria (285), sophomore Aidan Larson (132), freshman Brayden Medelez (120), and senior Jaysen Rodriguez (138) won titles.

Echeverria improves to 24-2, Larson is now 42-4, and Rodriguez — sidelined most of the season — heads to Tacoma with a 7-0 mark.

Kennewick will send an impressive contingent of 10 competitors to state, led by senior Abraham Noriega — who won the 113-pound crown and heads to Tacoma with a 36-0 record.

Southridge had one district champion in Quinton Ellison at 150 pounds. The Suns are sending four competitors to state.

Walla Walla has three state qualifiers.

Class 3A girls

Hermiston junior Lily Foreman won a girls wrestling district title at 105, while senior teammate Tutaitaga Sepeni was the 235-pound champion, leading the Bulldogs to the District 6 team crown Feb. 7-8 at Hanford High School.

The Bulldogs scored 288 team points to get the title, beating out second-place Kennewick’s 254, and third-place Southridge at 247.

Hermiston will send 14 wrestlers to the state tournament.

Kennewick will actually send 15 wrestlers to state, including district champions Genesis Habana Corcuera at 145 pounds, and Jaylee Lopez at 170. Both are seniors, and Lopez is now 33-3 on the season.

Southridge had the most individual champions at the district tournament with three: senior Lexi Gideon at 120, Tenacious Villasenor at 155, and Cassidy Hernandez at 190. The Suns will send a contingent of 14 wrestlers to Tacoma.

Walla Walla will send seven wrestlers to state, including two district champions in Hazel Asmus at 115 pounds and Kylie Whitaker at 135.

Whitaker pinned Southridge’s Desirae Juarez with just 17 seconds in regulation to win the title, in what had to be the match of the tournament.

Whitaker is now 37-1 this season, while Juarez is 38-5.